Today is Transfiguration Sunday (Luke 9:28-36).
Today is also the last day of the retreat I am
handling. We are about to end with a
ritual. While the participants are
having their snacks, I take the opportunity to write this article.
The transfiguration of Jesus is an inspiration for all
retreatants for the following reasons:
1. God in
the mountain. The transfiguration of Jesus happened in a
mountain- Mt. Tabor. In the Bible, God’s
dwelling is symbolized in a mountain just like the experience of Moses in Mt.
Sinai and Jesus in Mt. Tabor. Most of
the retreat houses are in the mountain just like where we are now- Benedictine
Nuns, Cogon, Digos City. Being here is
being with God.
2.
Self-transformation. Jesus’ face was transfigured in Mt. Tabor. It
is the desire of all retreat masters, with God’s blessings, that retreatants
will experience a sort of self-transformation or transfiguration. In my
experience, I am blessed to witness many of these experiencse as shared by the
retreatants.
3.
Commissioning. The highlight of Jesus’ transfiguration is
not on the change on his face. Jesus did
not remain in Mt. Tabor. He came down
and faced his fate in Jerusalem. After
the retreat, the last activity is a ritual.
It is a commissioning activity.
What they experience in the retreat will guide them in their day to day
life. In our term, they are sent as apostles of compassion.
This is for the retreatants. However, you don’t need to go on a retreat to
experience transfiguration. In our day
to day activity, there are times that God will transform us according to His
plan.
Some are being transformed by a book, movies or posts
in the internet. Some are transformed by
a speaker, priest, pastor or seminar facilitator.
What we need is willingness to receive God’s
transforming power.
Let the transfiguration of Jesus become our
inspiration to be sensitive to God’s interventions in our day to day living.
