Today is the Feast of The Transfiguration of the Lord!
So, what is The Transfiguration of Jesus, exactly?
The easy lesson below on The Transfiguration of our Lord answers questions such as “What was The Transfiguration?” and “How do you explain The Transfiguration for children?” It makes a great Sunday School lesson, home school lesson, or home school co-op lesson!
As always, my goal at Cultivating Catholics is to take big Catholic concepts and break them down into small, bite-sized pieces for children to be able to understand.
Keep reading to learn more about The Transfiguration.
What Happened at The Transfiguration?
Transfigured is a big word that means to change form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state. This is exactly what happened to Jesus!
During The Transfiguration, Jesus brought John, Peter, and James up a mountain. When they got to the top, Jesus’ body and clothing suddenly become transfigured before the disciples’ very eyes!
In Matthew’s Gospel, he says Jesus’ face “shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light.”
Peter, James and John not only saw Jesus lifted up and shining bright, but they also saw Moses and Elijah! Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus about how he would soon leave this world.
Side note: If you’re wanting to teach your children more about Moses, “Saved By the Lamb” is a children’s book about “two baby boys who were born to save their people.”
Speaking of Moses, how funny is this Moses Dish Towel? Haha!
Anyways! A bright cloud then appeared over all of them, and a voice from the cloud (the voice of God) said “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”
The disciples were scared. Jesus came over and touched them, telling them to get up and not be afraid. When the disciples looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone. Jesus told the disciples to not tell anyone what they had seen, until He was raised from the dead (on Easter!)
Where Did the Transfiguration Take Place?
It is said Jesus brought Peter, James and John “up a mountain.” Although we’re not exactly sure, tradition recognizes this mountain as Mt. Tabor.
Transfiguration in the Bible
The Transfiguration is mentioned in 3 of the 4 gospels-Matthew, Mark and Luke.
What is The Transfiguration a Sign of?
The Transfiguration is a sign of God’s presence and power!
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The Transfiguration gives us a foretaste of Christ’s glorius coming, when he will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”
What Can We Learn From The Transfiguration?
Talking about The Transfiguration with your children is a great way to remind them of all the people we hope to meet in Heaven.
We have a lot to look forward to up in Heaven with Jesus. We get to see Jesus, Mary and our beloved saints! We don’t know for sure who else will be there, but it’s good to pray about it and hope we will see them!
Transfiguration Activities
Here’s a cute little 2-minute video that explains the Transfiguration to children (Bonus: It’s only 2 minutes long! Perfect for those short attention spans and moms who like to keep screen time to a minimum.)
I thought this coloring sheet was so simple but really portrayed the story well.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
So there you have it! The Transfiguration is a day where Jesus suddenly radiated light in front of three of His disciples, and God the Father in Heaven spoke to all of them! I hope your kids love this story as much as ours do. 🙂
