The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
My husband and I awoke just after midnight to our phones buzzing with emergency alerts; a tornado had been confirmed and was heading towards our neighborhood. The alert advised us to immediately take cover in the lowest level of our home.
Scooping our sleeping twins out of their cribs, we piled into the one room with no doors or windows downstairs- our guest bathroom. The babies were confused and fussy as we crammed into the tiny room. Sweat started pouring down my face. We nervously watched the livestream of tornado coverage as the storm crept closer.
“Please God, keep us safe. Please, protect our family.”
The prayer came out and I felt so small, defenseless against a powerful force of nature. The fear of not knowing, will we be okay?
Today’s Gospel reading paints a stunning scene; Jesus, leading Peter, James and John up a high mountain and becoming transfigured before them.
“His clothes became dazzling white,
such as no fuller on earth could bleach them.”
As the scene unfolds, we learn that the disciples are terrified, seeing Jesus transfigured and joined by Elijah and Moses. This reminds me of many other moments in the Bible when angels appeared to share a message from God. The reaction is always the same in the recipient terror. Beholding the power of God, it is so magnificent, we as humans can’t help but tremble. It’s a reminder of our utter dependence on God, and the fragility of our lives.
The night of the tornado, an hour passed and the weather livestream showed that the storm had shifted east. Our home was safe. Breathing a collective sigh of relief, we went back to bed.
In today’s second reading, we are reminded of a powerful truth, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” In moments of fear, we may feel despair, but let us remember our God who is on our side. His power is mighty, a tremendous mountain of strength compared to the ant-hill of evil.
It’s tempting to give in to fear as it is all around us in the news and in the uncertainty of everyday life. The enemy wants us to succumb. In those dark moments, we remember the holy terror felt by the disciples that day on the mountain- how awe-inspiring the power of God. If He is with us, what could possibly stand against us?
Katherine Cimorelli Straneva is a musician and writer, playing music and writing with her sisters in the band Cimorelli for over 14 years. Cimorelli is an internationally-known band who has written and recorded several albums, toured in many countries around the world, and wrote a book, Believe In You: Big Sister Stories and Advice on Living Your Best Life. Katherine lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband Max, identical twin toddlers Dominic and Leopold, and a baby on the way due Holy Thursday 2024.