'The Transfiguration [which we celebrate tomorrow] reveals that for those who are in Christ there is the potential to set free the divine inside of us, to allow that which shapes us like our DNA to become more and more visible,' writes James Crampsey SJ.

The reaction of the apostles in today's #gospel is described by Matthew: ‘they were terrified, saying “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear’.

‘How could such an experience of crisis, emotional upheaval, disease and isolation set Miriam on a path towards a sabbath-like consolation?’ #firstreading.

It is attractive to see the details in the account of Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee, which we hear from Matthew today, as clues that point to the passage describing an appearance of the risen Jesus:

Tomorrow we celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration, an event that reveals that God has shaped and continues to shape Jesus in an extraordinary way: 

In Numbers 12, from which our first reading comes today, we find a gripping story about Moses, Aaron and Miriam all hotly engaging with each other, and God, in a complex mix of power struggle, emotional outbursts, disease, isolation – even spitting.

The reassurance of Jesus to the terrified disciples in the boat in today's #gospel is similar to the various ways in which he dispelled the fears of his followers when he first appeared to them after his resurrection:

Jesus Our Priest: #feast #JohnVianney.

Today we observe the feast of St John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests. ‘In the daily rhythm of receiving and being given, the priest allows himself to be shaped by the ebb and flow of grace, alive in the rhythm of the Spirit breathing in him.’

Dating, faith and the journey to self-discovery:

When Peter sinks into the waves after he walks on the water in Tuesday's gospel, Jesus uses a word that Matthew is the evangelist to include:

The Last Supper, crucifixion, resurrection and exaltation into glory unquestionably formed the defining moments in Christ’s exercise of his #priesthood. Yet the years of his public ministry should also be recognised as priestly: #feast #JohnVianney.

How would a modern dater’s approach to relationships change if they saw the face of God in each profile they scrolled through, in every blind date, and every time they looked in the mirror? The latest episode of Things I Wish I Knew tackles modern dating:

A word which only Matthew uses of the disciples is oligopistoi, which means ‘people of little faith’. We hear it in tomorrow's gospel:

Reading for today's feast of St John Vianney: Gerry O’Collins SJ shared some thoughts on the priesthood of Christ, as understood by Paul, and considers how ordained ministry continually draws on aspects of Christ’s priesthood.

James Hanvey SJ describes how the life of a #priest is shaped by the relationships to which he is committed, yet is characterised always by the mysterious surrender of himself to the life of the Church. #feast #JohnVianney.

Flannery O’Connor, who died on 3 August 1964, was a celebrated but divisive author whose stories are notorious for both their violence and their religiosity. #onthisday.

How much do you know about the American Catholic author whose body of work, although small, has influenced artists from Quentin Tarantino to Bruce Springsteen?

4 August is the feast of the patron saint of parish priests, St John Vianney. Find reading about priesthood in our archive, including articles by Bishop Greg O'Kelly SJ, Gerry O'Collins SJ, James Hanvey SJ and Bernard Sesboüé SJ.

Flannery O’Connor’s ‘Sacred Monstrosity’: #anniversary.