Genesis 22:1-2,9-13,15
Romans 8:31-35,37
Mark 9:2-10
God is in everything we do. St Paul wrote in the second reading “if God is for us, who can be against us.”
Scripture uses Mountains as the stages of important encounters between God and his people. Today’s first reading and the Gospel take place on two important biblical mountains – Mount Moriah and Mount Tabor.
On these mountains, we see a God who never abandons us in our deepest despair and terror. God is with us through thick and thin, rain and sunshine, day, and night. These mountains teach us that it is only when we are willing to let go of what we love most and cherish in life, to offer it back to God, that we can ever hope to receive it back. Only then will we experience resurrection, healing, and new life.
In the first reading, God tested Abraham and the purpose of testing is to strengthen and deepen his commitment to God. Through this difficult experience, Abraham strengthened his commitment to obey God. He also learned about God’s ability to provide.
Lesson: 1) Abraham was attentive to the word of God and obeyed God’s command. 2) He trusted in God. 3) Abraham’s generosity towards God was by offering his only son Isaac.
The second reading is full of hope. St. Paul offers three (3) assurances – “there is no opposition; there is no condemnation and there is no separation.” This is because: God graciously gave His son for us. God’s love has no limits.
The transfiguration is a message of Hope because God revealed to us the glory, which will be ours through Christ. God spoke to confirm the Lordship of Jesus Christ. “This is my beloved” … He demands only one thing from us; “Listen to Him.” Jesus needed the light and affirmation of the mountaintop experience in His life. Amid His passion prediction, Jesus needed Mount Tabor, to strengthen Him as he descended into the Jordan valley and made his way to Jerusalem.
Listening to Jesus means transforming our lives and changing our ways. It means living according to the word of God we hear everyday. Listening to Christ means obeying His will and paying attention to what the church teaches us everyday. Christ speaks to us through the poor, orphans, the sick and the old.
The story of Transfiguration gives us an opportunity to look at some of our own mountaintop experiences. How have such experiences shed light on the shadows and darkness of life? What would our lives be without some of these peak experiences? How often do we turn to those few experiences for strength, courage, and perspective. How has the mountaintop experience enabled us to listen more to God’s voice?
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