Dear Brothers and Companions of the Order of St. Columba,
Glory to Jesus Christ! Truly we are most blessed to be able to celebrate this beautiful celebration of the Transfiguration. It is a most beautiful celebration and one that our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters do not pay enough attention towards, but our Orthodox brother and sisters venerate like ourselves. This feast has one simple job, to determine us towards Christ. We are each called to the life of Christ, to be with Him, in Him and to let him shine through us, like a beacon so bright that the world may be blinded by his unapproachable and merciful light. We find ourselves this year remembering that God's message to us firstly is to "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand." It is important that we strive evermore towards the Father, and to live the words spoken in the mass today, "This is my beloved Son, listen to Him." So important is this in our lives when the world is not listening. It seems that the world demands us to change who we are, when we must follow and be the Gospel for all nations. We cannot conform to the world, but rather the strength of the early Church, and our Irish Fathers, was that they conformed only to Christ and understood that Christ was the only way to achieve happiness and fulfillment. We too, must live this most bountiful fact in our life, the gift of the resurrection of Christ is a reality that we must make with our actions and in every person that we meet. Let us exhume the joy of the Gospel! Let is proclaim to the nations the gracious love of the Lord Jesus Christ! Who came when we were still sinners, to die for us.
Brothers, friends, I invite you all this transfiguration to take a new vow to live that which Christ has called us, unity with the Father, in the Son, by the Holy Spirit. This is the path in which we will find true enlightenment and be the enlighteners to the world. May the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the fellowship of all Celtic Saints and the love of the Blessed Mother Mary, be with you all.