HIS FACE DID SHINE AS THE SUN

A MESSAGE FOR THE 2nd SUNDAY IN LENT

The Second Sunday in Lent is commonly called Transfiguration Sunday, from the events described in today’s Gospel.  That our Lord should reveal to his apostles a glimpse of his true glory before his Passion and Death should not surprise us—a couple of weeks ago the Gospel of Quinquagesima Sunday showed to what degree he had tried to prepare his disciples for the ugliness and horror of what was to befall him.  After his description of the suffering he would endure, he now took that preparation a step further by strengthening them with a vision of his divine radiance.

This revelation of Christ’s divinity is confirmed by the voice of God himself, declaring from the clouds above that this was indeed his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased.  Holy Scripture could not be more clear—Christ is the Son of God.  With his face shining as the sun and his raiment white as the snow, this is indeed the Light of the World, come to deliver his people from the darkness of iniquity. 

With the old man Simeon, who had earlier glimpsed the divinity of the Infant Jesus at the Presentation in the Temple, we exclaim aloud: “Mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; to be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.”  With the eyes of faith, we look beyond Christ the Man and see the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

For the disciples privileged to witness this Transfiguration, it must have been an inspiring moment, and yet how easily three of the four were to dispel the vision from their minds, abandoning their Savior on Good Friday, and fleeing the scene of his torment.  Only St. John was to follow our Lord to the summit of Calvary, there to receive the greatest gift ever given by God to man, his blessed Mother.

Our own response this Transfiguration Sunday must be like that of St. John, keeping this vision of Christ firmly in our mind, and then obeying the voice of God from heaven declaring Christ to be his Son.  It is a simple command: “Hear ye him.”  Spend this Lent reading the holy Gospels, listen to the words of our Lord and let them be your guide.  For as he told us, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”  Let us prepare our souls to welcome them in Holy Communion, so that God may abide in us, transfiguring our souls into his image and likeness.