Daily Readings - Tue Aug 06 2024

First Reading - Daniel 7.9-10, 13-14 or 2 Peter 1.16-19

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

Mark

Chapter 9

²And after six days, Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John; and he led them separately to a lofty mountain alone; and he was transfigured before them³And his vestments became radiant and exceedingly white like snow, with such a brilliance as no fuller on earth is able to achieve⁴And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were speaking with Jesus⁵And in response, Peter said to Jesus: "Master, it is good for us to be here. And so let us make three tabernacles, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.⁶For he did not know what he was saying. For they were overwhelmed by fear⁷And there was a cloud overshadowing them. And a voice came from the cloud, saying: "This is my most beloved Son. Listen to him.⁸And immediately, looking around, they no longer saw anyone, except Jesus alone with them⁹And as they were descending from the mountain, he instructed them not to relate to anyone what they had seen, until after the Son of man will have risen again from the dead¹⁰And they kept the word to themselves, arguing about what "after he will have risen from the dead" might mean

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter profound visions that reveal the divine plan and the identity of Jesus Christ. The first reading from Daniel presents a vivid apocalyptic vision of the Ancient of Days and the Son of Man, symbolizing God’s eternal sovereignty and the ultimate triumph of righteousness. This vision, filled with imagery of thrones, fire, and heavenly beings, speaks of a future where all nations will serve the Son of Man, emphasizing the eternal and universal nature of God’s kingdom. The Gospel from Mark recounts the Transfiguration, where Jesus reveals His divine glory to Peter, James, and John. Appearing with Moses and Elijah, Jesus embodies the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The voice from the cloud reaffirms Jesus as the beloved Son, instructing the disciples to listen to Him. This moment is a pivotal revelation of Jesus’ identity, bridging the prophecy of Daniel’s Son of Man with the Messiah who will rise from the dead. These readings invite us to reflect on the nature of faith and trust in God’s plan. Just as the disciples faced confusion and fear, we too may encounter uncertainty. Yet, the Transfiguration teaches us to seek clarity in prayer and to trust in God’s revelation. The moral lesson here is to recognize Jesus as our guide and to trust in His divine plan, even when the path is unclear. Let us strive to listen to Jesus, embracing His teachings and allowing His light to transform our lives, trusting that His kingdom will prevail.