Glimpses of Transfiguration

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is from Luke 9:28-36 – the Transfiguration passage. This is a very familiar one – I remember hearing it as mass from the time I was very young. One thing that stood out to me then, but less so now, is Peter’s blabbering about building tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Peter just saw Jesus transfigured, with Moses and Elijah, and he says ‘let us build some tents for you’! What’s up with that? Well, now I realize that was just Peter’s style, his tendency, and that’s OK. As I read it this morning, this line stuck with me:

Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory

Heavy with sleep – too much work and not enough sleep; too many of life’s worries on their minds; lacking the energy or the motivation to stay fully engaged in the moment. I can identify with those conditions. They sound all too familiar, in fact.

But they kept awake – they intentionally tried to stay awake, alert, and mindful. There are plenty of times when the people I love have important things to express to me at times when I am mentally somewhere else. I know those are important times, and I try to give them my full attention. Try is the key word there, because I’m not always successful in doing that.

And they saw his glory – they saw God’s glory in Jesus; they saw something deeper than appearances; they saw God’s presence. When I’m more mindful of others, I see glimpses of God’s glory shining through them. It’s a wonderful thing, that moment of transfiguration; and it can happen all the time if I keep an awareness of God’s presence in the world. When…. It can… If….

But how do I know if it’s God’s glory and presence I’m seeing? I’m reminded of Potter Stewart's observation: ‘I know it when I see it’. It’s easier to recognize God’s presence some days than others, but the better days are most always those that also have better prayer. Isn’t it through prayer that I come to know God better?  And the better days are when I am not so focused on myself, but on others.

So this Gospel passage on the Transfiguration reminds me that I can see a transfiguration in people around me every day. Sometimes it’s more obvious than others, and it’s there even when I don’t have the eyes to see it.

Comments

[cranky]

Is a transfiguration of persons the same thing that happened here? I've seen people change in fits and starts, but I've seen them so changed the glory shone through. Or are you speaking analogously?

Of course, you could be running with a better crowd of people.

[Paul Martin]

Nice application of the text to life. I have to say though, that you raise the question of what knowledge of God would be, given that I just posted on what we see as grounds for belief, which I found challenging enough!

[Caitlin]

Thanks for the write up. It's important to remember to see the face of God in everyone that we meet. Peace.

[KiwiNomad06]

Yet again you write something that inspires.
"It’s easier to recognize God’s presence some days than others, but the better days are most always those that also have better prayer. Isn’t it through prayer that I come to know God better? And the better days are when I am not so focused on myself, but on others."

I have sometimes been using the link you give to the pray-as-you-go website. Somehow I find it easier to listen to someone's voice than to read. Lots of days I just experience my usual hang-ups over whether God is even there or not.

But I am a "day ahead" of you here. So we had the reading that was full of statements about forgiving others, not judging etc, and that God was like that. I was using the website this morning. Today I knew I had a new pupil starting in my class, and it seemed like perhaps they would not be easy to manage. Sometimes just one child can bring so much extra stress, that it can be hard not to feel a little resentful. But I felt quite peaceful after praying with today's reading, and was ready to go to school and welcome the new child. It was a good day. There was an attitude of forgiveness and not-judging in my heart before I started it.

Now about the other days when I just feel totally lost and as if God is not there at all......

[Steve Bogner]

Hi cranky - Well, I didn't intend to write about change itself, or change in others, but in our own choices to see God's face in others. That was, I think, the motivation behind the words.

Paul - Grounds for belief, yes I assumed that here. I'll try to make it over today to contribute to the discussion.

Caitlin - You are very welcome; thanks for dropping by and for starting the Catholic wiki (great idea!)

Hi Kiwi! Pray-as-you-go is a great website/podcast (http://www.pray-as-you-go.org for those interested). And I think prayer in the morning is a great way to orient us in the right direction for the day; it does make a difference.

[jim]

If we're going to look for God's glory in others, then we might also try to understand humanity in others at the same time. Too often "we" give too little space when it comes to judging what doesn't come from our own perspective.

As always, great thoughts in this post, Steve.....

[Jon Capen]

I was wondering if our present culture is heavy with sleep?

With cable t.v., the internet, computer programs, video games, satellite radio, cellphones, text messaging, etc.. I get the sense that we are continually absorbing and being absorbed by technology and as a result we're becoming spiritually groggy.

Personally, I can see the logic in a world distracted by their own technological creations.

If the objective of the enemy of God is to seperate man from God and to prove that man is not worthy of God's love what better way than to have man ignore God's call for the sake of his own self interests.

What's frightening is that the world knows of the Lord's existence. Salvation is readily attainable, but, for many they become lost in a sea of pixels and megabytes.

The importance of "Staying awake" has been a lesson repeated throughout the Gospel. And, I believe, in our present culture that it is a challenge to stay awake because of all the techological indulgences. How many are aware that they're being called to stay awake?

How can we see God's glory if our focus is on our Ipod?