There were many similarities between my mom and my aunts, not only physical but also reflected in their tastes.
Growing up and visiting my cousins, we traveled between our homes and my grandma’s house. This situation gave us the opportunity to notice these commonalities in their tastes and preferences.
One of these commonalities was wedding photos. Each of my aunts had her wedding photo displayed prominently in their living rooms. Later, I noticed that my grandma also had one of these photos, not in the living room, but in a very visible place. It wasn’t a large photo like my aunts’, but it was in a central and frequently seen spot. You couldn’t enter my grandma’s house and ignore the presence of her wedding photo.
On one occasion, for some reason, my cousins and I started talking about how beautiful each of our moms looked in their wedding dresses. Each of us saw our mom as an angel, dressed in white and absolutely gorgeous.
I remember having that same conversation with my mom, telling her how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. And my dad, well, he was incredibly handsome. In my little girl’s mind, their courtship and wedding were like the culmination of a fairy tale. My brother and I were like the continuation of that story, hahaha.
I remember that conversation with my mom very clearly. I would tell her how beautiful she looked, and it was as if she didn’t necessarily agree. She did hear me, but she would find fault with her hairstyle, or the crown, or the shoes. I honestly didn’t understand why she didn’t completely agree with me that she was the most beautiful woman in the world. It was as if I was trying to convince her.
A few years and two daughters later, hahaha, I began to understand a little.
There have been many times when my daughters have come up to me and tell me how beautiful I am. And what do I do? Something similar to what my mom did: I “justify why” I’m not as beautiful as they see me.
It took me a while to realize this, but when I did, I clearly remembered what my mom used to tell me.
In Scripture, we hear the Father’s voice saying of Jesus that he is his beloved Son. And Jesus doesn’t try to convince him otherwise. The sacred text describes how Jesus was transfigured, with his clothes shining and white as snow. Could it be that the love he received was reflected in his radiance?
Do you think it was easy for Jesus to hear himself being loved in such a powerful voice?
And you, can you openly and without resistance accept when someone looks at you with love? Do you receive the compliment, or do you reject it, trying to convince them otherwise?
What would you need to be able to receive that love without resistance and with a completely open heart?
If the Spirit leads you, share with Jesus the carpenter what you would say upon hearing the Father say that you are his beloved child. And perhaps you may find yourself radiant with love.
Marisol
P.S.: We can hear about the Transfiguration in the readings for the Second Sunday of Lent, year/cycle A.
