Genesis 15.1-12; 15.17-18

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ 2 But Abram said, ‘O Lord God , what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ 3 And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ 4 But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ 5 He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ 6 And he believed the Lord ; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ 8 But he said, ‘O Lord God , how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ 9 He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ 10 He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,

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REFLECTION

 

Abraham has left everything he knows trusting God. We see him in this reading being reaffirmed that God will give him descendants. God promises him as many as the stars. In the dark skies the sky would have been full of the light of stars and to think he would have that many descendants, when he didn't even have one child, and he believed God. Then he talks about possessing the land. and Abraham wants to know how he will know that what God says will happen. What do you do to prove that in 430 years his descendants would own the land. A vision? a simple trust me? We may not understand the act of cutting the animals, but it isn't about us. God gave Abraham a sign, vision that Abraham believed and trusted God,

 

Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom then shall I fear?:

the Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes,

come upon me to devour me:

they shall stumble and fall.

3 If an army encamp against me,

my heart shall not be afraid:

and if war should rise against me, yet will I trust.

4 One thing I have asked from the Lord,

which I will require:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

5 To see the fair beauty of the Lord:

and to seek his will in his temple.

6 For he will hide me under his shelter

in the day of trouble:

and conceal me in the shadow of his tent,

and set me high upon a rock.

7 And now he will lift up my head:

above my enemies round about me.

8 And I will offer sacrifices in his sanctuary

with exultation:

I will sing, I will sing praises to the Lord.

9 O Lord, hear my voice when I cry:

have mercy upon me and answer me.

10 My heart has said of you, ‘Seek his face’:

your face, Lord, I will seek.

11 Do not hide your face from me:

or thrust your servant aside in displeasure;

12 For you have been my helper:

do not cast me away or forsake me, O God of my salvation.

13 Though my father and my mother forsake me:

the Lord will take me up.

14 Teach me your way, O Lord:

and lead me in an even path, for they lie in wait for me.

15 Do not give me over to the will of my enemies:

for false witnesses have risen against me,

and those who breathe out violence.

16 But I believe that I shall surely see

the goodness of the Lord:

in the land of the living.

17 O wait for the Lord;

stand firm and he will strengthen your heart:

and wait, I say, for the Lord.

2nd Reading

 

Philippians 3.17-4.1

17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation so that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

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REFLECTION

Paul writes to encourage the Philippians to imitate him, to live as he has lived among them. His life is an example, a proof. Why? Because he is dealing with a community who are being led astray by people whose example are based on things of the world. Paul wants them to live in a way based on spiritual things. To look toward the glorious promises that come through Jesus. Paul can make these claims because of the encounter he had with Jesus on the road to Damascus.

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Gospel

 Luke 9.28-36

28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ 36 When 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.

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REFLECTION

We see Peter, John and James go with Jesus up a mountain and see Jesus transfigured. Why did Jesus take them? We think this only happened once, what if it happened every time he was alone in prayer? It is not the event that is important to me, but that it was seen. Peter, John  and James saw and experienced something that would be proof. What is the proof that will help us to believe.?