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<table class="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout-table gmail-m_-7547218489899731133root-table" style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" width="650" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><td id="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout-row-margin21434" style="padding:5px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%;border-collapse:initial" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr id="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout-row21434" class="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout-row gmail-m_-7547218489899731133widget gmail-m_-7547218489899731133_widget_text gmail-m_-7547218489899731133style21434" style="margin:0px;padding:0px"><td id="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133layout-row-padding21434" style="padding:10px 30px 0px" valign="top"><table style="font-size:13px;min-width:100%" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td id="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133text_div20993" class="gmail-m_-7547218489899731133td_text gmail-m_-7547218489899731133td_block" style="color:inherit;font-size:12px;font-weight:inherit;line-height:1.5;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:Arial" align="left" valign="top"><div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;line-height:1.5"> <div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-weight:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal"><div style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-size:18px;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";color:rgb(0,0,0);font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">Friends,
 <span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>today’s Gospel presents the Transfiguration of Christ.</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>What is the 
Transfiguration itself? </b></span>Mark speaks literally of <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>a metamorphosis, of 
going beyond <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">the form that<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> he</span> had</span></b></span>. If I can use
Paul’s language, it is <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>“the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of
 Jesus Christ.</b></span>” In and through his humble humanity, <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>his divinity shines 
forth. </b></span>The proximity of his divinity in no way compromises the integrity
 of his humanity, but rather makes it shine in greater beauty. <span style="background-color:rgb(208,224,227)"><b>This is 
the New Testament version of the burning bush.</b></span></span><br><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">The<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>
 Jesus who is both divine and <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">human</span> is the Jesus who is evangelically 
compelling.</b></span> </span></b></span></b><span style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><span style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">If he is only divine, then he doesn’t touch us; if he is 
only human, then he can’t save us. </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b><span style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><span style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal">His splendor consists in the coming 
together of the two natures, without <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">mixing, mingling, or confusion</span>.</span></span></span></span></b></span><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-size:18px;font-style:normal;text-align:start"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><b style="margin:0px;outline:medium none currentcolor;padding:0px;font-weight:normal"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b><br><br></b></span><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:18px;font-weight:400;line-height:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;font-family:georgia,"times new roman";font-style:normal"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>This
 same Jesus</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>then<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"> accompanies</span> his disciples back down the mountain and 
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">walks with</span> them in the ordinary rhythms of their lives.</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>This is the 
Christ who wants to reign as Lord of</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>our lives in every detail.</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>If we 
forget about</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>this dimension</b></span>, <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>then </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)"><b>Jesus </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">becomes a distant</span> memory, a 
figure from the past. </b></span></span></b><br></span></b></div>
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