Contemplate, Listen, Walk: August 6, 2025

Contemplate. In today’s world, full of noise and distractions, it is increasingly difficult to hear the voice of God; the voice of Christ can be obscured and ignored. Amid so many voices calling us, our mission is to listen to the voice of the Lord, who speaks to us in his Word, in prayer, in the liturgy and beyond it, in the community, in fraternity, in chapters, in study, in obedience, in brothers and sisters, in families, in young people, in those who do not know God, in those who distance themselves from God.

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Contemplate, Listen, Walk toward the Cross

“Mysteries of joy, sorrow, glory, and light” in our lives […].Hope is Christ in us.
— cf. Col 1:27

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord, a luminous mystery that invites us to contemplate the glory of Christ, to listen to His voice, and to follow Him faithfully.

1. Contemplate the Glory of Christ in prayer. A moment of solitude with the Father, of closeness to Him, of openness to the divine mystery. Jesus ascends the mountain with Peter, John, and James, not to show His glory, but to pray. And it is “while He was praying” that His face changes and His clothes become resplendent. A particular aspect that Saint Luke reveals to us for contemplating the Transfiguration of the Lord is that it occurs in a context of prayer, that is, in intimate union with the Father. Prayer and hope. Pope Francis said: “Prayer leads you forward in hope, and when things become dark, more prayer is needed! And there will be more hope” (General Audience, January 18, 2017).

Prayer transforms, transfigures, Jesus is transfigured while praying. What is our prayer like? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by it? Prayer is not just asking, but entering into communion with God, allowing ourselves to be illuminated by his light.

2. Listening. Peter, impressed, proposes making three tents. He would like to stay there, in contemplation, in the light, in security. But the cloud envelops them, and from it the Father’s voice is heard: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to Him.” This command is the heart of the Transfiguration. It is not enough to see Jesus in glory; we must listen to Him, follow Him, obey Him. And that implies accepting his path, which involves surrender, suffering, and the cross. The Passion of Christ is illuminated by the glory of God, and thus, the Passion is transformed into light, into freedom, into joy, that is, into hope. Saint Leo the Great says that “the Transfiguration was intended to remove the scandal of the Cross from the hearts of the disciples… and at the same time it gave a foundation to the hope of the Church” (Sermon 51; LH II).

In today’s world, full of noise and distractions, it is increasingly difficult to hear the voice of God; the voice of Christ can be obscured and ignored. Amid so many voices calling us, our mission is to listen to the voice of the Lord, who speaks to us in his Word, in prayer, in the liturgy and beyond it, in the community, in fraternity, in chapters, in study, in obedience, in brothers and sisters, in families, in young people, in those who do not know God, in those who distance themselves from God. Listening to Jesus means accepting His message of love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and hope. We are called to listen to Jesus, to allow ourselves to be transformed by his love, and to be bearers of hope in a world in need of light. Called to be light, called to be a light that illuminates, not a light that dazzles. A light that teaches, that guides, that speaks the truth in charity, so that our life and our conduct may be light.

Follow Him and preach Him. The salvation of souls demands that we bring each person to an encounter with Christ, that we help them hear His voice, and that we accompany them on the journey toward the cross and resurrection. We cannot remain in comfortable contemplation. Authentic spiritual experience impels us to mission, not isolation.

For the Order of Preachers, whose purpose is nothing less than the salvation of souls. The Transfiguration reminds us that preaching is not only teaching, but the radiance of light. The preacher, like the three disciples, must ascend the mountain of prayer, contemplate the face of Christ, listen to His voice, and then descend with fire in His heart to proclaim Him to the world. We do not preach ideas, but the beloved Son. We do not seek to convince, but to ignite. We’re not content with shaping minds, but with transforming lives.

May this solemnity renew our desire to be transfigured by its light, so that we too, like Peter, John, and James, may say: “How good it is to be here,” without forgetting that true glory is achieved by coming down from the mountain and walking with Jesus toward Jerusalem.

Hope. Saint Dominic was called to enter the house of the Father on August 6, 1221, a few months after the Second General Chapter of the Order was held in Bologna. Our brother Friar Gerard sent us a letter in 2020, which begins: O Spem miram! O admirable hope! That is to say, this hymn is a hymn of hope that reminds us of the moment when Saint Dominic died and the moment when the friars mourned his passing. Friar Dominic ignited hope in the hearts of his friars with his commitment to remain with them, with us through his prayer. But the presence of his brothers gathered at the moment of his departure also gave Friar Dominic hope. Friar Gerard says, “The presence of the brothers and the presence promised by Dominic beyond death gave each of them hope and comfort” […]. They are a sign of hope! […] You, dear brothers and sisters, are a sign of hope for the Church and the human family when you strive to satisfy the “hungers” intensified by the pandemic: hunger for the Eucharist (and for the sacraments), hunger for solidarity and compassion, hunger for food and drink […] Hope is the certainty that God remains present in the “mysteries of joy, sorrow, glory, and light” of our lives […]. Hope is Christ in us” (cf. Col 1:27).

“Lord, transfigure our hearts, so that we may know how to see you in prayer, listen to you in life, and follow you with love to the cross and the resurrection. And make us preachers of your light, for the salvation of souls.”

Amen.

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