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The Transfiguration of the Lord

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time (Mt 28:18‑20).

The reading of the Gospel is the high point of the liturgy of the word. It is surrounded with special marks of respect. This rite emphasizes the union between the Incarnate Word, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, symbolized by the altar and sacramentally present after the Consecration, and the word of God written in the Gospel.

It is a common knowledge that among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special preeminence, and rightly so, for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the Incarnate Word, our Savior. The Church has always and everywhere held and continues to hold that the four Gospels are of apostolic origin. For what the apostles preached in fulfillment of the commission of Christ, afterwards they themselves and apostolic men, under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, handed on to us in writing: the foundation of faith, namely, the fourfold Gospel, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.[1]

If incense is used, the priest puts some into the censer. Meanwhile, the faithful express to God their cheerfulness by means of the Alleluia. Then the deacon who is to proclaim the Gospel bows before the priest and in a low voice asks the blessing:

The priest says in a low voice:

If there is no deacon, the priest with hands joined, bows before the altar and inaudibly says the prayer,

In less solemn celebrations the priest himself may proclaim all the readings at the lectern and there also, if necessary, the chants between the readings. He bows (usually toward the altar) and says the preceding prayer.

The priest, who is about to speak in Christ's name, prepares himself for that awesome task by begging God to purify his lips as He once did those of Isaiah when an angel touched the great prophet's mouth with a burning coal. This is one of the few prayers during the Mass which the priest says in his own name so that he may exercise his ministry with attention and devotion.[2] We, too, reflect on God's mercy in calling us --improbable people like us-- to be Christians. To hear and to proclaim the Gospel: Every Christian preaches Christ every day by the life he lives, by the words he utters from day to day. We are all the time unconsciously influencing other people. Can we say we are doing it worthily?

If the Book of the Gospels is on the altar, the priest (or deacon) takes it and goes to the lectern. He who is going to read the Gospel may be preceded by servers who carry the censer and candles. When this little procession reaches the lectern, the priest opens the book and says,

Then he introduces,

The people respond,

He makes the sign of the cross with his thumb on the book and on his forehead, mouth, and breast. If incense is used, he incenses the book before reading.[3]

* * *

You probably have heard of all the care which, in the centuries before the advent of printing, the Church gave to the calligraphy of Gospel books, their pages being ornamented with illuminations and bindings at times encrusted with gold, ivory, and precious stones. The scent of incense used to fill the whole church, and candles were lit "as when", wrote St Jerome, "the sun shines with all its brilliance; but their flame is not intended to dispel darkness, it is a sign of joy."[4]

We understand why the reading of the Gospel should be done with veneration. Ever since the Gospel was first read in Christian churches, the faithful have never listened to it in any other way than standing. In the Middle Ages, even those leaning on staves would leave them on the ground, standing erect as a servant stands before his lord. The bishop would hold his crozier in hand, and knights would draw their swords from their sheaths, removing also their cloaks and gloves. Men would remove their headgear, and princes their crowns.

Throughout the ages, all present made the sign of the cross together with the priest. Many times also during the day, the first Christians did it with one finger on the forehead. As Tertullian wrote,

Whenever they enter or leave the house, when dressing, when bathing, when about to eat, when lighting the lamps, when going to bed, on rising, on all occasions, they trace the sign of the cross on their foreheads.

These are signs of special veneration: on the part of the priest or deacon, the blessing and the preparatory prayer, as well as the kiss with which he concludes the reading; on the part of the faithful, their standing up and the acclamations with which they acknowledge the presence of Christ, speaking through these readings.

The Gospel is the only book which is incensed, and on which the sign of the cross is made. It should be read and meditated on often. We should even memorize, not all its text perhaps, but at least the most notable passages. "Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it." On hearing the words of the Gospel, our heart should keep itself prepared, alert, open and docile. Prepared for everything?... We stand up when reading the Gospel, with the attitude of one who is prepared to suffer everything for the sake of those sacred words....

Prepared to die?... If necessary, yes!

Prepared to die to ourselves, to our disorderly inclinations, to our own will? Yes. And that is how you must be every day, every moment of every day....

That is how you must be, without the slightest delay or hesitation.

That is how you must be: not in the least halfhearted, without the slightest complaint.

That is how you must be: doing everything, giving everything, giving yourself, with your heart generously opened wide, manfully and cheerfully: Bread given grudgingly never tastes well to the poor.... The apostle said, "God loves the cheerful giver."

You will ask: Everything, Lord? This, yes, I will sacrifice it to you. But that other thing, Lord..., it is so hard to give it up.

Can the Lord, who is so good, ask me to sacrifice this desire, this legitimate wish, this holy affection?

Can he not ask me to make other sacrifices, perhaps greater ones than this?

Fix your eyes on the crucifix and listen to what I have to say to you: Everything, everything... your most legitimate desires, your most holy ambitions, those occupations of yours which you carry out with the highest supernatural motives. Look: The best thing for you is to do that thing which he asks of you, in the way he asks for it, in the place where he asks for it. Give him that... without hesitation.[5]

When the priest has finished the reading, he says,

We unanimously answer,

With this, we make a firm resolution to apply to our lives the teachings we have just received, giving to Christ our entire lives --lest he tell us, "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord' and not do what I say?" (Lk 6:46).

* * *

Until the thirteenth century, the Book of the Gospels was brought to be kissed by the clergy and even by the faithful. Nowadays, only the priest who has just read the Gospel kisses it.

We can at least make ours the kiss the priest has placed on the sacred book. With it, we want to tell our Lord we are ready to give our lives for the truths contained in the Gospel. At the same time, we ask forgiveness for our faults, interiorly accompanying the celebrant who, while kissing the book, says,

May the words of the Gospel wipe away our sins.

1. DV, no. 18.

2. GIRM, no. 13.

3. GIRM, no. 95.

4. Contra Vigilantium, 8. Quoted in Dictionnaire d'Archeologie Chretienne et de Liturgie,, 5.1: 777.

5. B. Vasconcelos, Your Mass, pp. 42‑43.