Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord I CAN ONLY IMAGINE “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. – Luke 9:33 You can’t blame Peter for blurting out something so inappropriate at the scene of the Transfiguration. After all, it’s difficult to think clearly if you are seeing Jesus transfigured and radiating the fullness of God’s glory right before your very eyes. Add to that the presence of Moses and Elijah, and you’ll be able to understand a little more why Peter wanted to set up tents and stay up in that mountain for good. Peter may have acted oddly but then I remembered the song “I Can Only Imagine” by the band MercyMe. The song poses the question: What will you do if you suddenly see Jesus right before you? My favorite lines in the song goes: “Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? Will I dance for You, Jesus, or in awe of You be still?” As you reflect on today’s Gospel, close your eyes a little longer and envision Jesus standing in front of you. What would you do? JPaul Hernandez (jpaulmh@yahoo) Reflection: How can God’s glory change your life? Lord, I want to encounter Your glory. I believe that Your glory can transform me into a better person. St. Hormisdas, pope, pray for us. 1ST READING The Feast of the Transfiguration reminds us of the divinity of Christ and that His proper place is with the Father in all His glory in heaven. We should avoid becoming too familiar with the things of God such that we no longer fully respect the true identity of Christ. Yes, Jesus wants us to relate to Him as His brother but this does not mean that we should forget that He is also our God! Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 9 As I watched, thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. 10 A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened. 13 As the visions during the night continued, I saw One like a son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; when he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, 14 the one like a son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. P S A L M Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 R: The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth. 1 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. (R) 5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. (R) 9 Because you, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods. (R) 2ND READING Peter recounts his experience of the Transfiguration of Jesus to his readers. What a tremendous privilege those who personally met Jesus experienced. There are times that I wish that I had been one of them. But then I remember the many blessings I have received in my life and I am satisfied with living in the 20th and 21st centuries after Christ’s birth. I wonder what it would really be like to have a life expectancy of less than 50 years, no electricity, let alone no cell phones, Gameboys, etc? 2 Peter 1:16-19 16 Beloved: we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. GOSPEL As Jesus converses with Moses and Elijah, I wonder what the three Apostles were thinking and talking about? I think I would be too stunned to say anything. Perhaps this is a natural reaction when we are confronted with the glory of God. However, Jesus also wants us to approach Him as a friend and confidante. Let us never forget either the glory due to our God or His desire to be in relationship with us. GOSPEL ACCLAMATION This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. Luke 9:28-36 28 Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. 34 While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen. think: Let us never forget either the glory due to our God or His desire to be in relationship with us. FROM FORETASTE TO FULL TASTE When I was still a seminarian, I had the opportunity to go through a 30-day retreat. In the beginning, I found it very difficult. I was literally counting the days, but things changed on the last week. Because I had entered into the spirit of the retreat, I began to love every moment of communing with God. Suddenly, the days were going so fast and, before I knew it, we were already on the 30th day! I remember saying, “I hope I can just remain here.” The transfiguration of Jesus happened after Peter’s profession of faith and Jesus’ declaration on what His followers should do. Jesus, in a way, was warning His Apostles. The Apostles were jarred; fear had crept into their veins. It was a crucial moment. Should they go or retreat? The above situation, I believe, made Jesus decide eight days later to transfigure before some of His Apostles. They needed some kind of boost. Jesus gave them a glimpse of His divinity, a foretaste of bliss. Peter saw Jesus’ glory and the vision of Moses and Elijah. He was so heavenly inebriated that he said, “Master, how fortunate that we are here. We can make three tents — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He was so enamored by the experience that he was willing to stay where they were as long as possible. Unfortunately for Peter and the other Apostles, the ministry of Jesus was not yet finished. They had to go down from the mountain and proclaim the Good News. Unfortunately for me, too, I had to go back to the seminary, study and be ordained. Even if Peter denied the Lord three times after that incident, he repented and Jesus still made him the leader of His Apostles. While I, too, became unfaithful to the Lord many times after my retreat, I repented and the Lord still called me to be His priest. The Lord continues to inspire us and make His presence felt. It is not a guarantee of our immediate holiness, but it should encourage us to persist even in our weakness so we can fully savor and experience what before was given only as a foretaste. Fr. Benny Tuazon REFLECTION QUESTION: Recall a moment in your life when you experienced a foretaste of God’s glory. How often do you go back to it? Thank You, Lord Jesus, for making Your presence felt in my life. I believe that You are always with me — on the mountaintop and on the rough roads of life.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 13:16:15 +0000
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