August 6, 1998 (P.S. Aug.10,12,14,15,19,22,31)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

How are you? However brief and imperfect, we are glad to share with you something about the mystery of transfiguration. As the Church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord today, we are given a glimpse of Heaven. In this awesome vision, we suddenly see Jesus as He is: "He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light." (Mt 17:2) "And as He was praying, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His raiment became dazzling white." (Lk 9:29)

If "the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father" (Mt 13:43), then the transradiant Christ, together with Moses and Elijah "who appeared in glory" (Lk 9:31), have just shown us what we will be like in Heaven. Fully transfigured, transformed or sanctified by God's grace (glory, light, power, ray or energy, etc. --- various synonyms used in Eastern Orthodoxy for God's grace), we will also be scintillating most brilliantly God's grace (glory, light, power, ray or energy, etc. ). "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into His likeness from one degree of glory to another." (2Cor 3:18) Yet it is only in Heaven will this process of creation or transfiguration unto the likeness of God (cf. Gen 1:26) in Christ (cf. Col 1:15) be fully realized.

At the same time, the appearance of Moses and Elijah with Christ (as well as with the Father and the Spirit being signified by the human voice and the bright cloud) hints to us the family life in our eternal home. Apparently, Heaven is a Family union or reunion between God the Triune Transfigurer and the totally transfigured human family. All of us without exception have been created and invited to this Family get-together (or reunion due to the Fall) in Heaven.

In varying degrees, this Divine Heavenly Family has already begun to those who begin practicing their communion with the Most Holy Trinity and Its whole Family of Holy Angels and Saints. When we walk into the future (whether in the next few minutes, hours, years or decades), we walk right into the Divine Heavenly Family who are closer to us than what we can imagine. It is particularly so when we enter into Heaven. Through the practice of our precious faith, hope and love, we can surely experience this invisible reality to a certain extent, e.g., when we pay close attention to the liturgical text at Mass and try not to explain their presence away rationally or poetically.

If we remain faithful to God in our prayers and struggles, God would invariably address each progressively transfigured sister and brother in a similar manner (in which Christ was addressed): "This is my beloved son [or daughter] with whom I am well pleased." (Mt 17:5) Not even Christ was exempted from prayers and doing God's will, as their sure effect is transfiguration, from one degree of glory to the other. Accordingly, Jesus began to be transfigured "as He was praying" (Lk 9:29) and preparing to do God's works (cf. Lk 9:31).

Another living testimony of the transfigured can be found in the celestial appearance of Our Heavenly Mother at Fatima. This is truly exciting as we are celebrating soon the feast of her Assumption (on August 15) and that of her Queenship (on August 29), wondering what she is like now in Heaven supremely transfigured as Queen of the universe (of universes). Briefly reported by Sr. Lucia regarding her experience at Fatima [Sr. Lucia, Fatima in Lucia's Own Words: Sister Lucia's Memoirs (Fatima, Portugal: Postulation Centre, 1976) pp.159-161], it reads:

We beheld a Lady all dressed in white. She was more brilliant than the sun, and radiated a light more clear and intense than a crystal glass filled with sparkling water, when the rays of the burning sun shine through it. We stopped, astounded, before the Apparition. We were so close, just a few feet from her, that we were bathed in the light which surrounded her, or rather, which radiated from her. As she pronounced these last words "… the grace of God will be your comfort", Our Lady opened her hands for the first time, communicating to us a light so intense that, as it streamed from her hands, its rays penetrated our hearts and the innermost depths of our souls, making us see ourselves in God, Who was that light, more clearly than we see ourselves in the best of mirrors.

Let us then continue to be ever more transfigured by God's grace through our daily cooperation with God in fervent prayers and good works, in communion, communication and union with one another and the whole Divine Heavenly Family!

Yours sincerely in Christ and Our Heavenly Mother,

The editor

P.S.1 (Aug.10) Today Toronto mourns the slain police officer William Hancox as her unforgettable hero and saint. As no community can live without their heroes or saints, the people of God too cannot live without their heroes or Saints (who are the finest members, products or achievements of the Church). As much as without vision, the people would perish; without heroic Saints, the people of God as well as their Christian vision would be immeasurably endangered if not perish.

It would be ideal for us to introduce a certain Saint here everyday. But because of the time required to do the research and writing, we can only do so very sporadically and briefly. Many of our great feast days have been overlooked for that reason. Thank you for understanding.

P.S.2 (August 12) To put things in the right perspective, Christ is not only the King of kings to all of us, but also the perfect Model or Hero par excellence of all heroic Saints.

P.S.3 (Aug.14) Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe. It appears that there are three great saints raised up recently in Poland, i.e., St. Maximilian Kolbe, Bl. Sr. Faustina, and our dear Pope John-Paul II.

P.S.4 (Aug.15) Today the whole Church --- all those who truly belong to the Most Holy Trinity in Heaven, on earth and in the Purgatory (traditionally called the suffering Church) --- celebrates with unspeakable joy the feast of Mary's body-and-soul Assumption into Heaven. She thereby has become the Queen of Heaven, the Queen all the Holy Angels and Saints as well as the Queen of the whole Universe (of universes), etc.

