On the Transfiguration – Oration 8
by St Proclus of Constantinople
Come my friends, today let us attentively apply ourselves to the Gospel treasures so that we can draw out, as usual, a source of riches that can be freely divided out and never used up. Come to that wisest of good guides and let us follow Luke once more to behold Christ going up the high mountain, taking with Him Peter, James and John as witnesses of the divine transfiguration. For it says that the Master took Peter and his companions and ascended a high mountain on which Moses and Elijah conversed with Christ; a high mountain on which the Law and the Prophets conversed with Grace; a high mountain on which Moses sacrificed the paschal lamb and sprinkled the doorposts of the Hebrews with its blood; a high mountain on which Elijah dismembered the ox with those others and consumed the sacrifice with fire passing through the water; a high mountain on which Moses stood who opened and closed the waters of the Red Sea; a high mountain where Elijah stood who opened and shut the clouds of rain; a high mountain so that Peter, James and John might learn that He was the one “to whom every knee shall bend, in heaven, on earth, and in the underworld.” For the Master ascended the mountain taking only three with Him. He did not take them all, and He did not leave them all behind. He did not begrudge the glory to the others, nor did He consider them to be inferior, nor did He do it to distress the other nine. He is the Just One, and all He does is justly done, and He reckoned all of them as one, and made no distinctions among them in His love, for He had made them as one. But because Judas, who was to become the traitor, was unworthy of the divine vision and that awesome appearance, then because of Him He left the others behind too so that Judas would not be the only one left behind, and that future accusations might be forestalled. He brought up these three independent witnesses to His transfiguration, in accordance with the Law, and so that He might make it known spiritually to the others in these three. For He had said: “Righteous Father, guard them that they too may be one just as we are one.” So when Judas saw Andrew, Thomas, Philip and the others kept off the mountain as well as himself, but not complaining or annoyed or protesting about it but rather rejoicing and thinking that they were sharers in the same heavenly grace as those who had gone, then he had absolutely no grounds for complaint that he had ever been slighted in any of the miracles. Nonetheless it was he who kept the purse, and not only was he angry without reason at the woman who anointed Jesus, but he even handed the Master over, shamelessly, to his enemies.
2. Why is it said: “And He was transfigured before them and there appeared to them Moses and Elijah conversing with Him?” Peter, so eager and quick to speak, as always, sees men he had never seen before, conversing with him. And he does not weigh up the immensity of this wonder, and he does not have regard to the marvel of this divine radiance, but cries out that this desert place is good. Then the fishermen become tabernacle-builders; saying to the Savior: “Let us make three tabernacles here; one for you, one for Elijah and one for Moses; not knowing what he was saying.” How kindly does the most-wise Luke excuse him by adding: “not knowing what he was saying.” But Peter, you prince of disciples and leader of the apostles, why did you want to fall down to these mean thoughts and insult divine realities with your human words—talking this way about erecting three tabernacles in the wilderness, and offering the same honor to slaves as to the Master by setting the shrines of the other two on the same level as the tabernacle to Christ? Surely Moses was not conceived of the Holy Spirit as He was? Surely a virgin-mother did not give birth to Elijah as the all-holy virgin Mary gave birth to Him? Surely no one knew Moses as an infant in his mother’s womb as the Fore-runner knew Him? Surely the heavens did not herald the birth of Elijah nor the Magi worship the swaddling bands of Moses? For Moses and Elijah never performed such miracles as these; casting out legions of demons from men, casting out spirits from the recesses of men. For when Moses was angry he struck the sea with his staff and it divided. But Jesus, your Master, walked over the sea and made the depths passable for you, Peter. Elijah entreated and increased the widow’s meal and raised her son from the dead; but the One who took you from being a fisherman to be a disciple, fed thousands from a few loaves and went into Hell to despoil it and carried off those who had lain there throughout the ages. And so, Peter, do not say: “Let us make three tabernacles here.” Do not say: “It is good for us to be here.” Think nothing base, nothing earthly, nothing creeping. Think rather of the things that are above, not the things of earth, as Paul tells us to do. For how is it good for us to be here where the hurtful serpent wounded the first man, and then closed up Paradise; where we heard that our bread is to be eaten in the sweat of our face; where we learned from Cain to groan and tremble on the face of the earth; where there is nothing lasting; where all things are shadows; where all things pass in a moment—so how is it good for us to be here? If Christ intended to leave us here then why did He bend down the heavens and come down? If Christ intended to leave us here why did He share in our flesh and blood? If Christ intended to leave us here why did He stoop down to one who had fallen and raise up his prostrate form? If it is good for us to be upon the earth in vain are you called the Keybearer of Heaven. For what use would you have for the keys of heaven? Moreover, if you long for this mountain then say farewell to the heavens. If you want to build tabernacles you must renounce the title and role of the foundation of the Church. It was not without reason that Christ the Lord was transfigured, but so that He might reveal to us the transfiguration of our natures that is to come, and His second coming, in light, upon the clouds with all the angels. For it is He who “is girded with light as in a robe;” He who is the judge of the living and the dead. This is why He brought Moses and Elijah in among them to stand as seals of the ancient revelations.
