Bringing it Down the Mountain: Transformed by Jesus’ Transfiguration

In 2019, Brandon Forschino took a long, scenic trek up the Boulevard Trail to Tennessee’s Mt. LeConte. He collapsed from dehydration. Upon recovering, he had a realization: “I had grossly overestimated my strength, physical and spiritual . . . The hiking trip became a metaphor for the importance of tending to all facets of my being,” he writes in his new book, Transformed by Jesus’ Transfiguration. When he descended the mountain, he felt excited, motivated, and renewed in his faith, a sharp contrast to the slow-growing spiritual numbness he had experienced in his busy roles as a husband, father, and faithful protestant. 

Then COVID-19 hit. Forschino found himself at a crossroads, stepping back from his church while also becoming more disciplined in his devotion to reading Scripture. Spiritually “homeless,” as some might say, he attended Easter Mass with his in-laws, where that same Scripture he’d been pouring over “came alive . . . as the Mass unfolded.” Each of these experiences led Forschino to the place from which he was able to write Transformed by Jesus’ Transfiguration, a manuscript detailing an intimate, transformative testimony of one man’s experience of weekly Eucharistic Adoration. Though Forschino’s spiritual trek includes a struggle with common hesitations that often lead protestants to the Catholic Church, what is so compelling about his story is that its heart is found not within argumentation, but within the adoration chapel. We see Forschino’s conversion unfold in close proximity to the Eucharistic Lord in the monstrance, which keeps Him at the center of our reading experience. The seamless integration of the Transfiguration narrative with the author’s discovery of the Eucharist provides the book with a palpable sense of something approaching harmony–like the story from which it draws its meaning, it is brief but expansive, deceptively clear with a rushing river of meaning flowing beneath it. Forschino’s scriptural literacy and theological proficiency play a large role in this accomplishment, but one also senses that a heartfelt reverence for true encounters with Christ is the project’s well-oiled engine. 

Forschino’s book uses Luke 9:28-36 as a framework for extending his initial metaphor of the spiritual hike, beginning each chapter with one of the verses. This framework not only thematically organizes the chapters but also allows them to serve as a line-by-line unveiling of the story of Christ’s Transfiguration both on its own terms and within a greater Catholic context. At any moment of the book, the reader may find exegesis and theological reflection adroitly balanced by humanistic revelations, admissions, and references. A consideration of the popularity of podcasts offers an opportunity to reflect on the intercession of saints; a childhood memory of being woken by a splash of cold water sparks a contemplation of the fullness of our “sacramental, historical, Eucharistic faith.” Moments of humility provide access ramps for treading into the book’s grander ideas, 

This book may bring special comfort, insight, and ideas for further studying to those newly exploring the faith or returning to the Church. It would likely be invaluable as an OCIA resource, deftly engaging common confusions, concerns, and detours in the lives of both new and wavering Catholics with regards to both the luminous mystery it focuses on as well as broader principles of our relationship to Christ. Why, exactly, is Christ’s ascent up the mountain with His apostles important–or, rather, vital–to the mystery of the Transfiguration? What does it really mean for prayer to be a covenantal relationship? What do we mean when we say we’ve come home to the faith– what responsibilities do we have to this home and what does it mean to love within its walls? Readers will find these answers and more satisfyingly touched on with insight, depth, and approachability by a writer whose strength lies not only in his intellect but also his witness. St. Augustine’s Bishop Emeritus Felipe Estévez gives it a glowing recommendation, describing the book as “a meaningful contribution to the ongoing National Eucharistic revival led by the American Catholic Bishops.” “With utmost sincerity,” Estévez writes, “this account shows how praying with the Scriptures, particularly with the passage of the Lord transfigured in glory just before his sacrificial self-giving at the Cross, can be deeply transformative. St. Thomas Aquinas stated so meaningfully, ‘The Eucharist is the sacrament of the Passion.’” 

Ultimately, Forschino’s book addresses another big question for the faithful: What might happen if we take our greater struggles with Church teaching, theological grappling, and emotional needs into the contemplative setting of the adoration chapel, in the company of the Eucharistic Lord who “meets us, nourishes our souls, and unites us to himself”? What does it mean to truly accept that truth and His presence in the Eucharist? Like Peter, James, and John, Forschino writes that as we descend from our spiritual trek, we must “take what we have seen and . . . bring it down the mountain, into our daily lives, relationships, and a world desperate for the truth.” With the publication of Transformed by Jesus’ Transfiguration, the author provides one graceful example of how we might do just that. 

Transformed by Jesus’ Transfiguration will be available in print and digital formats on August 6, 2025–the Feast of the Transfiguration. 

For media inquiries, review copies, or to schedule an interview or speaking engagement with Brandon Forschino, please contact Christina Sabo (christina@palomaandfig.com) of Paloma & Fig. 

Learn More: Brandon Forschino has built several digital businesses and consulted over 300 companies. A marketing and communication expert, he describes his mission to guide fellow Christians towards “experiencing the fullness of Christian life.” Forschino’s work seeks to inspire Christians to live out their baptismal call to holiness through genuine encounters with Christ. Forschino’s YouTube channel features scriptural reflections, personal testimony, and the video recordings of Ordinary Time, his podcast showcasing the experiences and testimonies of lay members of the Church.

Writer and editor Franci Revel Eckensberger holds a Master of Fine Arts in Poetry from Cornell University. With years of experience as a copyeditor for academics, fellow writers, and various small businesses, she takes pride in maintaining clarity, consistency, and beauty in each client’s voice. 

Franci finds grace and insight in the Catholic Church’s rich relationship to language and invites that relationship to influence both her literary and editorial work. Saint Cecilia and Catherine of Siena continue to play a vital role in her journey to the faith as an artist. She lives in coastal Delaware with her husband.