Author: admin

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Gospel: Luke 9:28-36

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.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, 
but becoming fully awake, 
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, 
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking, 
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time 
tell anyone what they had seen.
 

The Gospel of the Lord.

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God the Father only speaks twice in the Gospels. 

The first moment comes at Christ’s baptism.

Jesus is plunged into the Jordan River by John. Upon being drawn out of that watery tomb, the heavens are opened as the Spirit descends upon Jesus in the form of a dove.

Suddenly, the Father proclaims from the heavens, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

No other word is spoken from heaven until the Transfiguration, which we hear in today’s Gospel.

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Jesus leads his inner circle – Peter, James, and John – up a high mountain, where his clothes become dazzling white. The disciples stare in wonder as Jesus speaks with Moses and Elijah, two prophets from the Old Testament. 

Suddenly, the Father appears again in a cloud, repeating the words he spoke at Christ’s baptism: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Then the Father disappears, never to speak again, leaving Jesus alone with his disciples.

Why does the Father say nothing else? And why does he only appear at these two events in Christ’s earthly life?

To affirm two truths: Jesus is the Son of God, and therefore, he speaks on his Father’s behalf. Whatever truths God wants to share with creation come from the mouth of the Lord.

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“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”

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To “listen” to Jesus not only means to hear his voice, but also to obey what he says. Doing so assures us a share in his divine life, which we receive a glimpse of today. 

How do we make time to listen to the voice of the Lord? In what ways do we act on it?

May the words of the prophet Samuel become a daily mantra for us: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”

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Image credits: (1) Ron Lach, Pexels (2) Transfiguration of the Lord, Carl Bloch (3) Jesus Rocks Ministry

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 22-36

Jesus made the disciples get into a boat
and precede him to the other side of the sea,
while he dismissed the crowds.
After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.
When it was evening he was there alone.
Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them, walking on the sea.
When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.
“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Peter said to him in reply,
“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come.”
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.
But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;
and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,
and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
After they got into the boat, the wind died down.
Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,
“Truly, you are the Son of God.”

After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.
When the men of that place recognized him,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought to him all those who were sick
and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,
and as many as touched it were healed.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Peter is understandably afraid. Until now, he’s only walked on land. Never would he have imagined walking on water, which could swallow him whole.

Still, the Lord dares Peter to step out of his comfort zone; to trust that Peter can do something new – something radical – with the Lord’s blessing.

We don’t know how far Peter walked, whether it was one foot or a thousand before the wind screamed loud enough and the waves reached high enough that he lost his newfound freedom and began to sink. 

But while he trusted Jesus, Peter was as light as a feather. When he reached his limit and fear filled his heart, he sank like lead.

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I wonder if any of the other disciples would’ve been inspired to follow Peter’s example, stepping out of the boat, had he stayed out on the water. 

Would they have surprised Jesus by their courage? Or could each of the disciples have walked on water with enough trust? 

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We’ve all stood on the edge of that proverbial boat before, knowing that Jesus is calling us to take a leap of faith.

Whether it’s an addict being invited to stand on the waters of sobriety.

A newly married couple being inspired to bring life into the world.

Or an otherwise ordinary day when, suddenly, we have an impulse to do something kind, beautiful, even BIG for God.

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Walking on land is boring in that sense. We all do it.

But those who put their trust in Christ can do so much more, for our God is the One, “whom even the winds and the sea obey.”

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Image credits: (1) Christ Walking on Water, Julius Sergius von Klever (2) Christ Walking on the Sea, Amédeé Verint (3) iStock

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Gospel: Matthew 14: 13-21

When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,
he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.
The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,
his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.
When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,
“This is a deserted place and it is already late;
dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages
and buy food for themselves.”
He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away;
give them some food yourselves.”
But they said to him,
“Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.”
Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”
and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.
Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,
he said the blessing, broke the loaves,
and gave them to the disciples,
who in turn gave them to the crowds.
They all ate and were satisfied,
and they picked up the fragments left over–
twelve wicker baskets full.
Those who ate were about five thousand men,
not counting women and children.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint John Vianney, the Patron Saint of priests.

John was born in 18^th century France. Raised by his parents who were humble farmers, he did not receive any formal education until he entered the seminary as a young adult. While he was never considered the brightest student, he was certainly among the holiest. 

Three years after his priestly ordination, John was sent to the small town of Ars, with just 230 residents. There he not only dedicated his life to the spiritual care of the faithful; he also became known as a warm and gentle confessor.

As his reputation spread, he began spending up to 18 hours a day inside the confessional, hearing the confessions of people from around France and beyond. Some estimates state that he eventually heard more than 20,000 confessions a year.

What was once a sleepy town in France became known as, “the great hospital of souls.”

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Part of what made John such a special priest was the fact that he was merciful to all who sought his counsel, imposing very minor penances on pilgrims, while performing much greater penance for the sake of their souls himself.

Examples include eating a very meager diet, such as a single potato a day, and allowing himself a few meager hours of rest.

Before his death, John was quoted as saying, “If we really understood the priest on earth, we would die – not of fear, but of love.” 

John understood that priests are not only Christ’s representative on earth, making the Lord present through the grace of the Sacraments; but priests are also called to live like Jesus, who gave his very Self for the sake of his flock.

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Today let’s pray for all priests, especially for those in need of spiritual renewal, that we’d embrace the lightheartedness of John; that we’d be gentle confessors; that we’d embrace a life of penance; and that all who interact with us see Who they saw in John:

Jesus Christ.

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Image credits: (1) Diocese of Raleigh (2) Catholic Art Company (3) Vianney Vocations