As parents, we are called to shepherd our children, to equip them to navigate in a world that often contradicts and threatens the values that we worked so hard to build within the sacred walls of our home. I still remember our daughter’s days in elementary school, the moments when she felt left out, stumbling to find her place. I agonized over her painful recollections of not feeling as if she belonged, longing to shield her from the loneliness and uncertainty. And now, as my husband and I prepare to send her off to college, I feel the weight of transition pressing upon my heart. I have spent her whole life keeping her close, protecting her, nurturing her - and now, I must loosen my protective hold and share her with the world. There is fear in this, and my mind races in worried thoughts. Will she stand firm and remember who she is? Will the foundation we laid beneath her feet keep her steady? Simultaneously, our son and his wife embark upon a new chapter of welcoming their own child, a beautiful new soul entrusted to their care. I realize that one day, they too will experience the ache and the joy of letting go, watching their child step into the world beyond their embrace. The cycle will continue, with each generation learning the bittersweet lesson of holding on and, later, surrendering.
This ebb and flow of life, with its moments of welcoming and parting, while staying rooted in our faith, reflects our own spiritual journey. In this Sunday’s reading from Philippians, Paul tells us to live our lives differently - to imitate him, who lives in Christ, rather than those who walk as enemies of the cross. He reminds us that our “citizenship is in heaven”, and that we do not belong to this world, but to something greater. There are times when we feel displaced, as if we do not quite belong, and there is a reason for this. This is because we are not made for this world alone. We are all made for eternal life with Christ. This is where we belong.
It is tempting to conform and ease into the ways of the world, but Paul calls us to resist this - to stand firm in faith, and to live as citizens of our God’s world, even while our feet continue to tread on the earthly ground. My daughter will face choices, challenges, and influences that will try to reshape her into a different person. My prayer is that she will remember where she truly belongs, and that she will have the courage to live her life differently, because I truly believe that God has set her, and all of us, apart. In Matthew 5:15-16, we are called to make our light shine before others, to be a light of the world that is neither hidden nor dimmed. It is my hope that she not only resist to conform to the patterns of this world, but that she live God’s word and commandments vibrantly for all to see. And, in times of transition, when we step into the unknown, we need the reassurance and reminder of a greater purpose beyond what we can see. Just as we seek moments of clarity and strength, the disciples were also given such a moment on the mountaintop.
“Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.” In that moment, the disciples were given a glimpse of Jesus’ divine glory - a revelation of who He truly is and the world that awaits us. But that moment was not meant to last. The vision faded, and they all had to descend the mountain, carrying that experience in their hearts as they returned to the realities of daily life.
Similarly, as my daughter embarks on this new chapter, and as my son and his wife begin their own journey of parenthood, they will have ‘mountaintop moments’, which are moments of clarity, joy, and nearness to God. But they will also find themselves in the valleys of life, where the noise of the world and distractions will challenge what they know to be true. My prayer is that, like Peter, John, and James, my children will remember and hold on to the truth, and that the truth continues to shape the way they walk through the hills and valleys of this world.