The Transfiguration of Christ is a message to us that unless we reflect God’s countenance, we cannot bring Christ to people who truly need Him: the poor, the sick, the hungry. While we recognize suffering Christ in our brethren, we should represent the compassionate Christ to them.
The joy or initial rush of enthusiasm we sense at conversion must continue as we grapple with future hurdles. We have to pick ourselves up every time we fall, every time we meet with trials set for our own spiritual edification, to at last earn the true joy of attaining the kingdom of heaven.
When we are granted the grace of understanding the worth of heaven, as a gift or by working toward it, we recognize the value of the kingdom of heaven and are ready to give up all for it. While toiling for our Lord, we understand that the good and the bad must coexist on earth, both deserving of Christian compassion, until the final judgement.
That good and evil exist in this world together is a reality. Instead of fixating on uprooting the evil in the world, we need to allow God’s will to unfold in its fullness and focus on uprooting the evil within us.
In his impatience, man attempts to root out evil altogether, forgetting that evil and good exist in the same space. But God waits patiently until the weeds can be removed without hurting the good crop, and the end result is the fulfilment of God’s plan for His kingdom.
We must necessarily work on our spiritual lives and not just attempt to improve the material aspect of our lives. In doing so, we will follow the Lord as He wants us to and transform the world as well.
The Parable of the Sower helps us understand that we all go through various stages in our spiritual growth, where we may be unreceptive to the truth; then accept it for a while but not act on it because of persecution or the cares of the world; and, finally, when we open our hearts to God and accept His way wholeheartedly.
Rest is essential for every human being. Finding our rest in the Lord, in the Scriptures and the Eucharist, especially on the Sabbath, is a far more fulfilling and spiritually edifying experience than any purely human act of self-indulgence in the guise of respite.
It is only in humility that we can see God, we have the truest experience of the Father through Jesus. Let us not fall into the trap of prideful “wisdom” that will only lead to our spiritual ruination.
Answering the call to one’s vocation is indeed answering the call to embrace true freedom. Jesus challenges us to hold His commands above all else, including familial ties and demands. In carrying our cross willingly, we find easiest the path to the Kingdom.