THE LIGHT OF PURE FAITH - 02/18/23 (Saturday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time)

Mark 9:2–4

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,  and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/021823.cfm

Blessed Saturday! In the previous days, we witnessed how easy it was for the disciples to forget about the miracles of Christ, to have some doubts on Him, and to reject the reality of the sufferings of Christ. In today's gospel reading, Jesus brought Peter, James and John on the top of a high mountain. Then, our Lord Jesus manifested the fullness of His glory as He and His garments became intensely white and as He spoke with Elijah and Moses. One reason why He brought to Him some of His disciples was to help them in their journey with Christ. By seeing the glory of Jesus as God, it would be easier for His disciples to accept the sufferings of Christ and their future sufferings because of the glory that awaited them in heaven. At the same time, the light that the disciples saw also symbolized the light of pure faith. Our faith becomes more pure if we believe in Christ and His words solely because of Jesus. 

Let's ponder on the fact that after the event of Transfiguration, when Jesus appeared in His humanity without any of the light that they previously saw, He repeated to His disciples that He would die and rise again from the dead. Jesus was challenging them whether they would still believe Him when they were no longer seeing the magnificent event they witnessed earlier on top of the mountain. Jesus was inviting them to have a pure faith in Him, not because of the good things they were experiencing, but solely because of their trust in Christ. Like them, God may strengthen us in our faith by giving us blessings, positive feelings, emotions, and wonderful experiences. Still, God is calling us to climb with Him to a higher type of faith, a pure faith, by believing in the promises and teachings of Christ, not because of other things but solely because of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus is showing us that we can only carry our crosses if we have faith that God will reward us of Himself in heaven because ot's the will of God. On our own, we cannot do this. We need the grace of God and also the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's because she was the one with the purest faith of all the followers of Christ. She did not need to see miracles just to believe. Even when she was a virgin, she believed that she would conceive of Jesus because of the revelation from God through the angel. Even when the Blessed Virgin Mary was sorrowful for seeing the sufferings and death of Christ, her trust in God was never lost unlike those of His other disciples. May we pray to Jesus, through our Mother Mary, the grace of a pure faith for us to be faithful to Him always. Let's listen to Jesus and trust in Him because He is our Lord and God. We will be with Christ for eternity in His heavenly glory if we place all our hope in Him. 

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

Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order—Optional Memorial:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/february-17-seven-holy-founders-of-the-servite-order/

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth