Washed In His Blood

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Martha
Crucifix in Sistine Chapel, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

Crucifix in Sistine Chapel, taken by Martha McDuff Wiggins, 2012

I have been writing in a personal journal what takes place in my time in Stillness before God since the start of 2010.  Shortly thereafter, I felt called to share it publicly on facebook, and then to create the Orbital Buzz website.  The journey as been a very emotional one, and one through which I have grown immensely in my faith.  I remain to this day in complete awe of all that has taken place, and completely humbled by His use of me.  The particular entry I am sharing below is a very special one for me.  After reading it, you will understand why the prayer Anima Christi is one of my very favorites.  It touches me at the my very core, in my soul.

An excerpt from Journey Through The Stillness:  November 13, 2010… Entering in The Stillness Jesus is here.  He begins to write on me.  Using His finger He writes His name in blood on my forehead, my arms, my legs, my back.  In a moment I am awash in His blood.  It is running down my limbs onto my hands and feet.  I am astounded.  I feel so hollow, so empty, and so ashamed for I KNOW He sees everything.  He KNOWS everything.  He sees and knows the things I want no other human being to know, and yet, He continues to write on me.  Then He begins to use a towel and wipe away the blood.  I say, “No.”  I do not want Him to do this.  He responds, “Daughter, I have paid the price for you.  In coming to Me you are washed in my BLOOD.  In staying with Me and living in my will, you are cleansed, made whole, made perfect in my sight.  It is MINE to do.”  I so want to be cleansed, to be made whole, that I just sit there and allow Him to wipe.  He is ever so gentle.  He knows my anguish, my disgrace and wants to wipe it all away.  He and I both know He will have to repeat the process many times in my life time, but He knows I will try to make it as few times as possible for His sake.  I am learning; I am trying.  I desire to live in His will.

Here is the beautiful Anima Christi that I pray after receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me; Body of Christ, save me; Blood of Christ, inebriate me; Water from the side of Christ, wash me; Passion of Christ, strengthen me; O good Jesus, hear me; Within your wounds hide me; Separated from you, let me never be; From the evil one protect me; At the hour of my death, call me; And close to you bid me; That with your saints, I may be, praising you forever and ever.  Amen.

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Blood And Tears

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Martha

140px-Jesus_is_taken_down_from_the_Cross_002The following is from a 2010 Journey Through The Stillness entry, my personal spiritual journal…

November 22, 2010 – Crucified Jesus, beaten, scourged, bloodied, stands before me.  His hands are clasped in front and His thorn crowned head is bowed.  There is a bucket and towels at His feet.  My Guardian Angel is here.  She instructs me to wipe Our Lord using the liquid in the bucket and the towels.  She explains that the liquid is my tears, and the tears of mankind, shed in sorrow for our sins.  I begin at His feet, His nailed feet.  I try to be ever so gentle as I work my way up His ravaged body.  His eyes are closed.  I take each hand and lovingly wipe away the dried blood.  These hands are my home, my peace, to which I always turn in times of need.  For me they are Love personified.  Then I come to the wound in His side.  My hands are trembling now and my heart is aching within more and more as I gently pat the wound.  I now move up to His shoulders, then to His face.  I begin to dab the sides of His face and along His brow.  His eyes open.  He says, “Child.”  I say, “Lord.”  Then He says, “I go now to my Father.”  At once my Angel’s aura is all around Him, and they leave.  I look down for the bucket of tears now mixed with blood.  It is gone.  I hear her explain that they have taken it as an offering to The Father.

Once again I am humbled to the core.  At this moment I have no more words to speak or write.  (I knelt down immediately and prayed The Divine Mercy Chaplet, where the tears flowed freely.)

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Wrought: Beaten and Hammered

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Martha

461px-The_Death_of_Jesus_001“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”  1 Peter 2:24

 Prayer of Abandonment (Charles de Foucald)

I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.  Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all.  Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.  I wish no more than this, O Lord.

Into your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands, with reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father.

The following is an excerpt from a previous post:

“Wrought: beaten into shape by tools, hammered (Merriam-Webster)

Wrought is not a word often used in today’s conversations, but is a word with great significance for me.  A beautiful prayer that I pray daily ends in this way: “Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation, to It be glory and honor forever.  Amen.”

I have a great affinity to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and His Wounded Hands.  The prayer mentioned above is one of two that I faithfully and sincerely pray every morning consecrating myself to His Sacred Heart.  One of the prayers is printed on a beautiful Holy Card.  The front of the card has the traditional one line affirmation:  “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You.  Above the affirmation is one of my favorite images of Jesus.  His Sacred Heart is exposed and He is holding out his hands, open with palms up, wounds exposed.  When I look at this image I have a sense of home.  It is where I want to run when I am in need spiritually, to run to those loving, hammered Hands that wrought my salvation.  It is where I am always moved to tears in thought of the great love and sacrifice made on my behalf.  It is where I am replenished by His Infinite Divine Mercy, where I am made whole again.  In His hands I find complete solace.

This beautiful Holy Card serves as my reminder of all that has transpired so that I might share in Eternity with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is an earthly reminder of a heavenly thing.  (For those who are not Catholic, or who find this hard to understand, who think it is idol worship, I assure you it is not.  I do not worship the card, I only worship Our Lord.  Think of it in the same way a picture of one of your family members reminds you of happiness and love shared, whether they are living or deceased.)”

Give some thought as you go through your day to the word ‘wrought’.  If the word does not stir your soul then go before a Crucifix and take a good long look at Jesus hanging on the Cross.  See every whip gash, every thorn, every nail, and the pierce in side through which a lance was driven into His Sacred Heart.  See His Blood.  Feel in your own heart the words “Praise be to the Divine Heart that wrought our salvation.”  Then abandon yourself into His Hands.

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Mary and Her Son

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Martha
Statue of Mary at Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken 2011

Statue of Mary at Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken 2011

“Near the cross of Jesus there stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  Seeing his mother there with the disciple whom he loved, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, there is your son.’  In turn he said to the disciple, ‘There is your mother.’  From that hour onward, the disciple took her into his care.”  John 19:25-27

The following is from Journey Through The Stillness (my personal spiritual journal shared publicly on Facebook.)  This fits in perfectly with Lenten meditation on the Passion of Jesus.  Mary was there.

Mar 30, 2010 – The Stillness Is Mary’s again.  Her Son has gone off to pray.  Mary knows danger is looming.  She has a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach.  She knows some of His followers are with Him and hopes they will keep Him safe.  They do not.  She hears He has been arrested and races to where they have taken Him, her heart pounding wildly.  She hopes for a glimpse of Him, and that He might see her, knowing she would do anything possible to relieve Him of this destiny, even take His place.  She sees a crowd gathering and knows instinctively that He is there.  Pushing through the back of the crowd she gets close enough to see.  There He is, her Son!  Her heart stands still. He is tethered to a post.  His slumping body is bloodied and beaten.  Through silent sobs she watches as the inhuman torture continues.  Each wielding of the whip brings a new torment, another tear in His precious body, more blood.  She longs to cry out, but doesn’t.  She wants all eyes on Him to bear witness to His pain and suffering, to remember for always, to remember for all mankind.  Then she sees the Crown.  As they place it on His head and press down to secure it, to inflict unfathomable pain, her head reels and her legs begin to give out from under her.  “No, No,” she says, and forces herself upright.  She must see; He is her Son.  They have spat on Him and given Him a reed to hold.  They are mocking Him.  She feels such anger rising within her and she knows she cannot act on it.  She can do nothing!  They lower the Cross onto His shoulder.  She sees Him falter under the weight.  Her heart cries out to God, “Help Him.  If You truly love Him, help Him!”  She sees the blood from the Crown of Thorns streaming into His eyes and down His face.  Her heart cries out again to God.  “Help Him!  Can’t someone at least wipe His face!”  She follows in the crowd, at times racing ahead, trying to place herself along the roadside to be there when He passes by.  “Let Him see me, God.  Let Him know I am here.”  She witnesses Simon, the Cyrenian, being forced to help Him, and sees His face being wiped by a woman.  At once she knows God has heard and answered her pleas.  She knows her Son is in God’s hands.  Her pain for her Son is enormous, unbearable, but she knows she will bear it, and so will He, for it is God’s will, and His will must be done.  She continues on to Golgotha.  Her heart is waiting, waiting for it to be over.

(See here the Mar 22nd Stillness for the completion, yet actually written before.)

