The Transfiguration

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope:

The Lord reveals His glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind, but He makes it shine with such splendor that His face becomes like the sun in glory and His garments as white as snow.

The great reason for this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of the cross from the hearts of His disciples, and to prevent the humiliation of His voluntary suffering from disturbing the faith of those who had witnessed the surpassing glory that lay concealed.

With no less forethought He was also providing a firm foundation for the hope of holy Church. The whole body of Christ was to understand the kind of transformation that it would receive as His gift. The members of that body were to look forward to a share in that glory which first blazed out in Christ their head.

The Lord had Himself spoken of this when He foretold the splendor of His coming: “Then the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Saint Paul the apostle bore witness to this same truth when he said: “I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not to be compared with the future glory that is to be revealed in us.” In another place he says: “You are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

…In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.

No one should fear to suffer for the sake of justice; no one should lose confidence in the reward that has been promised. The way to rest is through toil, the way to life is through death. Christ has taken on Himself the whole weakness of our lowly human nature. If then we are steadfast in our faith in Him and in our love for Him, we win the victory that He has won, we receive what He has promised…
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Sincerely in Christ,

Rev. Jeffery A. Fasching