One Minute Reflection – 1 September – World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it...Genesis 2:15
REFLECTION – “This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters.”..Pope Francis “LAUDATO SI’
PRAYER – O God, from the very beginning of time You commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation and every fruit of every kind. You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat. Grant, we pray, that this land, enriched by Your bounty and cultivated by human hands, may be fertile with abundant crops. Then Your people, enriched by the gifts of Your goodness, will praise You unceasingly now and for all ages unending. Through our Lord Jesus Christ in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 31 August – Gospel Mathew 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples: ‘So stay awake, because you do not know the day when your master is coming.’...Matthew 24:42
REFLECTION – “You have been created for the glory of God and your own eternal salvation…..This is your goal! This is the centre of your life; this is the treasure of your heart. If you reach your goal you will find happiness. If you fail to reach it, you will find misery.”……St Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – My Lord and my God, help me eternal Father, to stay awake! Teach me to be constantly on guard against my own weakness, to constantly keep watch for temptation and to live constantly in prayer, that Your Son will lead me to safety. St Raymond Nonnatus, you suffered torture but always remain prayerful and awake, waiting for the Lord, please pray for me, amen.
“Do to no-one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry and your clothes to those who are naked.”… Tobit 4:16-17
REFLECTION – “The bread that is in your box belongs to the hungry;
the coat in your closet belongs to the naked;
the shoes you do not wear belong to the barefoot;
the money in your vault belongs to the destitute.”…..St Basil the Great (329-379) – Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – God our Saviour, through the grace of Baptism you made us children of light. Hear our prayer, that we may always walk in that light and work for truth, love and charity, as Your witnesses before men. St Pammachius, you lived a life of total charity to those most in need, please pray for us, amen.
Thought for the Day – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor of Grace
A Christian at 33, a priest at 36, a bishop at 41: Many people are familiar with the biographical sketch of Augustine of Hippo, sinner turned saint. But really to get to know the man is a rewarding experience.
There quickly surfaces the intensity with which he lived his life, whether his path led away from or toward God. The tears of his mother, the instructions of Ambrose and, most of all, God himself speaking to him in the Scriptures, redirected Augustine’s love of life to a life of love.
Having been so deeply immersed in creature-pride of life in his early days and having drunk deeply of its bitter dregs, it is not surprising that Augustine should have turned, with a holy fierceness, against the many demon-thrusts rampant in his day. His times were truly decadent: politically, socially, morally. He was both feared and loved, like the Master. The perennial criticism leveled against him: a fundamental rigorism.
In his day, Augustine providentially fulfilled the office of prophet. Like Jeremiah and other greats, he was hard-pressed but could not keep quiet. “I say to myself, I will not mention him,/I will speak in his name no more./But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,/imprisoned in my bones;/I grow weary holding it in,/I cannot endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9).
Augustine is still acclaimed (and condemned) in our day. He is a prophet for today, trumpeting the need to scrap escapisms and stand face-to-face with personal responsibility and dignity. (Fr Don Miller OFM – Saint of the Day)
St Augustine, our Father in Faith, pray for us now and at the hour of our death!
One Minute Reflection – 28 August – The Memorial of St Augustine (354-430) – Doctor of Grace
“Therefore, whosoever hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.…” Matthew 7:24
REFLECTION – “If any one will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life: and this we do not rashly venture to promise but gather it from the very words of the Lord Himself.
For the sermon itself is brought to a close in such a way, that it is clear there are in it all the precepts which go to mould the life. … He has sufficiently indicated, as I think, that these sayings which He uttered on the mount so perfectly guide the life of those who may be willing to live according to them, that they may justly be compared to one building upon a rock.”...St Augustine (On the Sermon on the Mount)
PRAYER – Lord God, renew Your Church with he Spirit of wisdom and love which You gave to St Augustine. Lead us by that same Spirit, to seek You, the only fountain of true wisdom and the source of everlasting love. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, in union with the Spirit, one God, forever and ever, St Augustine, pray for the Church and for us all, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 27 August – The Memorial of St Monica
My human life … is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me….Galatians 2:20
REFLECTION – “How many difficulties there are also today in family relationships
and how many mothers are anguished because their children choose mistaken ways!
Monica, a wise and solid woman in the faith, invites us not to be discouraged
but to persevere in our mission of wives and mothers,
maintaining firm our confidence in God and clinging with perseverance to prayer.”
… Pope Benedict XVI (27 August 2006)
PRAYER – God our Father, comforter of the sorrowful,
You accepted St Monica’s offering of tears for the
conversion of her son, Augustine.
