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For no sooner is the finite desire of the creature in motion towards God, but the infinite desire of God is united with it, co-operates with it. And in this united desire of God and the creature, is the salvation and life of the soul brought forth.
... William Law (1686-1761), The Spirit of Prayer [1749]
(God waits on us. What do you say?)
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Dn 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9; 2 Pt 1:16-19
Mk 9:2-10
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John,
and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them,
and his clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.
Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,
and they were conversing with Jesus.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Rabbi, it is good that we are here!
Let us make three tents:
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified.
Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them;
from the cloud came a voice,
“This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”
Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone
but Jesus alone with them.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,
except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
So they kept the matter to themselves,
questioning what rising from the dead meant.
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture
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“A cloud came, overshadowing them, and out of the cloud a voice: ‘This is My Son, My Beloved. Listen to Him.’ ” —Mark 9:7
Jesus’ apostles did not listen to Him when He spoke of the cross and other matters. If we don’t listen to someone, we probably won’t know them well. When we don’t know someone well, we usually don’t love them much. This proved true of the apostles, for one betrayed Christ, another denied Him, and all except St. John abandoned Him when He was crucified.
In the Transfiguration, Jesus tried to change His apostles’ view of Him so that they would listen to Him, know Him, and love Him deeply. Knowing Jesus was God, wouldn’t they listen to Him? No, they did not listen to Him even after seeing Jesus’ glory as God. After His crucifixion and death, Jesus rose from the dead. If this didn’t prove that Jesus is God and worth listening to, what would? Finally, Jesus ascended, and the Holy
Spirit descended at Pentecost. In the Holy Spirit, the apostles proclaimed that Jesus is Lord, God (1 Cor 12:3). They listened to Him accordingly, knew Him personally, and each apostle loved Him with all his heart, soul, and mind (Lk 10:27). Instead of abandoning Him, they died for love of Him. “Listen to Him” (Lk 9:35).
Prayer: Jesus, give me a new Pentecost so that I will see You as transfigured and risen Lord God and love you accordingly.
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 the transfigured Jesus, Who opens our eyes to the glory all around and our ears to the voice of the Father!
Presentation Ministries
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Precautions, by St. John of the Cross
- from his Collected Works
1. The soul must practice the following instructions if it wishes to attain in a short time holy recollection and spiritual silence, nakedness, and poverty of spirit, where one enjoys the peaceful comfort of the Holy Spirit, reaches union with God, is freed of all the obstacles incurred from the creatures of this world, defended against the wiles and deceits of the devil, and liberated from one's own
self.
2. It should be noted, then, that all the harm the soul receives is born of its enemies, mentioned above: the world, the devil, and the flesh. The world is the enemy least difficult to conquer; the devil is the
hardest to understand; but the flesh is the most tenacious, and its
attacks continue as long as the old self lasts.
3. To gain complete mastery over any of these three enemies, one must
vanquish all three of them; and in the weakening of one, the other two
are weakened also. When all three are overpowered, no further war
remains for the soul.
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