A Homily for the Second Sunday of Lent
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Prince of Peace Catholic Church – 4:00 Saturday Vigil Mass & 12:00 Mass
Genesis 12:1-4a; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22; 2 Timothy 1:8b-10; Matthew 17:1-9
Audio Recording
Every Second Sunday of Lent, the Church gives us the story of the Transfiguration. Every year, without exception. That repetition tells us something important. Lent is leading us somewhere. Lent is not simply about sacrifice for its own sake. It is not about suffering as an end in itself. Lent is preparing us for transformation. And the Transfiguration shows us both the destination—and the path.
In our first reading from Genesis, we hear the Lord say to Abram, “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” Abraham is called to leave everything familiar—his home, his security, and his past—and step into the unknown. This is the pattern of the spiritual life. God calls us beyond comfort. He calls us beyond what is familiar. He calls us to trust Him.
That call is not easy. We naturally cling to what is safe and predictable. We like knowing where we are and where we are going. Most of us are uncomfortable with change, aren’t we? But Abraham teaches us that salvation begins with trust, and trust requires letting go. Only when Abraham entrusts himself completely to God does the great story of salvation unfold.
This same pattern reaches its fulfillment in today’s Gospel. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain—men who had left everything to follow Him—and there He is transfigured before them. His face shines like the sun, and His clothes become dazzling white. For a brief moment, the veil is lifted, and the disciples see His true glory.
He gives them this vision because He knows what is coming. Soon they will see Him arrested, beaten, and crucified. Their faith will be shaken. They will be tempted to despair. So He strengthens them by revealing His glory. He shows them that suffering is not the end of the story. Glory is.
But the Transfiguration reveals something even more profound. It does not only show us who Jesus is. It shows us who we are called to become!
St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that the glory revealed in Christ is also OUR future. The first and most comforting truth is this: we will still be ourselves in heaven. Our glorified body will be OUR body, but perfected. We will recognize one another. Our identity will not be lost—it will be FULFILLED.
Aquinas also explains that our glorified body will be freed from all suffering. There will be no more pain, no illness, no weakness, and no death. Our bodies will shine with spiritual radiance, reflecting our soul’s union with God, just as Christ shone on Mount Tabor. And they will move with perfect freedom, no longer limited by fatigue or frailty. Aquinas even said our bodies will move at the speed of thought itself, completely responsive to the soul …
This is our DESTINY.
The aging, suffering body we experience now is not our final form. God is preparing to transform it into something glorious.
This truth has special meaning as we grow older. When we are young, life is about gaining strength and building our future. But as we age, life becomes a process of letting go. Our bodies weaken. We experience illness. We lose abilities we once took for granted.
It can be easy to think of aging as loss. But the Transfiguration reveals a deeper truth. What we experience now is not the end of the story. These present bodies, subject to weakness and suffering, are not our final form.
St. Paul tells us, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will CHANGE our lowly body to conform with His glorified body.” He will CHANGE our lowly body—not replace it, but TRANSFORM it. The SAME body, but GLORIFIED …
The reality seen in Christ at the Transfiguration and after the Resurrection, explained so beautifully by St. Thomas Aquinas.
Every loss we experience, every suffering we endure, every moment when we must let go, prepares us for that transformation. Just as Abraham had to leave his homeland, just as the apostles had to endure the cross, just as Christ passed through suffering into glory, so must we.
What does this mean for us today? It means first that we must learn to trust God, even when He leads us into the unknown. Abraham did not know where God was leading him, but he trusted. The apostles did not fully understand what they had seen on the mountain, but they trusted. And every disciple of Christ is called to walk that same path of trust.
Christine and I had a similar experience when we stepped out in faith to move from Knoxville to Sun City Center. We didn’t know exactly why we were being called here. We left behind what was familiar—our home, our friends, and a community we loved. There was a great deal of uncertainty. There was even some fear. But we trusted that God was leading us, and that if He was calling us here, He had a purpose …
And now, as we look back, we see His hand so clearly. We have been deeply blessed to become part of this loving community. You have welcomed us, supported us, and encouraged us. Many of you have told us how grateful you are that we came—but the truth is, we need you just as much. God did not bring us here by accident. He brought us here because this is where He wants us to grow, to serve, and to walk this journey of faith together.
This is how God works in all of our lives. He calls us forward, often without explaining everything. He asks us to trust Him. Sometimes that trust leads us to new places. Sometimes it leads us through suffering, illness, or loss. But always, He is leading us toward something greater.
Let us always remember that the One who was transfigured on Mount Tabor is the SAME One who will transfigure us. The weakness we experience now will give way to strength. The suffering we experience now will give way to joy. The mortality we experience now will give way to eternal life. And one day, by His grace, we too will shine with His glory …
But Lent reminds us that the path to glory always passes through surrender. Lent invites us to let go of whatever we are clinging to — fear, control, comfort, or sin — and to trust God more completely. Just as Abraham left his homeland … just as the apostles followed Christ up the mountain … we too are being called to follow Him more deeply.
Every prayer we offer, every sacrifice we make, every act of trust we choose during this Lenten season is preparing us for that final transformation.
Because Lent is not about losing something. Lent is about becoming who God created us to BE. Lent is about preparing to share in the glory revealed on Mount Tabor … this is our destiny.
And God bless you.