Be a Person of the Transfiguration

What follows is the introduction and the reflection I offered at Mass today.

Intro: Today is the feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus. Today is also the 63rd Anniversary of this country dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, which vaporized more than 100,000 persons in a flash and then three days later we dropped another bomb on the people of Nagasaki, Japan.

My friends, sin disfigures. Love transfigures. As we recall the social sin of the dropping of the atomic bomb, let us bring before God not only this social sin but also our personal sins. Let us ask God’s mercy and forgiveness for the disfigurement our sins have caused to others and even to ourselves and as we recall the transfiguration, let us call upon God’s grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and healing to transfigure who and what our sins disfigure.


Reflection: As I mentioned in the intro to the Mass, Sin disfigures but we have the grace, love, mercy, forgiveness, and healing of God which truly transfigure.

Yesterday, as I was preparing to hear confessions, I heard Father Rick Malloy, S.J., state the following quote from the social scientist, Michael Foucault.
He says, "People know what they do and they frequently know why they do what they do, but what they don’t know is what what they do does.

As we recall the 63rd anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb and as we celebrate the feast of the transfiguration of Jesus, I think the quote we just heard could be our meditation/reflection for the day. "People know what they do and they frequently know why they do what they do, but what they don’t know is what what they do does.

Today we are called to think before we act and when we do act, to reflect on our actions. If we choose to stay on top of our mountain and keep God and all he has given us to ourselves, we isolate and disconnect. Today we are called to come down from the mountain. We are called to the opposite of isolation and disconnection, namely to relationship and healing.

In a few moments, right here at this altar, simple substances of bread and wine will be transfigured—changed--to become Jesus. Today and every time we gather for Eucharist, as we eat the body and drink the blood of Jesus, we are meant to be changed, to be transfigured, by the transfigured Jesus inside of us. Jesus commands us to "Do this in memory of me" and be people of the transfiguration—people of peace who reach out to others as He did and who do our best to model Jesus and his love in any given situation.

As we do this, we may still never fully know what what we do does, but we will know that faithfulness to spreading the love of God, which is the mission of our lives, will transfigure and overcome the disfigurement of sin in our own lives and in the lives of others.

Daylesford Abbey

Daylesford Abbey is the home of 30 Professed Norbertines, 1 Affiliate, 1 Lay Brother in formation for the priesthood, and many Lay Associates who have a common mission which is as follows:

Daylesford Abbey exists to enrich the church by our Norbertine communio nourished by contemplation on God's Word, made visible in worship and service within the local church.

Please visit our website at www.daylesford.org to read and learn more about us.

Peace~Padre

Saint Norbert, Apostle of Peace and Reconciliation

To learn a bit more about St. Norbert, visit this page
http://www.premontre.org/subpages/sancti&beati/sanorbt.htm

Enjoy reading about our founder who models for all of us that we must be people of peace and people who can forgive and reconcile.

Peace~Padre

Inspired to Create

As I was sitting on the beach in Stone Harbor this morning, after saying Mass for the Sisters, I read an article in America entitled, "Religious Life in the Age of Facebook, Where have all the young people gone?" by Richard G. Malloy who is a Jesuit priest and a cultural anthropologist. This proved to be very enlightening reading for me, a Norbertine priest, who is also the Vocation Director for my religious community at Daylesford Abbey in Paoli, PA. What was nice about reading the article is that I could discuss it firsthand with the author himself who is also spending time here as the retreat chaplain for the Sisters. I felt good that I already have a Facebook page but thought while I was writing a reflection on the scriptures for tomorrow, that maybe I should have a blog and share my reflections with others. Maybe I could even share some information about my religious community, the Norbertine Order, as well as about our founder, St. Norbert, whom many do not know. This is exciting for me and I pray that others will read my Padre's Postings and share their thoughts. Peace and blessing to you and yours~Padre