Matthew 17:1-9
March 12 , 2017
Second Sunday of Lent
Matthew 17:1-9
“ From the shining cloud the Father ’ s voice is heard : This is my beloved Son , hear Him .”
Reflection by Celina Roybal , former volunteer of the St . Joseph Worker Program in Orange
In today ’ s Gospel , the mountain is a place of prayer outside of the everyday world where a luminescent encounter with God takes place . It is high up on this mountain where the face of Jesus “ shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light .” Savoring the grace of this experience , Peter says , “ It is good that we are here .” Then the disciples became fearful at the sound of a voice saying “ This is my beloved Son , with whom I am well pleased ; listen to Him .” Jesus tells the disciples not to be afraid and they come down from the mountain .
I have always admired the night sky and the moon . I have often found myself in awe as I gaze at the light of the moon , especially a full moon . The moon lights up because its surface reflects the light from the sun like a mirror . In our quest to follow Jesus more closely , we must be like the moon by serving as a mirror reflecting the light onto the Earth … Christ ’ s light .
Working as an Education Assistant , I was often challenged with motivating disadvantaged young adults to study and perform well academically . I sometimes questioned if I was serving as a reflection of Christ ’ s light when working with specific young adults who exhibited more struggles than others . Sometimes it felt as if my efforts were not making a difference , but observing the light in their eyes as they became excited about learning spoke otherwise . The light in the faces of those around me was a reminder that Christ ’ s light was indeed shining brightly through my service . In prayer and service I was often invited to have my own transfiguration . As we show love for God and our neighbor , personal transfigurations occur when we mirror God in our daily lives in good works and faith . Like the moon , be a reflection of Christ ’ s face shining on us like the sun this Transfiguration Sunday !
Prayer :
God of Light , As we continue our Lenten journey together , we thank You for the gifts of encounter on the mountaintop with You . Thank You for inviting us to our own transfigurations with the divine light of Your face . Help us to be aware of the radiance You bring into our daily lives so that we may be a reflection like the moon . Let our faith and good works light a new light in the hearts of our community and those we serve . Amen .
Focus on : Community : One of the highlights of living in community is praying together . This is a time when the community has the opportunity to journey up the mountain together just like the disciples did in today ’ s Gospel . As a community , find your mountaintop to pray , listen deeply , and savor the graces you have received together . Your mountaintop may be a special place in your home or a beautiful place out in nature . Wherever your place of encounter may be , remind each other daily of the beautiful encounters with God you all have experienced on your mountaintop . Come down from your mountaintop poised to change the world ! What ’ s your mountain ? What ’ s your place of encounter with God ?
Service Inspiration : Sr . Mary Rogers is a Sister of St . Joseph of Orange and is a beautiful example of what it means to reflect the light of Christ on the world with faith and good works . She motivates me to serve others because her dream has always been to serve in communities and schools of great need . She is an educator who has always taught with energy and enthusiasm while showing great compassion and love for students . I currently find myself teaching in a community of great need and I often reflect daily by asking myself this question : Did I show students love and compassion today like Sr . Mary would ?
Celina Roybal grew up in the rural community of Medanales , New Mexico just north of Santa Fe . In 2015-2016 , she served as a St . Joseph Worker of Orange as an Education Assistant at Taller San Jose Hope Builders in California . She currently teaches Physical Education at Abiquiu Elementary School and Hernandez Elementary School in New Mexico . Her favorite books are My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Campbell and Sum It Up by Pat Summitt . Celina enjoys the outdoors , playing and coaching sports , and cheering on the Denver Broncos .