Have I ever had an experience of my life being transformed and transfigured?

 

The substantial conversion of bread and wine into his body and blood introduces within creation the principle of radical change, a sort of “nuclear fission,” to use an image familiar to us today, which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the Transfiguration of the entire world, to the point where God will be all in all (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:28).

-- Pope Benedict XV I, Sacramentum Curitatis 11.

Here are some Bible verses related to transformation and transfiguration:

• 2 Corinthians 3:18

  People are transformed into the image of God through the Spirit of the Lord. 
  
• Matthew 17:1-9

  A passage about the transfiguration of Jesus: 
  

  • "His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light" (Matthew 17:2) 
    
• Luke 9:28-36

  A passage about the transfiguration of Jesus: 
  

  • "His face was altered. His clothing became dazzling white" 
    

The Bible also contains stories of transformation, including:

• David, who found the courage to fight Goliath and become King
• Zacchaeus, who changed his ways after meeting Jesus
• Jonah, who found courage after God intervened through a large fish 

You might have experienced a transformation or transfiguration in your life if you've:

• Faced a difficult challenge, such as a loved one's death, a life-threatening illness, or financial struggles 
  
• Felt God's presence in a mystical way 
  
• Experienced a wonderful moment that you didn't want to end 
  
• Changed as a society, such as during a global pandemic 
  

The term "transfigured" means to become more beautiful or elevated, while "transformed" means to become different, though it's not necessarily better. Some say that transfiguration is a result of God's grace, and that we can only allow it to happen by placing ourselves in God's presence. Others say that the experience of the Transfiguration reminds us to rejoin our everyday lives as changed people. 

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