Vigils Reading – 2nd Sunday of Lent

THE JUST SHALL SHINE

LIKE THE SUN

From a commentary by St Leo the Great

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In the presence of chosen witnesses, the Lord unveils his glory, investing

with such splendor that bodily appearance which he shares with the rest of the

human race that his face shines like the sun and his clothes become white as

snow.

The primary purpose of this transfiguration was to remove the scandal of

the cross from the hearts of Christ’s disciples; the greatness of his hidden glory

was revealed to them to prevent their faith being shaken by the self-abasement

of the suffering he was voluntarily to undergo. In his foresight, however, he was

also laying the foundations of the Church’s hope, teaching the whole body of

Christ the nature of the change it is to receive, and schooling his members to

look forward to a share of the glory which had already shone forth in their head.

The Lord had told them of this when he spoke of his coming in majesty:

Then shall the just shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. The blessed

apostle Paul bears witness to the same thing: I consider that the sufferings of

this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed

in us. And again: You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When Christ who is your life appears, then you will appear with him in glory.

Still further instruction was to come from the transfiguration to fortify the

apostles and perfect their understanding. Moses and Elijah, representing the

law and the prophets. appeared in conversation with the Lord. Thus through the

presence of these five men the saying was fulfilled: On the evidence of two or

three witnesses every word shall stand. What could be more firmly established

than that the Word in whose proclamation the trumpets of Old and New

Testaments sound in unison, and the writings of ancient witnesses are in perfect

accord with the teaching of the gospel? The pages of both covenants agree with

one another. He who had been promised beforehand by mysteriously veiled

signs was now revealed clearly and distinctly in the radiance of his glory, as St

John says: The Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth have come

through Jesus Christ. In Christ what was promised by prophetic figures and

what was signified by legal precepts are alike fulfilled, for by his presence he

teaches the truth of the prophecies, and by grace he makes it possible for us to

obey the commandments.

May we all therefore be confirmed in our faith through the preaching of

the holy Gospel, and let no one be ashamed of the cross by which Christ has

redeemed the world. None of us must be afraid to suffer for the sake of justice or

doubt the fulfillment of the prophecies, for it is through toil that we come to rest

and through death that we pass to life. If we continue in the acknowledgment

and love of Christ who took upon himself all the weakness of our lowly nature,

what he conquered we too shall conquer, and the promise he gave us we shall

receive. So then, whether it is to encourage us to obey his commands or to

endure hardships, let the Father’s voice always be ringing in our ears and telling

us: This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased; Listen to him.