This weekend I was visiting family in Southbury, CT. It was like a very small family reunion with several of my siblings, my dad, and a few nephews. We all had a fun time enjoying fellowship and good food throughout the weekend. Today was the day that I was to return home. Before heading on my journey home, I wanted to attend Mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a short ride from my brother’s home. Each weekend, nine times out of ten, I will read Sunday’s Gospel that is going to be read at all the Masses, study the Gospel, and discuss and talk about the Gospel with church friends. This is the one time out of ten that I did not do this. I guess I was a little bit out of my element being away from home.
When I arrived at the church, I picked up the book that is in each of the pews, but it was a music book. It did not have any of the readings for the Mass. I looked around and this is all that I could see in each of the pews. I am not sure why this church did not have a book with the readings so that you could follow along. Well, I had to wait until the priest read this Sunday’s Gospel to know what the Gospel was for this weekend. The Gospel was Matthew 17:1-9. Read this passage when you have the opportunity. This Gospel passage is the one when Jesus took Peter, James and John, three of His Apostles, up on a mountain, and Jesus was transfigured before them. Scripture says, “his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.”
I cannot imagine what it was like being Peter, James or John. I feel that I would be standing there in disbelief because I had never seen anything like this before. Also, if Jesus shone as bright as the sun, then I would not have been able to look at Jesus because he would have been so bright. After this and other things that took place on the mountain, Jesus told the three Apostles to not say anything to anyone about what they saw and experienced until the Son of Man had been raised from the dead. What an experience this would have been for each one of us if we were there on the mountain with Jesus!
When Peter, James, and John were on the mountain with Jesus, Jesus was transfigured. Because of this, these Apostles witnessed something which they had never seen before. Their lives were probably changed right then and there on the mountainside. Later in life these Apostles may have used this mountainside experience to tell people about Jesus Christ and all that He can do. In turn, this may have helped these people with changing their hearts for Jesus and living in the ways that He taught us during His three-year ministry.
Peter, James and John experienced the Transfiguration of Jesus on a mountainside. What event or events have taken place in your life where you have been changed in such a way where it has directed your heart toward Jesus to live out your life in the ways that Jesus taught us in Scripture? If there is such an event that has taken place in your life, share this event with others in the hope that your story will help your friends and family grow closer to Jesus Christ.