THURSDAY August 6
Feast of the Transfiguration
Exodus 34:33. When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.
Veils have a long history. They’ve shielded skin and embodied beliefs. They’ve served and been used. Most often, they mark transitions. Coarse meets fragile in a sandstorm. A bride lifts her veil.
Some sense the “veil is thin” when life meets death, unhallowed meets holy, and water meets shore. Did the people around Moses sense this?
Moments of transition can prove the most dangerous and rewarding experiences of our lives. They change us. I wonder at Moses’ and Jesus’ faces today in our readings from Exodus and Luke. The veil is thin with these two. They encounter God and are noticeably changed. If I look upon God’s unveiled glory, will my face change too? Is that what the Israelites fear when they see Moses?
God, thank you for the veils enabling me to sit in your presence comfortably. Please lift them one by one, that I may see you more clearly.
MOVING FORWARD: Do a little research on the history of veils. How does this help you understand them as a metaphor?
Ps 99 or 99:5-9 | Exodus 34:29-35 | 2 Peter 1:13-21 | Luke 9:28-36