Be captivated by Christ’s Transfiguration, Pope tells pilgrims
March 01, 2026
Pope Leo XIV reflected on Christ’s Transfiguration as he addressed pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for today’s midday Angelus address (video).
Citing Matthew 17:1-9, the Gospel reading of the Second Sunday of Lent, Pope Leo said that “the Evangelist draws on the Apostles’ memories, portraying Christ between Moses and Elijah. The Word made flesh stands between the Law and the Prophets: he is living Wisdom, who brings every divine word to fulfillment. Everything that God has commanded to and inspired in human beings finds its full and definitive expression in Jesus.”
“When he manifests himself, the Lord makes his abundance visible to our gaze: standing before Jesus, whose face shines ‘like the sun’ and whose clothes become ‘as white as light’ (cf. v. 2), the disciples behold the human splendor of God,” the Pope continued. “Peter, James and John contemplate a humble glory, which is not displayed as a spectacle for the crowds to see, but in solemn intimacy.”
The mystery of the Transfiguration, the Pope said, ought to “captivate us”:
The Transfiguration foreshadows the light of Easter: an event of death and resurrection, of darkness and new light that Christ radiates on all bodies scourged by violence, crucified by pain, or abandoned in misery. Indeed, while evil reduces our flesh to a commodity or an anonymous mass, this same flesh shines with the glory of God. The Redeemer thus transfigures the wounds of history, enlightening our minds and hearts: his revelation is a gift of salvation! Does this captivate us? Do we see the true face of God with a gaze of wonder and love?
“The Father’s reply to the despair of atheism is the gift of his Son, the Savior; the Holy Spirit redeems us from the loneliness of agnosticism by offering us an everlasting communion of life and grace; and in response to our weak faith, the promise of the future resurrection is announced,” added the Pope, who concluded:
This is what the disciples saw in Christ’s splendor, but it took time for them to understand (cf. Mt 17:9), time in silence to listen to the word, time for conversion in order to enjoy the Lord’s company. As we experience this during Lent, let us ask Mary, teacher of prayer and Morning Star, to guide us in faith.
Pope Leo then recited, in Latin, the Angelus, the Minor Doxology (three times), and the prayer for the faithful departed, before imparting his blessing.
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