August 6 is the feast of the Transfiguration, or The Feast of The Lord, it is nine days before the feast of our human sanctification expressed in the East by the beautiful term Deification, which falls and is on August 15, which is the Solemnity of the Dormition of Mary the Mother of God. The Transfiguration describes the fourth Luminous Mystery of the Rosary. Jesus climbs Mount Tabor to pray, and while he is praying, is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. I think this detail in the Gospel is most important. Prayer transfigures Jesus, at least in the eyes of his friends, and his immaculate nature is thus revealed. “This is my beloved Son,” a voice booms from within the cloud. This is my Son, the all-pure, whose face shines like the sun at midday, and whose vesture gleams white as light. There is no shadow or hint of darkness in Him. Listen to Him; imitate Him, become Him. Aren’t these the exact words of Mary: Do whatever he tells you?
   How do we imitate the purity of Christ Jesus? It is in prayer that we perceive God’s love, and so are strengthened against loveless lust. While in prayer, Christ’s face blazed like the sun and his clothes shone white as light. He spoke with the glorified figures of Moses and Elijah, representing the Law and the Prophets. Jesus reveals himself in complete majesty, a majesty of immaculate purity. His brightness manifests a quality of glorified bodies, “who will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matt 13:43). But faith comes more through hearing than through seeing. And so the Father’s voice commands them to “Listen” to his beloved Son. But how many are listening? 
   It certainly seems like most people are not listening, and so they fall into gross impurity, an impurity that incapacitates authentic love. In our world, behold the casualties of the so-called “sexual revolution.” When I see emptiness in a young person’s face, I know the cause. They do not know love, they do not know themselves, because they are living a lie in their bodies. They do not see the image of God in the human person, and they will eventually destroy that image—even babies—without a thought, because they have not listened to God’s voice.
   We too, even in our vigorous Catholicism, violate holy purity at times in what we watch at the movie theatre, on Netflix and co. and computers and cell phones. We promote poisonous impurity in how we dress, in the music we listen to, and in how we look at others. The Father’s voice begs us, commands us: Listen to my beloved Son. The Mother of God guides us: Listen to Him. Do not listen to the world! It is aggressive, demanding, and intolerant. It shouts at you, demands your submission, and soaks you in impurity. If we want to be capable of love, we must listen carefully to God by praying early and often. In the silence of the heart God speaks; only in silence can love speak to us.