"Look toward heaven and count the stars," the first lines of the reading from the Book of Genesis, reminds me of the immensity of the universe. It makes me recall lying on a pier at a lake in Northern Wisconsin on a clear summer night. The millions of stars and planets and the sheer vastness of the sky is truly awesome. What a grand universe we live in and how good is the God who creates it for us. When I am in a situation like this where the wonders of the world of the Creator are displayed for me, I am invited to notice God's goodness in a more special way. Lent offers the opportunity to us all to begin to open our eyes to those wonders and our ears to hear of the awesome goodness of God. What an opportunity that is! In the gospel passage for today the three special disciples of Jesus, Peter, James and John are given such an invitation to see God's glory as it shines through Jesus. The Transfiguration scene is one of the rare times in the gospel where God's glory shines through Jesus. It is the very presence of God able to be seen vividly in its dazzling display. The Transfiguration of Jesus is a "seeing through" experience. Peter, James and John were privileged to have such an experience of "seeing through" to the reality of Jesus and his intimate relationship with God. Can I be attentive to those kinds of "seeing through" experiences in my life? My prayer is that I be open to them in every corner of my life, and, with God's grace, to see the depths of God's glory as it shines towards me. |