This weekend’s Gospel presents a powerful scene
and an important revelation. Jesus is transfigured in front of
his friends; his divinity shines through. His disciples learn
that there is much more to Jesus than meets the eye. There is
also a lesson that we can learn about ourselves from this
revelation. That lesson is, that there is much more to each of
us than meets the eye as well. We too are encouraged to do
what Jesus did: transfigure ourselves. More and more of the
mystery and richness of our inner selves is waiting to be
revealed. We are called to let our divinity shine through.
Many of us have a habit of labeling other people, even
ourselves, with one or two word definitions. We might make
a generalization about a coworker, for example, that he or she
is “sweet,” or “temperamental,” or “a fine person,” or “hard to
work with.” We might define ourselves as “decent,” “trying
to make a living,” “confused,” “loving,” or “fun to be with.”
We watch other people in action and draw quick conclusions
about their characters. We may be correct in our assessments,
but, if we are honest, we have to admit that we are likely
seeing only part of the picture. There is always more to an
iceberg than what shows on the surface. A person we might
write off as a “crank” may be a devoted spouse, a loving
parent, a dedicated humanitarian, a joy to his or her friends.
There is much more to us than can be put into a single phrase.
We are all unimaginably complex. There is always more
to us than what is just visible. Consequently, our purpose in
life is to let our complexity unfold. The possibilities for our
development are beyond measure. We become “transfigured”
as we achieve more and more of our potential and let the best
in us shine through. If we are critical, we can also be
compassionate. If we are hard and demanding, we can also be
gentle and magnanimous. If we are sometimes offensive, we
can also be gracious. We can display courage as well as fear;
we can heal as much as we can hurt. Jesus encouraged us to
“let your light shine before others.” For all of our faults,
weaknesses, and sins, we are also rich in assets, strengths, and
virtues. The Gospel urges us to let these qualities come
through!