A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 17:1-9
(Glory to you O Lord!)
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
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.”
The Gospel of the Lord (Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ!).
Reflection: Listen to Jesus!
What a beautiful privilege and honor for Peter, James, and John to be invited by Jesus to witness his heavenly glory, as our Lord was transfigured and conversed with Moses and Elijah! We can only barely imagine in our minds, the majesty and grace of his presence shining like the sun! And the three disciples heard the voice of our Heavenly Father saying “this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Before time began, before any mass or features of land or bodies of water, or stars could even be seen by humans, our Lord Jesus, existed with God our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. All dominion, glory, and kingship belong to Him! All creatures, elements, molecules, peoples of nations as well as bodies of galaxies, solar systems, planets, stars, and the whole universe were created by Him, our Lord Jesus in cooperation with our Heavenly Father to share of the grace of His great love, mercy and blessings to all men and women and all of creation.
This great love of God to share his compassion and kindness continues to flow from the beginning of time through all of creation by His holy will.
Some of us may ask the question, why? Well, God allows us humans and every living being to exist because of His great immense love, allowing every portion of our molecules to be whole, as He allows the complexity of DNA in each living creature to function, to reproduce, to thrive, to allow our bodies and senses to witness his greatness, as our hearts and minds and our very beings consciously, and unconsciously desire and seek the presence of our creator who has allowed us to live and thrive in this amazing ecosystem, with just the right amount of heat and coolness in the everyday weather called Earth that provides food, shelter, hydration, and nourishment for all!
May we always remember that we humans and all creation will not exist if our Lord Jesus did not allow it to be. Open up our minds and hearts in prayer and spend an hour with our creator, to listen to His daily promptings for us to choose what is holy as we love and care for one another and all of His creation.
Action for the Day:
Make time for silent prayer to bask in the holy presence and peace of God by taking a walk to notice the blessings of God’s presence within all of nature, or even in a quiet place at home or, at church. Share our gratitude with our creator and ask him how we can share his love to one another. Thank you, Lord Jesus for always journeying with us, and for always being ready to guide us!
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