First Reading (Genesis 15,5-12,17-18)
Reading of the Book of Genesis.
In those days, the Lord led Abram outside and said to him: “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able!” And he added: “So will your descendants be.” Abram had faith in the Lord, who considered this as justice. And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give you this land as a possession.” Abram asked him, “Lord God, how can I know that I will possess her?” And the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a goat three years old, a ram three years old, and a turtledove and a young dove.” Abram brought everything and divided the animals in half, but not the birds, placing the respective parts one in front of the other. Birds of prey swooped down on the corpses, but Abram chased them away. When the sun was already setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram and he was seized with great and mysterious terror. When the sun set and it became dark, a smoking brazier and a torch of fire appeared, which passed between the divided animals. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your descendants I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.”
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Second Reading (Philippians 3:17-4:1)
Reading of the Letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians.
Be my imitators, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example we set. I have told you many times, and now I repeat it, crying: there are many out there who behave like enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is perdition, their god is their stomach, their glory is in what is shameful and they only think about earthly things. We, however, are citizens of heaven. From there we await our Savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ. He will transform our humble body and make it like his glorious body, with the power that he has to subject all things to himself. So, my brothers, whom I love well and who I miss, my joy, my crown, my friends, remain firm in the Lord.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Luke 9,28b-36)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, Jesus took Peter, John and James with him, and went up to the mountain to pray. As he prayed, his face changed appearance and his clothes became very white and shiny. Behold, two men were talking to Jesus: they were Moses and Elijah. They appeared clothed in glory and talked about the death that Jesus would suffer in Jerusalem. Pedro and his companions were very sleepy. When they woke up, they saw the glory of Jesus and the two men who were with him. And as these men were walking away, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. We are going to make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Pedro didn’t know what he was saying. He was still speaking, when a cloud appeared and covered them with its shadow. The disciples were afraid when they entered the cloud. But out of the cloud came a voice saying: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to what he says!” As the voice resounded, Jesus found himself alone. The disciples remained silent and during those days they did not tell anyone anything about what they had seen.
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My brothers and sisters, today I would like to start with a question: how many times in our lives do we feel lost, insecure, not knowing if God is really with us? There are times when we look at our difficulties and ask ourselves, “Lord, where are You? Why haven’t You answered my prayers yet?” If you’ve felt this, know that you’re not alone. And more than that, today’s readings reveal to us that God always keeps His promises, even when everything seems uncertain.
In the first reading, taken from the book of Genesis, we see Abraham at a crucial moment in his life. God calls him out of his tent and makes him an extraordinary promise: “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able. So will your descendants be.” Now, let’s think about this for a moment. Abraham was an old man, his wife Sarah was barren, and yet God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars. It wasn’t a logical promise, it was something humanly impossible! But Abraham believed. He trusted against all hope, and it was counted to him as righteousness.
This scene teaches us a powerful lesson: faith does not depend on what we see, but on what we believe. God has promises for each of us. Perhaps He has planted dreams in our hearts, called us to a mission that seems too big, or promised us something that, to human eyes, seems impossible. But, as with Abraham, God’s answer to us is the same: “Look up to heaven!” Don’t limit your vision to just what’s in front of you. God has bigger plans than we can imagine.
But not everything in the life of faith is simple. The reading continues to show that Abraham, despite his confidence, also went through moments of darkness and fear. The text tells us that as evening fell, “a deep sleep came upon Abram, and a mysterious terror and great darkness came upon him.” Who among us has never experienced moments of darkness in our lives? Who has never felt the fear of the unknown, the fear that perhaps God has forgotten us? But it is precisely at this time that God sealed His covenant with Abraham. This shows us that God often reveals himself in a more profound way in the most difficult moments of our lives.
This trust in divine promise is also the theme of the second reading, where Saint Paul exhorts us to look up. He reminds us that “our nation is in heaven” and that we should not live like those who only care about the things of the earth. Paul speaks of those whose “god is the belly”, that is, those who live only for material pleasures, without an eternal vision. And it reminds us that we, as Christians, are on a different path. We are citizens of heaven!
Here, it is worth reflecting: where is our focus? Do we live as citizens of heaven, or are we so caught up in the concerns of this life that we forget the destiny to which God calls us? Of course, we all have earthly responsibilities – work, family, health – but Saint Paul teaches us that, in the end, our true home is not here. Christ will transform our mortal bodies to be like His glorious body. This is our hope!
And this hope comes to fruition in an extraordinary way in today’s Gospel, where we find one of the most sublime moments in the life of Jesus: the Transfiguration. Peter, James and John are taken by Jesus to the mountain, and there they witness something they could never have imagined. Jesus’ face shines like the sun, his clothes become dazzling white, and He appears talking to Moses and Elijah.
Here, we can imagine the impact of that vision on the disciples. They had been following Jesus for some time, but until then, they saw him as a teacher, a prophet, someone extraordinary, but still human. But now they behold His divine glory! Jesus is not just a man – He is God! And so that there was no doubt, a voice from heaven proclaims: “This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him!”
What a glorious moment! And at the same time, what a challenge for us! Because, if God tells us to listen to Jesus, it means that we must obey His teachings, trust His Word and follow His path. But that’s not always easy, is it? We often want to do our own will, follow our own plans. But the Transfiguration teaches us that only in Christ do we find the true light, the true path, the true life.
Furthermore, there is a curious detail in this episode. Peter, amazed by the vision, wants to build three tents and stay there. He wants to prolong that moment of glory, to stay in the presence of the Lord without returning to the harsh reality of the world. But Jesus doesn’t allow it. He leads them back to ordinary life, because the mission is not over yet. This teaches us that, no matter how much we have profound experiences with God – moments of intense prayer, spiritual comfort, transformative encounters – we need to take this light to the world. We were not called to live isolated on the mountain, but to come down and witness the glory of Christ in our daily lives.
So how can we apply all of this to our lives today?
First, like Abraham, we need to trust God’s promises, even when everything seems impossible. When moments of doubt come, let us look to the sky and remember that God is faithful. He never fails!
Second, as Saint Paul teaches us, we must live as citizens of heaven. Our life on earth is fleeting, and our true home is with Christ. This means that we must live with our eyes fixed on eternity, without letting ourselves be enslaved by the concerns of this world.
And finally, like the disciples on the Mount of Transfiguration, we must listen to Jesus. This means following His path, trusting Him even when we don’t understand everything, and bringing His light to those who still live in darkness.
May we leave here today with this certainty: God keeps His promises, our hope is in heaven, and we are called to reflect the glory of Christ in the world. May He strengthen us and always lead us along the path of light. Amen.
