First reading Daniel 7:9-10,13-14
His robe was white as snow
As I watched:
Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held
and the books were opened.
I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship,
and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm 96(97):1-2,5-6,9
The Lord is king, most high above all the earth.
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
his throne, justice and right.
The mountains melt like wax
before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
all peoples see his glory.
For you indeed are the Lord
most high above all the earth,
exalted far above all spirits.
Gospel Luke 9:28-36
Jesus is transfigured before them
Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.
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God speaks in silence
In today’s gospel, Jesus brings Peter, James, and John up the mountain, a place away from everything and everyone else, to be with God. Jesus goes up to the silence of the mountain to pray and listen to what God wants to tell Him.
In our fast-paced world, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by a cacophony of noises- noises from the traffic, the radio, the television and the chatter of people. In this relentless din, we frequently overlook the beauty of silence. Yet, it is precisely in these quiet moments that God speaks, inviting us to listen and connect with Him on a deeper level. If we desire to deepen our journey of faith and follow Jesus more closely, we must make a conscious effort to seek out those “mountaintop” moments of prayer and embrace the stillness, allowing ourselves to hear and discern the voice of God the Father. Let us make time to be with God in prayer and listen to Him.
Reflective question:
What small steps can I take this week to create time and space for prayer, in order to deepen my intimacy with God and allow Him to guide me in my daily life?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.