Help us too, by their intercession to be truly contrite
for our sins and to live in a life of faith in Your Son,
who loved us and gave Himself for us. St Monica,
pray for us amen.
One Minute Reflection – August 25 – The Memorial of St Louis IX – King of France
The servant of the Lord…..must be an apt teacher, patiently and gently correcting those who contradict him….2 Tim 2:24-25
REFLECTION – “All who undertake to teach must be endowed with deep love, the greatest patience and, most of all, profound humility. They must perform their work with earnest zeal. Then, through their humble prayers, the Lord will find them worthy to become fellow workers with Him in the cause of truth.”…St Louis IX King of France
PRAYER – Dear Lord, help me to teach others about You by my example as well as my words. Grant that I may spread Your truth and Your light wherever I go. St Louis, this is exactly what you sought to do, constantly serving God in penitence and prayer, ever mindful of His people. You lived the greatest commandment and strove always to be an example to your people through your great love for our Lord and for His Church. St Louis, please pray for us! Amen
Quote of the Day – 24 August – The Feast of St Bartholomew, Apostle
“Here is a true child of Israel. There is no guile in him.” Bartholomew/Nathanael answered him : “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”
One Minute Reflection – August 24 – The Feast of St Bartholomew
(God) chose to reveal His Son to me
that I might spread among the Gentiles
the good tidings concerning Him…………Galatians 1:16
REFLECTION – “No matter where you may be or where you may be working, make sure the world will be renewed upon contact with you.
Make the Lord more present to human beings and the Gospel more known and loved by them.”… Bl Pope Paul VI
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach me to imitate Your divine Son in my life. Grant that by my presence as well as by my deeds, I may bring Christ and His message to everyone I meet. Let me follow Your Apostles and manifest the love and zeal of St Bartholomew. May all the Apostles Pray for us. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 23 August – St Rose of Lima
It is in Christ….that we have been redeemed and our sins forgiven, so immeasurably generous is God’s favour (grace) to us……..Ephesians 1:7
REFLECTION – “If only we would learn how great it is to possess divine grace and how many riches it has within itself, how many joys and delights. We would devote all our concern to winning for ourselves pains and afflictions in order to attain the unfathomable treasure of grace.”…St Rose of Lima
PRAYER – God is all goodness, keep ever in my mind the surpassing riches of Your grace. Grant that I may devote all my efforts to co-operating with that grace and growing in it day by day. St Rose of Lima Pray for us! Amen
One Minute Reflection – August 22 – The Memorial of the Queenship of Mary
My fruit is better than gold, yes than pure gold and my revenue than choice silver………….Prv 8:19
REFLECTION – “Mary is the stem of the beautiful flower on which the Holy Spirit rests with the fullness of His gifts. Hence, those who want to obtain the seven gifts of the Spirit must seek the flower of the Holy Spirit on the stem (Mary).
We go to Jesus through Mary and through Jesus we find the grace of the Holy Spirit.”…St Bonaventure (1217-1274) Seraphic Doctor
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, You made Mary the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Help me through Mary and Jesus to reach the Spirit and obtain His surpassing gifts. Holy Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, be my companion and my guide. Amen
One Minute Reflection – August 21 – The Memorial of St Pope Pius X
You are sad for a time but I shall see you again; then your hearts will rejoice with a joy no one can take from you…………John 16:22
REFLECTION – Catholics are part of the Church Militant. They struggle and they suffer for the triumph of Christ.
They must never lose sight of their Divine Model, so that their trials will be turned into joy……..St Pius X
PRAYER – Jesus Lord of Sorrows, enable me to struggle and suffer in union with You. Let me keep ever before me the joy that will follow upon these passing sufferings. St Pius X Pray for Us. Amen
One Minute Reflection – 20 August – – The Memorial of St Bernard of Clairvaux
Hold fast to …. a good conscience. Some men, by rejecting the guidance of conscience, have made shipwreck of their faith…1 Timothy 1:19
REFLECTION – “A good conscience is a treasury of riches.
Indeed, what greater riches can there be – or what can be sweeter – than a good conscience?….St Bernard
PRAYER – All-knowing God, let me be able to stand in Your presence with a good conscience.
Help me to avoid anything that would sully my conscience and do all I can to remain united with You.
St Bernard, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 19 August – The Memorial of St John Eudes “Apostle of Two Hearts”
…yet I live, no longer I but Christ lives in me….Galatians 2:20
REFLECTION – “A Christian has a union with Jesus Christ:
more noble,
more intimate
and more perfect
than the members of a human body
have with their head!”
PRAYER – Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You gave us the loving Heart of Your own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which You have loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render You a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity: each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus….and may the rightful yearnings of our hearts find fulfillment through Him: Our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. – Collect from Saint John Eudes’ Mass, Gaudeamus, 1668 St John Eudes, Pray for us! amen.
