Christ the Cornerstone

The light of Christ has been given to each of us

From the shining cloud the Father’s voice is heard: “This is my beloved Son, hear him.” (Mt 17:5)

The Gospel reading for the Second Sunday of Lent (Mt 17:1-9) offers us a rare glimpse into the divinity of Jesus and into his relationship to two pillars of the Old Testament: Moses the Lawgiver and Elijah the Prophet.

As St. Matthew tells us:

Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. (Mt 17:1-3)

The imagery used by the Evangelist is striking. “His face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Mt 17:2). Christ is the light that illumines the world’s darkness. We see him here shining brilliantly, bringing us closer to his holiness and helping us to understand that he is not just an ordinary person, but a radiant star come down from heaven to dispel the darkness of sin and death.

It’s no wonder that the Apostles were overwhelmed. They had never seen anything quite like this. The blinding light, the presence of the long-dead figures of Moses and Elijah, and, of course, the thundering voice that proclaims Jesus as God’s beloved Son.

Peter understandably wants to preserve this sacred moment:

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”(Mt 17:4)

But God interrupts Peter:

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (Mt 17:5)

The Transfiguration of the Lord is a manifestation of the Holy Trinity. The Father speaks with an authoritative voice and reveals the identity of his beloved Son. Jesus shines with unimaginable brightness in the company of the two great figures of Jewish Law and prophecy. And the Holy Spirit hovers over the scene in the form of a shining cloud.

God is present here in all his wonderful unity-in-diversity. He reveals himself to Peter, James and John, but as they are coming down from this holy mountain, Jesus gives them strict instructions: “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead” (Mt 17:9).

The vision that the three Apostles have seen cannot be properly understood apart from the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection. His divinity has to be seen as united with his humanity in order for our redemption to be understood. He has to be humiliated, bruised and beaten, and cruelly executed before he can rise from the dead and his light can shine eternally. Until Jesus has risen from the dead and returned to his Father in heaven, the full extent of the mystery of his Incarnation has to remain hidden.

In Sunday’s second reading (2 Tm 1:8b-10), St. Paul reinforces this profound insight:

He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. (2 Tm 1:9-10)

The light of Christ shines through the darkness of his passion and death. He brings life and immortality into the world because the brilliance of his inner life cannot be obscured by the darkness of his suffering and humiliation on the Cross.

“Bear your share of hardship for the Gospel with the strength that comes from God” (2 Tm 1:8), St. Paul admonishes us. It is through our suffering that we give vibrant witness to the light of Christ. Jesus “saved us and called us to a holy life” (2 Tm 1:9) not because of anything we have done to deserve this, but because he wants us to share in his glory.

The astonishing miracle that St. Matthew reveals to us in this Sunday’s Gospel is meant to inspire us to accept the Lord’s invitation to be holy as he is holy. The light of Christ has been given to each of us at our Baptism. We are called to be holy women and men, who dispel our own inner confusion as well as the darkness of the world around us.

May the light of Christ shine in us always. And may we use this Lenten season to share with others the strength that comes from our Triune God. †