Daily Readings - Sun Aug 06 2023

⁹I watched until thrones were set up, and the ancient of days sat down. His garment was radiant like snow, and the hair of his head like clean wool; his throne was flames of fire, its wheels had been set on fire¹⁰A river of fire rushed forth from his presence. Thousands upon thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times hundreds of thousands attended before him. The trial began, and the books were opened¹³I watched, therefore, in the vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, one like a son of man arrived, and he approached all the way to the ancient of days, and they presented him before him¹⁴And he gave him power, and honor, and the kingdom, and all peoples, tribes, and languages will serve him. His power is an eternal power, which will not be taken away, and his kingdom, one which will not be corrupted

2 Peter

Chapter 1

¹⁶For it was not by following fanciful doctrines that we made known to you the power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were made eyewitnesses of his greatness¹⁷For he received honor and glory from God the Father, whose voice descended to him from the magnificent glory: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.¹⁸We also heard this voice conveyed from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain¹⁹And so, we have an even firmer prophetic word, to which you would do well to listen, as to a light shining within a dark place, until the day dawns, and the daystar rises, in your hearts

Matthew

Chapter 17

¹And after six days, Jesus took Peter and James and his brother John, and he led them onto a lofty mountain separately²And he was transfigured before them. And his face shined brightly like the sun. And his garments were made white like snow³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, speaking with him⁴And Peter responded by saying to Jesus: "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you are willing, let us make three tabernacles here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.⁵And while he was still speaking, behold, a shining cloud overshadowed them. And behold, there was a voice from the cloud, saying: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.⁶And the disciples, hearing this, fell prone on their face, and they were very afraid⁷And Jesus drew near and touched them. And he said to them, "Rise up and do not be afraid.⁸And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone⁹And as they were descending from the mountain, Jesus instructed them, saying, "Tell no one about the vision, until the Son of man has risen from the dead.

Sermon

In today's readings, we journey through profound moments that reveal the divine nature of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Daniel presents a vision of the Ancient of Days, symbolizing God's eternal sovereignty, and the son of man who receives dominion over all peoples. This vision is a messianic prophecy, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus, who would be given all power and authority. The second reading from 2 Peter serves as an eyewitness account of the transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John behold Jesus in His divine glory. This event, also narrated in Matthew's Gospel, shows Jesus transformed before His disciples, with Moses and Elijah appearing to signify the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets. God's voice commands them to listen to Jesus, underscoring His authority and divine sonship. These readings call us to reflect on our own faith journey. Just as the disciples were in awe and fear, we too may face moments of uncertainty. Yet, Jesus' comforting words, "Rise, do not be afraid," remind us to trust in His presence. In our daily lives, we are invited to listen to Jesus, to seek His light in darkness, and to live according to His teachings. May we, like the disciples, come down from the mountain with renewed faith, ready to follow Him in love and obedience.