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Reading from the prophecy of Daniel. I
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continued watching until thrones were
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placed and the ancient of days took his
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seat. His clothing was white as snow and
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the hair of his head was like pure wool.
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His throne was like flames of fire and
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its wheels were like burning fire. A
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river of fire flowed from it rising
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before him. Thousands upon thousands
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ministered to him, and 10,000 times
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10,000 stood before him. The judgment
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seat was set up, and the books were
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opened. I continued watching the night
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vision, and behold, with the clouds of
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heaven, one like a son of man came and
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was brought before the ancient of days.
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He was given power, glory, and a
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kingdom. And all peoples, nations, and
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languages served him. His power is an
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everlasting power that will not be taken
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away and his kingdom a kingdom that will
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not be dissolved. The word of the Lord.
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Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus
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Christ according to St. Luke. Glory to
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you Lord. At that time, Jesus took
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Peter, John, and James with him and went
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up on the mountain to pray. As he
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prayed, his face changed in appearance
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and his clothes became dazzling white.
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Suddenly, two men were talking with
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Jesus. Moses and Elijah. They appeared
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clothed in glory and were discussing the
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death Jesus was about to suffer in
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Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were
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very sleepy. When they woke, they saw
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Jesus glory and the two men standing
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with him. As the men were leaving, Peter
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said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for
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us to be here. Let us make three tents,
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one for you, one for Moses, and one for
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Peter didn't know what he was saying. He
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was still speaking when a cloud appeared
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and covered them with its shadow. The
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disciples were afraid as they entered
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the cloud. But a voice came from the
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clouds saying, "This is my son, the
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chosen one. Listen to what he says."
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While the voice was still there, Jesus
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found himself alone. The disciples
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remained silent and told no one in those
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days about what they had seen. Word of
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salvation. Glory to you, Lord.
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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
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imagine you are climbing a steep
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mountain. The air becomes thinner with
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each step. Your muscles burn. Your
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breath becomes labored. Suddenly, after
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hours of effort, you reach the summit.
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And there, before your eyes, unfolds a
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sight so magnificent, so breathtaking
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that for a moment you are struck dumb,
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unable to process the grandeur of what
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you are seeing. It is an experience that
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transcends the ordinary that touches
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something deep within your soul. This is
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the experience that awaits us in today's
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readings. A journey to the mountaintop
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where the veil between heaven and earth
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becomes transparent. In the first
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reading, the prophet Daniel offers us a
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vision that defies our imagination. I
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beheld until thrones were set up and the
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ancient of days took his seat. What a
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stunning image. Daniel is describing
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nothing less than the throne room of the
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universe. The center of all power and
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authority, the ancient of days. What an
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evocative name for God. It is not just
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that he is ancient, but that he exists
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beyond time. that his wisdom and
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experience encompass all of history.
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Imagine someone who witnessed the birth
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of stars, the formation of planets, the
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first breath of life. This is the God
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Daniel beholds. His clothing was white
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as snow, and the hair of his head was
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like pure wool. The whiteness here is
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not just color, but absolute purity,
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transcendent holiness. It is a purity so
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radiant that it overshadows everything
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around it. Daniel is giving us a glimpse
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of God's character, his moral
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perfection, his immaculate
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righteousness. And then Daniel sees
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something even more extraordinary. With
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the clouds of heaven came one like the
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son of man. Here we have one of the most
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important messianic prophecies of the
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Old Testament. This son of man is not
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merely human, but someone who combines
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humanity with divinity. Someone who can
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approach the throne of God and receive
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universal authority. And there was given
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him dominion, glory, and a kingdom. And
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all peoples, nations, and languages
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served him. What a contrast to the
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earthly kingdoms Daniel had seen in
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previous visions. These were temporary,
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limited, marked by corruption and
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violence. But this kingdom of the son of
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man is eternal, universal, characterized
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by justice and peace. Moving forward in
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the gospel, we find Jesus ascending a
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mountain with Peter, John, and James.
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This is no casual walk. It is a journey
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with divine purpose. Luke tells us that
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Jesus went up on the mountain to pray.