One Minute Reflection – 18 August – The Memorial of St Alberto Hurtado
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’...Matthew 25:40
REFLECTION – “Christ roams through our streets in the person of so many of the suffering poor, sick and dispossessed, and people thrown out of their miserable slums; Christ huddled under bridges, in the person of so many children who lack someone to call father, who have been deprived for many years without a mother’s kiss on their foreheads…Christ is without a home! Shouldn’t we want to give Him one, those of us who have the joy of a comfortable home, plenty of good food, the means to educate and assure the future of our children?”…St Alberto Hurtado S.J.
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, teach us to follow Your Son in all things, to give and not to count the cost. Open our eyes to the distress and sadness around us. What we have may we learn to share with others, so that we too may be called “good and faithful servant” which St Alberto lived to fulfil in each moment of his life. St Alberto Hurtado, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 17 August – The Memorial of St Hyacinth of Poland
Come, blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…Matthew 25:34
REFLECTION – “Mary, the Mother of our Lord, accompanied by the choirs of Angels, will come to meet you. What a day of joy that will be for you!”….St Jerome (343-420) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – O Mary, Mother of God and my mother, watch over me at every moment and keep me free from sin. Then upon my death, come to meet me and lead me to my eternal home in heaven. As you, St Hyacinth, took Mary with you and she made smooth your path, pray that we too may always ‘take Mary with us’ to lead us safely home to her son, who is our Lord, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 16 August – The Memorial of St Stephen of Hungary
If you show favouritism, you commit sin and are convicted by the law…..James 2:9
REFLECTION – “Do not show favour only to relations and kin, or to the most eminent – whether they are leaders or the wealthy or neighbours or citizens of the same country.
Show favour to all who come to you. By fulfilling your duty in this way, you will reach the highest state of happiness.”…St Stephen of Hungary
PRAYER – Just and Holy Father, help me to overcome all tendencies to show favourtisim in my life. Let me treat all persons as brothers and sisters in Christ and work and pray for their salvation. St Stephen of Hungary, pray for us, amen.
The Confessions – Book VIII – St Augustine’s Conversion to Christ. Augustine is deeply impressed by Simplicianus’ story of the conversion to Christ of the famous orator and philosopher, Marius Victorinus. He is stirred to emulate him but finds himself still enchained by his incontinence and preoccupation with worldly affairs. He is then visited by a court official, Ponticianus, who tells him and Alypius the stories of the conversion of Anthony and also of two imperial “secret service agents.” These stories throw him into a violent turmoil, in which his divided will struggles against himself. He almost succeeds in making the decision for continence but is still held back. Finally, a child’s song, overheard by chance, sends him to the Bible; a text from Paul resolves the crisis; the conversion is a fact. Alypius also makes his decision and the two inform the rejoicing Monica.
“For I am the LORD, your God, who grasp your right hand; It is I who say to you, Do not fear, I will help you.”….Isaiah 41:13
REFLECTION – “And Thou didst put it into my mind and it seemed good in my own sight, to go to Simplicianus, who appeared to me a faithful servant of Thine and Thy grace shone forth in him. I had also been told that from his youth up he had lived in entire devotion to Thee. He was already an old man and because of his great age, which he had passed in such a zealous discipleship in Thy way, he appeared to me likely to have gained much wisdom–and, indeed, he had. From all his experience, I desired him to tell me–setting before him all my agitations–which would be the most fitting way for one who felt as I did to walk in thy way.”…St Augustine (From the Confessions – Book VIII – Chapter 1)
PRAYER – “Go on, O Lord and act: stir us up and call us back; inflame us and draw us to Thee; stir us up and grow sweet to us; let us now love Thee, let us run to Thee. Are there not many men … who, out of a deeper pit of darkess,.. return to Thee–who draw near to Thee and are illuminated by that light which gives those who receive it power from Thee to become Thy sons? “… (St Augustine – From the Confessions Book VIII – Chapter IV) St Simplician, pray for us, Amen.
