Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory.

Sometimes our hearts can become mountains. They can become piled up with all sorts of doubts, worries, anxieties, and worldly cares. These can become so heavy within us that it is hard to do anything. However, God is willing to melt these things away and free us from our burdens. All we have to do is seek God in prayer and in the sacraments of His Holy Church and ask for the graces and blessings we need to leave behind all our worldly concerns. Then, we can focus on what is truly important, proclaiming God’s Goodness, Mercy, and Love to all the nations. And being charitable and just in our words and actions so all peoples can see God’s Glory through us.

What is weighing on our minds and hearts? How can we let go of these burdens and allow God to lift them away from us? What can we do to help lift other people’s burdens?

O Lord, melt our worries away with your love and mercy.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed.

Just as Jesus was transfigured before his disciples, so we must transform ourselves more and more into Christ, Our Lord. He is the one who should have dominion over our souls. He is the one we should give all glory to in our thoughts, words, and works. He is the one who should have kingship over our lives. We all are called to know, love, and serve Him, His Father, and His Holy Spirit. It is only by becoming manifestations of this Holy Trinity that we can fulfill our purpose, accomplish what God has sent us into the world to do, and return to God clothed in the Light of Christ.

In what ways are we attempting to transform ourselves into Christ? How can we get into the habit of thinking, speaking, and acting like Jesus? What do we do to express God’s dominion and kingship over us and give him glory?

O Lord, transform our souls into yours.

Amen.

Tenth Thursday of Ordinary Time

Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. All of us, gazing with unveiled face on the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spirit. Therefore, since we have this ministry through the mercy shown us, we are not discouraged.

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of true freedom. When we give ourselves over to God through the Holy Spirit, the chains of our sins are broken and we become our best selves. We are transformed into Christ-like members of the One, Body of Jesus. Coming with this transfiguration is the ministry to charity and mercy. For just as Jesus showed us these things, so must we spread them to others. We cannot live up to the name of Christians, if we do not go forth and act like Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit for our Heavenly Father.

Have we accepted the Holy Spirit into our lives? Are we allowing Him to transform and transfigure us into more faithful, loving, and merciful reflections of Jesus Christ? How can we do a better job of living out our ministry to others?

O Lord, free us through your Holy Spirit so we can become you for all people.

Amen.

Second Sunday in Lent

“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.

We are all called to be a people of transfiguration. We are asked by God to transform our lives by becoming more and more like Christ. We are asked to be more deeply converted by his Good News. We are asked to change our attitudes from fear of what the world will think of us if we reject it to the courage that is necessary to rise up and be not afraid to proclaim the Gospels through our thoughts, words, and works. We are asked to alter our view of the world from a selfish one to a selfless one... to see God and others through Jesus-colored glasses. When we look at creation, we need to see the Lord behind it. When we look at others, we need to see the Christ within them. When we look at ourselves, we need to see the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us to where we are called to be.

Are we listening to Jesus through the scriptures and traditions of the Church? Are we listening to him when he speaks to us through others? How can we learn to rise up and be courageous in Christ?

O Lord, give us the spiritual strength to allow you to transfigure us into yourself.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.

Once again Jesus gives us an example of how to pray. He goes to a deserted place on a mountain and there he communes with his Heavenly Father. While doing so, his appearance is transformed and he converses with Moses and Elijah, witnesses to the Law and the prophets. This reminds us that our prayer lives should also transform us and lead us to live in accordance with the Scriptures and Traditions of the Church and to proclaim the Good News in all that we do. Lastly, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah speak of Jesus’ exodus, namely his passion, death, resurrection, and ascension. In the same way, our own prayers should lead us to meditate on the life of Jesus as well as to contemplate the mysteries of God. If we do these things, then the roots of our faith will deepen, the branches of our hope will provide us with refuge, and the fruits of our love will nourish and sustain our family, friends, and neighbors.

How do we pray? What can we do to pray more like Christ? In what ways do our lives show others how to live in accord with God’s Will, the Church’s teachings, and our calling to spread the Good News to all the nations?

O Lord, transform us more and more into you in our prayers, words, and works.

Amen.

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

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.

If we truly want to witness God at work in our lives, we need to set ourselves apart from the world. We need to retreat from the business of daily life, so that we can be transfigured by the life, passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. In order to do this, we need to go to a deserted place so that we can better see him in our solitude and listen to him in the silence of our hearts. When we take time for God, He will take the time for us and reveal Himself to us in new and challenging ways. He will transfigure us into better people, if we allow him to do so.

Have we set ourselves apart from the world or God? How often do we retreat from the world so that we can better see and listen to the Lord? Do we seek to be transfigured into better Christians?

O Lord, transfigure us so that we can live out your gospel message in the midst of the world.

Amen.

Second Sunday of Lent

Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus.

Jesus converses with both Moses and Elijah because he is the continuation and fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This is why they disappear when Jesus is revealed as the beloved son of God. He alone is the accomplishment of God’s plan of salvation. Just as he is transfigured into the fulfillment of God’s Divine Will, so are we. When we become Christ in our daily lives, we reflect God’s love into the world and become well beloved sons and daughters to Him.

What can we do to be better reflections of Jesus? How can we make Jesus the source, center, and summit of our every thought, word, and work? How can we be transfigured into Christ?

O Lord, help us to converse with you and be transfigured into your Divine Image.

Amen.