TRANSFIGURATION 4.

“…and a cloud came and covered them, and they were filled with fear,” and a voice was heard from the cloud saying: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him.”

In the Scriptures, the cloud is called the ‘Shekinah’ when it represents, shows, indicates the ‘the Presence and Glory of God.’ The ‘shekinah’ on the Tent of meeting means that God is present, and Christ was the Holy Tent, on whom the Shekinah rested and overshadowed all those present.

In the Old Testament the ‘shekinah’ rested on the tabernacle , constructed by Moses. There was the presence of God through the two stone tablets of His commandments. Again we find the ‘shekinah’ which rested on the tree we commonly know as ‘the burning bush’, which looked so bright, like the sun, but did not burn or consume the tree.

In the desert the ‘shekinah’, in the shape of a bright cloud led the Israelites in the night through the desert. In the New Testament we find the ‘shekinah’ during the Annunciation of Mary, as we read: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”

The Holy Cloud, the ‘Shekinah’ is the visible sign of God’s presence, it is hiding the actual presence of God, as can be seen by the human eye, yet it is indicating His presence. The ‘overshadowing’ of Mary is found again during Christ’s Baptism in the Jordan and in His Transfiguration.

In the Annunciation, Mary became the Holy, living Tent wherein God made man, made His abode. Yes, here we have a clear reference to the Blessed Trinity; God, the Father promises to His Son, Jesus Christ, the throne of David His father, that will last forever, and all this came about through the work of the Holy Spirit.

For all those who are called, Jews or Gentiles, the Kingdom of God is found in the Trasfiguration of Christ … (and ours)* and Christ referred to the Witnesses from the Old Testament; the Law and the Prophets, that He had to undergo the Passion and Death on the Cross … so that we can begin to understand something about the Mystery of Christ.

(and ours)*, because each and every one of us has to participate to the full, in the Passion and Death of Jesus, till the last breath of life … it is THEN that we can experience what Peter, James and John have experienced. That would be our Transfiguration.

From the Writings of Pope Benedict XVI

TRANSFIGURATION 3 cont.

Up there, Christ’s clothes became white as snow. Saint Mark remarks that no human could wash so clean as to produce such whiteness, as Christ’s clothes appeared.

Saint Matthew tells us that His face shone like the sun. And who can look at the brightness of the sun ? Whilst His clothes became as white as the light. But Saint Luke was the only one to tell us that Jesus went up there ‘to pray’. So that must have been a ‘Praying Session’. We have it recorded in the Gospel that ‘whilst he was praying His face changed.’
Should we not stop and meditate on this last sentence; ‘‘whilst he was praying His face changed.’’

Does my face ever shine when I pray ? I have to be honest and say: “Unfortunately, never.” But what does that mean ? Let each one of us examine his / her conscience. How often during the day we try to find a good, a likely place from where to answer our mobile to get a clear reception, not to miss a word of the message coming in, we silence everyone around us as we can’t hear clearly … and the rest.

Do we behave like that when we are praying, when we are trying to be in contact with God the Creator; at home, at church, anywhere? Do we really strive to concentrate. Even at the beginning of Mass, the Celebrant invites us with the words: “Lift up your hearts to God”, which means shut out the world completely, now you are in contact with God Almighty. Numerous and various are the answers, or should I say excuses given … but HE knows the truth.

During the Transfiguration Christ, in contact with God the Father, He became as white light, so now we underdstand it better when we say: “Light of Light, begotten not made”.

Coming down the mountain Moses’ face shone brightly, as he was face to face with God … the same happened on the Sinai. To indicate this artists draw sort of rays coming out of Moses’ forehead. We find it even in Michelangelo’s Moses, at the Vatican, as if he has two white horns coming out of his head.But forgetting these secondary details, the light on the face of Moses came from an outside source; from Christ, God-man. Whilst, the light that made Christ’s face, seeming to shine like the sun, was Light from Light.

Saint John was there, and later on he wrote in Revelations the reason why the clothes were white, “…because they were washed in the blood of the Lamb.”
Through the Sacrament of Baptism we were partakers of the Passion of Christ, and through the merits of the Passion we were cleansed, purified, we regained the state of purity we had enjoyed before the original sin … for that reason we put on a white dress on the baby to be baptized. We dress the baby in Christ, in Light.

