"what About..." Game?

[Gabriela]

I have an idea I've been mulling over for a little while. It's a series of threads in Open Mic that ask people to give responses to a simple question like: What about the Transfiguration? What about prayer? What about the Wedding at Cana? Etc.

 

The question is intentionally vague because what I'd like to hear is the thing that pops to mind first whenever people think of that little bit of Catholic teaching/life/whatever. My hope is that some people will give "objective" answers, like something really inspiring or eye-opening they once read about the particular prompt, something that caused them to see it totally differently, or that helped them to finally "get it", etc.—you know, theology/Church teaching kind of stuff. Other people will give "subjective" answers about their personal experience of that thing, anecdotes, struggles, etc.—kind of the "life side" of the issue.

 

The reason I want to do this is because, as I think most of you know, I'm a fairly recent convert to Catholicism and there are a lot of things I just don't "get" yet. I don't understand, for example, why Christ was transfigured. I mean, it wasn't necessary like His dying on the cross to save us was necessary. And I struggle with prayer, and hearing other people's perspectives on it sometimes gives me an "aha" moment that really helps me to see and approach prayer differently. For example.

 

Yes, I could read books. But all I do is read books. The advantage of the "What About..." Game is that it gathers into one place brief reflections from a huge variety of people with hugely varied experience and perspectives on a topic. Hopefully, some one or several of those will change the way I see things. And maybe change the way some others see things, too.

 

So, Pham, will you play with me? If so, I will post the first round. :-)