More importantly, the Mother of Christ, the Mother of God, the Mother of our Creator and the Mother of our Saviour has become also the Mother of the Church, Mother of divine grace, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, Mother inviolate, Mother undefiled, Mother most amiable, Mother most admirable, Mother of good counsel, Mother of all Christians, Mother of all seminarians, nuns and priests, and even Mother of the whole human family. This may be a major reason why we can never call God our Mother by name, e.g., to pray to the Holy Trinity in the name of the Mother, Child, and the Holy Spirit, etc. On the other hand, we have to admit that God possesses also all the feminine and motherly qualities, etc., and that we can even accept the motherly model or image of God (i.e., God is like a mother to us) [cf. Sallie McFague, Models of God (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987) pp.97-123].

Certainly, we do not wish to misdiagnose God's being and nature. Neither do we desire to insult the intelligence of those who intend to address God as our Mother by name. Facing all the complexities and limitations of human language, we simply do not want to smother the identity (or motherhood) of Our Heavenly Mother, instantly depraving ourselves of our indescribably beautiful, God-given relationship with her, let alone all the blessings which God is unceasingly delighted to grant us through her. As we know, she is at the same time also the God-chosen Spiritual Vessel, Vessel of Honor, Seat of Wisdom, Cause of our Joy, Gate of Heaven, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comforter of the Afflicted, Help of Christians and Mediatrix of Grace to us, etc. (cf. Litany of the Blessed Virgin, etc.; click here for Litany.)

As Our Heavenly Mother perpetually allows God to be "all in all" (1Cor 15:28) for her, in her and through her for us, we may comprehend even more God's feminine and motherly qualities, etc., when we accept her wholeheartedly as Our Heavenly Mother (than when we do not or half-heartedly do so).

As much as she is the Mother of Christ and hence the Mother of God for all eternity (due to Christ's irreversible divine-human hypostatic union), she is also forever our Mother in Heaven. One of these days, many who refuse to accept her as their Heavenly Mother now but manage to arrive at the gate of Heaven might have to apologize to her personally (after apologizing to God), saying, "Sorry, Mother!' She would reply, "Don't worry, my dear child! Come in! The whole Divine Heavenly Family here welcomes you with all our hearts!" Many who could not make it to Heaven immediately or forever might have to blame themselves for many things for a long time. One of which might be that they have resent or ignored again and again this mighty channel of God sent to them as the Refuge of Sinners and the Help of Christians, etc., who is at the same time the Mother of God.

St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars, patron saint of parish priests (whose feast day which we have overlooked is Aug.4), is well known for saying, "I know a person who is more powerful than God, i.e., the person who prays. For even God almighty would listen to that person." In the final analysis, who is more powerful in intercessory prayer before God than the Mother of God herself?

As the whole Church celebrates joyously the feast of her Assumption into Heaven, let us gratefully renew and deepen our personal love for our dear Mother in Heaven!

P.S.5 (Aug.19) Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. John Eudes (1601-1680) who is remembered for improving priestly formation and helping distorted women. As a priest, he also fostered fervent devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. According to St. Eudes, the Heart of Mary is so united in love with her Son's that hers beats as one with His. In varying lesser degrees, many loving parents seem to have experienced this intimacy with their beloved children.

P.S.6 (Aug.22) As the whole Church today celebrates joyfully the Queenship of Our Heavenly Mother, some may think that the Church is overdoing it. Hopefully, the following could help explain her position to some extent.

As we know well, without Christ the Redeemer, there is absolutely no salvation or grace for anyone in salvation history. Jesus is forever the one and only one Mediator between God and the whole human family. However, in varying degrees, to the extent that we are one with Christ as a branch united with the vine (cf. Jn 15:4), we can partake in everything that Christ is or possesses. In other words, according to our loving union with Him and our created capacity, Christ is most willingly to share with us His Father, His Spirit, His Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, as well as His grace, love, joy, peace, wisdom, glory, Heaven, etc., even His own Mother and Mediatorship.

That the Mother of God is the Queen of the whole universe and Mediatrix of all graces, etc., demonstrates only two fundamental truths among others: (a) Christ's unfathomed generosity in sharing or giving Himself to all of us, and (b) the unspeakable importance of uniting ourselves unceasingly hence with Christ the King of kings and Mediator par excellence. As such, nobody is more united in love with Christ than His very Mother. To the glory of God the Father and by the power of God the Holy Spirit, she partakes therefore most perfectly (as compared to other creatures) in the unsurpassed Kingship and Mediatorship of Christ Our Lord and God.

For all eternity, Our Heavenly Queen is the most beloved Daughter of the Father, the most beloved Mother of the Son, and the most beloved Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is indisputably the most important person after the Most Holy Trinity. "And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for He has regarded the low estate of His handmaid. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for God who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.'" (Lk 1:46-49)

P.S.7 (Aug.31) Today, without surprise, the whole world still cannot forget Princess Diana who passed away a year ago. This reflects, among others, a profound, however unconscious, universal archetype of us all. Apparently, whether we want to admit it or not consciously at this moment, every one of us deeply desires to be a princess or prince of some kind. Actually, it may not be a bad thing.

Since we are all created indeed as God's (the King of king's) children, is every single one of us not a princess or prince of the whole universe (of universes)? Hence to be a Christian is to become a heiress or heir of God's Kingdom (i.e.. the whole universe of universes), clearly more dignified than a temporal princess or prince on this small planet (with all due respect for all the temporal princesses and princes concerned). To evangelize then is to help others to remember and reclaim much more directly her or his sadly forgotten princessship or princeship, for all eternity.

Indisputably, "for now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known [by God as a princess or prince of the whole Divine Heavenly Family]." (1Cor 13:12)