Our truest selves

In 2021 I had to have an X-ray on my injured left wrist. The slides were a revelation: of a tiny fracture - which was of most interest to the hospital - but also, fascinatingly for me, of bones which are an innate part of me, but never hitherto seen. And yet this was only a partial revelation: it occurred to me that my arm is also full of veins and blood vessels and nerves, of blood cells, hormones and a pint or so of blood. All this and more was part of my true, only partially revealed 'inner arm'; all hidden by skin and pigment, and tell-tale swelling and bruises around my injury. 

And that's without delving into my deepest, truest, inner self which is soul and spirit; my temperament and values; gifts, memories, wounds, strengths and limitations; and the life and glory of God dwelling deep within, whether I manifest them or not.

Today we celebrate Jesus' Transfiguration: his complete transformation, from within, to a foretaste of his risen, divine, dazzling glory; his heavenly affirmation as God's Beloved, on a mountaintop in the presence of three of his closest disciples. Over the years I've read various reflections and heard a lot of homilies about the Transfiguration; I've blogged a few times about it too, my thoughts ranging over various aspects of this event in Jesus' life. But today, my thoughts flow from two other sources...

Firstly, I'm recalling a homily from a few years ago, in which the priest spoke of Jesus as one who, in his encounters, transfigures others: those he held and healed; the Samaritan woman; his disciples; the woman about to be stoned... And that, really, lay at the heart of Jesus' life and mission: he preached and healed and worked miracles, yes; but fundamentally, he sought to transform others, to restore them to wholeness and holiness, not just physically, but at their very deepest selves.

And this dovetails nicely with a reflection - Transfiguration, not Transformation - I stumbled across while looking for something else. And I stayed with these words: Transfiguration implies a revelation of the true nature... What happens here is that Jesus stands revealed. It is as if a mask is taken away from his face, and the disciples are granted a vision of who he really is, as God the Father sees him and loves him.

And what is the true nature of Jesus...? It is Love; nothing less. 

And ours? Can we allow ourselves, and our deepest, truest selves, to be transfigured into Love; to be a true revelation of the One who dwells within? This Lent especially, may we pray for this enduring grace for each other...