A Glimpse Of Glory

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 the extent of his efforts 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.

Together with the old man Simeon, who had earlier glimpsed the divinity of the Infant Jesus at the Presentation in the Temple, we now 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 allowed the vision to pass 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.

We should follow St. John’s example this Transfiguration Sunday and keep firmly in our mind this vision of Christ.  Beholding him in glory, we should prepare ourselves and our faith for the assaults that are already being made upon his Mystical Body by his enemies in Church and State.  We must be resolved to withstand these attacks and keep our faith solid and firm, obeying the voice of God from heaven who commands us: “Hear ye him.”  The answer to any doubts we might have, any lack of faith in God or hope for our salvation, lies in hearing and grasping the words of our Lord, those words that will not pass away, even though heaven and earth surely will.  Behold him now in divine glory and listen to his words, absorbing them into our souls and allowing them to permeate our whole being and our lives.  Then let us walk to Calvary with the apostle John, duly armed and prepared to see the dishonoring of our Savior.  In spite of this scene of horror, today’s Transfiguration will strengthen us against the horrors and attacks from our own world, helping us withstand and rebuff them.