Transfiguration

So, today the Gospel reading in Church was the Transfiguration of Jesus.  (Mark 9:2-10)  The deacon spoke today and started out with a little history lesson before asking the congregation how often we are transfigured in our lifetime.  I think that everyone's mind was saying, "That has never, and probably will never happen to me."  But the deacon continued:  When you are baptized, your are wearing a "dazzling white" garment and your body and spirit are cleansed and transformed.  Every time you receive the Eucharist, your body and spirit are transformed.  When you are married, the bride is in a "dazzling white" garment and two lives become one.  The lives of the bride and groom are transformed.  A person receiving Holy Orders does so in a "dazzling white" garment and their body and spirit are transformed.  Finally, after you die, a "dazzling white" garment is placed over the coffin to prepare you for the journey of transformation into eternal life.

Wow.  There are all of these opportunities to be transformed in body and spirit in my life.  All of these small transformations lead up to eternal life.  I go through a pilgrimage of small transformations before reaching my final destination.  Today I am going to focus my prayer and meditation on this verse: "And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them."  What a beautiful sight.  But, this sight is no longer so far out of reach.  I recall my own baptism, approaching the Eucharistic table as I have so many times in my life, and the preparations I am going through to be a bride in "dazzling white"  in only a couple months.