Dear Families
We will be celebrating the Feast of the Transfiguration this weekend at all the Masses. Since August 6th falls on a Sunday, the Church has decided to make the Feast of the Transfiguration the Mass for the entire weekend. Therefore, the readings in the lectionary and the focus of the liturgy will be on this important moment in the life of Christ, but even more importantly in the lives of Peter, James and John. It was this transformational moment that they could look back on in hindsight after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
The date for the Transfiguration was set according to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14th which falls exactly forty days after August 6th. It was established that the Transfiguration precede this feast by forty days like another Great Lent, since September 14th is observed like another Good Friday. And as the Transfiguration was forty days prior to the crucifixion of the Savior, the Holy Fathers, having counted forty days back from the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, established that the Transfiguration would be celebrated on August 6, because from August 6 to September 14 is exactly 40 days.
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Scott Connolly
Pastor
