Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 17,1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.
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.”
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.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
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.”
Peace to all my brothers and sisters listening in today
Practice, Peter and Paris
- Mark Twain once told a story about his neighbor who was bragging about his upcoming trip to the Holy land. His neighbor painstakingly told him in detail all the places he was about to go and see and how the trip would culminate in a big hike up to Mount Sinai to the exact spot where Moses was said to have been given the 10 Commandments. Mark Twain is said to have simply replied, why don’t you just stay home and keep them. This seems to be right in line with St Francis who warned his brothers not to be satisfied in just sharing stories about the heroic deeds of the Saints, but rather to earnest in putting them into practice in their own lives.
- When we hear the account today of the mystical experience that transpired on the mountain and how Jesus was mysteriously transfigured and his clothes turned dazzingly white, it is very tempting to get caught up in the moment like Peter and try to romanticize the event. Because it is difficult for us to relate to these types of phenomenon, we, like Peter, usually do not know what to say. The context however reveals something important. Jesus was about to inaugurate the new exodus. The transfiguration happens just before Jesus is about to enter into Jerusalem and be beaten and murdered. This glimpse of His divinity prepares the Apostles to witnessing this brutal scourging, and to seeing his bloodied body be crucified. This would enable them to endure the trial and most of all encourage them after the resurrection.
- Peter, James and John are not the only ones who need encouragement as Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus and speak of his upcoming exodus in order to support Him. God offers consolation before our trials, which can help us to live in the valleys of our life, those moments when we hit bottom and suffer the pains of the cross. While we can all be tempted to try and hold on to the euphoria of a blissful mountain top experience, we are all inevitably challenged to live our faith in the valley, day by day. No one experience, however powerful and meaningful can ever “do it” once and for all. It is like the husband who spoils his wife by taking her on an exotic trip to Paris but after some time passes that one experience no longer sustains them, nor could it. That’s because Christ doesn’t want to just give us a one time dazzle but rather wants to enter into a genuine relationship of love with us which is lived moment by moment, day by day. In this way we are challenged to find Christ in the ordinary, as Abraham Maslow observed the great lesson from the true mystics is that the sacred is to be found in the ordinary- that is it is to be found in one’s daily life, neighbors, friends and family.
May God bless you in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit
Always Remember heaven is our goal
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