Reading 1
Gn 12:1-4a
The LORD said to Abram:
“Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk
and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
so that you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you
and curse those who curse you.
All the communities of the earth
shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the LORD directed him.
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
Responsorial PsalmR. (22)
Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Reading 2
2 Tm 1:8b-10
Beloved:
Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life,
not according to our works
but according to his own design
and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began,
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus,
who destroyed death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel.
Gospel
Mt 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.”
Meditation: Matthew 17:1-9
“It is good that we are here.” (Matthew 17:4)
How ironic! We first see Peter gushing over how good it was to witness Jesus’ transfiguration. How magnificent it must have been! How astounding! Wouldn’t you want to stay there and drink it all in? Wouldn’t you want to linger as long as possible, and maybe even ask Moses and Elijah a couple of questions about heaven?
But then at the very next moment, even as he is basking in the glow of such heavenly radiance, Peter is ready to get to work and build a monument to honor the event.
The problem is, he can’t have it both ways. Either he stays there beholding the glory of the Lord, or he goes down the mountain to get the supplies he needs to begin his construction project. He can’t take this transfigured trio with him, but he can’t build his monument without leaving them behind. What’s an apostle to do?
More to the point, what would you do? It can be very tempting, when we feel the presence of the Lord, to want to go out and begin serving him right away. In the initial enthusiasm after a retreat, perhaps, we eagerly sign up for a couple of ministries at our parish. While this is commendable, we may end up burning out quickly because we are not taking the time to be with the Lord and to “listen to him” (Matthew 17:5).
How important it is that we spend time in Jesus’ presence, immersing ourselves in his love and pondering his word in Scripture! And what better opportunity than today at Mass! It is here, where the Liturgy of the Word feeds into the Liturgy of the Eucharist, that you can hear God’s voice and behold his glory. His voice is veiled in the voice of the lectors and preacher, and his glory is veiled in the eucharistic bread and wine. But he is there, ready to fill you with everything you need. So ask him to open your eyes, and your heart will be changed!
“All praise and honor to you, Jesus! Come fill me with your presence. I want to see your face.”
No comments:
Post a Comment