Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings, 08-06-05, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

August 6, 2005
Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Psalm: Saturday 34

Reading I
Dn 7:9-10, 13-14

As I watched:

Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
his throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were opened.

As the visions during the night continued, I saw:

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.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 9

R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. 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.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.

Reading II
2 Pt 1:16-19

Beloved:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,
"This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.
You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Gospel
Mt 17:1-9

Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
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."

A hymn based on the Gospel reading:

"'Tis Good, Lord, to Be Here"
by Joseph A. Robinson, 1858-(?)

1. 'Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy glory fills the night;
Thy face and garments, like the sun,
Shine with unborrowed light.

2. 'Tis good, Lord, to be here,
Thy beauty to behold
Where Moses and Elijah stand,
Thy messengers of old.

3. Fulfiller of the past,
Promise of things to be,
We hail Thy body glorified
And our redemption see.

4. Before we taste of death,
We see Thy kingdom come;
We fain would hold the vision bright
And make this hill our home.

5. 'Tis good, Lord, to be here.
Yet we may not remain;
But since Thou bidst us leave the mount,
Come with us to the plain.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #135
Text: Matt. 17:4
Author: Joseph A. Robinson, 1888
Composer: Johann S. Bach, 1750, ad.
Tune: "Potsdam"
1st Published in: _Church Psalter_, 1854

**This feast became widespread in the West in the 11th century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate the victory over Islam in Belgrade.**

Yes, and that explains why the "Renewing Worship" project of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has dropped the optional observance of this feast on its traditional date August 6 (the Festival is always observed on the traditional Quinquagesima Sunday, the Sunday preceding Ash Wednesday as a bridge between Epiphany and Lent).

The leadership of the ELCA is bitterly opposed to the U.S. military in general and the war on terror in particular. Multicultural diversity is its highest virtue so, of course, any obeservance that might be offensive to Muslims must go.

One Bread, One Body

<< Saturday, August 6, 2005 >>

Transfiguration

Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
2 Peter 1:16-19

Psalm 97
Matthew 17:1-9

View Readings

LISTEN UP!

“Suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Out of the cloud came a voice which said, ‘This is My beloved Son on Whom My favor rests. Listen to Him.’ ” —Matthew 17:5

Many Christians say they have difficulty listening to God, but many of these Christians profess that Jesus is their Lord. How can Jesus be our Lord and order every detail of our lives if we don’t hear Him?

At Jesus’ Transfiguration, God the Father commanded us to listen to Jesus (Mt 17:5). This means the Lord will provide the grace for us to hear Him, and His grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12:9). To decide to accept the grace of listening to Jesus, we should:

obey the Church, her magisterium, bishops, and the Pope,
devote ourselves to communal life in Christ (Acts 2:42),
live a sacramental life, including a daily time of prayer,
abide in God’s word (Jn 8:31),
change our lifestyles dramatically to maximize listening and minimize distractions, and
set aside each day a time to be silent.

The Lord expects us to try to listen to Him daily. He will honor our attempts — no matter how feeble they are — and tell us “things great beyond reach” of our knowledge (Jer 33:3).

What an awesome privilege to listen to the all-holy, Triune God! Let us center our day and our lives on listening to Him and obeying Him.

Prayer: Father, make listening to You a top priority for me.

Promise: “We possess the prophetic message as something altogether reliable. Keep your attention closely fixed on it, as you would on a lamp shining in a dark place until the first streaks of dawn appear and the morning star rises in your hearts.” —2 Pt 1:19

Praise: Praise Jesus, transfigured in glory, the “Light of the world” (Jn 8:12), shining in radiant splendor.

The Word Among Us

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Meditation
Matthew 17:1-9

The Transfiguration of the Lord

When an architect designs a new building, he will often build a model of his design so that those funding the project can have an idea of what the final product will look like. In a sense, this is also what is going on in today’s gospel reading. Of course, the transfiguration verifies that Jesus is God. But it also presents us with a scaled-down “model” of the way we will be transformed when Jesus comes again in glory.

It must have been an amazing sight. Right there before Peter, James, and John, Jesus was transformed. His face shone like the sun. His clothes became dazzlingly bright. Awash in celestial glory, the apostles were reduced to silence. Now contrast this image to the next time the apostles would see Jesus “lifted up.” On Mount Tabor, he was exalted in glory. But on Golgotha, he was raised high on a cross, marred beyond recognition. His whole body was covered in blood as he hung there, pierced and whipped, struggling for every breath.

Isn’t this the ultimate in irony? The same Jesus who was rejected and executed by men is declared by God as beloved, pleasing, and worthy of all honor and glory. What should we make of this contrast?

First, we know that we can put our faith in Jesus. Humanity may have rejected him, but God has exalted him and given him the power to heal and to save. More than anything else, he is God’s beloved Son, pierced for our transgressions but now reigning in glory.

Second, we can place our hope in the promise of resurrection. As we continue to place our faith in Jesus and submit to his Spirit, we too will be completely transformed. Just as he was on Mount Tabor, we too will be raised up, spotless and radiant, when Jesus comes again. Granted, we may feel disfigured at times as we try to live for Christ in this world. But we need never lose our confidence. We have God’s promise of transformation—and the power of his Spirit to help us—to see us through.

“Father, I want to stay close to Jesus today. I can’t wait to be with you forever. Please pour out your Spirit upon your whole church. Encourage us all and let us know how much you love us and long to transform us.”

Daniel 7:9-10,13-14; Psalm 97:1-2,5-6,9; 2 Peter 1:16-19

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