Moments of self-giving
Moments of self-giving
The transfiguration was an awe-inspiring experience of God’s presence for Jesus and for his disciples. It was an incredible show of divine support, grace and inspiration at the time when Jesus faced the most trying period of his life: the decision to offer himself for our salvation through his own passion and death. This illuminating experience would carry him through the dark days of confusion, insecurity and terror that would come after this encounter with the Other. Jesus received the affirmation of his mission to give himself up from the great figures of his tradition, representing the law and the prophets.
All of us need some graced memories or God-filled experiences to recall or return to when faced with difficulty and challenge in our journey of faith.
These graced-filled experiences or God-moments can inspire us and carry us through the darkness and difficulty of any trying periods of our journey. Our own stories of struggle in the faith can sustain us in our trials and tribulations. These God-moments may not approximate Christ’s transfiguration on a mountaintop but their significance can help us in efforts to do God’s will when we recognize and acknowledge it in our prayer and discernment. These moments are marked with self-giving and generosity that fulfill the deepest hunger of our souls.
All grace-filled memories or God-filled experiences are times when we realize giving ourselves to others in the spirit of self-sacrifice and true love. These are moments when we imitate God’s generosity and love which embody the essence of our personal commitment to Christ who gave himself up for our freedom from sin and death. Our struggling efforts to offer ourselves to God and others can be transformed into meaningful faith experiences by returning to our graced-filled memories when we experienced God’s love and presence in our lives.
In our own lives, we have had experiences of self-giving that continue to inspire and strengthen us in our efforts to love and serve. These are our own transfiguration experiences that transform our own selfish self into a self-giving person. These self-giving moments make us more aware of our own giftedness that should move us to share and care for another.