REFLECTING BEFORE SPEAKING – 02/19/22 (Saturday)

Mark 9:2,5-7

2 And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them,

5 And 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." 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son; listen to Him."

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https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

Blessed Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time! Peter was rattling when he spoke to Jesus. Rather than reflecting that Moses and Elijah were already in the presence of God, he thought that they would remain for long on earth, and he did not have peace as he spoke. Then, the transfiguration was over. This represents that if we do not properly discern God's will, and if we make a decision, we will lack peace and be disturbed. It is possible for a person who does not focus on the presence of God to fall into sins, especially through our words. How can we avoid this? The Father reveals it to us, and that is by listening to His Son. 

We can listen to Jesus Christ in many ways, and this can be done through our prayers and reflection. God calls us to the life of holiness as represented by the mountain. By thinking and reflecting in our prayers upon the words we want to say or we have already said in the past, we can see whether we are following God's will or not. Unfortunately, it is difficult to control the words that come from our mouths. Even short words could lead to the deepening of the wounds of other people. This is because speaking is one way of expressing the desires of our hearts. If our hearts are full of impurities and sins, these things will be expressed through words. But, if we always remain in the presence of God, we can avoid saying words that do not please Him. Even if we have been guilty of committing sins through our words, He is inviting us to reflect on these and make resolutions to be better. What are the events and occasions that trigger us to mention inappropriate words? If we seek the wisdom of Christ in our prayer, we can be more aware of our weaknesses, and we can have better knowledge of what to do.

We can only listen to Christ if we have pure hearts. This is why we also need to be united with God through the sacraments where we receive graces from Him. Through the sacraments of the Eucharist and confession, our hearts become pure, and we will see the presence of God more in our lives. Our Lord Jesus will protect us from the temptations we encounter, and He will purify our hearts to speak words of truth, humility and mercy instead of lies, pride and hatred. May we always pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit who will guide us in our actions and words. Our God will perfect us in love if we choose to remain in His presence and to reflect, not just on our deeds, but also on our words. 

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic