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Dear St. Christopher’s Family,
Epiphany always ends with the story of the Transfiguration of the Lord. This last event of Jesus' public ministry is told in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and even Peter, in the epistle we will hear, references it as a pivotal event. The story belongs here, right before we begin Lent, because it is the point at which Jesus makes it clear that he is headed to Jerusalem for the last time.
Literally, 'Transfiguration' means 'Changing the Face.' Jesus, of course, had a face that the disciples recognized. But something very special happens here on Mount Tabor: Elijah and Moses, the two Old Testament prophets who stood in God's presence, stand here among the disciples as they see the face of God themselves. None but those who were there know what the difference in Jesus' face was, but clearly their understanding of who Jesus is changes because of what they saw.
We present Lent to our children through the Godly Play story "Faces of Easter." We encourage the children to think about how the whole story of Jesus leads us to Jerusalem and prepares us for his Resurrection. This week, and as we move through Lent, preparing our hearts for the mysteries of the Passion, I invite you to think about what it means that God wants us to know him by sight, to see him Face to Face.
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