Solemnity of the Transfiguration

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Monday, 6 August 2018 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, on this day we celebrate together the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, celebrating the moment when Our Lord Jesus Christ was glorified and revealed the full truth about Himself, as the Son of Man Who is also the Son of God, fully Man and fully Divine. On that day, at the peak of Mount Tabor, the full truth about Christ’s nature was revealed to all of us through His disciples, St. Peter, St. James and St. John.

The Lord revealed that He was not just like that of any other prophets or messengers of God who preceded Him. In fact, He is God Himself Who incarnated Himself in the flesh of Man through the will of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, via the womb of His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is fully God, for His divinity was never diminished by His assumption of humanity, and He is also fully Man, experiencing all that we experience save that for sin.

And He is truly the Messiah long awaited by the people of God, to whom God promised the coming of His deliverance. The appearance of Moses and Elijah, among the greatest and most prominent ones among God’s servants affirmed this truth. For Moses represented the Law of God, which He gave to His people through Moses, and Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law, while Elijah represented the prophets of God, and as mentioned, the prophecies were all fulfilled in Him.

Now, brothers and sisters in Christ, what is the significance about this event of the Transfiguration of the Lord today? It is aplenty, especially for all of us. Now, let us all remember that I just mentioned how the Lord Jesus is fully God and fully Man, united in His one person, indivisible and yet distinct. And by sharing fully in our humanity, save for that of sin, He has shown us all, who we are expected to become, to be the perfect Man, free from sin and from all chains that prevented us from becoming what God intended for us to be.

For God certainly never intended for any one of us to enter into suffering or trials in this world, and neither did He intend for us to be condemned into hell. We have been created to partake in the fullness of God’s love, shared freely with each and every one of us. Unfortunately, our disobedience led us to sin, and sin caused us to be separated and sundered from this grace and love of God.

That is why, it is imperative that each and every one of us take the necessary steps to ensure that we are moving towards that ideal and perfect state, which can be achieved only through faith and total commitment towards God. And this means that we should walk in God’s path and devote ourselves to do His will, in each and every action we take in life. It is important that we adhere to this, or otherwise, we may be distracted and fall off the path due to the temptations and challenges we face in life.

And then, it is also important we take note how we will encounter difficulties and challenges in our lives, especially if we should choose to commit ourselves to God. The same challenges and persecution have been faced by the Lord Himself, as He faced many opposition and obstacles to His works among His people. He was rejected and condemned by the priests and by the Pharisees, and many others refused to listen to Him or to believe Him.

But the Lord did not let His glory to impede Him from fulfilling His mission. He went down the mountain despite the desire of the three disciples to remain in the blissful glory on Mount Tabor. He and His disciples went down the mountain, eventually heading towards His Passion, suffering and most painful death, all so that each and every one of us, through the ultimate sacrifice Christ paid on the cross, may have life and eternal glory with Him.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all today first of all rejoice because God is so loving and so merciful towards each and every one of us, that He has given us the perfect gift of His Son, through Whom the truth about our salvation has been revealed to us. And then, let us all know the sacrifices and difficulties that each and every one of us may have to face in the midst of living our lives as good Christians.

Let us all face those challenges with courage and strength, just as the resolution shown by the Lord, when He chose to come down the mountain of His glory, and down towards His crucifixion and death. Let us all follow the examples and the humility of Our Lord, in obeying fully the will of God, and by doing what He has told us to do, we may bring ourselves ever closer to Him and keep ourselves ever steady on His path, to the time when He calls us back to Himself. May God bless us all, now and forevermore. Amen.

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Monday, 6 August 2018 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Luke 9 : 28b-36

At that time, Jesus took Peter, John and James, and went up the mountain to pray. And while He was praying, the aspect of His face was changed, and His clothing became dazzling white. Two men were taking with Jesus : Moses and Elijah. Appearing in the glory of heaven, Moses and Elijah spoke to Jesus about His departure from this life, which was to take place in Jerusalem.

Peter and His companions had fallen asleep; but they awoke suddenly, and they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. As Moses and Elijah were about to leave, Peter – not knowing what to say – said to Jesus, “Master, how good it is for us to be here! Let us make three tents, one for You, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

And no sooner had he spoken, than a cloud appeared and covered them; and the disciples were afraid as they entered the cloud. Then these words came from the cloud, “This is My Son, My Beloved, listen to Him.” And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was there alone. The disciples kept this to themselves at the time, telling no one of anything they had seen.

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Monday, 6 August 2018 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : White

Psalm 96 : 1-2, 5-6, 9

YHVH reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the distant islands be glad. Clouds and darkness surround Him; justice and right, are His throne.

The mountains melt like wax before YHVH, the Lord of all the earth. The heavens proclaim His justice, all peoples see His glory.

For You are the Master of the universe, exalted far above all gods.

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Monday, 6 August 2018 : Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Daniel 7 : 9-10, 13-14

I looked and saw the following : Some thrones were set in place and One of Great Age took His seat. His robe was white, as snow, His hair, white as washed wool. His throne was flames of fire with wheels of blazing fire. A river of fire sprang forth and flowed before Him. Thousands upon thousands served Him and a countless multitude stood before Him.

Those in the tribunal took their seats and opened the book. I continued watching the nocturnal vision : One like a Son of Man came on the clouds of heaven. He faced the One of Great Age and was brought into His presence. Dominion, honour and kingship were given Him, and all the peoples and nations of every language served Him. His dominion is eternal and shall never pass away; His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Alternative reading

2 Peter 1 : 16-19

Indeed, what we taught you about the power, and the return of Christ Jesus our Lord, was not drawn from myths or formulated theories. We, ourselves, were eyewitnesses of His majesty, when He received glory and honour from God, the Father, when, from the magnificent glory, this most extraordinary word came upon Him : “This is My beloved Son, this is My Chosen One.”

We, ourselves, heard this voice from heaven, when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Therefore, we believe most firmly in the message of the prophets, which you should consider rightly, as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the break of day, when the Morning Star shines in your hearts.