Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 / Romans 8:31-34 / Mark 9:2-10
When an important event is coming up, announcements would be made on all media platforms.
Such announcements would be made in advance, with ample time ahead, so that adequate preparations can be made.
So, events like concerts by the mega-stars, and the current Air Show, are announced way in advance to generate publicity and interest.
Today's Gospel account is also known as the Transfiguration . For it to be recorded in three Gospels goes to show that it is of significant importance.
But, unlike the prophecies of the coming of the Saviour, and Jesus foretelling His suffering and death, the Transfiguration happened quite unexpectedly.
It began with Jesus bringing three of His disciples up a high mountain. The disciples didn't ask why they were going up that high mountain, and they thought that Jesus just wanted them to be alone.
Then, in their presence, He was transfigured, and His clothes became dazzling white. And then Moses and Elijah appeared, and they were talking with Jesus.
For the disciples, all that was amazing and astonishing, as well as frightening. And then a cloud came by and covered them in shadow, and there came a voice from the cloud: This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.
Then suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one with them anymore but only Jesus.
All that happened so suddenly that they were probably dazed and speechless.
But the experience of the Transfiguration was etched into their hearts, and eventually recorded in the gospels.
As we listen to the gospel account, as well as the other two readings, is there anything that we can remember?
And as we go forth after Mass, is there anything that we will carry along in our hearts?
We didn't see any dazzling whiteness, or historical figures appearing, and no cloud covering us in shadow.
But we may remember that voice from the cloud saying: This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.
So, how can we listen to Jesus, and how do we know it is His voice?
There's a story of a father and his young son, and they were walking in the mountains.
Suddenly the son tripped and fell and hurt himself, and he screamed: Aaahhhh …
To his surprise, he hears a voice repeating somewhere in the mountains: Aaahhhh …
He yells: “Who are you?” The voice came back with: “Who are you?”
Angered by that response, the boy screams: “Coward!” And the voice came back with: “Coward!”
He looks to his father and ask: What's going on?
His father smiles and says: “My son pay attention.” Then the father shouts to the mountains: “I admire you.” And the voice answers: “I admire you.” And the father shouts again: “You are strong.” And the voice answers: “You are strong.”
The boy was amazed and astonished, and so the father explains: That voice is called the “echo”, but it is really about life. It gives back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
So, if we want to have more love in the world, then we need to have more love in our hearts. Life will give back everything you have given it.
In the Mass we listen to the words of love, and we are fed with the greatest gift of love. And we go forth carrying God's love in our hearts.
We become an echo of God's love.
To listen to Jesus is to listen to the echo of our lives.
Let us create a good echo to the voice of Jesus by doing this:
Speak in a way that others would love to listen to you. And listen in a way than others would love to speak to you.
In doing so, we will hear the echo of the voice of Jesus, the echo of love, and we will be transfigured, and others will also be transfigured.