Mar 22, 2010 – The Stillness is Mary’s.  We are together at the foot of the Cross.  Jesus is gently laid down on the Cross and removed.  It is a horrible tormenting pain for her to watch as they remove the nails and lift Him from the Cross.  This is her SON, whom she gave birth to, and whom most of the world knew nothing about.  Yet, for those who did, there was great promise.  She keeps saying, “It is finished now; He is free.”  They take Him to the tomb and place Him on her lap while they make ready.  She looks upon His face with such tenderness and sorrow.  She cannot take her eyes away from Him, lest she forget.  They take Him again.  They are ready for her.  She begins the wrapping, slowly, gently.  She kisses both of His cheeks and, quietly racked with sobs, she covers Him with the shroud.  She looks up to God and says, “I send Him back to you, Oh God, in order that your promise will be fulfilled, but I am empty now.”  Then, we leave.  Mary goes off to mourn and wait.  The Stillness is over.  I have been told to write this down.

Oh, Mary, you gave up all for us, that we might live.

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Stations Of The Cross, 12, 13, & 14

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Martha

Jesus on the CrossThis post contains the final three, Twelth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Stations of The Cross from my personal prayer book, “Blessed Be God.”  I hope these meditations have provided you with a way for thoughtful reflection and prayer during Lent.

“When noon came, darkness fell on the whole countryside and lasted until midafternoon. At that time Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Mark 16:33-34

Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on the Cross.

Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider that thy Jesus, after three hours’ agony on the cross, consumed at length with anguish, abandoned Himself to the weight of His body, bows His head, and dies.

O my dying Jesus, I kiss devoutly the cross on which Thou didst die for love of me.  I have merited by my sins to die a miserable death; but Thy death is my hope.  Ah, by the merits of Thy death, give me grace to die, embracing Thy feet and burning with love of Thee.  I commit my soul into Thy hands.  I love Thee with my whole heart; I repent of ever having offended Thee.  Permit not that I ever offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

 

“Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath.  Because Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and bodies taken down.  The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other.  But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.  The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true.  He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe.  These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken, and, as another scripture says, ‘They will look on the one they have pierced.”  John 19:31-37

Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.

 Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider that, our Lord having expired, two of His disciples, Joseph and Nicodemus, took Him down from the cross, and placed Him in the arms of His afflicted Mother, who received Him with unutterable tenderness, and pressed Him to her bosom.

O Mother of Sorrow, for the love of this Son, accept me for thy servant and pray to Him for me.  And Thou, my Redeemer, since Thou hast died for me, permit me to love Thee; for I wish but Thee, and nothing more.  I love Thee, my Jesus, and I repent of ever having offended Thee.  Never permit me to offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

“As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him.  Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb and went away.  Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.”  Matthew 27:57-61

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Placed in the Sepulchre.

Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider that the disciples carried the body of Jesus to bury it, accompanied by His holy Mother, who arranged it in the sepulchre with her own hands.  They then closed the tomb and all withdrew.

Ah, my buried Jesus, I kiss the stone that encloses Thee.  But Thou didst rise again the third day.  I beseech Thee, by Thy resurrection, make me rise glorious with Thee at the last day, to be always united with Thee in heaven, to praise Thee and love Thee forever.  I love Thee, and repent of ever having offended Thee.  Permit not that I ever offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

 

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Who Do You Say He Is?

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Martha
The Visitation by Jacopo Timtoretto

The Visitation by Jacopo Timtoretto

“Who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter said in reply, ‘You are the Messiah, the son of the living God.'”  Matthew 16:15b-16

The baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy at the sight of Mary, for he knew she carried the Christ Child within her.  He didn’t have to be asked, he just knew it was Jesus, the Son of God, sent by the Father as Savior to the world.

If you know who Jesus is, then share the Good News with others.  If the question, “Who do you say I am?”, has never been answered by you, then now is the time to answer it.  Use the holy season of Lent to search out the answer through study, prayer, and meditation.  Read in His Word, pray for wisdom and discernment concerning His Word, and sit in silence before God.  The answer may not be audible, yet, you will know.

The answer to this most important question will determine if you will be ready for His Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  I know Him as my Lord and Savior.  Who do you say He is?

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Spiritual Communion

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Martha
Bernini's Holy Spirit at Saint Peter's Basilica

Bernini’s Holy Spirit at Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy, 2011

“While they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and when He had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.”  Matthew 26:26

Spiritual Communion, as defined by Saint Thomas Aquinas, is “the ardent desire to receive Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament (in Communion at Mass) and in lovingly embracing Him as if we had actually received Him.”