One Minute Reflection – 14 August – The Memorial of St Maximillian Kolbe
Mine are counsel and advice; mine is strength; I am understanding….Proverbs 8:14
REFLECTION – “When we dedicate ourselves to Mary, we become instruments in her hands, just as she is an instrument in God’s hands. Let us then be guided by her, for she will provide for the needs of body and soul and overcome all difficulties and anxieties.”…St Maximillian Kolbe
PRAYER – My Lord and my God, You who are the fruit of Mary’s blessed womb and the most Divine Son of our Father, grant that I may always have recourse to You, through her who bore You. Grant that she may help and comfort me and lead me to You. Mary, Holy and loving Mother of God, pray for us all, amen
One Minute Reflection – 13 August – The Memorial fo Sts Pontian and Hippolytus
“Ask and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened.”…Matthew 7:7-8
REFLECTION – “Christ, like a skillful physician, understands the weakness of men. He loves to teach the ignorant and the erring He turns again, to His own true way. He is easily found by those who live by faith and to those of pure eye and holy heart, who desire to knock at the door, He opens immediately.”….St Hippolytus
PRAYER – Lord God, Your Son has told us, ‘to knock and the door shall be opened’ – help us to be ever strong in faith that we may remember and trust that You will always open the door if we turn to You, at all times and in all circumstances, in true faith, hope, trust and love. St Hippolytus, pray for us, amen.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me…”…Matthew 16:24
REFLECTION – “These words are the foundation of all Christian and religious perfection.
To deny self is to renounce to all, the will of the flesh:
all our inclinations, desires, pleasures, satisfactions, softness, tastes, humour, preferences, habits, susceptibility, aversions and repugnance to rough things;
in other words, to renounce in all and for all, our perverse self.”…St Jane de Chantal
PRAYER – Lord, You chose St Jane Frances to serve You, both in marriage and in religious life. By her prayers help us to be faithful in our vocation and always to work against our perverse inclinations. Only in You and with You and through You may we attain perfection. Lead us Lord! We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. St Jane de Chantal, pray for us, amen.
One Minute Reflection – 11 August – The Memorial of St Clare of Assisi
(Wisdom) is the refulgence of eternal light, the spotless mirror of the power of God….Wisdom 7:26
REFLECTION – “Every day, look into the spotless mirror that is Jesus Christ and study well your reflection.
In that way, you may adorn yourself, mind and body, with every virtue.”…St Clare of Assisi
PRAYER – Lord Jesus, help me to dwell often on the manner in which I am following You. Let me strive each day to become more and more like You in all things and eventually, to become the light of You to all the world around me. St Clare of Assisi, you who were a light to all those around you, pray for us, amen.
“I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.”…John 12:24-25
REFLECTION – “The Roman Church commends this day to us as the blessed Laurence’s day of triumph, on which he trod down the world as it roared and raged against him; spurned it as it coaxed and wheedled him; and in each case, conquered the devil as he persecuted him. For in that Church, you see, as you have regularly been told, he performed the office of deacon; it was there that he administered the sacred chalice of Christ’s blood; there that he shed his own blood for the name of Christ…And we too, brethren, if we truly love Him, let us imitate Him. After all, we shall not be able to give a better proof of love than by imitating His example; for Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that we might follow in His footsteps.” …(From a sermon delivered by St. Augustine in about 400 AD on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Lawrence.)
PRAYER – Lord God, You inspired St Lawrence with so ardent a love that his life was renowned for the service of Your people and his death for the splendour of his martyrdom. Help us to love what he loved and to life as he showed us. St Lawrence, Martyr for Christ and His Church, pray for us. Through our Lord, Jesus Christ, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever amen.
Have no anxiety at all but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…Philippians 4:6-7
REFLECTION – “Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day’s work that He charges you with and He will give you the power to accomplish it.”…..St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
PRAYER – May St Teresa Benedicta pray for us Lord, as we celebrate with joy her yearly feast, her purity and strength of soul are precious gifts which light us on our way. Through our Lord Jesus Christ in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, please pray for us that we may manifest strength and courage with our hand in the hand of the Lord, amen.
Consider this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully…2 Cor 9:6
REFLECTION – “We must sow the seed, not hoard it.”…St Dominic de Guzman
PRAYER – O God, Who has enlightened Your Church by the eminent virtues and preaching of St. Dominic, Your confessor, holy Father mercifully grant that by his prayers we may be provided against all temporal necessities and daily improve in all spiritual good. Through Christ Our Lord. St Dominic pray for us, Amen.
Though my father and my mother forsake me, yet will the Lord receive me….Psalm 27:10
REFLECTION – “If you want Christ to love you and help you, you must love Him and always make every endeavour to please Him.
Do not waver in your purpose because even if all the saints and every single creature were to abandon you, He will always be near you, no matter what your needs may be.”….St Cajetan
PRAYER – Lord God, You inspired St Cajetan to live and work like the Apostles. Help us, by his example and prayers, to trust in You at all times and continually to seek Your Kingdom. St Cajetan pray for us, amen.
