The prophet Ezekiel reminds that God is calling us to take on a new heart and a new spirit – one that recognizes past failings and sins, their impacts, and the desire to live more justly. And in the Gospel for today, Jesus strikingly points to children as examples of that new heart and spirit.
“Transforming Ministry Formation” recognizes the work of Dr. DelMonico for resourcing development of professional lay ministry standards at the national level.
In 2021, I wrote an essay on the possibilities for strategic change in various aspects of Catholic ministries in the U.S. based on learnings from innovative ministries provided during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like the vision of the Ancient One recounted in the first reading, the Transfiguration comes during a period of crisis. Ancient Israel was learning again the hope in the divine promise: That even as the rulers of the world vie for passing power, God is ultimately the one who reigns. The disciples are learning that lesson as well in today’s Gospel.
Today’s Scripture readings remind us we are called to listen to and speak and live God’s word in our world, when it is comfortable and when it is uncomfortable. This is not a call to arrogance, but to humility.
When we gather for the celebration of the Eucharist, we are making a commitment to live our lives according to the teachings of Christ, and to root out of our own lives any hypocrisy and spiritual weeds that have grown up in there.
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