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From: 2 Timothy 1:8-10

St Paul, Herald of the Gospel

[8b] take your share of suffering for the gospel in the power of God, [9] who saved
us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his
own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, [10] and
now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abo-
lished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

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Commentary:

9-10. There is a theological basis for courageously confronting the difficulties the
Gospel brings with it—the fact that we have been called by God, who has revealed
himself as our Savior. As elsewhere in these letters (cf. 1 Tim 3:15ff; Titus 3:5-7).
St Paul here speaks a succinct hymn in praise of salvation, probably using ex-
pressions based on some liturgical hymn or confession of faith. The salvation
which God brings about is viewed in this passage as it applies to Christians (v. 9)
and is manifested in the incarnation of Christ (v. 10). Four essential aspects of
salvation are identified: 1) God has already accomplished salvation for everyone;
2) it is God, too, who calls all men to avail of it; 3) it is entirely a gift: man cannot
merit it (cf. Tit 3:5; Eph 2:8-9); and 4) God’s plan is an eternal one (cf. Rom 8:29-
30; Eph 1:11).

“The appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 10) refers in the first place to his in-
carnation ( cf. Tit 2: 11; 3:4) but it includes his entire work of redemption, which
culminates in his appearing in glory and majesty (cf. 1 Tim 6:14; 2 Tim 4:1, 8).
The Redemption has two wonderful effects—victory over death (physical and spiri-
tual) and the abundant and luminous gift of everlasting life. “He is the true Lamb
who took away the sins of the world. By dying he destroyed our death; by rising
he restored our life” (”Preface of Easter”, I).

“Ages ago”: literally, “from the times of the ages”, a primitive expression meaning
the same thing as “eternity”.

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 17:1-9

The Transfiguration

[1] And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother,
and led them up a high mountain apart. [2] And he was transfigured before them,
and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. [3] And
behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. [4] And Peter
said to Jesus, “Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three
booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” [5] He was still
speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud
said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” [6]
When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe.
[7] But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” [8] And
when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell
no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead.”

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Commentary:

1-13. Realizing that his death will demoralize his disciples, Jesus forewarns them
and strengthens their faith. Not content with telling them in advance about his
death and resurrection on the third day, he wants two of the three future pillars of
the Church ( cf. Gal 2:9) to see his transfiguration and thereby glimpse the glory
and majesty with which is holy human nature will be endowed in heaven.

The Father’s testimony (v. 5), expressed in the same words as he used at Christ’s
baptism (cf. Mt 3: 17), reveals to the three Apostles that Jesus Christ is the Son
of God, the beloved Son, God himself. To these words—also spoken at Christ’s
baptism—he adds, “Listen to him”, as if to indicate that Jesus is also the supreme
prophet foretold by Moses (cf. Deut 18:15-18).

3. Moses and Elijah are the two most prominent representatives of the Old Testa-
ment—the Law and the Prophets. The fact that Christ occupies the central position
points up his pre-eminence over them, and the superiority of the New Testament
over the Old.

This dazzling glimpse of divine glory is enough to send the Apostles into a rapture;
so happy are they that Peter cannot contain his desire to prolong this experience.

5. In Christ God speaks to all men; through the Church his voice resounds in all
ages: “The Church does not cease to listen to his words. She rereads them con-
tinually. With the greatest devotion she reconstructs every detail of his life. These
words are listened to also by non-Christians. The life of Christ speaks; also, to
many who are not capable of repeating with Peter, ‘You are the Christ, the Son
of the living God’ (Mt 16:16). He, the Son of the living God, speaks to people also
as Man: it is his life that speaks, his humanity, his fidelity to the truth, his all-em-
bracing love. Furthermore, his death on the Cross speaks—that is to say the in-
scrutable depth of his suffering and abandonment. The Church never ceases to
relive his death on the Cross and his resurrection, which constitute the content
of the Church’s daily life [...]. The Church lives his mystery, draws unwearyingly
from it and continually seeks ways of bringing this mystery of her Master and
Lord to humanity—to the peoples, the nations, the succeeding generations, and
every individual human being” (John Paul II, “Redemptor Hominis”, 7).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States