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But what happens there transcends
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ordinary prayer. As he was praying, the
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appearance of his face changed and his
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clothing became dazzling white. What an
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extraordinary moment. Here is the
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fulfillment of Daniel's vision. The son
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of man whom Daniel saw on the clouds of
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heaven now manifests before the
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disciples in all his divine glory. The
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transfiguration is not just an external
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change. It is a revelation of Jesus true
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identity. For a moment, the veil of his
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humanity becomes transparent, allowing
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his divinity to shine through. It is as
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if a powerful lamp once covered by a
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cloth is suddenly uncovered filling the
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entire room with radiant light. And then
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Moses and Elijah appear talking with
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What an extraordinary encounter. Moses,
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the great logiver who received the law
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on Mount Si. Elijah, the powerful
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prophet who defended God's honor against
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the false prophets of Bal. Here are two
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of the greatest heroes of the Jewish
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faith confirming Jesus identity and
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mission. Luke tells us that they spoke
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of Jesus departure which he was to
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accomplish at Jerusalem. The Greek word
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here is exodus. The same word used for
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Israel's departure from Egypt. Jesus is
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about to lead a new exodus, not from
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physical slavery, but from the slavery
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of sin and death. Peter, ever impulsive,
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exclaims, "Master, it is good for us to
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be here. Let us make three tents, one
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for you, one for Moses, and one for
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Peter wants to prolong this sublime
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moment to create a permanent sanctuary
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for this transcendent experience. How
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often do we too want to build tents when
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we experience special moments with God?
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We want to capture and preserve these
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intense spiritual experiences. But God
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has other plans. A cloud covered them
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and a voice came from the cloud. This is
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my son, the chosen one. Listen to him.
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The father's voice echoes from the
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cloud. The same divine presence that
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guided Israel in the wilderness that
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filled Solomon's temple that Daniel saw
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in his vision. It is a definitive
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confirmation of Jesus identity as the
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son of God. Listen to him. What a simple
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yet profound command. In a world full of
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voices competing for our attention, the
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father specifically directs us to listen
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to his son. Not just to listen, but to
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obey, to follow, to allow his words to
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transform our lives. My dear brothers
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and sisters, these readings invite us on
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a profound spiritual journey. They call
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us to climb our own mountain of
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transfiguration to seek moments of
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intimate encounter with God where we can
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glimpse his glory and majesty. But how
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do we do this in our practical lives?
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How do we find these moments of
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transfiguration amidst the demands of
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everyday life? First, we must follow
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Jesus example and go up on the mountain
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to pray. This may not mean literally
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climbing a mountain, but creating sacred
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spaces in our lives. times of silence,
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spiritual retreat, and deep worship
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where we can withdraw from the
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distractions of the world and focus on
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God. Second, we must be open to
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transformation. Jesus transfiguration
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was not just an outward display of
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glory. It was a revelation of who he
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truly was. Likewise, when we approach
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God in sincere prayer and worship, we
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must be willing to be transformed, to
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allow his light to shine through us.
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Third, we must listen to Jesus. In a
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world where we are bombarded with
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contradictory information, opinions, and
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philosophies, we need to train our
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spiritual ears to discern Christ's voice
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above all the noise. This requires time
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in God's word, quiet reflection, and
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humble submission to his teaching.
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Fourth, we must be prepared to come down
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from the mountain. Peter wanted to build
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tents and stay on the mountain. But
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Jesus knew they needed to return to the
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valley where people were suffering and
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in need of hope. Our moments of
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encounter with God are not for our own
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spiritual pleasure, but to equip us for
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service in the world. Finally, we must
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live in the hope of the eternal kingdom.
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Daniel's vision reminds us that this
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present world is not all there is. There
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is a coming kingdom where Christ will
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reign in justice and peace where all
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peoples, nations, and languages will
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serve him. This hope should influence
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how we live today, giving us courage to
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face hardships and motivation to work
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for justice and reconciliation.
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Imagine how different our lives would be
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if we lived constantly aware of the
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glory of Christ. If like the disciples
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on the mountain, we had regular glimpses
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of who he truly is. our worship would be
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deeper, our obedience more joyful, our
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witness more powerful. May each of us
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find time to go up the mountain with
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Jesus. May we experience something of
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his transfiguring glory in our times of
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prayer and worship. May we hear the
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father's voice telling us listen to him
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and respond with open hearts and
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transformed lives. And may we, having
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glimpsed his glory, descend into the
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valley where people are waiting for
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hope, carrying with us some of the light
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we saw on the mountain. May we be agents
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of transfiguration in a world that
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desperately needs to see God's glory
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manifested through transformed lives.
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May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
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the love of God the Father, and the
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fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with
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you all today and always. Amen.
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St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in
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battle. Be our protection against the
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wickedness and snares of the devil. May
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God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do
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thou, O prince of the heavenly host, by
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the power of God, cast into hell Satan
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and all the evil spirits who prowl
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throughout the world seeking the ruin of
