Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 17:5

       How blessed is Peter that he witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus as we read in today’s Gospel. It’s one of the most amazing, if not the one true proof, that Jesus is the Son of God.

       I must admit, the human me still needs to have proof from time to time that God is real. One of the signs I ask for is the rainbow. That’s because God said in Genesis 9:13, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant  between me and the earth.”

       And God still patiently gives me proof of His Presence, especially when I am troubled.

     Like when I resigned from my job. I felt bad because I lost a substantial salary. And I needed assurance from God that I did the right thing.

         A few days after, I went to the market in the morning to buy the day’s food. The sun was up, but there was a drizzle, and there it was in the clouds: a rainbow!

          Peter may have the transfiguration but God’s rainbow is OK enough to comfort me. Chay Santiago (cusantiago@gmail.com)

Lord, grant me the grace of faith to trust You even when I don’t see or feel You.

St. Hormisdas, pope, pray for us.

The Old Testament encourages us to reflect on the glory we should give God every day. If we honor God as we should, then He will not forget us. He will be walking beside us in both the good times and the bad. This will keep us in good stead when struggles and trials come our way, as they surely will.

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.

R: The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

1 The Lord is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many isles 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)

Peter asserts that the veracity of the Gospel does not rest in myths, but in the testimonies of the men and women who have experienced the presence of God in their lives. This is why each of our stories, no matter how simple, is important. There is always someone to whom our story, the testimony of God’s work in our lives, can be a life-changing experience. This is the power of the Gospel at work.

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.

Peter, James and John are incredibly privileged to have experienced the Transfiguration. It is one of the defining moments of Jesus’ life and ministry where He is affirmed by His Father in heaven. It is difficult to know the extraordinary nature of this experience, as we do not have the background of the Old Testament to fully understand the significance of the presence of Moses and Elijah — the men who symbolize the Law and the Prophetic Traditions.

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.

1 Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8 And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

think: Through Jesus, we have been adopted as God’s beloved sons and daughters.

Read the Bible in one year 1 Maccabees 13-14

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

thank You, Lord, for: ______________________________________________________

A LAMP SHINING IN THE DARK

“Sometimes, “says Manley-Hopkins, “a lantern moves along the night, that interests our eye.” He referred to individuals whose “beauty in mold or mind makes [them] rare.” “They rain… rich beams, till death or distance buys them quiet.”

         We all know of men and women who also “rained against our much-thick and marsh air.” They came and brought us delight. They joined our company and left us the better, the happier, for we felt enriched, enabled and empowered.

           The story of the Transfiguration of the Lord reminds me of this — and more.

       The boy wonder Mattie Stepanek, “a poet, a peacemaker and a philosopher who played,” born 1990, already had seven bestselling books of poetry when he died of a rare disease in 2004. He touched the world, for he “rained rich  beams” till death bought him all too soon, even before he could turn 14. He left a legacy that made the world a better place to be in, despite the reality of sickness, pain and suffering. While getting physically wasted by disease, Mattie was busy transforming lives of people who continued to suffer just as he did.

       The Transfiguration was not one of the “cleverly devised myths” referred to by St. Peter. It was as real as the story of Mattie Stepanek, or the wonderful transformations achieved by the late Mother Angelica and EWTN. Both were like those lanterns that moved along the night that the entire world saw.

         Jesus’ transfiguration was more than just a beacon on a dark night. His transfiguration was a foretaste of the bigger reality that, with His dying and rising, the night will be no more, and that there will be no more tears, no more crying, no more pain.

        The Transfiguration was a glimpse of what is sure to come, and a prefiguration of what we still await in hope but with the certainty of faith, our full and complete adoption to sonship in the Lord. And this is not one “cleverly devised myth” — we look at Him now “as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in [our] hearts.” Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

---------- REFLECTION QUESTION ----------

Have you been a lantern that shines in the dark for others to see Jesus?

Jesus, shine Your light through me, than others may see You who live in me. Amen.