March 1, 2026
The Second Sunday of Lent
Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9
The True Face of the Messiah, the Son of God

Today is the Second Sunday of Lent. The passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew presents to us the mystery of the Transfiguration of Jesus.
We often think that Jesus Christ does not seem different in form from other men, and thus, we frequently overlook His divinity. Today, on the holy mountain, He revealed His divine countenance to His beloved disciples, Peter, James, and his brother John: His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light (Matthew 17:2). As He revealed His divine and radiant face, there appeared Moses, representing the Law of the Old Testament, and Elijah, representing the Prophets of the Old Testament, conversing with Jesus. Saint Luke, in his account of the Gospel, records the content of the conversation between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, which was about His “exodus,” that is, what He was to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). And Peter spoke to Jesus out of a carnal impulse, saying to Him: “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” (Matthew 17:4).
Saint Matthew the Evangelist wishes to tell us through this that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. He also tells us of a deeper mystery, which is the Messianic Secret. We have previously discussed the Messianic Secret: Catholic theologians and biblical scholars, including Daniel J. Harrington, explain that Jesus would only reveal His identity and power as the Messiah of God when He performed miracles. However, when not performing miracles, His appearance was entirely human. It was not until He was crucified on the Cross that He formally revealed His messianic identity. After He conquered death and rose from the dead, His messianic identity was fully manifested.
Today, by faith, we foresee the face of God that was to be gloriously revealed on the Cross. This face of God is completely different from what the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and Zealots had imagined. It is the face of a suffering Messiah, the Son of God. A similar face also appears in our lives, on the faces of those who live in hardship, those who are hungry, those who are homeless, those who are sick, and those who are deprived of freedom. When we practice charity, follow the holy teachings of our Savior, and strive, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to help them to the best of our ability, we are replicating the face of the merciful Father in heaven. When the face of the merciful Father in heaven and the face of Jesus Christ appear together in the world, this suffering world can be restored to the harmony of its creation by God.

O God, who have commanded us
to listen to your beloved Son,
be pleased, we pray,
to nourish us inwardly by your word,
that, with spiritual sight made pure,
we may rejoice to behold your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica