Life is filled with ups and downs. Sometimes we feel like we’re on top of the world and other times like we’re in a deep hole. In today’s gospel, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John literally to the “top of the the mountain.” In a miraculous event, the apostles get a glimpse of the glory of Jesus. They will need to remember this vision in just a few weeks when they are confronted with the image of Jesus on the cross. On the mount of the transfiguration, they are sure that Jesus is God. But a few weeks later on Mount Calvary, they seem to forget. Amid these ups and downs, we are called to have a faith that is secure.
One of the blessings of having been in a relationship a long time is that you’ve gone through a lot of these ups and downs and they don’t seem as extreme; they don’t phase you as much. You just know that you won’t always be down and that even the times of elation are fleeting. It’s more even keel. Our relationship with God is meant to endure in much the same way. What develops is trust. You learn to trust that God is there even in the valley.
In our first reading today, we see how Abraham had this kind of trust. It looks like God just asks him out of the blue to sacrifice his son, something that seems incredible. But Abraham and God go way back. They have a relationship. Abraham has learned to trust God, often learning the hard way. He’s willing to trust, and God praises him for “not withholding” even the person he loved most. Do we trust God this much? Maybe ask yourself, “What am I withholding from God?”