DEACON TOM ANTHONY

Monday, February 25, 2013



THE POWER OF THE TRANSFIGURATION


My Brothers in Christ,

The Transfiguration was a powerful event that revealed exactly who Jesus was to Peter, John, and James. It gave them strength and courage in preparation for Jesus' coming Passion. It also gave them a glimpse of Jesus' divinity; leaving no doubt in their minds that he was to son of God. They would be able to look back at this event in times of crisis to garner hope. Just like all of us, the disciples on that mountain needed validation in their ministry and in their lives. Doubt can be a powerful inhibitor and it can take a lot of strength to overcome it.

Our journey through Lent is still very young. There are five more weeks until we can fully experience the Easter Joy. This is why we find that the Transfiguration is the Gospel Reading this Sunday. We are all facing our own struggles this season and have entered into a period of serious examination that can produce a lot of guilt and doubts of our own. Our faith demands that we continuously judge our own conduct and make the changes necessary to live a good Christian Life. During Lent we are reminded that being a Christian is a transforming experience. We are always in a state of renewal and rebirth. This is especially true as we prepare for the Easter Joy. But to truly celebrate the Resurrection we must first experience The Passion. Each of these are joined together forever.

With this in mind we are all place upon that mountain to witness The Transfiguration. There was a reason why Peter, John, and James were chosen to witness this and we should take comfort in the fact that we have been chosen to meditate on it also. The event is mentioned in three of the Gospels which increases its relevance. Nothing in Sacred Scripture is mentioned without a reason and when it is repeated the emphasis of importance cannot be overestimated. We are given a glimpse of the Resurrection and Jesus' divinity at a time when we are asked to focus on his human nature and suffer with him. We are reminded that any suffering experienced will not be forever and will pass as we journey for something far greater and eternal.
We have been chosen by God and have been given this gift. Each of us are given the opportunity to be witnesses of Christ's eternal presence. We need to embrace this completely if we want to be transformed by this relationship. We need to further commit ourselves to the Christian Experience by accepting the consequences of our discipleship. These consequences include abiding by Christ's teachings, surrendering ourselves to his will, and letting Christ mold our lives. What we receive in return is a fuller understanding of our creator and true happiness.

In this world we all risk the danger of being lost. We need to stay connected with the physical and the spiritual. These can never be separated. Even though society encourages the separation it must be understood that this is the work of Satan. You cannot separate creation from its creator. If this happens, true happiness and understanding cannot be achieved. Society has been trying to do this for thousands of years and has never succeeded. Success can only be achieved through Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Tom



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