It is18th February 2017. The readings are from Hebrews 11:1-7; and the Gospel from Mark 9:2-13. The first reading gives us the power and the impact of faith in God. We can do millions of things and plan billions of programs yet if we do not have faith, we cannot please God. “And without faith it is impossible to please God. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that God exists and that God rewards those who seek God.” (Heb.11:6) It is our complete trust and surrender to God makes God happy not our achievements, petty politics, our shrewdness, cunningness, wisdom filled discourses, and fiery sermons. Swelling of our ego is the hugest one obstacle to our faith in God. The first reading is the faith summary of those we have read so far in the book of Genesis. In our lives, we will not get all we want all the times. We need to learn hoping for the best through our faith in God. We cannot move on in our lives without faith. Moreover, we will not able to perceive the Hand of God in all that happens yet we must be assured that there is a big picture and a plan of God at display. It is all question of time and perseverance in hanging on to the end of the rope until God lifts us out. The assurance is that we will be offered a helping Hand from God just because of our faith. God reveals himself totally our humble faith encounters and visions. The wisdom, power, truth, beauty of God need to be sought by the human soul in every moment of our lives in nature and in human activities. The responsorial Psalm acclaims, “I will bless your name for ever, O Lord.” (Ps. 144:1). The Gospel narrates the details that happened in Transfiguration. Every encounter, vision and personal revelation offers a leap into the peak of the experience of our faith. Transfiguration is the prelude to the resurrection. After the experience, St. Peter became the strong witness to the Truth and Life and St. James was willing to become a martyr. Our faith encounters must have a deep impact in our lives and people around us. We too experience Christ in the Eucharist on a daily or weekly basis. We must never hesitate to embrace the fullness of God in the humble and painful experiences of lives. May you have a good day.