The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord takes place on August 6th, an event mentioned in all three synoptic Gospels. After revealing that he would be put to death in Jerusalem, Jesus took the three disciples of his inner circle to the summit of Mount Tabor in order to reveal his glory to them. Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured before them, radiant in the fullness of his glory as he truly was, the Son of God. Next to Jesus were Moses and Elijah as witnesses to Christ's fulfillment of the Old Testament law and prophets. St. Matthew writes of the event by saying, "He was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow." †
Quote of the Day "Where there is no obedience there is no virtue, where there is no virtue there is no good, where there is no good there is no love, where there is no love, there is no God, and where there is no God there is no Paradise." — Saint Padre Pio of Pietrelcina
Today's Meditation "With regard to evil thoughts, there may be a twofold delusion. God-fearing souls who have little or no gift of discernment, and are inclined to scruples, think that every wicked thought that enters their mind is a sin. This is a mistake, for it is not the wicked thoughts in themselves that are sins, but the yielding or consenting to them. The wickedness of mortal sin consists in the perverse will that deliberately yields to sin with a complete knowledge of its wickedness with full consent. And therefore St. Augustine teaches that when the consent of the will is absent, there is no sin. However much we may be tormented by temptations, the rebellion of the senses, or the inordinate motions of the inferior part of the soul, as long as there is no consent, there is no sin. For the comfort of such anxious souls, let me suggest a good rule of conduct that is taught by all masters in the spiritual life. If a person who fears God and hates sin doubts whether or not he has consented to an evil thought or not, he is not bound to confess it, because it is morally certain that he has not given consent. For had he actually committed a mortal sin, he would have no doubt about it, as mortal sin is such a monster in the eyes of one who fears God that its entrance into the heart could not take place without its being known. Others, on the contrary, whose conscience is lax and not well-informed, think that evil thoughts and desires, though consented to, are not sins provided they are not followed by sinful actions. This error is worse than the one mentioned above. What we may not do, we may not desire. Therefore an evil thought or desire to which we consent comprises in itself all the wickedness of an evil deed." —St. Alphonsus Liguori, p. 142-143
Daily Verse The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip." — Psalm 37:30-31 | St. Maria Francesca of Jesus Rubatto (1844– 1904) was one of eight children from an Italian family. Her father died when she was four. In her teenage years she received an offer of marriage, which she declined as she had taken a vow of virginity from an early age. When she was nineteen, after the death of her mother, Maria moved to Turin and befriended a noblewoman who gave her assistance. Maria taught catechism to the woman's children, in addition to the other children in the city. She also had a habit of visiting the sick and poor. One day a construction worker had an accident while building a convent, and Maria, who was walking nearby, helped him and gave him money so that he could recover from his injury. The sisters of the convent took notice of Maria for this act of charity and desired that she join their community. Maria accepted their invitation and was later appointed superior of this new community of Capuchin Franciscan sisters. She had a desire to serve in the overseas missions, and in 1892 left Italy and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to South America. She made this journey seven times in her work of founding Catholic missions in Uruguay and Argentina. Her feast day is August 6th. She was canonized on May 15, 2022 by Pope Francis. | Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord Reading 1 Daniel 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 Psalm 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 2 2 Peter 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. Alleluia Matthew 17:5c R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased;
listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Luke 9:28b-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.
| Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ! | Daily Meditation: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 His clothing was bright as snow. (Daniel 7:9) Everyone loves movie trailers. They give fans a glimpse of the stories that are "coming soon." That's one way of understanding the words of the prophets in ancient Israel. They offered "previews" about God's plan of salvation—glimpses into what would be coming soon. In our first reading for today's feast of the Transfiguration, the prophet Daniel describes a vision, like a heavenly trailer. He sees "The Ancient One. . . . His clothing was bright as snow" (7:9) and "One like a Son of man," who received "dominion, glory, and kingship" (7:13-14). Imagine the anticipation that must have welled up in the people who first heard these words! Many years later, Jesus gave his disciples another preview about this "Son of man" whom Daniel described: he would "suffer greatly and be rejected. . . , and be killed and on the third day be raised" (Luke 9:22). But instead of joyful anticipation, his words caused them much pain and confusion. A few days later, however, he gave them another preview. He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray, and while he was praying, his "face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white" (Luke 9:29). He gave them a glimpse of his heavenly glory and revealed that he was the Son of Man the prophet Daniel had described. You haven't seen heaven yet, but you do know Jesus, the Son of Man. You have come to "see" him in the Scriptures, in the Eucharist, and in your personal prayer. You probably know him better today than you did five years ago. These are your "previews"—but Jesus wants to keep showing you more and more of his glory! Today, you can go "up a mountain" to pray, whether in a quiet corner at home or before the Blessed Sacrament (Luke 9:28). You can join the "thousands upon thousands" who are praising Jesus in heaven (Daniel 7:10). You can come into God's presence with an eager heart, longing for what's yet to come. May your heart rejoice, for one day you will see the fullness of the glory of heaven! "Lord, let me see a glimpse of your glory!" Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
2 Peter 1:16-19
Luke 9:28-36 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Hear AI Read it for u | From today's Holy Gospel: "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....." Word of the Lord! | Bishop Barron said today:
"Friends, today's Gospel recounts the story of the Transfiguration. Here, the glorified Jesus represents the fulfillment of the Old Testament revelation, symbolized by Moses, representing the Law, and Elijah, representing the prophets. Let's look at the two basic divisions. God gave the Torah, the Law, to his people, in order that they might become a priestly people, a holy nation, a people set apart, in the hopes that they would then function as a sort of magnet to the rest of the world. But the Law didn't take. From the very beginning, the people turned away from its dictates and became as bad as the nations around them. And then the prophets. Over and again we hear the call to be faithful to the Torah, to follow the ways of the Lord. The prophets turn on Israel itself repeatedly, reminding her of her sinfulness. And then came Jesus, God and man. Jesus did what no hero of Judaism had ever done: fulfilled the Law, remained utterly obedient to the demands of the Father, even to the point of laying down his life. He brought the Torah and the prophets thereby to fulfillment."
"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." Word of the Lord. Who saw the Lord? It was the Sons of Thunder. Their mom had asked if they cold sit at the right and left at the coming of the Kingdom of God.
Our Lord said it was not up to Him, but the Father.
Today, we hear about the Transfiguration, when our Lord on earth, is in every sense transfigured into light...and shows His true essence and identity. It is, a revelation then. And it should reveal something to our hearts, our soul. That He is one with God and of God our Father.
The voice boomed from the cloud, "This is my CHOSEN Son, LISTEN TO HIM".
It was not a question, but a command.
This is the message to your heart.
Obey.
The only reason I am here writing to you, is because since I was a little boy, obedience has been instilled in me. And obedience will get us much further than not, in the spiritual life.
May we find the Voice of God today. May we climb that mountain. May we follow the Lord. May we see Him in Glory, stretched out as the light from Heaven.
May we be attentive to His Holy Will. To be His body on earth...as it should be in Heaven. |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Psalm 31:24 24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD! | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
