"The light of God shining through the darkness."

 The Transfiguration of Jesus, and a testament to Jesus’ divine identity and mission.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

Then the Lord brought him outside

And said to him, "Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can. Your descendants will be like that."

Abram believed the Lord who, because of this, held him to be an upright man. And he said,

"I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land as your possession."

 

Then Abram asked, "My Lord, how am I to know that it shall be mine?"

The Lord replied, "Bring me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat,

a three-year-old ram, a turtle dove and a young pigeon."

Abram brought all these animals, cut them in two, and laid each half facing its other half,

but he did not cut the birds in half. The birds of prey came down upon them, but Abram drove them away.

 

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep came over Abram, and a dreadful darkness took hold of him.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot and a flaming torch passed between the halves of the victims.

On that day the Lord made a Covenant with Abram, saying,

To your descendants I have given this country from the river of Egypt to the Great River, the Euphrates.

 

Ps 27:1, 7-8, 8-9, 13-14 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Philippians 3:17-4:1 (or Philippians 3:20-4:1)

Unite in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and look at those who walk in our way of life.

For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have said it to you many times,

and now I repeat it with tears: they are heading for ruin; their belly is their god,

and they feel proud of what should be their shame. They only think of earthly things.

 

For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior,

Jesus Christ, the Lord. He will transfigure our lowly body, making it like his own body, radiant in glory, through

the power which is his, to submit everything to himself. Therefore,

my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, you, my glory and crown, be steadfast in the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊     

Luke 9:28b-36

About eight days after Jesus had said all this, he took Peter, John and James, and went up the mountain to pray.

And while he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed, and his clothing became dazzling white.

Two men were talking with Jesus: Moses and Elijah. Appearing in the glory of heaven,

Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about his departure from this life, which was to take place in Jerusalem.

 

Peter and his companions had fallen asleep; but they awoke suddenly, and they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.

As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter, not knowing what to say, said to Jesus,

"Master, how good it is for us to be here! Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

And no sooner had he spoken than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud.

Then these words came from the cloud, "This is my Son, my Beloved, listen to him." And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone.

The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.

 

Lectio Divina

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Read: God reveals his wonderful power at night as he receives Abraham's sacrifice in a blaze of flame and light.

Jesus reveals his divinity to his closest disciples on the mountain, where his face shines with the glory of God and his clothes become dazzlingly white.

 

Reflect: God mostly communicates to us in whispers and in small signs.

Yet, at times we are struck by a clear message that gives us strength to carry on or gives us a sense of what God wants of us.

This might not be as dramatic as the Transfiguration or Abraham's sacrifice,

but in our doubt or grief or confusion we see the light of God shining through the darkness.

 

These experiences often come in prayer, just like Abraham or the disciples on the mountain.

Abraham was reassured by the experience to trust God's promise.

The disciples are strengthened for the scandal of the cross. We, too,

are strengthened by God in prayer and through life experiences to trust him and to serve him.

 

Pray: If you are in a dark place, ask for God's light to break through.

If you need confirmation of your vocation or your plans, ask for strength and guidance.

 

Act: Act as God's instrument, so that through your actions his light may shine for others to see.