From the responsorial psalm: “Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights; Praise him, all you his angels; praise him, all you his hosts. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 17:22-27)
As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were overwhelmed with grief.
The two stories in today’s Gospel, like the first reading and the Psalm, tell of the glory of the Lord. Devastated at what Jesus tells the disciples about his coming passion and death, the disciples seem to miss that Jesus also tells them that he will be raised on the third day. When Jesus and the disciples enter Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax approach them, asking for the tax to be paid. After his transfiguration, Jesus performs another small miracle for Peter by providing for the tax. When asked to pay, Jesus instructs Peter to catch a fish, and inside the fish’s mouth, they find a coin to pay the tax for both of them. This miracle shows Jesus’ ability to provide for all of his followers and his authority in his Father’s house, the temple, and over nature. In bolstering the disciples’ faith yet again, Jesus gives them courage to face the coming darkness of the cross and trust that he is the Lord of light and life.
God, help me rest today in your glory—not mine, not the world’s, but yours. Heaven and earth are filled with your glory. In your image, Lord, you made us. Ezekiel describes you in the first reading as one seated who has the appearance of a man. The disciples had Jesus present with him but didn’t know how the story of his passion and death would turn out so were overwhelmed with grief on hearing of its coming. Even as I strive to comprehend the weight of glory of the risen Christ for myself and all of humanity, give me the grace to witness to his perfect obedience to you in love. Let me call to mind the words of the Gospel acclamation: “God has called you through the Gospel, to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.