Monday, August 6, 2012

Baptism is transfiguration, a glimpse of our destiny



Today is the Feast of the Transfiguration, which marks the event in Jesus' life when He took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain and there was transfigured before them, appearing radiant in dazzling white. There also appeared with Him Moses and Elijah, pointing to the fact that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. Elijah's appearance also fulfilled the prophecy, given by the prophet Malachi, which constitute the very last words of the Hebrew Scriptures as they appear in the Bible: "Now I am sending to you Elijah the prophet, Before the day of the LORD comes, the great and terrible day. He will turn the heart of fathers to their sons, and the heart of sons to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the land with utter destruction" (3:23-24).

The Father bore witness that Jesus is His Beloved Son, as He did at Christ's baptism.

So, it is fitting that our youngest child, our beautiful son Evan Gabriel, by a great grace, was baptized a year ago today by our wonderful bishop, John Wester, in our lovely Madeleine. Baptism, too, is a transfiguration, because it is a sign and symbol of the great glory for which we are made and redeemed, the latter at great cost. To paraphrase Bishop Wester's remarks from that day, baptism makes explicit what is implicit in each one of us. Deo gratias!

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