Thought for the Day – 6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Commenting on the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor, St Leo contrasts the law, symbolised by Moses, with the grace of the gospel brought by Jesus Christ. He notes how this glimpse of the glory of His divinity and risen humanity was given to Peter, James & John to prepare them for the shock and scandal of the cross.
“The Lord reveals his glory in the presence of chosen witnesses. His body is like that of the rest of mankind but He makes it shine with such splendour that His face becomes like the sun in glory and his garments as white as snow.
TWO WITNESSES
This marvel of the transfiguration contains another lesson for the apostles, to strengthen them and lead them into the fullness of knowledge. Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, appeared with the Lord in conversation with him. This was in order to fulfill exactly, through the presence of these five men, the text which says: Before two or three witnesses every word is ratified.
What word could be more firmly established, more securely based, than the word which is proclaimed by the trumpets of both old and new testaments, sounding in harmony and by the utterances of ancient prophecy and the teaching of the Gospel, in full agreement with each other?
The writings of the two testaments support each other. The radiance of the transfiguration reveals clearly and unmistakably the one who had been promised by signs foretelling Him under the veils of mystery. As Saint John says: The law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In him the promise made through the shadows of prophecy stands revealed, along with the full meaning of the precepts of the law. He is the one who teaches the truth of the prophecy through His presence and makes obedience to the commandments possible through grace.
In the preaching of the holy Gospel all should receive a strengthening of their faith. No one should be ashamed of the cross of Christ, through which the world has been redeemed.”
St Pope Leo the Great (400-461) Doctor of the Church
“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”……John 8:12
‘Master, it is good that we are here; . . . ‘” Luke 9:28-33
REFLECTION – “Jesus goes before us to show us the way, both up the mountain and into heaven and — I speak boldly — it is for us now to follow him with all speed, . . .Let us run with confidence and joy to enter into the cloud like Moses and Elijah, or like James and John. Let us be caught up like Peter to behold the divine vision and to be transfigured by that glorious transfiguration. Let us retire from the world, stand aloof from the earth, rise above the body, detach ourselves from creatures and turn to the Creator, to whom Peter in ecstasy exclaimed: ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.'”…St Anastasius (died 628)
PRAYER – Father, at the Transfiguration in glory of your Only-begotten Son, You confirmed the mysteries of faith by the witness to Jesus of the prophets Moses and Elijah. You foreshadowed there what we shall be when You bring our sonship to its perfection. Grant that by listening to the voice of Jesus, we may become heirs with Him, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever, amen.
6 August – The Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
This feast became widespread in the West in the 11th century and was introduced into the Roman calendar in 1457 to commemorate the victory over Islam in Belgrade. Before that, the Transfiguration of the Lord was celebrated in the Syrian, Byzantine and Coptic rites. The Transfiguration foretells the glory of the Lord as God and His Ascension into heaven. It anticipates the glory of heaven, where we shall see God face to face. Through grace, we already share in the divine promise of eternal life.
Zuccarelli
Titian
Our divine Redeemer, being in Galilee about a year before His sacred Passion, took with him St Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, Sts James and John and led them to a high mountain. Tradition assures us that this was Mount Tabor, which is exceedingly high and beautiful and was anciently covered with green trees and shrubs and was very fruitful. It rises something like a sugar-loaf, in a vast plain in the middle of Galilee. This was the place in which the Man-God appeared in His glory.
Whilst Jesus prayed, He suffered that glory which was always due to His sacred humility and of which, for our sake, He deprived it, to diffuse a ray over His whole body. His face was altered and shone as the sun and His garments became white as snow. Moses and Elias were seen by the three apostles in His company on this occasion and were heard discoursing with Him of the death which He was to suffer in Jerusalem.
The three apostles were wonderfully delighted with this glorious vision and St Peter cried out to Christ, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tents: one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias” Whilst St. Peter was speaking, there came, on a sudden, a bright shining cloud from heaven, an emblem of the presence of God’s majesty and from out of this cloud was heard a voice which said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” The apostles that were present, upon hearing this voice, were seized with a sudden fear and fell upon the ground; but Jesus, going to them, touched them and bade them to rise. They immediately did so and saw no one but Jesus standing in His ordinary state.
This vision happened in the night. As they went down the mountain early the next morning, Jesus bade them not to tell any one what they had seen till He should be risen from the dead.
Excerpted from Butler’s Lives of the Saints, Benziger Bros. ed. [1894]
“In the Transfiguration Christ enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The splendour of His inward Divinity and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed in His body and permeated His garments so that Christ stood before Peter, James and John in a snow-white brightness. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen the Apostles who were depressed by their Master’s prediction of His own Passion and Death. The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two phases: The Cross, and glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we first suffer with Him.”
AnaStpaul 
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