3. What more does the great evangelist have to say? “While they were still talking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice came from the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.” He says that while Peter was still speaking, the Father confounded him from heaven to this effect: What indeed is all this Peter? Why are you confusing yourself so, and why are you blurting out these nonsenses, saying that this is a good place? Are you out of your mind? Or are you envious of them and do not know what to say? Have you still not learned anything? or understand the unshakeable knowledge of the Sonship? Were you not the one who said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”? You have looked on so many wonders, Bar Jonah, and are you still a Simon? He set you as the Keybearer of Heaven and have you not yet laid aside your fishing tunic? Look, this is the third time that you have run counter to the Savior’s will, not knowing what to say. For He said to you: “I must suffer,” and you said: “This must never happen to You.” Again He said: “All of you will be scandalized;” and you said: “If all others are, I will not be scandalized.” And see, now do you want to build a tabernacle for Christ, the same as that for Moses and Elijah? A tabernacle for Christ who stretched out the heavens with me? A tabernacle for Him who laid the foundations of the earth with me? A tabernacle for Him who gathered the sea and fixed the firmament? A tabernacle for Him who lit the stars, who set fire in the skies, and made all things with me before the ages? A tabernacle for Him who is of me, and also of you? A tabernacle for a man who is fatherless, and for a god who is motherless? A tabernacle for Him who chose His own tabernacle and accepted a virgin’s womb? And so, because you wished to build three tabernacles, now knowing what to say, I used a bright cloud as my own tabernacle and overshadowed all who were present. I cry out then from the heavens: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased—not Moses or Elijah, but Him. Not the one or the other, only this One. This is the One in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him.
4. Moses I justified but in this One I am well-pleased. Elijah I assumed, but this One I sent out into the virgin, as into heaven; and out from the virgin I sent heaven to Him. For as He said: “No one has gone into heaven except the One who came down from heaven.” In vain, then, would He have come down upon the earth if He intended to remain always upon the earth. In vain would He have emptied Himself, assuming the form of a slave if He had become what you are while not remaining that which He was. And if He had not taken up the Cross, like you, and for the sake of all of you, to redeem the world by His own blood, then the whole Economy would be made futile and the ancient uncertainties of the prophetic words would still be in force. So desist Peter and do not think the thoughts of man, but the things of God. For this is my Beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Listen to Him. Twice have I spoken in this voice about Him, when you were present; on this mountain and in the presence of John in the river Jordan. This was so that the ancient prophet might be proved right who cried out: “Thabor and Hermon rejoice in your name.” Whose name?—“This is my Son the Beloved.” For as Paul says: “He has given Him the name above every name.” Perhaps, my dear, you are wondering what it means: Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in your name? Well learn this sensibly. Thabor is the mountain on which Christ wished to be transfigured, where the Father bore witness to the Son, as you have just heard. And Hermon is a mountain somewhat near the Jordan, from which Elijah was taken up. It is right next to the waters of the Jordan where Christ desired to be baptized, where the Father bore witness again to the Son. On both these mountains the undefiled Father confirmed the Sonship, at both times crying out: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased. Listen to Him. For whoever hears Him hears me also. Those who are ashamed of Him and His words, I shall be ashamed of them in my glory with the holy angels. Listen to Him without deceit or wickedness; without reservations and without indulging curiosity. Seek faith, do not search for phrases. Take up faith, do not bandy words with the Word. That great Paul crushed curiosity well enough when he taught them all, crying out without hesitation: “Oh the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God; How incomprehensible are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways;” to Him be glory to the ages of ages. Amen.
*Translated by John Anthony McGuckin in McGuckin,
The Transfiguration of Christ in Scripture and Tradition, Studies in the Bible and Early Christianity Vol. 9 (Lewiston, NY: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1986), pp. 182-187
