Be Transfigured Ministries

The Radical Message of Jesus

Love your enemies! Don’t pursue wealth! Deny yourself! Drink and have a river gushing from your heart! On the surface these sound like radical ideas from a man who was a carpenter. Even His accusers said, “No man ever spoke like this Man!” With the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Church was granted the gift of being “guided in all truth” by the Holy Spirit sent to us by Jesus Christ from Heaven. How about this for radical…..let the Church be your moral guide? That’s right; being a Christian is being radical, but when Jesus is involved, even the radical seems right.

The Protection and Leadership of a Holy Father

Just as a loving and dedicated father protects and leads his family to safety. The Holy Fathers of the Church have protected the faith and led the faithful to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. In the face of dangerous heresies, the Holy Fathers have maintained the truth of Jesus Christ. If we love our family friends in any way, we should do everything in our power to bring them to the safety of the Church. It is what a loving AND HOLY father would do.

What are You Looking for in Life?

We are all faced with this question at moments of transition in our lives, but have you ever considered the question, “What are looking for in your relationship with Christ?” In the miracle of the healing of the man-born-blind, (John 9.1-38) we witness the difference between those looking to see Christ and those looking to satisfy their own selfish desires. Sometimes we prefer to ignore the truth in front of our face, so we turn to legitimize our down desires by rationalizing away the truth. The Pharisees PREFERRED to think the man was never born blind, rather than accept the miracle of his divine healing by Christ. The man’s parents PREFERRED to leave the man to his own defense, rather than support their son in the face of evil opposition. But the man, emboldened by his faith in God, never wavered in his witness to the truth of Jesus Christ, “I was blind, and now I see.” He was looking for God, are you?

A Simple Glass of Water

Great opportunities sometimes come from simple tasks like drawing water from a well. When Jesus asked St Photini, known as the Samaritan Woman, for a drink from Jacob’s well, He was inviting her to enter into a dialogue with Him. By entering into a dialogue with the Lord, against custom, St Photini was blessed to discover the truth of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and through her encounter the entire city was saved. From a simple glass of water an entire city was brought to faith in Jesus Christ. Are you thirsty?

Why Do So Many People Have to Suffer?

On the third Sunday following Holy and Great Pascha, the Church reminds us of the reality of pain, suffering and death in this world. In the story of the pool of Bethsaida (John 5.1-15) and the miracles accomplished by St Peter (Acts 9.32-42) we learn of God’s purpose for miracles. We all know, by first-hand experience, that MOST do NOT receive miracle healings by the Lord, although sometimes Holy Scripture gives us the misimpression that miracles are common everyday experiences. When the Lord DOES intervene with miracles, it is for a greater purpose than mere physical health. We don’t need to fear sickness and death. Miracles, and suffering by default, are to lead us to find the Lord and embrace His Good News for a brighter future. Then we must heed the warning of our Lord, “Go and sin no more,” lest someone worse befall us.

Loyalty and Dedication Has it Rewards

In so many ways our lives are the fruit of our hard work. Whether it is our employers or our families, we all know the benefit of hard work. But when it comes to our faith in Jesus Christ and His Church, nothing replaces loyalty and dedication to His Saving Mission. When the Myrrhbearing women waited to see where Jesus was buried, rather than running to safety with the rest of the Disciples, their loyalty was rewarded by God. It was the Myrrhbearing women who knew where to tomb was and were able to receive the Good News of Christ’s Glorious Resurrection before anyone else. They became the first evangelists when they shared the news of the Resurrection with the Disciples. God will also bless us when we show Him and His Church the same loyalty and dedication as the Myrrhbearing women.

Faith, Courage, and Conviction; Honoring Our Mothers

When we think of our mothers, we think of the courage of compassion in the face of bumps and bruises and broken hearts. When we think of our mothers, we think of the conviction to stand up for the truth and her family. When we think of our mothers, we think of the faith they have in Christ and their dedication to nurturing that faith in our hearts. When we honor our earthly mothers, we honor the Divine Mother of God who expressed the traits of a devoted loving mother.

Jesus as King on Palm Sunday

Hosanna! Blessed is He Who Comes in the name of the Lord! Jesus comes to us as the King of Peace, the King of Glory, the King of Kings, but never with the force and pride of an Earthly King. Jesus as King is our protector and provider, defender and victor over our enemy. In return we are invited to allow Him to use our heart as His divine throne so He can rule our lives and protect us from within.

A New Beginning Calls for a Radical Change

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come.” (Hebrews 9.11) These words of encouragement from Saint Paul are meant to lead to hope in the future Kingdom of Heaven. But sometimes that future Kingdom is out of our reach unless we make a radical change in our lives. On the last Sunday of Great Lent the Church commemorates Saint Mary of Egypt and her radical change away from prostitution toward the Lord through repentance. We are each challenged to repentance and leave the world of sin behind for the “good things to come” and the Kingdom of Heaven.

It’s Time to Renounce the World

A sense of being tired and wearied is not uncommon for our Christian journey. In fact, for centuries the People of God, in the Old Testament and in Christian times, have struggled to maintain their patience and faith that God will fulfill His promise to rescue His people. At the most difficult moments and under the constant attack of the demons, we are often tempted to depart from the Christian life in exchange for what we already know and the familiar environment of the fallen world. It is in those moments that we must be willing to renounce the world, cast away the demons and their attacks, and endure the struggle of the Christian journey for the glory of God.