CONTEMPLATE THE TRANSFIGURED FACE OF CHRIST IN THE DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM - YOU WILL FEEL THE JOY OF THE RESURRECTION. INVITED TO FOLLOW CHRIST IN HIS PASSOVER BY AN ACT OF COMPLETE SELF-DENIAL. CHRIST DID NOT DESIRE DEATH FOR ITSELF, HE PASSED THROUGH IT AS A SHINING EXPRESSION OF HIS LOVE WHICH GAVE BIRTH TO HIS RESURRECTED LIFE. IF YOU ARE CALLED TO DIE TO YOURSELF, IT IS SO THAT YOU CAN SHARE IN THIS NEW LIFE OF THE GLORIFIED JESUS. THIS IS WHY, BEFORE YOU ENTER THE MYSTERY OF SALVATION, IT IS GOOD TO CONTEMPLATE JESUS IN HIS TRANSFIGURATION. HERE HE HAS GIVEN YOU A FORETASTE OF HIS PASCHAL GLORY, EVEN NOW ON YOUR NATURAL LIFE. IF YOU DO NOT ENJOY THE GLORY OF EASTER IN PRAYER, YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE WILL REMAIN HARSH AND TENSE. TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE TRANSFIGURATION YOU COULD REREAD LUKE 9:28-36, STOPPING AFTER EACH SENTENCE TO LET THE WORDS SINK ONE BY ONE INTO YOUR HEART. LOOK AT A PAINTING OF THE TRANSFIGURED CHRIST, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO A BYZANTINE ICON. BUT BEYOND THIS, PUT YOUR INWARD GAZE ON JESUS HIMSELF, SHINING WITH THE GLORY OF THE FATHER. MAY THE HOLY SPIRIT ENLIGHTEN YOUR EYES SO THAT YOU MAY CONTEMPLATE THE FACE OF CHRIST. YOU HAVE TO TEAR AWAY THE VEIL OF WORDS AND IDEAS TO REACH THE HEART OF REALITY. THIS IS A GRACE YOU MUST ASK FOR CONSTANTLY, PRAYING INTENSELY. IT WAS WHEN CHRIST WAS PRAYING THAT HIS FACE BECAME TRANSFIGURED. HE LIVED IN SUCH A CLOSE AND LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER THAT IT SHONE OUT OPENLY AND LIT UP HIS FACE, JUST AS YOU MIGHT TURN PALE WHEN YOU ARE INWARDLY UPSET. HERE YOU COULD PICK UP THE SAYING OF ST. AUGUSTINE: Give me a heart which has seen and loves, and it will understand what Im saying. THE GOSPEL TELLS US THAT HIS FACE SEEMED QUITE DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW HOW THE FACE DISCLOSES THE SOUL, HOW IT REVEALS THE INWARD EMOTIONS. WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, LOOK AT THE FACE OF CHRIST, BUT THROUGH THIS FACE RECOGNIZE THE HEART OF CHRIST. HIS FACE SHOWS THE INFINITE TENDERNESS OF HIS HEART. WHEN YOU FEEL VERY HAPPY YOUR FACE LIGHTS UP AND SHOWS YOUR JOY - SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED TO JESUS AT THE TRANSFIGURATION. IF YOU EXAMINE CLOSELY THE HEART OF JESUS IN PRAYER, YOU WILL FIND THAT THE DIVINE LIFE, THE FIRE OF THE BURNING BUSH, IS HIDDEN DEEP INSIDE JESUS. IN THE INCARNATION HE HUMANIZED THE DIVINE LIFE, SO THAT HE COULD COMMUNICATE IT TO YOU WITHOUT DESTROYING YOU, FOR NO ONE CAN SEE GOD AND LIVE. AT THE TRANSFIGURATION THIS DIVINE LIFE FLASHED FORTH FOR A SHORT TIME IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AND IRRADIATED FROM THE FACE AND CLOTHING OF JESUS. IT IS THE GLORY OF GOD THAT YOU SEE IN THE FACE OF JESUS. IN THE TRANSFIGURATION ALL THE POWER OF THE GLORY OF YAHWEH, THAT IS THE INTENSITY OF HIS LIFE, RADIATES FROM JESUS; MOSES AND ELIJAH MEET HIM. THERE IS NO MISTAKE: THE VERY BEING OF CHRIST SHOWS THE PRESENCE OF THE THRICE HOLY GOD OF THE BURNING BUSH, AND THE GOD SO INTIMATE AND CLOSE OF HOREB. THE GLORY OF JESUS MUST BE SEEN IN ITS FULLEST DIMENSION AS IT SHINES FORTH IN A MYSTERIOUS WAY IN HIS LEAVING JERUSALEM, THAT IS, IN HIS PASSION. IT IS IN HIS GLORIOUS DEATH THAT JESUS FREES THE INTENSITY OF THE DIVINE LIFE HIDDEN IN HIM. DONT STOP JUST AT THE DEATH OF CHRIST, BUT GO DEEPER AND DISCOVER THE ACT OF LOVING OBEDIENCE THAT JESUS GAVE TO HIS FATHER; YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHY GOD CONSECRATED AND QUICKENED HIM BY HIS HOLINESS. DYING ON THE CROSS, JESUS CARRIED OUT AN ACT OF PERFECT LOVE IN GIVING UP HIS LIFE TO THE FATHER, AND THAT IS WHY THE FATHER GLORIFIED HIM. THE SPIRIT WHICH MOVED JESUS TO ABANDON HIMSELF INTO THE HANDS OF THE FATHER PENETRATED AND WHOLLY TRANSFIGURED HIM, JUST AS INCHOATELY IT HAD SHONE FORTH FROM JESUS FACE AT THE TRANSFIGURATION. IN ACCEPTING THE SACRIFICE OF LOVE OF HIS SON, THE FATHER GAVE HIM THE SEAL OF HIS SUPREME TESTIMONY: This is my beloved Son, hear Him. SO THE CONTEMPLATION OF THE TRANSFIGURATION LETS YOU GO DEEP INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE TRINITY WHERE THE CLOUD IS THE MOST STRIKING SYMBOL. YOU SHARE THE LOVING KISS THAT THE FATHER GIVES HIS SON, IF YOU ACCEPT WITH JESUS TO ABANDON YOUR LIFE TO THE FATHER IN LOVE. EVERYTHING GOES TOGETHER, YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THE CROSS FROM THE GLORY. MEDITATE ON THE GLORY OF JESUS TRANSFIGURED, SHARING IN THE DEPARTURE FROM JERUSALEM: All of us, gazing on the Lords glory with unveiled faces, are being transformed from glory to glory into His very image by the Lord Who is the Spirit (2 COR 3:18). youtube/playlist?list=PLl6BeUzXcF-lfOHEaQYBaAW0GIxyJnCWL
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 22:02:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015