The Transfiguration of the Lord: An Invitation to Deep Communion, Listening, and Discipleship

"This is my beloved Son, listen to Him." Mark 9:7

The Transfiguration of the Lord is Christ's personal invitation to prophetic witness to all of us--lay, single, married, or consecrated--to transformation and transfiguration. This prophetic call beckons us to cultivate the ability to hear God's voice through Scripture, the signs of the times, and to respond courageously to the needs of society. It summons us to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and empty, to be drawn to a deeper communion with the Trinitarian God, and with the prophets and the saints who have gone before us in faith. It invites us to hone our senses to recognize the gentle consistent nudges or tugs in the depths of our heart and soul, and to respond to the call of love with daring discipleship.

Throughout His life, Jesus served as a model of taking time away to be in communion with His Heavenly Father, whom He loved and trusted with His whole being, and to seek His will. He consistently turned to God to find strength and courage to face excruciating moments of His life. Jesus revealed to us His complete adoration and love of God and for all humanity in His "yes" to love until His last breath on the cross. He urges all of us to take up our crosses and follow Him, to have complete trust in God, and to let go of all doubts, fears, pride, self-reliance, wounds, resentments, etc. so that God can heal us with the grace to become an instrument of healing and hope for humanity.

The meaning of this feast has deepened significantly for me over the last 25 years as a Daughter of Charity. It has challenged me to strive to live up to what I have claimed to embrace. In the Constitutions and Statutes of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, 8a, it states: "Christ is the Rule of the Daughters of Charity. They endeavor to follow His as Scripture reveals Him to them and as their Founders perceived Him: Adorer of the Father, Servant of His Loving Plan..." If Christ is truly "the Rule" of my life, how can I say "no" to an invitation to a new ministry that requires my complete trust and dependence on God's grace and guidance and stretches me to love and serve more boldly?

May our God, the source of all being, lead us from the high mountain to seek Christ in our brothers and sisters who are ignored by society. May the grace of today's feast bring us to a deeper relationship with Christ, to listen to Him more deeply, and to share generously all that we are have been given. May our humble and loving service transfigure and restore wholeness to all who are deprived of freedom, respect, and dignity.

Written by Sister Trang Truong, D.C.