Lectionary: 614
Reading 1
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
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.
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.
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,
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Reading II
2 Peter 1:16-19
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.
For he received honour 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.”
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
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.
Alleluia
Matthew 17:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mark 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John,
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
The Glory of the Transfiguration
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Mark 9:5–7
Just prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He would suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, be killed and then rise on the third day. This caused much fear for the disciples as they grappled with this unsettling revelation from our Lord. And even though Jesus remained firm with them and even rebuked Peter for his fear, Jesus also gave three of His disciples a very precious gift.
After much traveling, preaching, miracle working and private conversations about His passion with the Twelve, Jesus invited Peter, James and John to go with Him up a high mountain to pray. These disciples most likely had no idea what they would soon encounter. As they made the difficult and arduous journey, their minds must have been pondering not only the mighty deeds done by Jesus in the previous months but also His words about the suffering to come. As they struggled with this, much to their amazement, Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, representing the Law and the prophets. These two Old Testament figures appeared as a way of saying to these disciples that everything that Jesus was telling them was to take place to fulfill all that had been foretold about Him from of old. Perhaps Jesus thought that if His disciples would not fully listen to Him, then seeing Moses and Elijah would help. But Jesus went even further. The Voice of the Father Himself thundered and said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Thus, if these disciples would not ultimately listen to Jesus alone, or if even Moses and Elijah failed to convince them, then the last hope was the Father Himself. And Jesus delivered such a grace.
The Transfiguration was a true mercy. These disciples had never seen anything like it before. But it was most likely this act of mercy that ultimately helped them to accept the hard truth that Jesus was trying to teach them about His coming suffering and death. If the Father in Heaven Personally gave witness to Jesus, then everything that Jesus had said was trustworthy.
As we read through the Gospels and the many teachings God has given us through the Church, think about whether there are some teachings with which you struggle? Or in your own life, on a personal level, are there some things you know God wants of you but you find it difficult to accept? When confusion sets in, that means we are not listening, are not fully hearing what God is saying to us or are not understanding. And though we will not see the Transfigured Lord with our eyes and hear the Voice of the Father with our ears as these three disciples did, we must choose to believe all that God has said as if it were the Transfigured Lord, with Moses and Elijah, and the Father Himself speaking clearly and directly to us. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Those words were not only spoken for the good of the disciples, they are also spoken to us.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful experience given to these disciples by our Lord. Try to place yourself in the scene so as to witness Jesus transfigured in the most glorious way, with Moses and Elijah and with the thundering Voice of the Father. Allow the Father to speak also to you, telling you that all He has spoken through the Scriptures, the Church and within your own conscience is true. Allow this revelation to convince you on the deepest level to acknowledge not only the divinity of Jesus but also to “Listen to Him” in every way.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
THE TWO FACES ARE ONE
“He was transfigured before their eyes.” —Mark 9:2
Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant: “Even as many were amazed at Him — so marred was His look beyond that of man, and His appearance beyond that of mortals” (Is 52:14). Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion and death. How could the severely altered face of the crucified Jesus be the face of God?
Jesus “was transfigured before their eyes and His clothes became dazzlingly white — whiter than the work of any bleacher could make them” (Mk 9:2-3). “His face changed in appearance” (Lk 9:29). At the Transfiguration, Jesus’ face was no longer emptied (see Phil 2:7) of His divine glory. His face was clearly recognizable as the face of God.
We must never look at the crucified face of Jesus without remembering His transfigured face. Jesus’ cross is not a denial of His divinity but can be understood only in the light of His divinity.
We must never look at the transfigured face of Jesus without also picturing the thorn-crowned face of the crucified Christ. Jesus’ crucifixion takes us into the mysterious depths of His divinity.
There is an ancient tradition which holds that the Transfiguration took place forty days before Jesus’ crucifixion and death. Thus, in 1457, Pope Callistus III set the date for the Feast of the transfiguration: forty days before the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, September 14. The Transfiguration and crucifixion go together. Jesus is both fully God and fully man (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 464).
Prayer: Father, on this Feast of the Transfiguration, plunge me into the mystery of the cross.
Promise: “You, O Lord, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods.” —Ps 97:9
Praise: “We possess the prophetic message as something altogether reliable. Keep your attention closely fixed on it” (2 Pt 1:19).
Reflection 3
By Fr. Ignasi NAVARRI i Benet
(La Seu d'Urgell, Lleida, Spain)
«Rabbi, it is good that we are here!»
Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord. Mount Tabor, like Mount Sinai, is the place of the proximity to God. It is the prominent space, regarding our daily existence, where we can breathe the pure air of the Creation. It is the place of prayer where we are in the company of the Lord, like Moses and Elijah, who appear with Jesus Transfigured, talking with Him about the Exodus He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem (i.e. his Passover)
“His clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them” (Mk 9:3).This fact symbolizes the purification of the Church. And Peter said to Jesus: "Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." (Mk 9:5)" St. Augustine beautifully mentions that Peter thought of the three shelters because he did not yet know the accord between the Law, the Prophecy and the Gospel.
“Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” (Mk 9:7). The Transfiguration is not a change in Jesus, but the Revelation of His Divinity. Peter, James and John, while contemplating the Divinity of the Lord, prepare themselves to confront the scandal of the Cross. The Transfiguration is a foretaste of the Resurrection!
"Rabbi, it is good that we are here!" (Mk 9:5). The Transfiguration reminds us that the joys God sows in our life are not points of arrival, but lights He gives us in our earthly pilgrimage so that "only Jesus" may be our Law, and His Word the guideline, joy and blessing of our existence.
May the Virgin Mary help us to live intensely our moments of encounter with the Lord so that we may joyfully follow Him every day, and may she help us to listen and always follow the Lord Jesus till the Passion and the Cross, in order to share His Glory.
Prayers
My transfigured Lord, You are glorious beyond imagination, and You revealed a small glimpse of this glory to Your disciples to help them trust You more fully. May I also trust in You more completely, knowing that all You have spoken to me is true. Please remove any doubt and fear in my life so that nothing keeps me from embracing Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, keep me always alert to you, to your word, your action, and your constant presence in my life. Let me see your glory.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 218: A Single Perception of God
It is important to understand God and His ways, but understanding is not the same as knowing. Knowing God means we encounter a Person. We do not only understand what this person says; rather, we engage, meet, experience and enter into a relationship with this Person. In fact, one of the greatest blessings we can ever receive in this life is to obtain even a single perception of God. Even one single perception of Him, one single encounter with Him, one single act of knowing Him is enough to change our lives forever. An act of authentic knowing of God is more important than any other act we can do in life (See Diary #1133).
If you were offered all the wealth and fame of the world, great success and prestige, would you take it? Most likely you would. Being successful or wealthy or well known or greatly honored is often desirable. In and of themselves, none of these qualities are bad. But there is a grave danger in these desires the moment that they become more important to us than our desire to know God, distracting us from that ultimate goal. The moment we find ourselves desiring worldly things more than a desire for the very Person of God is the moment that we have mixed up our priorities in life. Seek even one single act of encountering our merciful God and you will find that this knowledge of Him is worth more than anything this world can offer.
My Lord, I desire to know You. Please increase that desire in my soul so that it is more powerful than every other desire in my life. I pray that You give me even a single perception of You, a single knowledge of You, dear Lord, and in that knowledge please change my life. Jesus, I trust in You.
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