ANGELUS POPE FRANCIS
Saint Peter's Square Second
Sunday of Lent, 12 March 2017
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Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good
Morning!
The Gospel of this second Sunday of Lent presents the
narrative of the Transfiguration of Jesus. (cf. Mt 17:1-9). Taking aside three
of the Apostles, Peter, James and John, He led them up a high mountain. And
that is where this unique phenomenon took place: Jesus’ face “shone like the
sun, and his garments became white as light” (v. 2). In this way, the Lord
allowed the divine glory which could be understood through faith in his
preaching and his miraculous gestures, to shine within Him. The Transfiguration
was accompanied by the apparition of Moses and Elijah who were “talking with
him” (v. 3).
The ‘brightness’ which characterises this extraordinary
event symbolises its purpose: to enlighten the minds and hearts of the disciples
so that they may clearly understand who their Teacher is. It is a flash of
light which suddenly opens onto the mystery of Jesus and illuminates his whole
person and his whole story.
By now decisively headed toward Jerusalem, where he will
be sentenced to death by crucifixion, Jesus wanted to prepare his own for this
scandal — the scandal of the Cross — this scandal which is too intense for
their faith and, at the same time, to foretell his Resurrection by manifesting
himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus was preparing them
for that sad and very painful moment. In fact, Jesus was already revealing
himself as a Messiah different from their expectations, from how they imagined
the Messiah, how the Messiah would be: not a powerful and glorious king, but a
humble and unarmed servant; not a lord of great wealth, a sign of blessing, but
a poor man with nowhere to rest his head; not a patriarch with many
descendants, but a celibate man without home or nest. It is truly an overturned
revelation of God, and the most bewildering sign of this scandalous
overturning, is the cross. But it is through the Cross that Jesus will reach
the glorious Resurrection, which will be definitive, not like this
Transfiguration which lasted a moment, an instant.
Transfigured on Mount Tabor, Jesus wanted to show his
disciples his glory, not for them to circumvent the Cross, but to show where
the Cross leads. Those who die with Jesus, shall rise again with Jesus. The
Cross is the door to Resurrection. Whoever struggles alongside him will triumph
with him. This is the message of hope contained in Jesus’ Cross, urging us to
be strong in our existence. The Christian Cross is not the furnishings of a
house or adornments to wear but rather, the Christian Cross is a call to the
love with which Jesus sacrificed himself to save humanity from evil and sin. In
this Lenten season, we contemplate with devotion the image of the Crucifix,
Jesus on the Cross: this is the symbol of Christian Faith, the emblem of Jesus,
who died and rose for us. Let us ensure that the Cross marks the stages of our
Lenten journey in order to understand ever better the seriousness of sin and
the value of the sacrifice by which the Saviour has saved us all.
The Blessed Virgin was able to contemplate the glory of
Jesus hidden in his humanness. May she help us stay with Him in silent prayer,
to allow ourselves to be enlightened by his presence, so as to bring a
reflection of his glory to our hearts through the darkest nights.
After the Angelus:
Dear brothers and sisters,
I would like to express my closeness to the people of
Guatemala who are grieving for the serious and tragic fire that broke out
inside the Casa Refugio Virgen de la Asunción, causing
death and injury to the young women living there. May the Lord welcome their
souls, heal the injured, console their grieving families and the entire nation.
I pray and ask you to pray with me for all young victims of violence, abuse,
exploitation and war. This is a plague, a hidden cry which must be heard by us
all and which we cannot continue to pretend not to see and hear.
A warm greeting to all of you here, faithful of Rome and
from many other parts of the world.
I greet the pilgrims of Freiburg and Mannheim, Germany,
and those of Lebanon, as well as the marathon runners from Portugal.
I greet the parish groups from Gioiosa Ionica and
Pachino; the youth from Lodi who are preparing for their “Profession of Faith”;
the students from Dalmine and Busto Arsizio: it is true what you say: “No to a
culture of waste” [reading a banner held up in the Square]; and the youth choir
from Bergamo, “Goccia dopo goccia”.
Have a good Sunday. Please do not forget to pray for me.
Have a good lunch. Arrivederci!
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Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
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