6 August 2020 – Feast of the Transfiguration

As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being
coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One
and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion
and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him.
From Daniel 7: 9-10, 13-14(NRSV)

Today’s First Reading in the Catholic cycle is chosen to complement the gospel account of the Transfiguration. In this moment, Jesus was revealed to three of his closest disciples and friends as something more than an ordinary human being. Whether they would have made the connection between their experience and that of Daniel is questionable – they are reported to have been overwhelmed by what happened to them. Later, though – after the Resurrection – part of the work they would have undertaken was to work out how Jesus fitted into the great story of God’s people. Perhaps, as they read this piece from Daniel, about the one to whom dominion over the whole world was entrusted, they remembered that time on the mountain when they were given a glimpse of the glory that was in Jesus.

• • What do you think when you hear of people having visions – or experiences that bring them close to the divine?
  • How can we “test” that a vision is genuine and not just a figment of someone’s imagination?

For today, simply read the words from Daniel, knowing what you do about Jesus and his destiny and see what thoughts and insights emerge.