Above, you see Raphael’s great work, The Transfiguration. In the upper half, Christ is revealed in glory on the mountain, His face shining like the sun. Below, the scene is very different—a father kneels before Jesus, begging for the healing of his suffering son. Raphael paints these two moments together to show us a truth: the same Lord who reigns in glory also stoops down to meet us in our deepest need.
This lower scene comes from Matthew 17:14-20, this Sunday’s gospel reading. A desperate father kneels before Jesus and pleads, “Lord, have pity on my son… often he falls into fire, and often into water.” He has already sought help from the disciples, but they could not cure him. Still, he does not give up. He brings his son to the One who can.
Jesus does not turn him away. He takes pity on him, rebukes the demon, and the boy is cured from that very hour. This is a reminder to us as mothers: when we pray for our children—whether for their health, holiness, or healing from wounds we cannot see—Jesus hears us. His heart is moved by our love and our faith.
Our part is to pray, to trust, and to wait. Sometimes the waiting is long, but the promise remains. The same Lord who shone in glory on the mountain still meets us in the valley, ready to work in ways we cannot imagine.
Let us remember His words: “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Mrs. Dania C. Michael, O.P.
Homeschool Support
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
