Pope Saint Leo the Great on the Transfiguration:The Lord displays His glory before chosen witnesses, and invests that bodily shape which He shared with others with such splendour, that His face was like the sun's brightness and His garments equalled the whiteness of snow. This Transfiguration, the foremost object was to remove the offense of the cross from the disciple's heart, and to prevent their faith from being disturbed by the humiliation of His voluntary Passion by revealing to them the excellence of His hidden dignity. But with no less foresight, the foundation was laid of the Holy Church's hope, that the whole body of Christ might realize the character of the change which it would have to receive, and that the members might promise themselves a share in that honour which had already shone forth in their Head.
The Apostle Peter, therefore, being excited by the revelation of these mysteries, despising things mundane and scorning things earthly, was seized with a sort of frenzied craving for the things eternal, and being filled with rapture at the whole vision, desired to make his abode with Jesus in the place where he had been blessed with the manifestation of His glory. He says, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if You will let us make three tabernacles , one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. To this proposal the Lord made no answer, signifying that what he wanted was not indeed wicked, but contrary to the divine order: since the world could not be saved, except by Christ's death, and by the Lord's example the faithful were called upon to believe that, although there ought not to be any doubt about the promises of happiness, yet we should understand that amidst the trials of this life we must ask for the power of endurance rather than the glory, because the joyousness of reigning cannot precede the times of suffering. And so while He was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a Voice out of the cloud, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.
This is My Son, Who sought not by grasping, and seized not in greediness, that equality with Me which He has, but remaining in the form of My glory, that He might carry out Our common plan for the restoration of mankind, He lowered the unchangeable Godhead even to the form of a slave. Listen to Him, therefore, unhesitatingly, in Whom I am throughout well pleased, and by Whose preaching I am manifested, by Whose humiliation I am glorified; because He is the Truth and the Life , He is My Power and Wisdom. Listen to Him, Whom the mysteries of the Law have foretold, Whom the mouths of prophets have sung. Listen to Him, Who redeems the world by His Blood, Who binds the devil, and carries off his chattels, Who destroys the bond of sin, and the compact of the transgression. Listen to Him, Who opens the way to heaven, and by the punishment of the cross prepares for you the steps of ascent to the Kingdom. Why do you tremble at being redeemed? Why do you fear to be healed of your wounds? Let that happen which Christ wills and I will. Cast away all fleshly fear, and arm yourselves with faithful constancy; for it is unworthy that you should fear in the Saviour's Passion what by His good gift you shall not have to fear even at your own death.
These things, dearly-beloved, were said not for their profit only, who heard them with their own ears, but in these three Apostles the whole Church has learned all that their eyes saw and their ears heard. Let all men's faith then be established, according to the preaching of the most holy Gospel, and let no one be ashamed of Christ's Cross, through which the world was redeemed. And let not any one fear to suffer for righteousness' sake, or doubt of the fulfilment of the promises, for this reason, that through toil we pass to rest and through death to life. Since all the weakness of our humility was assumed by Him, in Whom, if we abide in the acknowledgment and love of Him, we conquer as He conquered, and receive what He promised, because, whether to the performance of His commands or to the endurance of adversities, the Father's fore-announcing Voice should always be sounding in our ears, saying, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.
