Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV reflected on the mystery of the Transfiguration during the Angelus for the Second Sunday of Lent, saying Christ the Redeemer transforms the wounds of history and reveals God’s gift of salvation.
Speaking from the Vatican, the Pope said the Gospel account of Jesus’ Transfiguration points toward the light of Easter. He described it as an event that brings death and resurrection, darkness and new light, and a radiance that reaches all people wounded by violence, suffering, or abandonment.
Although the disciples witnessed Jesus in glory, Pope noted that they needed time to understand what they had seen. He said faith requires silence, listening to God’s word, and conversion to enjoy the Lord’s presence truly.
Pope recalled that Peter, James, and John saw Jesus, the Word made flesh, standing between Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets. As at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, the voice of the Father proclaimed Him as the beloved Son, while the Holy Spirit overshadowed Him in a bright cloud.
He described the scene as a revelation of the human splendour of God, a humble glory revealed not for spectacle but in solemn intimacy. The shining of Christ’s flesh with divine glory, even amid the world’s evil, shows that the Redeemer enlightens minds and hearts and offers salvation.
Pope Leo invited the faithful to reflect on whether they truly see the face of God with wonder and love. He concluded by saying the Father responds to despair with the gift of His Son, the Holy Spirit frees humanity from loneliness through communion with grace, and the promise of the future resurrection strengthens weak faith.