What really happened at the Transfiguration?
The Gospels tell us: Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. There, before their eyes, He was transfigured—His face shining like the sun, His clothes dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him. A radiant cloud overshadowed them, and the voice of God the Father declared: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”
(Matthew 17:1–8)
But what did it look like? Feel like? What did the Apostles actually experience?
In the 19th century, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich, a German mystic and Augustinian nun, was granted extraordinary visions of the life of Christ. These were carefully recorded by poet Clemens Brentano and published in the multi-volume work The Life of Jesus Christ.
Among her most vivid visions is her account of the Transfiguration—a mystical, deeply moving description of one of the most awe-inspiring moments in Scripture.
“A white light appeared upon His forehead…”
In her vision, Emmerich saw Jesus begin to pray. Then, something extraordinary happened:
“His countenance became shining. A white light appeared upon His forehead and spread over His whole body. His form became perfectly luminous.” (The Life of Jesus Christ, Vol. II)
Above Him, she saw something astounding:
“A shining white column of light arose from His head high up into the sky, and in it appeared a glittering figure holding something like a wreath or crown in its outstretched hands.”
It wasn’t just Jesus who changed—the very atmosphere around Him shimmered with heavenly presence. Nature bowed. Heaven opened. The divine was no longer hidden.
The Apostles Awaken to the Glory of the Transfiguration
At this moment, Peter, James, and John were asleep—huddled together in a rocky nook. But Emmerich described how the brilliant light awoke them suddenly:
“The light awakened them, and they sprang up terrified. Peter exclaimed: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles…’”
But no shelter could contain what they were about to witness.
Moses and Elias Appear in Glory
Emmerich then saw two glowing figures beside Jesus:
“One somewhat bent, the other erect. One resembled Moses, the other Elias. They too were encompassed with light, and conversed with Jesus.”
Though she does not record their exact words, she understood—through spiritual insight—that they were discussing Jesus’s coming Passion in Jerusalem. They had come to bear witness to His divine mission, just as they had foretold in life.
The Voice of the Father
Suddenly, a radiant cloud enveloped them:
“I saw a glittering cloud approach and hover over the Apostles. It seemed as if their souls quaked. They sank to the earth, hiding their faces.”
Then came the voice—majestic and unmistakable:
“From the cloud issued a voice which caused the mountain to tremble: ‘This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him!’”
With that, the vision ended. The mountain fell silent. And the light faded.
The Transfiguration Is a Promise—for Us
Emmerich’s vision reveals more than dazzling light and heavenly beings. It is a glimpse of what awaits us.
The Church has long taught that the Transfiguration was not only a revelation of Christ’s divinity—but a foreshadowing of our own glorified destiny. A preview of the resurrected body. A promise of the glory to come.
“All who remain faithful will one day shine like Him—not by their own light, but by the light of His love reflected in them.”
This is the hope that sustained the saints—and the hope that sustains us still.
Why This Vision Matters Today
The Feast of the Transfiguration, celebrated every August 6, invites us to spiritual transformation.
Every act of love, every moment of prayer, every suffering endured with Christ brings us closer to the light. Though we cannot yet see Him in glory, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich’s vision reminds us: The light is real. The glory is near. And we are called to it.