Fourth Luminous Mystery
Transfiguration - Courage to Bear the Cross
Narrative:
The Transfiguration
1. Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain to pray.
2. Jesus was transfigured before them.
3. “His face became as dazzling as the sun, his clothes as radiant as light.”
4. This was to fortify their faith to withstand the coming tragedy of the Passion.
5. Jesus foresaw the ‘scandal of the cross,’ and prepared them for it by this manifestation of His glory.
6. Moses and Elias (representing the Law and the prophets of the Old Testament) were conversing with Jesus about His Passion.
7. “Do not think I have come to destroy the Law or the Prophets… but to fulfill them.”
8. From a cloud came a voice: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.”
9. Jesus admonishes them not to tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man rises from the dead.
10. We too will behold the transfigured Jesus on the Last Day.
Spiritual Fruit:
Courage to bear the Cross
1. Correct Sinners
2. Endure and withstand Dangers
3. For Travelling far
4. Fully Ascertain if its a Just Cause
5. Remedy one's Imperfection
6. Faith
7. Sense of Responsibility
[1. Correct Sinners]
Precautionary Note before Reading Further:
Don't judge or one will be judged
“Stop judging, that you may not be judged. For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.”
-Jesus to his disciples (Mt 7:1-5)
"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
-St. Teresa of Calcutta
Reflections:
-Do not judge/punish/condemn the person. Instead, correct the vice.
-Intention is to help the person.
-Also, humility is knowing that others are better than oneself.
-If we judge someone, that he is like this or that, we built an image of him/her in our mind. Whenever we see that person, the wrong image will appear in our mind and in turn it reduces love for others. This leads to evil and conflict and in turn will have undesirable consequences. Therefore, we see the wrong but we don't hold it inside.
-By judging, we also forget that very often, we are poorer sinners and become hypocrites like the Pharisees.
-Slandering can also cause irreversible damage. For example, Pope Francis mentioned that 'like when a grenade explodes, no matter how hard we try afterwards, it is very difficult to recover those shrapnel without causing damage.'
-
Saints' Quotes on Correcting Sinners:
'Reprimand and rebuke should be accepted as healing remedies for vice and as conducive to good health. From this it is clear that those who pretend to be tolerant because they wish to flatter-----those who thus fail to correct sinners-----actually cause them to suffer supreme loss and plot the destruction of that life which is their true life.'
-St. Basil the Great
'Be brave, do not be led by what others think or say!'
-St. John Bosco
'I do not fear at all what men can do to me for speaking the truth. I only fear what God would do if I were to lie.'
-St. John Bosco
[2. Endure and withstand danger]
'The principal act of courage is to endure and withstand dangers doggedly rather than to attack them.'
-St. Thomas Aquinas
[3. For Travelling far]
'Though the path is plain and smooth for men of good will, he who walks it will not travel far, and will do so only with difficulty, if he does not have good feet: that is, courage and a persevering spirit.'
-St. John of the Cross
'Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.'
-St. Francis of Assisi
[4. Fully Ascertain if its a Just Cause]
'When one is convinced that his cause is just, he will fear nothing.'
-St. John Bosco
[5. Remedy one's Imperfection]
'Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them---every day begin the task anew.'
-St. Francis de Sales
[6. Faith]
'Don't be afraid, Our Lady will send us all that is necessary.'
-St. John Bosco
'Pray! Pray, but with faith – with living faith! Courage! Onward, ever onward!'
-St. John Bosco
[7. Sense of Responsibility]
'I never shrink from any undertaking which I know is good and necessary, no matter what the difficulties. If, for example, I must see some unfriendly important person, I don’t hesitate, but first I recite a Hail Mary. I do the same before calling on anybody. Then, come what may, I do my best and leave the rest to the Lord.'
-St. John Bosco
'Hope has two beautiful daughters: their names are anger and courage. Anger that things are the way they are. Courage to make them the way they ought to be.'
-St. Augustine
