The Truck

First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18

And he brought him outside and said, "Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them." Then he said to him, "So shall your  And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness. And he said to him, "I am the LORD who brought you from Ur of the Chalde'ans, to give you this land to possess." But he said, "O Lord GOD, how am I to know that I shall possess it?" He said to him, "Bring me a heifer three years old, a she-goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And he brought him all these, cut them in two, and laid each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram; and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphra'tes,

Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14

Second Reading: Philippians 3:17 -- 4:1 or 3:20 -- 4:1

Brethren, join in imitating me, and mark those who so live as you have an example in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Gospel: Luke 9:28-36

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his countenance was altered, and his raiment became dazzling white. And behold, two men talked with him, Moses and Eli'jah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem . Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, and when they wakened they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

         

And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah" -- not knowing what he said. As he said this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silence and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

Reflection
By Grace Madriñan

It was a stressful day. There were a lot of things in my mind – problems at work, personal issues and a minor disagreement with a friend. I was almost about to cry when a bright light flashed before my eyes. Skreeeeeeeechhhhh!!!!! Our bus went into an abrupt stop after almost hitting a truck coming from the opposite direction. Almost everyone was displaced from their seat, good thing no one was seriously hurt. In a blink of an eye, it could have been a different story.


After regaining my breath, all the troubles I was thinking a few minutes ago, vanished in an instant. What used to be a big deal of a problem became insignificant. After all, what’s the worth of all my concerns if I were to die on that night? I was not only saved physically that night but was also awakened to what matters most.

In today’s Gospel, Peter, John, and James were at the mountain when they were overwhelmed by transfiguration of Jesus. They immediately got caught in the moment and made plans ahead, unaware of the grand plan. Only when God the Father has spoken, were they brought to the reality that they need to think beyond themselves.

In a similar way, I was overwhelmed by surge of emotions that I forgot that there is a God who is above and beyond all my troubles. I was about to break down to the point of being hopeless. The only difference is that my awakening comes in the form of a threatening truck.

“Their minds are occupied with earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven…” – Philippians 3:19-20

Prayer

Father, oftentimes, we are overwhelmed by earthly things that we tend to forget the grand plan You have for us. Forgive us. Continue to guide us so that we can cope in this transitory world in both sadness and joy as we prepare for our final home with You. Amen.