Lord, help me to see myself as you see me….Warts and all….From that point, we can then see others with clear eyes and a pure heart

Today at Holy Mass we read in the Gospel of St Luke about the Transfiguration….Where Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain and these three handpicked men saw a glimpse of who Jesus truly was…God in all his glory…..”While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white”…On this side of heaven…Commonly referred too as being “behind the veil”…We too only get a glimpse of who Jesus is…And what is to come…Even the best of us…Those closest to Christ…Only get a small glimpse…..This passage read to us at Mass is mediated upon when we pray the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary on Thursday……I have often thought deeply about his aspect of this mystery….”As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud”…A couple of things jump out at me here…For one - Peter our first Pope is clueless!….He wants to build a tent? - Jesus is like -“Just stop Peter! - Just sit here and watch what is going on - Just stop with all your “ideas”…..Secondly, this event shows us that Peter was frightened……No matter how “good” we think we are…When we stand before God and see clearly who God is…As Peter, James and John did at the Transfiguration…We will see as God sees and in turn we will see ourself as who we really are….And when I think about that, I know why Peter was frightened…Because God is perfect and all of us are sinners - I get frightened just thinking about it!….Through this event, Jesus revealed his glory to three men who had a herculean task ahead of them….At the time, they did not “get it”…But I am sure after Jesus was crucified and “times got tough” for Peter, James and John…They reflected back to the Transfiguration….Where they saw Jesus glorified…And this gave them strength…What should this teach us?…Like Peter - We don’t always “get it”….But even when we “don’t get it”…God is showing himself to us….We need to learn to trust the process and keep “journeying up the mountain”

“I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.”

The theme of sight is a pervasive theme across the enter scripture….Many mystics have written about what is commonly refer to as the "Illumination of Conscience”……..St Faustina, a Polish saint in the 20th century wrote about this saying people will see their souls clearly in the light of God’s Truth, including their sins….This is why today I believe St Peter was terrified when he stood before the Lord in all his glory…The mystics tell us that before Jesus returns, the human race will be given an Illumination of Conscience, where we then can make a clear choice…To choose God…Or to choose the world…This will be Jesus’s last act of mercy…His last "extension of his hand" to the world before he returns….If you have any friends or family who have “lost their way” and you are praying for them….A good prayer to say is…”Lord, help them to see themselves as God sees them”…..Because if we were to see our lives as God saw them….Maybe then we would all - Myself at the front of the line fully convert to Christ - Conversion is not a one time event…Its on going…So please pray for my conversion and I will pray for yours

“Your presence, O LORD, I seek. Hide not your face from me; do not in anger repel your servant. You are my helper: cast me not off”

Today at Mass we hear once again how Peter “does not get it”…However, in time Peter does “figure it out”…This story gives me great hope…It shows us how God is patient with us…That he has a plan…And that we are to follow him “up the mountain” so we can one day “see him” as he truly is..…..Interestingly enough…At end of the reading today at Mass…After Jesus revealed himself to Peter, James and John…Jesus’s three friends hear a voice from heaven…”Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen”……..The Transfiguration of the Lord can teach us many things…..When we pray our Rosary on Thursday we mediate upon this event….For me, I think the most significant thing we can take away from the Transfiguration is…We don’t have to “get it” completely, just as St Peter did not “get it”…However, we do have to listen…..Because if we listen.....Our sight will become clearer and we too will “see”…..Lord, help me to see myself as you see me….Warts and all….From that point, we can then see others with clear eyes and a pure heart