Overheard about the Transfiguration

Our priest had three interesting things to share about the Transfiguration this weekend.

1.  Mt Tabor, one of the possible sites that this event occurred, is not a small hill.  It sits almost 2,000 ft high.  (Mt Hermon, another possible site, is over 9,000 ft high!)  It would have taken Jesus and the Apostles some time to reach the top.  It was apparently not something you do on a whim one afternoon.  Sometimes we overlook these things as the Gospels move around so quickly.
2. In those days, Jewish law said that you needed 2 or 3 witnesses to prove something in a court of law.  During the Transfiguration, there were not only three living witnesses (James, John and Peter), but two "spiritual" ones as well in Moses and Elijah.  
3. The view from the mountain is breathtaking as you can see all the land.  When combined with the Transfiguration, and God's acknowledgement that He is pleased with His Son, the event must have been quite inspirational (albeit a bit frightening as well).  Did God want to make sure Peter, James, and John saw this side of the journey to "balance out" the upcoming Crucifixion?  That is likely beyond our understanding, but interesting to think about.

 I hope you are having a spiritual Lenten season.  God Bless you!