Gospel in Art: Up the mountain in their presence Jesus was transfigured

The Transfiguration, by Ivanka Demchuk, 2018 © IvankaDemchuk, all rights reserved

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 25 February 2024
Mark 9:2-10

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: 'Rabbi,' he said 'it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.' He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, 'This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.' Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.

As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what 'rising from the dead' could mean.

Reflction on the icon painting

Our painting is by Ukrainian contemporary icon painter Ivanka Demchuk. Born 1990, in Lviv, she graduated at the Sacral Art department in Lviv National Academy of Arts, receiving a masters degree with honours in 2014. She works in the old icon tradition of 'writing icons', but using new innovative techniques. Icons in Christian tradition, particularly within Eastern Orthodoxy, are often said to be "written" rather than "painted" due to their sacred nature and the theological truths they convey. This terminology reflects the belief that creating an icon is a form of prayer and a way of transcribing sacred Scripture into a visual format. The process of creating an icon is thus viewed as a liturgical act, with the iconographer following traditional protocols, fasting, and praying throughout the creation process.

Most of us would be aware of times in our lives when we did not really do ourselves justice. The way we spoke or acted, the way we related to someone, did not really express our better self. We can look back at such moments and recognize that we fell short of the person we are called to be. We can show different faces to others, not all of them faces we would be proud of. Yet, even when we fall short of our better self, we know that we always have the capacity to make amends. We can set out again and make a new effort to let our best self shine through, the self that is made in the image and likeness of God.

Unlike ourselves, Jesus did not show different faces to people. He always showed the same face, the face of God, because he was God in human form. In today's Gospel reading, we very clearly see the face of Jesus, as God. The same face as from the beginning of time and ever will be. But his disciples saw Jesus in a way they had never seen him before. The penny dropped and they now fully realised what Jesus' face truly looked like. They saw him with new eyes. Fundamentally, Jesus only reveals one face of God, the face of love.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/mark-9-2-10-2024/