FAQ

"In reality," what happened is exactly what the Evangelists recount. The divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ became visible to the apostles. At the same time, they saw that all the Law and the Prophets—the entire religious tradition of the Old Testament—were united before Christ in the persons of Moses and Elijah, speaking with Christ about His Passion.

The purpose of the Transfiguration, as far as we can discern from the Evangelists' accounts, was primarily to confirm the closest disciples in the faith and confession that Peter had just proclaimed, namely, to affirm to them that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Messiah-Christ anticipated since the days of Moses. Moreover, and perhaps more importantly, the Lord allowed the disciples to behold His glory as God so that, when they would see Him being crucified, they might understand that He suffers voluntarily, and proclaim to the world that He is truly the radiance of the Father. Thus, the "purpose" of the Transfiguration was to prepare the disciples to comprehend the mystery of the Sacrifice on the Cross.