6-Aug-15

Gospel MK 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John,
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant.
Reflection:
The Transfiguration is about conveying Hope!
Six days prior to their trip up the mountain, Jesus had revealed
to the apostles that he was heading to Jerusalem where he would
be crucified, die, and rise again in three days.The apostles did not understand and were horrified at the thought. In reply, "Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him." Mark 8:32
Jesus could see the crushing effect the news of his pending death was having
on the apostles.
He knew they would need something to give them hope after his
death. So, he took his "inner circle," Peter, John and his brother James, to the
mountain top.
Incredulously, they watched as Moses, the writer of God's law, and Elijah, the greatest of all the prophets appeared and spoke with Jesus. Then, almost beyond belief, they heard the voice of God proclaim, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Coming down the mountain, he told them to keep to themselves what they had seen and heard, until after he had risen from the dead.
My mind flashes forward to the apostles hiding in a locked room following the crucifixion. I can almost hear Peter, John and James bolstering the hope of their fellow apostles by repeating what they saw and heard on the mountain: "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
As followers of Jesus, we too are called to be bearers of Hope.
When we put our arm around the shoulder of a struggling alcoholic at his first meeting and say, "Have faith in God. Better days are coming, Brother."
When delivering food to the home of a discouraged single mom, overwhelmed by her struggles, we lay our hand upon her arm and say, "Take heart! God knows what you're going through for your children. He is very proud of you."
When one of our own children is facing a devastating life situation and we say, "Keep your eye on the future. God has a plan for you. This difficulty will pass."
When our hope wanes, and we ourselves are beaten down by the burden of responsibility, we need to be still, withdraw in our mind to the mountain top, and open our heart to the words of our Father, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

"To give hope to another is to be made in the image of God."
Author Unknown