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The Hidden Grace That Transfigures All Things

The Hidden Grace That Transfigures All Things

Last updated on: August 6, 2026 at 2:02 am by Henry Karlson

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The Hidden Grace That Transfigures All Things 2026-08-06T02:02:39-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Master of the Moscow school: The Transfiguration, Showing How The Glory Of God Can Shine On And Through All Things /Wikimedia Commons

When Jesus went up Mt. Tabor, taking Peter, James, and John with him, he revealed to them something rather amazing: He showed them what has been labeled the “light of Tabor,” the light which represented his true glory, the glory of the kingdom of God. That glory, while it is his, and his from all eternity, is something which he intends to share with all creation:

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light (Matt. 17:1-2 RSV).

Thus, at the Transfiguration, Jesus showed Peter, James and John a glimpse of what had been hidden from them, that his, a glimpse of his divine glory. It was not the fullness of that glory, because his glory transcends what any person can ever comprehend. When Jesus revealed it to them, it certainly was not something which was new. It was his from eternity (thanks to his divine nature); what was new is what humanity could apprehend of it, and this is because of the way he shared his glory with humanity through his incarnation. It is the glory of the kingdom of God, and where that glory is apprehended, there is always a revelation of the kingdom of God. This is why, at Mt. Tabor, Jesus showed Peter, James and John that Moses and Elijah, who had come before him, had their place in the kingdom of God. This also gave those three apostles a glimpse of the way the kingdom of God transcends death itself, for Moses (if not also Elijah), had died, and yet was seen with Christ, talking with him as if he were alive.

Since the divine glory was seen shining through the face of Jesus, and even in his clothing, we are shown that the kingdom of God is able to spread throughout all creation, giving everything in it a share of the glory, lifting it up and transfiguring it as it finds its proper place in the kingdom of God. For what is touched by Christ, and Christ’s glory, can take in or apprehend some of that glory for itself, and what it receives it is able to manifest to others (which is why it is important to realize his clothes were shining with the same light as was seen coming from his face). Through the act of the incarnation, and through the temporal ministry of Jesus, Christ has come in contact with the world, with all creation, so that the world and all that is in it is called to share in the glory of the kingdom of God, to experience the transfiguration for themselves. Christ comes to liberate the whole of creation from the power and destruction of sin; he overturns the structures of sin which the powers that be put in place, so that in the eschaton, all will be able to participate in the kingdom of God:

The Christian gospel is God’s message of liberation in an unredeemed and tortured world. As such, it is a transcendent reality that lifts our spirits to a world far removed from the suffering of this one. It is an eschatological vision, an experience of transfiguration, such as Jesus experienced at his Baptism (Mk 1:9-11) or on Mt. Tabor (Mk 9:2-8), just before he set out on the road to Jerusalem, the road that led to Calvary. [1]

Christ’s kingdom and glory, both revealed at Mt. Tabor, are not of this world, that is, they do not arise, come from, or have their authority given to them, by anyone or anything in the created order of thing; Christ’s kingdom transcends the world, it is eternal, and its glory infinitely transcends any created glory. And yet in the incarnation, the divine glory, the glory of the kingdom, was brought into the world. This is what was revealed to Peter, James and John. While, before and after the transfiguration, that glory was obscured, even to them, they were able to see it was something which Jesus always had. It was always there, and as it will always be there; it will always be active, spreading out into the world, working to transfigure creation from within. And just like it it was there, but hidden, in Christ, so it will often be there, in all creation, even if it is hidden from our view. Jesus is drawing all people, and all things, to him, so that they can all be transformed by his divine glory. And as Jesus is the immanent eschaton, the Transfiguration gives us a glimpse of the destiny of creation, that God intends it for glory, not annihilation:

Our world will not be annihilated, but transfigured. Through the Incarnation, Jesus not only lived upon this material earth, but He began the process of recapitulating all things according to His Father’s plan.[2]

The immanent eschaton shares grace to the world, transfiguring it from within, so that the things of the world can and often become vessels of God’s grace:

The whole universe is, for those who possess purified eyes, a living sacrament, in the broadest sense of the word. In the meeting of the contemplative and God, the material creation not only symbolizes God’s presence but also plays a role in the transfiguring power of God and the contemplative to bring all things into Christ.[3]

We are all being drawn to Christ. What Peter, James and John experienced, we are all called to experience, even if we are to do so in ways different than they did, because we are different from them, living at a different time and place, possessing different charisms. But, like them, we are to learn from that experience. We are look out into the world around us, realizing that God is sharing grace, and with it, the glory of the kingdom of God, to everything. The glory does not come from the world, but into it, as it is something God loves, and if God loves it, so should we, which is why w should do what we can to protect and preserve it. And, in the end, the grace given to us, and the grace given to the rest of the world, should draw us together, so that together, we can become, not only one in Christ, but glorified in and with him, sharing with each other and experiencing with each other the fruit of that glory.

[1] James H. Cone, The Cross and the Lynching Tree (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2011), 155.

[2] George Maloney, SJ, God’s Exploding Love (New York: Alba House. 1987), 162.

[3] George Maloney, SJ, Prayer of the Heart (Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 1981), 181.

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