Transfigured and Transformed - Follow Up

One of the readers of this blog has asked me to provide some insight into a few of my reflections in my latest post. So I thought I would make an addendum to my previous post to address the question that has been raised.

The reader states:  You wrote about denying ones "holy calling" and that pretty much hit straight into my heart and what you said of "if we stay in it we will never experience more gifts and blessings". Are you saying, we should leave places that are "good to be here" moments for the opportunity to be transformed? 

When I speak of the “holy calling” I am speaking of our dignity and gift of being a beloved Child of God. I know too often in my life I forget that I am holy and created in the image of God. I forget that I am on the road that leads to sainthood; that being a saint is my call today not an award in death. I find it is sometimes too easy to deny this “holy calling” and simply “fit in”. Transformation continually draws me closer to Christ, his truths and the fullness of life that he desires for me. I know in my own journey there have been times that I have denied this by focusing on my self-serving wants instead of my relationships with others and my baptismal call of priest, prophet and king. Our “holy calling” demands us to be in relationship and to build the kingdom, this we must not deny or we are left alone trying to build a tent for an event that is over or afraid to come down the mountain and live our life transformed.

When I wrote about “if we stay in these good to be here moments we will never experience more gifts and blessings” I was speaking of those times that nourish us, encourage us and fan the flame within us that we wish would never end. These moments like the Transfiguration are short lived but have profound impacts on our life. Think about Peter, James and John in the amazing moment of the Transfiguration - they wanted it to be permanent, for it to be the way for life to be. As wonderful as what that would have been they would have missed walking deeper and further with Christ.

For example I was recently involved in a musical; it was an amazing experience. The weekend ended and I didn’t want it too, I wanted to stay in that moment and live it over and over again. It filled me up, it was a “good to be here” moment. However that weekend and production could not go on forever, what does go on forever is the impact it had on me and how it is challenging me to live that goodness in my reality of daily living. Another moment in my life that is a “good to be here” moment includes coffee with a good friend – the conversation is passionate and full. However if we remained having coffee forever we would never experience growth, challenges or new encounters to come back and share creating again a “good to be here” moment. A final example for me is Christmas. I love Christmas and as much as I would love for it to last forever I know that when the season ends I am challenged to live out the Christmas message in the non-Christmas days of the year and encounter Emmanuel in new ways. In doing so I am opened again for the beauty that is Christmas.

I have come to learn that Christ is constantly at work in our lives in the “good to be here” moments, in the tough moments, in the discerning, in the ordinary, in the grand, in the opprotunities to take a long look back, in our ministry, in the choosing to stay where we are because it is right, in the decisions that call us to make tough choices and so on. These moments shape our lives and our journey of faith so that we can live out our life vocations well, claim with dignity our “holy calling” and help others to claim their “holy calling” as well. We are called to be transformed letting the light of Christ imprint it’s self upon us so we may radiate Him each day, then those “good to be here” moments deepen the Christ event of where we are in this time and place.


I hope these further reflections clarify my take on our "holy calling" and our many "good to be here" moments. Thanks to the reader for asking the question.

Continued Lenten Blessings.