＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊  

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

 I looked and saw the following:

Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took his seat. His robe was white as snow, his hair white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire.   A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before him. Thousands upon thousands served him and a countless multitude stood before him.

Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book.   I continued watching the nocturnal vision: One like a son of man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into his presence.  Dominion, honor and kingship were given him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; his kingdom will never be destroyed.

 

Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

 

   ＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

2 Peter 1:16-19

 Indeed, what we taught you about the power and the return of Christ Jesus our Lord was not drawn from myths or formulated theories. We ourselves were eyewitnesses of his majesty,   when he received glory and honor from God the Father, when from the magnificent Glory this most extraordinary word came upon him: “This is my beloved Son, this is my Chosen One.”  We ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Therefore, we believe most firmly in the message of the prophets which you should consider rightly as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the break of day, when the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

 

＊＊＊＊ 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：

The Transfiguration of the Lord reveals to the apostles in no nonsense terms his divine nature. The change in his countenance, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the cloud with the voice from Heaven proclaiming him as the beloved Son to whom everybody should listen, attest to this.

And the gospel account says that three disciples are witnesses to this. In the Jewish tradition, if three witnesses agree to a common account, it should be treated as a fact. So the experience of Peter, James and John should have made them frontliners in the belief of Jesus' divine nature.

Yet later accounts revealed that the disciples struggled with the death of their master in accepting the news of Jesus's resurrection appearances. Why is this so? Because a mystery cannot be grasped totally in a short span of time. We need to walk with it and live with its ambiguities until slowly, the truth unfolds little by little. The mystery of our faith is a walk of faith that dares to cling even amidst uncertainty brought by human limitations.