Apostles had a secret

If you're excited about a little secret, Jesus' friends must have had a really hard time keeping the secret He told them: In this week's Gospel (Luke 9:28-36), they find out Jesus is really God!

Jesus went up a mountain to pray with Peter, James and John. But as He prayed, Jesus' clothes got brighter and brighter, until He was so bright the Apostles couldn't look at Him! Moses and Elijah appeared next to Jesus, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my chosen Son. Listen to Him." Suddenly, the Apostles were alone with Jesus again, and He looked just like normal.

The Apostles' secret was like that. Peter, James and John were three of Jesus' best friends, so He showed them a peep at what He looked like as God -- bright as the sun, with famous people from the Bible like Moses and Elijah all around Him. Even better, God's voice told them from heaven that Jesus was the Son of God!

Some secrets are a little scary to keep. If you did something you know you'll get in trouble for, you probably feel awful until you tell a grownup. The Apostles' secret was a little like that, too: They knew if they told people that Jesus was God's Son, some people wouldn't believe them and might even hurt them. That was scary!

Telling a secret always feels great, just because you don't have to worry about keeping it any more. After Jesus was transfigured (showed that He was God), the Apostles must have been bursting to tell everyone -- and much later, when it was okay to tell, they must have felt wonderful!

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK: Jesus, help me tell secrets as soon as it's the right time! Amen.