I believe that each one of us have our own “moments of transfiguration”, moments in which we see or feel the very presence of God. They are moments when, “deep inside” we come to know with certainty that God is present...that God is real.
These moments of awareness hold the potential to transfigure our lives into something new, something wonderful. The great challenge is to learn “to live out of” these transfiguration moments... keeping these moments alive in our hearts and minds allowing them to deepen our understanding that we are all formed in the image and likeness of God, and that the very Spirit of the Living God dwells within each one of us!
Each one of us carries within us experiences of the tenderness, mercy and love of God. Too often it is the chaos of our lives that “dim” the luminous moments of encounter with our God...and we forget we ever had them in the midst of the rush and busyness of our daily lives.
This Gospel we hear today, calls us to step back to reengage those moments of grace when we realized God’s ever- presence in our lives...when we realize that we are not alone... that there is something more to life...more than what we can
see or touch...more than we can imagine...”God moments”! When was my last “God moment”? How was I transfigured by that moment, and how does it impact my discipleship and what does it call me to in the world today?
In the midst of reflecting on the glory of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ, we also have to take a moment to reflect, on this the 78th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on the growing threat of the proliferation nuclear weapons in our world and the very real and present danger it presents for the future existence humanity and our of our planet.
We along with other nations have committed ourselves to a moratorium on the proliferation of nuclear weapons and we must work to make sure that agreements such as the New START Treaty remain in place and are adhered to by all parties. And we much work with other countries around the world to bring into line those nations that are outside accepted and agreed upon restrictions for the production and use of nuclear arms.
Let us pray that we may never see another horrendous mass destruction of human life as we witnessed 78 years ago at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And may all the souls lost on those two days and the months and years following, rest in peace. And may all of the survivors and those affected by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki find healing and peace and may their lives be transfigured by God’s amazing grace. For this let us pray to the Lord.
Blessings,
Fr Tim