Coming down the mountain Jesus was conversing with Moses and Eliah about His earthly Exodus. The death of Christ in Jerusalem was the exodus of Jesus from this earth. This was the passage of the Red Sea of His Blood. This ‘Pasch’, passage, was to lead Jesus to Glory where he still bears the marks of His wounds.

Adapted from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI

TRANSFIGURATION   2 cont.

“Jesus took with Him, Peter, James and John, and went on a mountain (hill) to pray.”
Reading and praying the Scripture we are bound to meet with many mountains, or hills, or a rising. In fact the word ambone is derived from the Greek words ‘ambo’ which means a small rising in the ground, a hillock if you want. From there we get the word ‘ambone’, because most times Jesus used to go on an ‘ambone’ to teach.

Going back to the mountains we find, in the Old Testament; Mount Horeb, Mount Sinai, Mount Moriah where Abraham had to sacrifice his son Isaac, the Mount of the Beatitudes, Jesus used to go up on a mount to pray, the Trials of Jesus took place on a mount, Jesus Himself used to teach the crowd from a mount, the Transfiguration took place on a mount, the Agony in the Garden was on a mount, the Crucifixion was on Mount Golgotha, and finally Jesus went up to Heaven from a mount.

Now, why is it that a mountain is always related to Prayer, Teaching, Suffering, Sacrifices, with Glory and Revelations ?
The reason is found in the symbolism of the mountain in the Jewish, particularly, and other Cultures. Because of its nature, the mountain always offers a ‘challenge’, to conquer its peak, to aspire upwards, both internally and externally.

Reaching the top, psychologically means, that you are free from the world, below, from everyday life. Reaching the summit means breathing more freely, fresh clean air, where you feel much better, inhaling pure air.

From on top you can see clearer, you get a better idea of the world below, you see life in a better perspective. You can now see creation in all its beauty and majesty. Now, you feel you are closer to the Creator. They used to believe that dialogue is better from this vantage point; He can hear you better, and you can hear Him clearer. The message should get through.

All this belief has been strengthened, underlined, supported by History; from up there God spoke to His children, on top of Mount Moriah Abraham was ready to offer up his son, Isaac, Moses received the Decalogue, Moses and Eliah were both privileged to receive Revelations. On top of the mountain Christ experienced His dialogue with the Father during His prayer sessions, and on top of Golgotha Christ offered Himself in the supreme Sacrifice; His Crucifixion.

Adapted from the teachings of Pope Benedict XVI

THE TRANSFIGURATION

According to the English Dictionary; transfiguration means a change in form or shape. In the case of Jesus it was ‘a spiritual change of the His form’ But, what does that actually mean ?

The change did take place … not in Jesus Himself, but in the eyes, in the mind, the spirit of the beholders; of Peter, James and John. They saw Jesus just as He always looked, as He always was. But this form was hidden from the eyes of all.

If the crowd who followed Jesus; the Pharisees, the priests and the rest saw Jesus as He was visible to Peter, James and John, for sure they would have all followed Him without arguing. BUT, this was part of the ‘Messianic Secret’. No Jesus wanted to convince people and make them realise that they should follow Him not because of the wonders He worked, of any miracles, of any feeding, but through conviction..

As a matter of fact, we know that very often, after most of the healing miracles, Jesus’ words were always: “Go, do not sin again, do not tell any one.”

During His Public Ministry, till His glorious death on the Cross, Jesus was conscious of the Glory that awaited Him after His last declaration to His Father, in modern phrase: ‘Mission accomplished’, in His own words: ‘Consumatum est’.

When the traitor, Judas of Kerioth left the Upper Room, during the Last Supper, Jesus told His friends: “Now, the Son of man will be glorified.” We have to keep in mind that the disciples’ mental state was such, that they had to see to believe. Let’s not be rash and blame them, let’s not forget the culture, teachings, experiences and expectations over the years that they were expecting a messiah to deliver them from the political domination … of the Romans.

All this happened on top of a mountain, and Jesus told them not to tell anyone because He wanted to strengthen the faith of the others with the humility of His humanity. For those, only who believe in the Son of God, might, deserve to see God face to face.

We, today, still experience the Transfiguration through the Church, to strengthen our Faith. Christ is still living in the Church, but He is hiding His glory under a ‘veil’; the veil that is covering the ‘mysteries’. Christ is hiding the majesty of His power, His grace and His glory, under symbolic signs and gestures.

