Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 28
Morning, Psalm 89:1 to 18; Evening, Psalm 89:19 to 52;
1st Maccabees 3:1 to 24; Revelation 20:7 to 15; Matthew 17:1 to 13:
“While he (Peter) was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)
The Transfiguration appears on its day in August and at other times during the year like today. I am very aware of how much is going on in our readings. Today we have a hidden Trinity. We have a cloud, we have the voice of God, and we have the visual of our Lord Jesus in plain, and very bright view.
While this is a Matthew account, we also have Peter to speak of this event in his own letter to us. He says, “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”” (2nd Peter 1:16 to 18).
This cloud-like Spirit of God has spoken about Jesus before, at His Baptism. But this time the words, “Listen to Him,” has been added. And to listen is to be understood as obey.
I feel that once something this amazing happens, there is no way to continue in life the way it was before. There would be no way to deny who Jesus is or that I know him, but Peter will do just that. This makes me ponder about the amazing things that have happened to me in my life in Christ and yet I sometimes go on living as if these events didn’t happen. I don’t think I listen all the time. I am so thankful for a radiantly merciful Jesus, aren’t you?
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 