Let the Light Shine Through

As a regular contributor to the faculty blog, I have written a reflection on the transfiguration of Jesus before, but I now realize there is a necessary distinction between transfiguration and transformation.

I am turning 40 in April and it’s been quite a journey and adventure. My transformation has been both constant and constantly changing. Physically, I clearly peaked half a lifetime ago and it’s been a steady decline since and a struggle to sustain. Sleep has never been more important to me followed by cardio and diet. Mentally, I have never been more curious. Yes, I am still wasting time scrolling and consuming noise and distraction through various devices, but I also “waste” time and money now on books about math, math education, growth mindsets, and mathematical mindsets.

 After making it through an epic inward journey as a young adult, I find myself more attracted outwards as I age. I am attracted to beauty, which leads to wonder, which leads to knowing, which leads to the truth, which leads to The Truth, upwards towards He who is The Truth, Jesus Christ. And looking back, I can easily recognize Christ present in my family, friendships, teachers, mentors, the saints above and those saints living among us, the strangers and all those who have radiated Christ’s generous love, wisdom, and mercy towards me. These big and small encounters with the holy men and women I have been graced to encounter have transformed me socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

 But nothing has transformed me more than the sustaining graces of the sacraments. Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace instituted by Christ that help us grow in holiness. In Baptism, we are made new,  permanently marked and configured towards Christ. Jesus receives us in our weakness and repentance and heals us through Confession. In the Eucharist, the bread and wine are transformed, and so are we as we become what we receive, the Body and Blood of Christ.

But nothing has probably transformed me more into the man, husband, and father that I am today than the Sacrament of Marriage. In proclaiming my vows in front of our closest family and friends and in the sacred space of God’s Church, I declared my vocation as husband with the words: “I, Joseph, take you, Elizabeth, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”

With these words ingrained in my heart and mind, I declare them daily, whether through my words or through my actions. And just because I declare them doesn’t mean I fulfill them. I have lived and I have failed at my vows, but the graces of the sacrament transform me daily. I am not the man I was when I first met Elizabeth, when we first started dating, when we were engaged, then married, then blessed as parents.

I would not be the teacher I am today if I were not a parent. Knowing the daily miracles of my own sons has transformed my perspective and approach to being entrusted with the miracles of others in and out of the classroom. After 11+ years of marriage and now with Thomas, 10, and John Michael, 7, and after 15+ years of encountering Christ in and outside of the classroom with my students and colleagues, living my vocation as husband, father, and teacher continues to transform me closer into the man that God has called me and created me to be.

Is Jesus transformed on the mountain? Actually, no. Before and afterwards, there was no change. On top of the mountain, back down from the mountain, same 'ole Jesus. Was Jesus transformed at the resurrection? Absolutely. From the cross and to the tomb, Jesus suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day, he rose again, newly resurrected.

To be transfigured is to be seen differently, to be elevated, to revealed thoroughly or dramatically more beautiful as one’s true nature.  Transfiguration is a gift to the one who sees it. It was a gift to the apostles who were on top of that mountain, who saw Jesus as God the Father sees and loves him. As we journey over these next weeks of Lent, we approach the transfiguration of God’s love that comes through the elevation of the cross.

It is said that a saint is a person the light shines through. Just as the light shines through the saints depicted in the stained glass of a church, I too want the light of Christ that brightly shines at his transfiguration to also shine through me. In my journey towards holiness and in my desire to be a saint, I try my best to orient my thoughts, words, and actions Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, for the greater glory of God.

This Lent, do we desire that our lives are transformed or transfigured? Do we desire that our world is transformed or transfigured? Transformation seems relatively easy - it is in our nature to change and to grow. But to be transfigured, to let the light shine through, seems to require a different approach. God is light and in him there is no darkness (1 Jn 1:5). For the light to shine through, it requires that we allow it to shine through.

In other words, am I willing to remove those obstacles that get in the way, that get between God and myself? And if I am being honest with myself, my greatest obstacle to God has always been myself. So can I let go of myself, let go of my attachments, fast and abstain from the clutter and noise that leaves no room in my heart or mind for God to dwell, and form more disciplined habits for these practices to be sustainable? I pray that that the graces of the Sacraments will continue to enable me to do so.

Author: Joe Nava, Mathematics Department