Transfiguration of Our Lord

The Sundays after Epiphany began with Jesus’ baptism and end with three disciples’ vision of his transfiguration. In Mark’s story of Jesus’ baptism, apparently only Jesus sees the Spirit descending and hears the words from heaven. But now Jesus’ three closest friends hear the same words naming him God’s beloved son. As believers, Paul writes, we are enabled to see the God-light in Jesus’ face, because the same God who created light in the first place has shone in our hearts to give us that vision. The light of God’s glory in Jesus has enlightened us through baptism and shines in us also for others to see.

First Reading: 2 Kings 2:1-12
Elijah taken up to heaven and succeeded by Elisha
Psalm: Psalm 50:1-6
Out of Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth in glory. (Ps. 50:2)
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 4:3-6
God’s light seen clearly in the face of Christ
Gospel: Mark 9:2-9
Revelation of Christ as God’s beloved Son
Liturgical Color: White

Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

The leper is confident in Jesus’ power to heal. Naaman, on the other hand, is comically hard to convince that he can be healed by such an unlikely foreigner as Elisha, who directs him to wash in such a sorry excuse for a river as the Jordan. Jesus’ healing power is here among us in the ordinary water of the font, in the ordinary bread, in the ordinary people who make up the body of Christ. We would be well-advised to take the advice of the least powerful among us (like the servant girl in Naaman’s household) if we want to find the one who will heal us.

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-14
Naaman is healed of leprosy
Psalm: Psalm 30
My God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health. (Ps. 30:2)
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Run the race for an imperishable prize
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
The healing of one with leprosy
Liturgical Color: Green