Taking Abram outside the Lord said, ‘Look up to heaven and count the stars if you can. Such will be your descendants’ he told him. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who counted this as making him justified.
Genesis 15:5f
There are moments in our lives that are totally transformative. They are moments of inspiration, realisation, acceptance, unveiling, creativity, or ecstasy. It is at these junctures that we move from one understanding or perception to another: the change may well be graduated, or instantaneous. But the effect is the same. The person I was before this change was affected is in some subtle or less than subtle way made anew.
Falling in love, seeing your newborn child, sending your children off to university, becoming a grandparent, losing a partner and even death itself generates that transition from one state to another. Our lives are punctuated and perhaps even measured by such experiences, they may equally be highlights or lowlights, full of pleasure or pain, self-revealing or disclaiming, gentle or explosive, tragic or comic. It can lead us to grow and it can lead us to withdraw. It is what we make of that moment, experience, and learning that will enable us to truly be transformed.
Abram’s visionary encounter with his God presages many such transformative experiences in the sacred scriptures, not least of which are the three synoptic Gospel accounts of the Transfiguration. It is a story utterly steeped in image, symbol and metaphor. It is an encounter between man and God, the bridging between heaven and earth, the present reality with the future expectation. It is not only about what happens to Jesus, it is about what happens to the disciples who are shaken from their weariness and most imperatively, about what happens to me when I am face to face with the glory of God. Thus, the transfiguration becomes a deep, transforming experience for those disciples, for they have seen, but must now listen (Listen to him) and with this a revelation of Jesus’ ultimate mission, the breaking open of the kingdom here on earth with him as the bridge to eternal life. Moses’ and Elijah’s presence are the assurance that the faithful will be rewarded.
In our neighbours, in our streets and towns, in places far from our own, we encounter the face of God. Not a God of glory, but most often a God of suffering and hurt, hunger and destitution. If I am called to anything in this transfiguration story, it is to allow others to be transformed through my actions, my faith in them, and my compassion – allowing others to see beyond the “me” and to look into the face of that God of glory.
Mr Peter Douglas
Director of Faith and Mission
Bereavements
Peter Bevilacqua
After a short illness, Peter recently passed away. His funeral was held on Wednesday 12 March at Bellerive.
Peter taught at MRC from January 1973 – June 1979 and was Deputy Principal from January 1981 – December 1986.
During his tenure at the College, Peter held a number of roles: Deputy Principal, Sports Master, Master of Order and Discipline, Board of Management staff representative, SRC staff liaison, Careers/Transition Officer, and teacher of Physical Education, Senior Economics, Mathematics, Religious Education, and Social Science. Peter also coached cricket, football, tennis, swimming, athletics and soccer.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Peter’s family.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let your perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
If you wish to share the passing of someone connected with our school community, please contact us via email: principal@mrc.tas.edu.au