The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.
Listening to the radio was one of the best pastimes I and my friends usually spent in my home province. We talked about the stories we heard – as if we were active participants and shapers of scenarios in the story. At some other time, debating on a particular topic consumed our entire afternoon. I still can recall vividly one of our most interesting discussions on selecting your future wife or husband. One of us will volunteer to provide the problem or situation. For instance, when you choose your future wife or husband, will it be someone who is good looking or beautiful but with undesirable attitude; or the other way around, ugly but with good character and attitude? After our long discussion and debate, the person who provided the case made his/her position. For this particular case, the answer was, character and attitude can be changed but there is no hope to change an ugly face.
This idea might be true twenty years ago but does not hold true today. The advent of technology, plastic surgery or altering and enhancing some parts of our body can be done easily especially if one has the financial resources. There are pros and cons that go with it; the discussion requires another avenue of expression. My simple point is, there are different ways and means for change to happen. And it should not be limited to the physical aspect of our humanity nor to prioritize the external over the internal dimension of our being.
Michael Kent succinctly put it in this way: Everyone is unimaginably complex; there is always more to us than what is visible. Our purpose in life is to let our complexity unfold. While we all have our own pace, it is our destiny to achieve the fullness of humanity in our lifetime. The possibilities for our development are beyond measure. We become “transfigured” as we achieve more and more our potential and let the best in us shine through. Every day presents a new opportunity to expand our horizons, develop new talents, better ourselves and the lives of the people we love around us. Divine-like qualities of expanded vision, unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness, and wisdom are waiting to be revealed in us.
Indeed, the transfiguration of Jesus is an invitation for all us to live a meaningful life. This journey might not be easy because it will demand from us the process of self-denial, selfemptying, and self-sacrifice as Jesus did. Paradoxically, it is the means for us to see through these events that by being for others and with others we can uniquely see the divine presence in a humble way. The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.
Santuario de San Antonio Parish 