Please note the Very Cool Title that replaces ‘Wednesday Photographs’ as suggested last week by one of my dearest childhood friends, Julie Perez Boone: “‘WONDER’ful Wednesday.’ The reason, Julie explained, “That way we, the readers, can ‘wonder’ what beautiful picture or wonderful, thought-provoking quote or verse we’ll get to enjoy that day!!!”  

I like. I like VERY MUCH.  Thank you, Julie… altho methinks  there might be a wee challenge in mustering up WONDER’ful posts each Wednesday(~!) BUT, the gauntlet has been Thrown Down & now Virginia your humble blogger must Pick It Up!  : )

How appropriate to start with Mount Tabor where tradition places the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ  (our Gospel reading last Sunday, Luke 9:28-36.) This monument is what you see once you brave the steep, curvy road.  Our visiting priest Sunday commented how grateful he was to reach the top in One Piece after a harrowing taxi ride! – then afterward i told him, how about DRIVING that road? which i did several times.  Altho i lived in Bethlehem (a bit of a drive from Mt. Tabor, which is located in the Galilee of Israel) & spent most of my five years zooming around the West Bank & Gaza Strip, the agency i worked for also supported projects in Haifa, Nazareth & Ibillin, so i did traipse around there upon occasion, actually any occasion i could wrangle – ’tis So Very Beautiful in the Galilee & Haifa is a Very Cool City to visit(!)

Of course, anywhere anything important faith-wise happened in the Holy Land, there’s usually a church – like this one on the top of Mt. Tabor.  A Good place to say a few prayers (thanksgiving might be good, especially after safely reaching the top?)

But now, onto the Glory of God. On Sunday what struck me on that mountain with Jesus transfiguring was that Peter & James & John “saw His glory”… the humble carpenter, teacher & miracle worker transcended into Someone Divine, dazzling White with brilliant Light…’twas the Glory of God. Full stop. But it didn’t stop there…

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam – yes, that’s the motto of the Jesuits (click here to read why i like them so much) , but it’s also for all of us:  To the Greater Glory of God. Whatever we do – Big Things & Small Things – we should think (& maybe pray?) about giving Glory to God.

“…Thine is the Kingdom, the Power & THE GLORY…”  We say it every day in the Lord’s Prayer, but do we think about what it MEANS?   We can be an ‘occasion of blessing’ for others or we can trample any pesky peons in our way…

Which way do you think gives Glory to  God?  hmmn.

Methinks whatever we’re doing – whether it’s mopping floors, changing diapers, leading a company of professionals, missionizing, teaching unruly teenagers, working a humdrum job or one on the cutting edge- how much love we put into the ‘doing’ of it is what increases the Glory Meter….

A favorite old hymn begins, “To God be the glory, great things He has done, so LOVED HE THE WORLD that He gave us His Son…”

LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!! LOVE!!

…& as you continue traipsing about near Mt. Tabor, you might come to this outlook that has definite WONDER’ful possibilities…

“THE GLORY OF GOD IS THE HUMAN PERSON FULLY ALIVE.”
St. Irenaeus of Lyons

grace, peace & LIVING GLORY

Virginia : )