St Benedict's Parish

1063 Benedicta Rd.
P.O. Box 27
Benedicta, ME  04733

Weekly Reflection - March 16th, 2025

We often concentrate on the painful sides of what we go through in life but fail to see that joy and glory are hidden behind pains. Hence the saying, 

"Rather than being sad that roses have thorns, be happy that thorns have roses." 

      In today's first reading, Abraham's total trust and obedience to God, sets him before us our father in faith. His faith is sealed with a covenant initiated by God, and he is promised descendants as many as the sand and stars in the sky. This reminds us that our faith, trust, and obedience to God is not in vain. The second reading calls us to a daily life of dying and rising with Jesus. The Gospel presents the Transfiguration of Jesus which is a prefiguration of the transformation in Glory of those who suffer for love of God and neighbors.

     The Transfiguration is intended to strengthen the faith of the disciples for the coming trial of Jesus's passion and death and for their own future suffering and death as His witnesses to the world. It is also directed to increase their faith, hope and love for him and to empower them for endurance in times of hardships and persecution. This applies also to us his present disciples.

     Peter is carried away by the Transfiguration scene and wants to remain in this experience. There are moments like that in our spiritual journey, when we long to prolong the experience we have, especially when we too feel the nearness of God. However, our journey to heaven is a mixture of of the Transfiguration and the passion, the sweet and the bitter, the wine of Cana and the Vinegar on hyssop. The good news is that the God of the Transfiguration is also the God of the Agony in the garden. When He gives us the Transfiguration experience, it is to strengthen us to trust Him in our agonies. 

     The voice from Heaven confirms this in the life of Jesus. So listen to Him and follow Him.

 No cross, no transformation. No sweat, no sweet. No good Friday, no Easter Sunday.