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Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 17:

In the seventeenth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, readers encounter an account of one of the greatest theophanies (visual manifestations of God) in all of Scripture—Jesus’ Transfiguration on Mount Tabor. It’s no accident that the Evangelist places this event, which confirms that Jesus is the Son of God, immediately after Jesus’ initial prediction of his Passion, death, and Resurrection, a prediction that Matthew places at the end of the sixteenth chapter of his Gospel. It’s also no accident that the three disciples chosen to witness the Transfiguration are the same three who will assume leadership of the early Church—Peter, James, and John. And it’s no accident that the two Old Testament figures who appear with Jesus in glory on Mount Tabor are Moses and Elijah, representatives of the Law and the Prophets. Jesus repeatedly has said that he’s come not to abolish the Law and Prophets but to fulfill them. To prove that point, Matthew recounts the story of Jesus and the Temple tax. Jesus first demonstrates his ability to prophesy by telling Peter how to find a shekel in the mouth of a fish, and then Jesus demonstrates his willingness to uphold the Law by instructing Peter to use the coin he finds in the fish to pay the Temple tax for them both. This single payment symbolizes the spiritual union that exists between Jesus Christ and Peter, the vicar of his Church. 

The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 17: 

The Transfiguration

1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking, when behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He replied, “Elijah does come, and he is to restore all things; 12 but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
 

Jesus Cures an Epileptic Boy

14 And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to him and kneeling before him said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”
 

Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection

22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
 

Jesus and the Temple Tax

24 When they came to Caperna-um, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, “Does not your teacher pay the tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came home, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tribute? From their sons or from others?” 26 And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel; take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

Daily Lectio Divina Question:

The disciples are “greatly distressed “ at Jesus’ foretelling of his death (v. 23). Lord how can I take courage and trust in your plan, even when I hear things from you that are hard to receive? 

Bible Commentary provided by Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, Gospel of Matthew, ed. Jennifer Phelps, Catholic Scripture Study (Charlotte, NC: Catholic Scripture Study International, 2007), 159.

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006).
Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further