Presence

God, You are nearer than I dare believe, closer than my own breath. I am blessed by Your Intimate Nearness, and I need not fear.

Freedom

“A thick and shapeless tree-trunk
would never believe that it could become a statue,
admired as a miracle of sculpture,
and would never submit itself to the chisel of the sculptor,
who sees by his genius what he can make of it.” (Saint Ignatius)
I ask for the grace to let myself be shaped by my loving Creator.

Consciousness

Knowing that God loves me unconditionally,
I look honestly over the last day, its events and my feelings.
Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks.
Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness.

The Word of God

²⁸Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. ²⁹And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. ³⁰Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. ³¹They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem. ³²Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. ³³Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not realizing what he was saying. ³⁴While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. ³⁵Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!” ³⁶When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

Inspiration

St Luke tells us about Jesus at prayer more than any of the other evangelists. Here, these three apostles are given this extraordinary experience of Jesus transfigured to strengthen them in the face of his coming suffering and death. Years later St Peter recalls in a letter this experience on the mountain. It highlights for us how the divinity of Jesus was hidden in his humanity. We pray for a deeper understanding of the Incarnation.

In our praying, it is always the risen Lord we encounter, and we can truly say, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here.’  Let us have the Father say to us, ‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him.’  And let us pray like Samuel, ’Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’ 

Conversation

“There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:1). I turn to the One who loves me and knows me better than I can love or know myself. I ask Him for whatever it is I need right now.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen