The gospel for this Sunday is from Matthew 17, which tells the story of the Transfiguration. To tie in with the putting up of a link to the Book of Kells in our Readings section (left side-bar), we're showing the first four verses of this gospel as they are found in this national and religious treasure from the 8th century (see top right of page, 'Math.XVII'). The original manuscript is held in TCD and there also now exists a splendid and much more accessible edition online -- there at our fingertips (p. or Folio 79) with no more long waiting in queues! A wonder, isn't it? A transcription of the original Latin as well as an English translation can be found here. (The 'original Latin' referred to here is that of the Vulgate, i.e. the translation by St Jerome in the fourth century of the truly original version written in Greek in the first century.)
The Book of Kells, of course, is famous for its amazingly elaborate illustrations, none of which appear on the page featured here. Explore them for yourself now!
PS (i.e. [= id est], 'Post Scriptum' -- everyday Latin!) There are some small differences between the Kells edition and the transcribed edition: (1) adsumpsit :: assumit (l. 2), duxit illos :: ducit illos (l. 4), past tense in first, present in second; (2) apparuit :: apparuerunt, singular in first, plural in second.
More puzzling is the following: 'his clothing became white as snow' (l. 8). 'White' is 'alfa' in Kells, and 'alba' in the transcription. Q. Now is that really an 'f' we see in 'alfa'? A. It's the same letter as in 'facies' ('face', l. 8), is it not? Q. Well, show us you, then, what it should be. A. Ok. Compare, 'bonum est' ('it is good'), in l. 11. This shows us, does it not, what a 'b' is? Q. Where does all this leave us, then? A. Not too sure, really. Anyway, for the poor monk's sake that put so much effort into his writing, with all its marvellous art and penmanship, we'll just whisper sub secreto, ' A possible lapsus calami?', and keep it to ourselves.