If we partake, wholly, totally, till death, in the Passion of Christ, then it would be possible to experience the beauty and glory of that Transfiguration, as experienced by Peter, James and John.

NO MATTER THE MAYHEM, PRAYER AND THE GOSPEL AND FAITH CAN DRAW DOWN A BUFFER OF PROTECTION AROUND US

When God wants to intervene, He can put a "buffer" around us. He can shield us from anything. It doesn't matter what that "anything" is.
• During the bombing of Hiroshima, a small group of Jesuits somehow survived in the no-survival zone near that ground zero, within four miles, without even radiation sickness.

• Many don't know that terrorists linked to al Qaeda tried to kill John Paul II during a trip to the Philippines in 1995. Their plot was foiled when explosives mysteriously caught fire in an apartment, exposing the plot (and killing one would-be assassin).

• Look at how Our Lady protected the Pope during that other attempt on his life. The bullet entered and moved through his body missing vital vessels and organs in a medically inexplicable way.

• During 9/11, there was a man who fell more than twenty stories during the collapse of the north tower; as he prayed it was as if he were surfing down the debris on the back of what he said felt like the cushioning of an angel.

• In Wisconsin, the worst wildfire in U.S. history (incinerating an area of 1.2 million acres) left a small plot of land set aside to honor an apparition of the Blessed Mother totally unscathed. It was an oasis of green in an ocean of ash! (Another item that survived: a wooden tabernacle down near a river where all else was blackened.)

• In Florida, a female student survived a rampage by notorious serial killer Ted Bundy, who murdered other girls in her sorority house but stopped in his tracks upon entering her room. He later said a mysterious forcestopped him. She was saying the Rosary.

• During Hurricane Charley, a tabernacle somehow made it through fully intact in a Punta Gorda, Florida,church that otherwise was totally destroyed (by both wind and water; the tabernacle candle remained lit!).

• In the Soviet Union, an imprisoned Catholic activist was saved by an appearance of the Blessed Mother, who warmed him in a freezing death cell. This too went beyond physical explanation (it was so cold the guards wore fur coats; he was turning stiff, stripped to his underwear).

• How many times -- after a storm or fire -- is there a story about statues or a Bible surviving, amid the wreckage, poking from the debris?

• And speaking of wreckage, many are those who have felt the presence of God and angels during what should have been fatal car accidents. There is even a case where a photograph showed what seemed like an angel in the twisted metal!

• As the Blessed Mother once said: "If you want to be stronger against evil, have an active conscience. For that, pray very much in the morning and read a passage from the Gospel. Plant the Divine Word in your heart and live it during the day, in this special way, in trials and in the evening, you will be very strong."
And so we can have faith: God knows no physical restrictions. He moves as He wills.
When we're on the other side, we'll appreciate why He does what He does, and we'll realize that this life is the wisp of a dream.

ST. Valentine’s Day
 

Why is it that so many people, young and old, seem to enjoy wishing ‘whoever’ a ‘Happy St.Valentine’s Day’. Nothing wrong in that, if anything one smiles whilst passing on this message. But have we ever stopped to think that Valentine Cards or Valentine Messages were not invented neither by the Americans, nor by any Europeans. Have you ever thought of that ?

The first Valentine Message was sent by your Father, my Father, by God the Father, when He sent us a ‘Bundle of Joy’, His own Son, Jesus, on Christmas Day. That Babe meant only one thing: “I LOVE YOU”. So you see, that was the first Valentine Message in the world, which now goes back well over 2,000 years. I wrote this just for the record, to put things straight.

MAY YOU ALL HAVE A VERY JOYFUL AND BLESSED VALENTINE’S DAY

RECALL NOTICE
This is totally amazing. Be sure to read it. Talk about clever and to the point!!!

RECALL NOTICE:
The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart.
This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been technically termed "Sub-sequential Internal Non-Morality," or more commonly known as S.I.N., as it is primarily expressed.

Some of the symptoms include:
1. Loss of direction
2. Foul vocal emissions
3. Amnesia of origin
4. Lack of peace and joy
5. Selfish or violent behavior
6. Depression or confusion in the mental component
7. Fearfulness
8. Idolatry
9. Rebellion

The Manufacturer, who is neither liable nor at fault for this defect, is providing factory-authorized repair and service free of charge to correct this defect.
The Repair Technician, JESUS, has most generously offered to bear the entire burden of the staggering cost of these repairs. There is no additional fee required.


