＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18

 Some time later God tested Abra­ham and said to him,

“Abra­ham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I shall point out to you.”

 until they came to the place to which God had directed them. When Abraham had built the altar and set the wood on it, he bound his son Isaac and laid him on the wood placed on the altar. He then stretched out his hand to seize the knife and slay his son. But the Angel of Yahweh called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abra­ham!”

 And he said, “Here I am.” “Do not lay your hand on the boy; do not harm him, for now I know that you fear God, and you have not held back from me your only son.”  Abraham looked around and saw behind him a ram caught by its horns in a bush.

He offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. And the Angel of Yahweh called from heaven a second time, “By myself I have sworn, it is Yahweh who speaks, because you have done this and not held back your son, your only son.

 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the lands of their ene­mies. All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your descendants because you have obeyed me.”

 

Ps 116:10, 15, 16-17, 18-19

I will walk before the Lord, in the land of the living

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Romans 8:31b-34

 What shall we say after this? If God is with us, who shall be against us? If he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, how will he not give us all things with him? Who shall accuse those chosen by God: he takes away their guilt. Who will dare to condemn them? Christ who died, and better still, rose and is seated at the right hand of God, interceding for us?

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Mark 9:2-10

 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high moun­tain. There his appearance was changed before their eyes. Even his clothes shone, becoming as white as no bleach of this world could make them. Elijah and Moses appeared to them; the two were talking with Jesus.

 Then Peter spoke and said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” For he did not know what to say; they were overcome with awe.

 But a cloud formed, covering them in a sha­dow, and from the cloud came this word, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him.” And suddenly, as they looked around, they no longer saw anyone except Jesus with them.

 As they came down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man be risen from the dead. So they kept this to themselves, although they discussed with one another what ‘to rise from the dead’ could mean.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read :

Jesus went up the mountain with His closest apostles, the three Peter, James and John. There, the latter witnessed their  master transfigured together with the appearance of Moses and Elijah.

This left them speechless for they could hardly comprehend what they saw. Jesus took them down the mountain again with strict instructions not to tell anyone what they saw.

 

Reflect :

Climbing mountains have been used through the ages as an allegory to prayer. For prayer is first and foremost an encounter. The activities attendant to it are mere preparations for meeting God.

The activities are akin to efforts in clmbing mountains. And when Jesus and the three disciples are in the top of the mountain, He dazzled and transformed. He became like a shining light. The original light when creation happened manifested itself in the Person of Jesus.

He truly is a superman. But wait, Moses and Elijah came to talk to Him. And to top it all, a shining cloud with a voice appeared designating Jesus as the Beloved Son. He is therefore not just a human being cut above the rest. He is God Himself.

That is why three are needed to witness this supernatural event. For in the Jewish tradition three are needed to testify in order for what they claim to be considered as truth. The three witnessed fumble unable to contain the truth they see.

But their witness at a later time helped the believing community shape their belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

 

Respond :

In the face of mystery, we too sometimes fumble and fall. Our minds can not contain the vast truth of the mystery, but we can understand a bit of it. The rest will be supplied by faith for the mean time. And so, let us take stock of how far we have gone in journeying with the mystery of our faith.

Pick one mystery and see how far you have come in understanding it. This would help us know whether we have made efforts to own our faith or are we contented only with the affective side of it.