First reading James 3:1-10
The tongue cannot be tamed
Only a few of you, my brothers, should be teachers, bearing in mind that those of us who teach can expect a stricter judgement.
After all, every one of us does something wrong, over and over again; the only man who could reach perfection would be someone who never said anything wrong – he would be able to control every part of himself. Once we put a bit into the horse’s mouth, to make it do what we want, we have the whole animal under our control. Or think of ships: no matter how big they are, even if a gale is driving them, the man at the helm can steer them anywhere he likes by controlling a tiny rudder. So is the tongue only a tiny part of the body, but it can proudly claim that it does great things. Think how small a flame can set fire to a huge forest; the tongue is a flame like that. Among all the parts of the body, the tongue is a whole wicked world in itself: it infects the whole body; catching fire itself from hell, it sets fire to the whole wheel of creation. Wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish can all be tamed by man, and often are; but nobody can tame the tongue – it is a pest that will not keep still, full of deadly poison. We use it to bless the Lord and Father, but we also use it to curse men who are made in God’s image: the blessing and the curse come out of the same mouth. My brothers, this must be wrong.
Responsorial Psalm 11(12):2-5,7-8
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care.
Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished;
truth has gone from the sons of men.
Falsehood they speak one to another,
with lying lips, with a false heart.
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care.
May the Lord destroy all lying lips,
the tongue that speaks high-sounding words,
those who say: ‘Our tongue is our strength;
our lips are our own, who is our master?’
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care.
The words of the Lord are words without alloy,
silver from the furnace, seven times refined.
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care
and protect us for ever from this generation.
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care.
Gospel Mark 9:2-13
Jesus was transfigured in their presence
Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus.
As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’
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Going up the mountain with Jesus
In today’s gospel, Jesus led His disciples, Peter, James and John, up to a high mountain. Each day, Jesus wants to lead us up the mountain of prayer to experience His presence. This is what prayer is all about. There at the mountain, Jesus allowed the three disciples to witness the transfiguration moment. Why? Jesus knew that the disciples were afraid of the future, especially as He had told them that He would soon be condemned to die on the cross. Jesus was transfigured to show them that He was the Light beyond their darkness of fear. When we stay with Jesus on the mountain of prayer, we encounter Him as our Light that shines in our darkness. We need this assuring Light to guide us as we journey through the ups and downs of life. The voice of God the Father continues to echo to us today, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to Him”. Let us listen to Jesus, our Friend and Companion, with trust. His word gives us hope and life.
Question for reflection:
What is Jesus’ message to me in this time of prayer?
What is Jesus’ message to me in this time of prayer?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.