＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Sirach 48:1-4, 9-11

 Then came the prophet Elijah like a fire,

His words a burning torch.  He brought a famine on the peo­ple and in his zealous love had them reduced in number. Speaking in the name of the Lord he closed the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvelous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses.  It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future be­fore it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

 Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

 

Ps 80:1ac & 3b, 15-16, 18-19

Lord, make us turn to you;

let us see your face and we shall be saved.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 17:9a, 10-13

 And as they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone what they had just seen, until the Son of Man be raised from the dead.

 The disciples then asked him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”  And Jesus answered, “So it is: first comes Elijah to set ev­erything as it has to be.   But I tell you, Elijah has already come and they did not recognize him, but treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

 Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

 

Gospel Reflection：

 After giving His disciples a glimpse of His divinity, Jesus is now back in reality. His Transfiguration in the mountain is a beautiful interlude in His life. But it would not be always that way.

He knows the reason why He was incarnated. He will suffer and die for humanity. And so, the disciples ask Him something from the teachings of the teachers of the Law regarding the appearance of the Messiah.

He will be preceded by the prophet Elijah. Perhaps it is because, they do not yet fully understand who Jesus really is. They are still wrestling with the mystery of His person.

And so, Jesus has to teach them patiently. He points out that Elijah did come already. And the disciples putting the pieces together know that John is Elijah incarnate.

But the question is, did this make them believe that Jesus has to undergo the passion and not be like the triumphant conquering messiah that they imagined? It will take them a long time to fully understand this mystery. For some mysteries are too big to be understood immediately.