Do you focus on your weaknesses and sins, or do you also realize that, in spite of your sins, you are a beloved daughter/son of God? - Daily Reflections August 6,2015

MY BELOVED

 

Not only kids love fairy tales. Even adults read or watch them with excitement. Why?

       The stories are full of surprises: An ugly frog becomes a handsome prince; in Cinderella, a simple girl becomes a beautiful princess. These stories teach us to look beyond appearances and discover an unseen, deeper reality. They transform or transfigure ordinary, often dirty appearances, into the beauty that lies beneath.

       We should look at today’s feast in this context. Jesus invites three of His disciples to look beyond the ordinary appearance of a teacher, wandering around in dusty clothes, who is often misunderstood or even rejected. Now on the mountain, Jesus gives them a glimpse into His real identity. The voice from heaven declares it: “This is My Beloved!”

       Why did Jesus do this? He was on the way to Jerusalem and He knew that His disciples will later be shocked to see Him  disfigured on the cross. He wanted to prepare them to look beyond the bloody countenance of the Man of sorrows and remember the transfigured Jesus on the mountain. We all need “mountain experiences” — moments when God prepares us for the reality of daily life. He tells us, as He told us when we were baptized, “You are My beloved child.”

       You are my beloved! We need this assurance in a world where media, especially advertisements, and modern philosophies tell us that we are bad, ugly, worthless sinners and nobodies. Yes, these may be our outward appearances, but God looks deeper into us and makes us look beyond these appearances and discover that God calls us “beloved.” For God, we are transfigured because we are His children.

       This thought should give us more confidence in God and in ourselves, ignoring the voices around us, and instead focus on the voice of the One who is the truth: “You are My beloved. On you My favor rests.” Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you focus on your weaknesses and sins, or do you also realize that, in spite of your sins, you are a beloved daughter/son of God?

 

Lord, thank You for adopting me as Your beloved child. Unworthy as I am, You love me. Help me to live up to the dignity of being Your child and never disappoint You.