Saturday, February 24, 2018

Good to be here Lord!!!!!!!

The Transfiguration took place after Peter, speaking for the disciples, had confessed that Jesus was the Messiah of God and after Jesus told his disciples that the Son of Man would suffer and die and be risen from the dead.

Peter was so shocked with this that he protested strongly. Jesus rebuked him just as strongly, "Get behind me Satan! You are thinking not as God does, but as people do." (Mk 8: 32- 33)
 


The Transfiguration and the confirming voice from the cloud were an assurance to the three apostles that indeed Jesus was the "Son of God, the Beloved."

The Transfiguration of Jesus is also closely linked with his agony at Gethsemane before his arrest and death. The same three apostles were privileged witnesses to both events. At Mount Tabor the apostles saw Jesus' divinity in its glory. At Gethsemane the apostles saw Jesus' humanity in pain and agony before his passion and death.

The high and low points of faith are similar to life itself: at high points, life is beautiful and everything seems to go well; at low points, nothing goes right and we are discouraged, lost and oppressed.

Faith follows the rhythms of happiness and sadness, of ecstasy and agony, of light and darkness. When up, God seems to be with us; when down, God is testing us. If we trust in God, he will never let us down. In the end God will bless us beyond our wildest dreams.

 

he two events also teach us that our faith has its "ups" and "downs." At the Transfiguration the apostles' faith was bright, strong and enthusiastic: "Master, it is good for us to be here." At the agony in the garden, the apostles could not even keep awake: "Are you sleeping? Couldn't you stay awake for one hour?" (Mk 14: 37)

Similarly at the Transfiguration the Father glorifies his Son: "This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him." At Gethsemane, "as he was in agony, he prayed even more earnestly and great drops of blood formed like sweat and fell to the ground": "Father, if it is your will, remove this cup from me; still not my will but yours be done." (Lk 22gh : 44, 42)


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