Thursday, August 8, 2024

Gospel Reflection: transfiguration

PAtience Horton

If you look at the top of this accompanying picture, you will see something very familiar. It is the image of Lord Christ that we have above the Chancel/Altar here at St. John’s. It is a vision of Lord Christ floating. At St. John’s, it has been referred to humorously as “Jesus Jumping Rope,” a child’s comment made some time ago.

The image comes from Raphael’s masterpiece, The Transfiguration, painted in 1520. In the Bible story, Jesus went to Mount Tabor with Peter, James, and John. According to Mark 9:2-14, Lord Christ floated up into a cloud and was transfigured from Man to God in front of Moses and Elijah. Many witnesses are there, and people are being healed.

For 300 years, until the beginning of the 20th century, The Transfiguration was the most famous and beautiful painting in the world. It was Raphael’s last piece. Scholars have determined Raphael, and not an apprentice, painted every single brushstroke. It was a culmination of his life’s work. It was so coveted, Napoleon had it hanging directly above his coronation as Emperor of France. (The original is in the Vatican.)

Its fame stretched to America. That is the reason we have the image in our sanctuary. Our artist most likely copied it from a popular book. It being the most famous painting in the world, our 19th century muralist knew the image very well.

(The feast day, Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ, is on Tuesday, August 6.)