Luke 9:28b-29
"Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white."
As Deacon John pointed out this morning, Luke is the only Gospel in which the word "transfigured" is not used in these verses. Why? Deacon John suggests that it's because Jesus had this dazzling whiteness, this shining purity, to him all along. This process on the mountain with these three disciples was not a change, but a revelation of all that Jesus was and is.
Then he went on to argue that we are the same. He used St. Catherine of Genoa's image of a copper pot as our souls on Earth. At first, they are created perfect, for God creates them in his own image. But sin and selfish desires create rust, corrupting the pots and keeping them from God's perfect love.
Aren't we lucky that the story doesn't end there? Jesus died on the cross so that our souls, ever yearning for the goodness of God's great love, can become pure and rustless again. Deacon John smashed a canister with a hammer today over and over as a visualization of what our sins do to our perfect souls. But Jesus made it so we could be renewed.
How? Confession and contrition. Deacon John ended with this thought; whether your last Confession was yesterday, last week, last month, last year, or a few weeks before your first Communion, it's time to experience God's grace and forgiveness again.
Sacred Heart will be hosting a Reconciliation Service with Reconciliation to follow on Thursday, March 21st at 6 PM. If you'd like to go sooner, don't hesitate to contact Father Paul or anyone under the "Contact Us" list so we can help you experience the grace of Confession.
And if you like what you read here, come hear Father Paul speak a little differently on today's readings at Mass on Campus today at 5:30 PM in Litrenta Lecture Hall.
-Catholic Campus Ministry
More on St. Catherine of Genoa: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1332
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