The number to call for repair in all areas is: 16 18 01 25 05 18 (P-R-A-Y-E-R).
Once connected, please upload your burden of SIN through the REPENTANCE procedure. Next, download ATONEMENT from the Repair Technician, Jesus, into the heart component.

No matter how big or small the SIN defect is, Jesus will replace it with:
1. Love 2. Joy 3. Peace 4. Patience 5. Kindness 6. Goodness 7. Faithfulness 8. Gentleness
9. Self control

Please see the operating manual, the B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth) for further details on the use of these fixes.
WARNING: Continuing to operate the human being unit without correction voids any manufacturer warranties, exposing the unit to dangers and problems too numerous to list and will result in the human unit being permanently impounded. For free emergency service, call on Jesus.

DANGER: The human being units not responding to this recall action will have to be scrapped in the furnace. The SIN defect will not be permitted to enter Heaven so as to prevent contamination of that facility. Thank you for your attention!

- GOD

P.S. Please assist where possible by notifying others of this important recall notice, and you may contact the Father any time by 'Knee mail'!
Because He Lives!

HOW DOES GOD SPEAK TO US ? 2.

GOD SPEAKS TO US … in the flight of the birds ------ to their nests in batches speed------ when God, the signal gives ------ at the setting of the sun ------ from afar;------ from nooks and crannies in the rocks ------ from wire poles in fields ------- from the steeple high above ------ chirping and singing for all to hear ------ ‘Home let’s go, it’s time to sleep’ ------ then in chorus thank the Lord ------ for the day’s work, now is done ------ a great silence promptly falls ------ and all is hushed in the nests cosy and warm ------ But before rest, the evensong they sing ------ a chorus full that can be heard from all around ------ Praising the Lord ------ before the night creeps in ------ and stillness fills the air. Praise God with the birds. GOD SPEAKS TO US … in the gushing, gurgling stream ------ full of water fresh and clear ------ skipping and dancing from the rocks ------ which, our cleansing it recalls ------ at the font when we were babes ------ and the Door opened ------ to the Way leading to Life ------ and to His Love.------ For His providence, praise God.

GOD SPEAKS TO US … in the water of the pond ------ near palm trees built in fields ------ waiting for the farmer to lead it to the troughs ------ the seeds and fruit, their thirst to quench ------ the vine will change the water to red juice ------ and wine in turn to Jesus’ Sacred Blood ------ to give us life and strength in body and in soul.------ Praise the Lord oh vine ------ for you’ve been chosen by the Lord ------ the water… to red juice… to Blood is changed. ------ Praise God with the vine.

GOD SPEAKS TO US … in the trees ------ in the landscapes they adorn ------ with fruits and flowers full in bloom ------ a welcome shade ------ for weary farmers travellers alike ------a haven for the birds above ------ Praise God oh trees ------ Blessed are we when called to the Tree of Life ------ Blessed was the Tree ------ that the Saviour embraced ------ on the hill of Golgotha ------ Blessed was the tree ------ that with the Saviour’s Blood ------ Water In the shop at Nazareth ------ oh trees, Joseph and his Son you helped ------ a modest living to make ------ Praise God with all the trees.

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE

If the Lord does not build the house, in vain the workers toil.  If the Lord God does not guard the city, in vain the sentries watch.  Consequently, God's grace is indispensable for any work of ours, for without His grace we can do nothing.

Never think that God accepts anything that is evil.  God cannot want anything that goes against His will.  Everything happens according to His will, except what is evil, and His justice never fails to punish evil, be it ever so slight.

Virtue lies in the middle.  This means that you should do whatever is good, no more, no less.  Many do not persevere in doing good deeds because of their excesses, and they see themselves becoming worse.  Others fall into a vicious life because of their slackening in doing good.

Our human condition is very fickle.  At one time, you are healthy, at another you are ill; at one time calm, at another, irritable; at one time, you are happy, at another, sad; and so on.  Consequently, in whatever state you may find yourself, reflect that everything will pass away, but be afraid of sin, for in a moment wemay become demons, and in another instant we may become angels.

 From the Writings of St. George Preca, the Maltese Saint