The Transfiguration of New York

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Another way I like to think about Jesus’ Transfiguration is seeing people transformed in front of me. I believe that the true identity of a person is what they would be like if they were perfect. Not perfect as in perfect hair and makeup. Perfect in the way Jesus was perfect. True, none of us is perfect but we have to strive to this Jesus perfection and when we attain that (hopefully in heaven) that is our true self.

When I catch people being selfless or showing love to others, that’s when I feel like I am watching that person’s transfiguration. On a smaller level than Jesus shining bright as light but transfigured nonetheless. Like today when I saw one of my old students giving the Eucharist to an old woman in the back of the church because she was unable to walk to the front – that was him transfigured before me for a second. I know he isn’t always perfect, but in that moment he was Jesus in the love he showed the woman.

I felt that same way about New York this past week. Kraft had to go to a Paulist thing so me and O tagged along so that I could visit one of my best friends, S. I was totally floored by the hospitality that was shown to me and O. Seriously. Floored. People took care of us everywhere we went in NYC. I’ll blog about it more at length in the next few days but it was beautiful. New York was transfigured in front of our eyes.

While New York has its problems, we saw of glimpse of its perfection.