Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord
Reading 1 Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14
As I watched:
Thrones were set up
and the Ancient One took his throne.
His clothing was bright as snow,
and the hair on his head as white as wool;
his throne was flames of fire,
with wheels of burning fire.
A surging stream of fire
flowed out from where he sat;
Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,
and myriads upon myriads attended him.
The court was convened and the books were opened.
As the visions during the night continued, I saw:
One like a Son of man coming,
on the clouds of heaven;
When he reached the Ancient One
and was presented before him,
The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship;
all peoples, nations, and languages serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
that shall not be taken away,
his kingship shall not be destroyed.
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9
R. (1a and 9a) The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many islands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth,
exalted far above all gods.
R. The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth.
Reading 2 2 Peter 1:16-19
Beloved:
We did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father
when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory,
“This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven
while we were with him on the holy mountain.
Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable.
You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Alleluia Matthew 17:5
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Matthew 17:1-9
Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John,
and led them up a high mountain by themselves.
And he was transfigured before them;
his face shone like the sun
and his clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with him.
Then Peter said to Jesus in reply,
“Lord, it is good that we are here.
If you wish, I will make three tents here,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,
then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate
and were very much afraid.
But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
“Rise, and do not be afraid.”
And when the disciples raised their eyes,
they saw no one else but Jesus alone.
As they were coming down from the mountain,
Jesus charged them,
“Do not tell the vision to anyone
until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
August 7, 2026 // Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time // Optional Memorial of Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and his Companions, Martyrs // Optional Memorial of Saint Cajetan, Priest
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28
Reflect on the Word //
It was a Friday evening, the exhausted kind, when I encountered a lovely Dominican Sister. As we talked, I shared some of my built-up weariness and fear as I was taking a new leap in my life. I guess I had thought that I had done enough hard things for Jesus, but I was realizing that He was going to keep asking for more.
To which Sister confidently replied, “He will ask more of you, but He will also give you more.”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells His friends something similar: “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). I wonder if His disciples understood the weight of this statement, this calling to follow their Friend to His Cross and then to their own martyrdoms. The more I look at my own life, I wonder if I really understand it either.
It is so radical that it has to change everything if it is true: my earthly life is meant to be lost. It is meant to be poured out, offered up, given away for God. In the end, nothing else will matter.
This is freedom, really. No wonder that my attempts to keep my life for myself make me miserable! All my anxiety about how I am going to make myself happy, satisfying all of my own desires on just the right timeline! That was never what my life was for.
Jesus speaks truly when He tells us, “What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26) The whole world is about all we can imagine, and yet He wants even more than that for us. He wants us to be happy, infinitely more than we ever could want it ourselves. He wants to give us everything for all eternity.
Relate to the Lord // Today, ask Him for the grace to give Him everything in return.