A Spiritual Communion is made in one’s mind.  It is a beautiful and powerful tool in our spiritual arsenal, allowing us to intimately commune with Jesus in a way, second only to actually receiving Him in the Eucharist at Mass.  St. Thomas Aquinas also says that a soul who sincerely makes a Spiritual Communion may experience the same effects within as when it receives the sacrament of the Eucharist at Mass.  In fact, Aquinas says, at times, it may even produce greater effects, greater grace in the soul, because the soul brings to it a better disposition.  It would be easy to understand how, when alone, the soul would be free of distractions, and capable of deeper and total humility.

Spiritual Communion is something I employ daily in my prayer routine.  It can be done anywhere, anytime, and as often as one feels capable of honestly, sincerely making it.  I am sharing here two simple prayers to facilitate the making of a Spiritual Communion. One is from my prayer book, “Blessed Be God.”  The other is from a pamphlet about Spiritual Communion.  I usually combine these two prayers, saying one following the other.  I then spend time in humble prayer asking forgiveness for my sins, thanking for blessings, and offering up special intentions.

First pray, “My Jesus, I believe that Thou are truly present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  I love Thee above all things and I desire to possess Thee within my soul.  Since I am unable now to receive Thee sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.  I embrace Thee as being already there, and unite myself wholly to Thee; never, never permit me to be separated from Thee.  Jesus, my sweet love, wound, inflame this heart of mine, so that it may be always and all on fire for Thee.”

Then I also pray, “O Jesus I turn toward the holy tabernacle where You live hidden for love of me.  I love You, O My God.  I cannot receive you in Holy Communion.  Come nevertheless and visit me with Your grace.  Come spiritually into my heart.  Purify it.  Sanctify it.  Render it like unto Your own.  Amen.”

And then repeat from Matthew 8:6, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou should enter under my roof, but only say the word, and my soul shall be healed.”

     After one or both of these beautiful prayers, spend some time in prayful  humility, thanksgiving, and offering of special intentions.  Spiritual Communion is a very intimate way to express our love to Jesus, and a very powerful way to start the day!  As we approach Lent, it would also be a beautiful addition to a Lenten prayer routine in a desire to grow in our relationship with Jesus

 Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine.

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Jesus Loves As A Human, Yet Divinely

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Martha
Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011

Basilica Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome, Italy, (Basilica of St. Mary over Minerva) taken by Martha Wiggins, 2011. Saint Catherine of Siena is buried beneath the altar, and to the left is a statue carved by Michelangelo -Christ Bearing The Cross.

“Jesus said: I am the resurrection.  Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  John 11:25-26

This Gospel of John is perfect for Lent as it is the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.  It has many varied and important implications concerning life, death, and resurrection; not the least of which is that Jesus, Himself, states, “I am the resurrection.”  And continuing, He gives us the road map to salvation,  “Anyone who believes in me, even though that person dies, will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

      One of the things I love the most about this Gospel from John is found in these two statements, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus,” and “Jesus wept.”   In both of these statements we see Jesus in a human way, loving just as we do.  His love for the three friends is not just Divine Love for children of God, but also a love from humanness.  Jesus and the three have developed a real friendship, a real affection for one another, and He knows their relationship is about to be put to the test.

Imagine how hard it must have been for Jesus to delay, and for those with Him to understand why He did not immediately go to His friends: “yet when he heard that he was ill he stayed where he was for two more days before saying to the disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judaea.” (John 11:6-7)  When someone you love is dying, the very first instinct is to run to them, to be by their side.  The humanness in Jesus must have wanted to do just that.  He knew His friends, Martha and Mary, would be sick with worry about their brother Lazarus.  He knew they would want Him to be there.  However, the Divinity in Jesus knew there was a greater story to be told than just one of human love and friendship.  He would have to let His friends suffer in order to bring them the ultimate gifts: the resurrection of their beloved brother, and ultimately His own.  Jesus knew Lazarus would have to be sacrificed so that others could witness the greater Glory of God, and believe in Him who was sent by God.

When He finally arrives, both Martha and Mary say to Him separately, that if He would have come earlier, Lazarus would not have had to die.  They knew that Jesus could save Lazarus.  In seeing the grief of the two sisters, because He loved both of them and Lazarus, He wept too.  He knew exactly what this delay had cost them.  He loved them humanly, yet divinely enough to use them to achieve His Father’s purpose.  There is something very comforting, very fulfilling, in a Savior who loves me humanly, and yet divinely enough to sacrifice all for me.

