Glow Like a Saint (not batteries require)

We’re looking at the Transfiguration.

On Friday we looked at the fallen world - what would a transfigured world look like?  Well, a perfectly transfigured world would be Heaven.  But we can get many glimpses of a transfigured world, and we’re guaranteed a glimpse at each Sacrifice of the Mass.

Today – we consider our fallen nature.  The flesh.  Our inner Eddie Haskell (or worse…).

If a transfigured world looks like Heaven, a transfigured person looks like - a Saint.

That doesn’t mean we’ll actually glow like Jesus, or like Moses after being face-to-face with God (Ex 34:29), or like St. Stephen as he was being martyred (Acts 6:15).  Although, many future Saints were known to glow during their life on earth (more in the postscript).

The type of transfiguration we’re called to is the heart transplant God promises in Ezekiel (I will take your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh).  This type of transfiguration is also what St. Paul speaks of as trading the “old man” for the “new man.” 

And, in a sense, Jesus does want us to “glow” as He did on Mount Tabor - He calls us to be the light of the world.

For most of us, that type of glowing doesn’t happen all at once.  It’s more like we’re on a dimmer switch.  The more we shed our old ways and take on the new life Christ calls us to, the more we turn up our interior dimmer.

Here are a couple of questions for the week ahead – ask Jesus how He shines through you, and what opportunities He's giving you to become even a little brighter?

Blessings on your journey with Christ –

Steve and Karen Smith

Interior Life

Postscript:  Luminous Effluvia

Saints do all sort of marvelous things.  They float.  The bilocate.  They read souls.  They turn invisible.  And sometimes, they glow.  The manifestation of luminous radiance (or rays of love) is called Luminous Effluvia.  No batteries required.  Powered by love.

Just some of the Saints who were known to glow (from The Compendium of the Miraculous): St. Bernadette - when seeing Our Lady at Lourdes; St. Phillip Neri – whose cell was often illuminated with light emanating from his body; St. John Vianney – especially during his day-long stretches in the confessional; Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis de Sales, Charles Borromeo, Martin of Tours, Maximillian Kolbe and Anthony Claret while preaching or offering Mass; Saints Clare of Assisi, John of the Cross and John Bosco were known to have halo-like lights about their heads; St. Lucy (Santa Lucia) when brining food to the poor.  And on and on.