Be Transfigured Ministries

When it comes to dealing with the difficulties of life, it can be very easy to lose focus on Christ. It happened to Saint Peter, as we hear in the Gospel story of St Peter Walking on Water (Matthew 14.22-34) and it can happen to us. The solution is the same. We need to remain focused on Christ, and He will always hold our hand and keep us from sinking in the storm. He will walk with us, but He will not force Himself on us. He is waiting for us to call to Him, “Lord, save me.”

We live in a life preoccupied with busyness. Even when we are in Church, our minds wander to the busy things we must accomplish. In the story of Martha and Mary hosting Christ in their home, found in Luke 10.38-42, Christ reminds us of what is important. The important thing is that we find time to spend time with God, and to sit and listen to Him in His Church. We have to find time every day, not just on Sundays, to spend time with God in prayer.

One day when Jesus was in His own town, a paralytic was brought to Him for healing, but instead of healing the man, Jesus forgave his sins. The people who were watching became angry and accused Jesus of blasphemy, rather than being glad the man’s sins were forgiven. The people were hyper-focused on physical health, but had forgot, that our body AND our soul need God. They were unable to see the grace and love of God, but God knew what they needed, so He also healed the man’s body from paralysis. God will always give us what we need, but we must never forget that our body AND our soul need God to be completely healed, so that we can live with God.

One day when Jesus was in His own town, a paralytic was brought to Him for healing, but instead of healing the man, Jesus forgave his sins. The people who were watching became angry and accused Jesus of blasphemy, rather than being glad the man’s sins were forgiven. The people were hyper-focused on physical health, but had forgot, that our body AND our soul need God. They were unable to see the grace and love of God, but God knew what they needed, so He also healed the man’s body from paralysis. God will always give us what we need, but we must never forget that our body AND our soul need God to be completely healed, so that we can live with God.

The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we are all called to be saints and a life of holiness. We are called to love God more than anything else in the world, more than our family or friends or any single thing on earth. As fallen human beings we spend each day tempted to focus on ourselves rather than focus on God. Holiness isn’t easy, but Christ blesses our willingness to take up the cross of Christian life, which is embodied in the life of the Church. The life of prayer, fasting, taking care of those in need, and constantly participating in the sacraments of the Church, are all meant to help us learn to love God more than anything else.

The Feast of All Saints reminds us that we are all called to be saints and a life of holiness. We are called to love God more than anything else in the world, more than our family or friends or any single thing on earth. As fallen human beings we spend each day tempted to focus on ourselves rather than focus on God. Holiness isn’t easy, but Christ blesses our willingness to take up the cross of Christian life, which is embodied in the life of the Church. The life of prayer, fasting, taking care of those in need, and constantly participating in the sacraments of the Church, are all meant to help us learn to love God more than anything else.

The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Holy Disciples and the Church, the day on which the Church was guided into all Truth. Christ said, “I am the Truth!” (John 14.6) and the Church has been given the great gift to live a life in unity with the Truth, Who is Christ. It was the Holy Spirit who open the eyes of the Holy Apostles into the fullness of the Truth, as promised by Christ before He ascended the Holy Cross. It is time we lived as if we believed the Truth of Christ, and live as if we are actually in unity with God.

The Feast of Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Holy Disciples and the Church, the day on which the Church was guided into all Truth. Christ said, “I am the Truth!” (John 14.6) and the Church has been given the great gift to live a life in unity with the Truth, Who is Christ. It was the Holy Spirit who open the eyes of the Holy Apostles into the fullness of the Truth, as promised by Christ before He ascended the Holy Cross. It is time we lived as if we believed the Truth of Christ, and live as if we are actually in unity with God.

In the story of the Healing of the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, we encounter a man who had lost hope in being healed after 38 years of waiting. Meeting him at the pool, Christ asked Him if he wanted to be healed. “I have no man….” showing just how much he had lost hope. What the man didn’t know, but we know, is that Christ was the man he was waiting for to be healed. Christ has restored our hope, and we are called to be “the hope” for others as the Body of Christ.

In the story of the Healing of the Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, we encounter a man who had lost hope in being healed after 38 years of waiting. Meeting him at the pool, Christ asked Him if he wanted to be healed. “I have no man….” showing just how much he had lost hope. What the man didn’t know, but we know, is that Christ was the man he was waiting for to be healed. Christ has restored our hope, and we are called to be “the hope” for others as the Body of Christ.