“So they took the stone away.  Then Jesus lifted up his eyes and said: Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer.  I myself knew that you hear me always, but I speak for the sake of all those who are standing around me, so that they may believe it was you who sent me.”  John 11:41-42

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Stations Of The Cross, 9, 10 & 11

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Martha

460px-Fra_Angelico_-_Crucifixion_with_the_Virgin,_Mary_Magdalene_and_St_Dominic_(Cell_25)_-_WGA00547“Jesus was led away, and carrying the cross by  himself, went out to what is called the Place of the Skull.”  John 19:17

This post contains the Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Stations of The Cross from my personal prayer book, “Blessed Be God.”

Ninth Station: Jesus Falls the Third Time.

 Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider the third fall of Jesus Christ.  His weakness was extreme, and the cruelty of His executioners excessive, who tried to hasten His steps when He had scarcely strength to move.

Ah, my outraged Jesus, by the merits of the weakness Thou didst suffer in going to Calvary, give me strength sufficient to conquer all human respect and all my wicked passions, which have led me to despise Thy friendship.  I love Thee, Jesus, my love, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee.  Never permit me to offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

 

“Finally, when they had finished making a fool of him, they stripped him of the cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him off to crucifixion.”  Matthew 27:31

Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Garments.

 Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider the violence with which the executioners stripped Jesus.  His inner garments adhered to His torn flesh and they dragged them off so roughly that the skin came with them.  Compassionate your Saviour thus cruelly treated, and say to Him:

My innocent Jesus, by the merits of the torment that Thou hast felt, help me to strip myself of all affection to things of earth, in order that I may place all my love in Thee, Who art so worthy of my love.  I love Thee, O Jesus, with my whole heart; I repent of having offended Thee.  Never permit me to offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

 

“It was about nine in the morning when they crucified him.  The inscription proclaiming his offense read, “The King of the Jews.”  Mark 16:25-26 

Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.

 Pray:  We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee.  Because by Thy holy cross Thou hast redeemed the world.

Consider that Jesus, after being thrown on the cross, extended His hands, and offered to His eternal Father the sacrifice of His life for our salvation.  These barbarians fasten Him with nails; and then, raising the cross, leave Him to die with anguish on this infamous gibbet.

My Jesus, loaded with contempt, nail my heart to Thy feet, that it may ever remain there to love Thee, and never quit Thee again.  I love Thee more than myself; I repent of having offended Thee.  Never permit me to offend Thee again.  Grant that I may love Thee always; and then do with me what Thou wilt.

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Salvation Made Simple

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Martha

482px-Transfiguration-006 “There in their presence he was transfigured: his face shone like the sun and his clothes became as dazzling as light.”  Matthew 17:2

This Gospel from Matthew tells of the Transfiguration.  Jesus takes three of his favorite disciples, Peter, James, and John, with Him up the mountain.  There the three witness a very entrancing scene.  They witness our Lord in all of His Glory and see both Moses, and Elijah with Him.  If that isn’t enough they then see a cloud and hear the voice of God, confirming that Jesus is His Beloved Son.

As an artist, I find the imagery of the Transfiguration stunning.  It is one of my favorites because I also happen to have been born on the feast day of the Transfiguration, August 6th.  I don’t believe anyone’s imagination can do this scene justice.  Jesus would have been aglow.  He would have been so bright as to be blinding.  He would have been shining like the sun!

The disciples were in complete awe of such a scene.  They were possibly a bit dumbfounded, as the first thing out of their mouths has to do with entertaining, being good hosts!  They want to set up tents!  But then, the real purpose of this scene comes crashing down on them in the form of a cloud.  I am sure it could not have been any ordinary cloud because the voice of God came from within it.  It must have been electric to say the least!

And then we get a more realistic guttural reaction from the disciples.  “When they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, overcome with fear.” (Matthew 17:6)  Instinctively, the voice of God strikes fear in their hearts.  It is authoritative; it is commanding.  He tells them to listen to His Beloved Son.  At once, Jesus comes to them.  He touches them and says, “Stand up, do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:7)  Then the gospel continues on, “And when they raised their eyes they saw no one but Jesus.”  (Matthew 17:8)  Jesus then takes them back down the mountain and tells them not to speak of what they have witnessed until after the Resurrection.

In being allowed to witness The Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John learn a very important message in a very simple way.  And, in this simple lesson they have the key to Salvation.  Fear and respect God, and listen to Jesus, His Beloved Son.  I love simplicity!

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