Reading 1
Gn 12:1-4a
The LORD said to Abram: “Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.
“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the communities of the earth shall find blessing in you.”
Abram went as the LORD directed him.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 33:4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
R. (22) Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Upright is the word of the LORD,
and all his works are trustworthy.
He loves justice and right;
of the kindness of the LORD the earth is full.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death
and preserve them in spite of famine.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield.
May your kindness, O LORD, be upon us
who have put our hope in you.
R. Lord, let your mercy be on us, as we place our trust in you.
Reading II
2 Tm 1:8b-10
Beloved: Bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.
He saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now made manifest through the appearance of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
Gospel
Mt 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
WAKE-UP CALL
"Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before their eyes. His face became as dazzling as the sun, His clothes as radiant as light." –Matthew 17:1-2
The key to the Christian life is to "keep our eyes fixed on Jesus" (Heb 12:2). When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we can resist temptation (Heb 12:2-4), walk on the water of all our problems (Mt 14:29), endure persecution, forgive our enemies, and lay down our lives for Christ (Acts 7:56ff). By fixing our eyes on Jesus, we become more aware of His presence and grow deeper in love with Him. However, the danger in fixing our eyes on Jesus (or anyone else), is to become so accustomed to Jesus that we take Him for granted. So, instead of growing in love we grow in apathy.
To reawaken us to Jesus' glory, we need to occasionally go up with Jesus on a high mountain and see Him transfigured. The mountain may be a healing, a tragedy, a special spiritual experience, a surprising revelation, etc. On this mountain we see Jesus in glory. We fall to our knees and say: "Because of this we no longer look on anyone in terms of mere human judgment. If at one time we so regarded Christ, we no longer know Him by this standard" (2 Cor 5:16). "Now all is new!" (2 Cor 5:17) With this renewed awareness of Jesus, we listen to Him more carefully (Mt 17:5), obey Him more strictly, and love Him more dearly.
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