Transfiguration and transformation

The Transfiguration. Thursday 6th August, 2020

I had decide a few days ago to attend the local Catholic Mass today. I had seen the Chair of the Parish in his garden on one of my strolls and discussed it and then booked a place. He told me of the form . Arrival with mask, gel hands, sign name and details, be given a designated seat and then directed to communion after which to leave by a side door, two metres from anyone else. Once out then masks could be taken off. This was all part of Scottish Government regulations. Usually I dislike such rules and regulations and am not too good at being bossed about in Church. Silly and childish in many ways so I pocketed my foolish pride and arrived at the church at 9.55am.

It was a deeply moving experience. I had not been to a live service for at least four months. 8 other people so lots of space. It was the feast of the Transfiguration. The gospel moved me greatly and I thought of the long line of Mystics who had witnessed to the Divine across the centuries. They have seen God and here were the Apostles also witnessing to that fact. The sermon was about seeing the Divine in humans and living a life as having been created by God and with a Divine purpose.

Perhaps I was especially buoyed up by my absence for so long. Also I was enthused about getting up an hour early, dressing rather than staying in pyjamas. Added to that the sun was shining warm and bright. The walk to church was lovely under an azure sky and in shirt sleeves.

After the service an old friend who had known I would be there offered me a lift. We went first to a quiet place overlooking the Tay. She had brought with her a delicious breakfast of coffee, sausages and ham sandwiches. She also had two collapsible chairs. We sat in the warmth next to a bank of flowering thistles which literally hundreds of bees were working. The Tay had a few boats ploughing up and down and beyond were the hills of Angus. Heaven....a transfiguration of earth.

Then home to the washing, now hung out to dry, to hoovering and perhaps to lawn mowing. As Lacordaire said 'I believe, help my unbelief'. Yes, a transformation and a transfiguration are both real. A heavenly belief, a divine spark in man.