Today’s Holy Readings on this Feast of the Transfiguration offer us a contemplative image of FIRE and LIGHT. Jesus becomes transfigured by God the Father as a witness of hope to Peter, James and John. We know this because in the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 8, we learn about the state of the disciples; hungry, seeking signs and wonders, and ultimately a denial from Peter, who Jesus reprimands by saying “get behind me Satan.”
The Transfiguration of the Lord is foreshadowing of the fulfillment of the Law and His Resurrection. Jesus is always encouraging us in our journey of faith and the Transfiguration can teach us so many things, but focusing in on the imagery that is used in today’s readings we read about the FIRE and LIGHT of God.
St. Irenaeus wrote “The light of the Father passes into the flesh of Christ; and from Christ it shines forth upon us, so that each of us is enfolded” (Against Heresies, 4.20.2). He goes further to say that as we behold God’s light, we come to partake in it: “Just as those who see the light are within the light and participate in its splendor, so those who see God are within God and participate in His splendor” (Against Heresies, 4.20.5).
God’s grace and light shine through our weak human nature and transform us into who God created us to be, essentially “little christs” as CS Lewis coined.
We know that light and fire purify us, The Psalmist describes God testing Israel as through fire: “For thou, O God, hast tested us; thou hast tried us as silver is tried . . . we went through fire and through water” (Ps. 66:10,12). Isaiah describes God’s redemption of Israel in a similar way, saying that God will cleanse Jerusalem and the daughters of Zion by “a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning” (Isa. 4:4). The seraphim in Isaiah 6:6-7 purifies the “guilt” of Isaiah and takes away his sins by touching his lips with a ‘burning coal’.
The Flame of Love of Mary’s Immaculate Heart has an effect on our souls that purifies us, so that we are able to embrace our cross and enter into the sacrificial life of Christ. This great grace, if we accept it, brings to light our sin and our need of God. It purifies our motives, our desires and our soul because we receive Mary’s Love of Jesus into our hearts.
“The water of My graces, like a stream, flows continually into your soul. Now is the moment to tell you why these abundant graces remain in your soul. By your sacrifices, you have dug a deep channel and the water of My divine graces, with its purifying power, has found a place in your soul. If you had not prepared this deep channel by your sacrifices, the purifying water of My graces would have drained off.” (Jesus, Blue Diary, pg. 234)
When we allow ourselves to be transformed by grace, those who are in the darkness of sin are easier to understand, much like what we read in Mark’s Gospel, Chapter 8… dubious, dissatisfied, legalistic, sign seeking, etc… It becomes clear that this is not about us, but about their blindness and woundedness. Like Jesus, we should desire their healing and offer what encouragement we can and pray for them.
When we look at the state of the world, we see a spiritual blindness in the hearts of God’s Children. This is where we must lean into GODLY LOVE and spread and invoke the Flame of Love. The mark of true love is willing the spiritual good of the other which can only be rooted in truth. Love without truth is not of God and we need courage and heroic virtue to love this way. We need Mary’s love in our hearts to love in this way.
A few weeks ago, when we attended the National Eucharistic Congress, 60,000 people experienced the transformative light of Christ, rooted in truth and people were healed. Healed of unworthiness, unforgiveness, and pride. Hearts were alive and beating for the Eucharistic LIGHT and the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
We prayed and gave the Flame of Love grace to thousands of people, we gave away hundreds of Elizabeth’s Spiritual Diaries, thousands of Unity Prayer cards and along with the other 60+ thousand we thought… “let’s build a tent!”
Receive the Flame of Love! Be not afraid of being transformed by the divine light of Mary’s Flame. She is gentle, yet powerful, and Her Flame of Love will put out the fire of hatred, not only in our own hearts but in the entire world.
Mary: “With this Flame full of graces that I give you from my heart, ignite all the hearts of the entire country. Let this flame go from heart to heart. This is the miracle becoming the blaze whose dazzling light will blind Satan. This is the fire of love of union which I obtained from the Heavenly Father through the merits of the wounds of my Divine Son.” (Blue Diary, pg. 28)
Be a spark!
Jill Metz
US National Director
“There, with Him, may the eyes of our mind shine with His light and the features of our soul be made new; may we be transfigured with Him and molded to His image, ever become divine, being transformed in an ever greater degree of glory.” St. Anastasius of Sinai