💖 HOMILY - AUGUST 6 💖

First Reading - Daniel 7:9-10,13-14 

Gospel - Luke 9:28-36

Today, we are invited to behold the mystery and glory of the Transfiguration—a moment when heaven touches earth and the divine light of Christ is revealed. On that high mountain, Jesus is transfigured before His closest disciples, and in that glimpse of glory, we are given a foretaste of the Kingdom, a reminder of who Jesus truly is, and a call to listen, follow, and be transformed ourselves.

The Gospel recounts that as Jesus prays, His face changes and His clothing becomes dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear with Him, speaking of His “exodus,” His departure that He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. This moment of glory is not detached from the cross—it points toward it. The glory of Jesus is not just the radiance of His divinity, but the beauty of His self-giving love, revealed most fully in His suffering, death, and resurrection.

The disciples are overwhelmed, and understandably so. Peter, caught up in the mystery, suggests building three tents, wanting to preserve the moment. But a cloud descends, and a voice speaks: “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to Him!” It is not enough to admire Jesus—we are called to listen to Him, especially when His words challenge us, lead us toward the cross, or call us beyond comfort into transformation.

The first reading from the Book of Daniel gives us a powerful vision of the “Ancient One” and “one like a son of man” coming with the clouds of heaven, receiving dominion, glory, and kingship. This prophetic vision finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of Man, who not only reveals God’s glory but shares it with us. The dominion given to Him is eternal, and His kingdom shall never be destroyed.

What does all of this mean for us today?

It means that in our daily struggles, moments of confusion, or seasons of darkness, we are not following a wise teacher alone, but the radiant Son of God, whose light no darkness can overcome. It means that the cross is not the end, but the path to glory. And it means that we, too, are called to be transfigured—not by escaping the world, but by allowing Christ to shine through us in the world.

The Transfiguration invites us to lift our eyes and see Jesus for who He truly is. But it also challenges us to descend the mountain with Him—to follow Him through the journey of love, sacrifice, and faith. If we listen to Him, as the Father commands, our lives will be changed. His light will become our light, and His glory our hope.

May we, like Peter, James, and John, learn to recognize the divine even in the ordinary, and may our hearts be transfigured by the presence of Christ.