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| Transfiguration, by Edward Knippers |
held out to us as promise
to be fulfilled
while He who takes our nature
old and troubled as it is
undoes our fears
with love
and transfigures those who dare
to follow His gracious call
like Moses and Elijah
one raptured from the grave
the other rendezvous’d
to sit with Him
upon His Father’s Throne
annihilating time
with the lightning flash
of His eternity
This is no God of heavens only
encircled by prostrating priests
hymned by eyeful animals
Himself appearing
in guise of manlike shape
but Man Himself
the God of heavens
and earths without number
appearing as a new-born
first-born Son
under the same skies
upon the same land
as One of us
not in appearance only
not in mere similitude
sharing our flesh and blood
that we share His
Masses and liturgies
rise up to persuade us
prayers and rosaries
recited to claim us
yet He opens the Temple
to show us within
enlarging its courts
encompassing the whole world
enduring all moments and all times
and holy days of obligation disappear
into the sublime shadow of the Almighty
as He walks with us
holding hands
and talks with us
face to face
and embraces us
making us His
