Listen

 

Are you a good listener? A really good listener? If I ask your mom, would she say that you’re a really good listener? Does your mom say that your dad is a really good listener? You don’t have to answer that.

Well, our Gospel today is known as the Transfiguration. That’s a big word that people don’t use very often. Transfiguration tells us what happened when Peter, James and John went up the mountain with Jesus to pray. When they were there, Elijah and Moses appeared beside Jesus, who glowed as they spoke.

Peter didn’t know what to do. He wanted to build three huts made from branches. I can imagine Peter running around finding branches and starting to build huts when he heard God the Father’s voice from heaven: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” God the Father said that Peter needed to slow down and listen to Jesus. That’s good advice for us too.

It’s important that we listen to Jesus and our parents, because if we try to listen to everyone, we will get confused.

I’ll show you what I mean. I’m going to ask everyone in church today to tell you what you should be when you grow up. I am going to count to three, and after I say three, I want all the people to shout out what you should be when you grow up. … Do you think that they can follow my instructions? … Okay, everyone, on three. One. Two. Three. …

See, when you listen to everyone, you get confused. So, we must remember what God said to Peter on the mountain: “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Listening to Jesus is very important.

With that, let us pray. Heavenly Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and earth is named: Bless these and all children, and give their parents the spirit of wisdom and love, so that the homes in which they grow up may be to them an image of Your Kingdom, and the care of their parents a likeness of Your love. We pray in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.