Up The Mountain

Εἰς ὅρος ὑψηλόν. Εἰς τὸ ὅρος ἄνεισι, δεικνὺς, ὅτι χθαμαλὸς ὁ νοῦς οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο πρὸς θεωρίαν ἐπιτήδειος, ἀλλ' ὁ κατ' ἰδίαν γεγονὼς, καὶ ἔξω φροντίδων βιωτικῶν ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ. Καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. Πεπράχθαι δέ φαμεν τὴν μεταμόρφωσιν, οὐχὶ δήπου τὸ σῶμα τὸ ἀνθρώπινον μεταβαλόντος τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ δόξης τινὸς φωτοειδοῦς περιστελλούσης αὐτό· μείναντος γὰρ τοῦ σώματος ἐπί τοῦ σχήματος, ἐπὶ τὸ ἐνδοξότερον οἱ χαρακτῆρες διὰ φωτοειδοῦς χρώματος διεχρώννυντο. Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἴπε τῷ Ἰησοῦ· Κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσωμεν ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνὰς, σοὶ μίαν, καὶ Μωϋσῇ μίαν, καὶ μίαν Ἠλίᾳ. Οὐκ ᾔδει τί ἐλάλει. Πρὸ γὰρ τοῦ πάθους καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος, καὶ τῆς καταλύσεως τοῦ θανάτου, καὶ τῆς φθορᾶς τῶν σωμάτων ἡμῶν, ἀδύνατον ἦν τὸν Πέτρον συνεῖναι Χριστῷ, καὶ τῶν σκηνων ἐφίεσθαι τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ. Ταῦτα γὰρ δεῖ γενέσθαι μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆτος ἀνάστασιν καὶ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνάβασιν. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Ἐξὴγησις Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Εὐάγγελιον Source:Migne PG 72.425a-c

To a high mountain. 1 He went up the mountain, showing that the worldly mind is not capable of contemplation, but that it is achieved in solitude and apart from the cares of life. And He was transfigured before them. 2 And when we say that He was transfigured, it is not that the human body was changed into some other body, but that a certain glory of light surrounded it. For the figure of the body persisted, and his vestments were imbued with with a certain color of glorious light. And answering, Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, let us make three tabernacles, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.' 3 He did not know what he said. Before the passion and resurrection of the Saviour and the ruin of death and the corruption of the body, it was not possible that Peter enjoy with Christ the heavenly tabernacles. These things were only possible after the resurrection of the Saviour and the ascension into heaven. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary On The Gospel Of Saint Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 17.1 2 Mt 17.2 3 Mt 17.4