Body & Soul

The transfiguration history gives us knowledge that human life is composed of physical and spiritual. Both Moses and Elijah who appeared in Jesus’ transfiguration could be understood as appearance of souls because these two personalities were born during the Old Testament times long before Jesus' conception.

On the other hand, Moses who's a Hebrew (Exodus 1:16) had been playing a very significant role as God's instrument towards liberation of Israel from oppression (Exodus 1:9-10)

The appearance of two souls on Jesus' Transformation gives us an awareness that separation of physical body & soul shall occur at the time of our death. It may be bizarre to many but it's delightful to hope that there's second life than to believe that life is limited only up to the existence on earth and no more.

Life is really a mystery but given that God does not limit our knowledge, we have the power to explore on enigma that puzzles us w/c can help to give at least a little hint to make it absolute.

An example of that clue can be our dream  w/c could be associated to the mystery of soul. I believe that the scenes that appear in our dreams are manifestations of battle between our soul and the reality.

Acts 2:17 'It will come to pass in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.

Matthew 27:19 While he was still seated on the bench, his wife sent him a message, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man. I suffered much in a dream today because of him."

Dreams are the manifestation of our desires towards our selves others. Joy, lust, anger, ambition, frustration, normally appear in our dreams. There were times that we literally laugh & cry in our dreams w/c can be a warning towards reform & transcendence.

Genesis 40:8 They answered him, "We have had dreams, but there is no one to interpret them for us." Joseph said to them, "Surely, interpretations come from God. Please tell the dreams to me."

Genesis 41:25-32 Joseph said to Pharaoh: "Both of Pharaoh's dreams have the same meaning. God has thus foretold to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven healthy cows are seven years, and the seven healthy ears are seven years--the same in each dream. So also, the seven thin, ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven thin, wind-blasted ears; they are seven years of famine. It is just as I told Pharaoh: God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. Seven years of great abundance are now coming throughout the land of Egypt; but these will be followed by seven years of famine, when all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. When the famine has ravaged the land, no trace of the abundance will be found in the land because of the famine that follows it--so utterly severe will that famine be. That Pharaoh had the same dream twice means that the matter has been reaffirmed by God and that God will soon bring it about.

I remember one time perhaps on my first year in college when I had a dream. This was the stage of my life where I became aware of my lust & act out my lust. In the dream, I was struggling w/ Satan who tried to forcibly get me through his power. I did not want to be taken by him so I thought of God. W/ confidence, I concentrated in my mind & with the right hand raised, I shouted "Heaven!." Immediately, there was a pressure of suction that pulled me off. The force lasted perhaps for about 3 minutes until it finally stopped to the stairs of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom was seen afloat in space which dwells in the beauty of the clouds. As I stepped towards the stairs, I saw Virgin Mary going down to meet me. When we finally met, the Blessed Mother instructed me to go to the place she mentioned where I could find some herbal plants. The Virgin Mother directed me to use these herbals for healing... The dream stopped there.

Comparing it with what I had been going through in reality, I was really struggling to fight w/ Satan on its immoral offers. It came to a point that I hated myself because of the difficulty to get out from the gratifying works of sin. At once, it came to a point that I said, "If only I could travel Heaven, I would have done that already because I was not at home w/ my sexuality.

In my different dreams, there were series of volcanic eruption, floods like that of Noah's time, plane crash, & wars w/c really happened after several years. I'm not saying that I'm, a prophet. What I'm trying to establish here is the mystery of soul that works in everyone's dream, to give emphasis on the reality of soul.

If we'll try to reveal all these personal desires & obsessions that we've been going through, these normally manifest in our dreams giving us the idea on how clean & filthy are our souls, directing us on what is going to happen, warning us on what we should supposed to do.

Judges 7:13-15 When Gideon arrived, one man was telling another about a dream. "I had a dream," he said, "that a round loaf of barley bread was rolling into the camp of Midian. It came to our tent and struck it, and as it fell it turned the tent upside down." "This can only be the sword of the Israelite Gideon, son of Joash," the other replied. "God has delivered Midian and all the camp into his power." When Gideon heard the description and explanation of the dream, he prostrated himself. Then returning to the camp of Israel, he said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your power."

Consequently, the purer the dreams we have, the purer we are in reality. The crazier we are in reality, the crazier we are in our dreams. In our dreams where our souls could interact give us understanding towards harmony between our body & soul. The failures & victories of our physical bodies through social, emotional spiritual aspects are the same fulfillment of our souls. The soul suffers within when we do abominable works of sin but our soul rejoices when we are filled w/ love toward our neighbors and our selves.

Mark 9:2-13 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, "Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to

him." Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. Then they asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" He told them, "Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him."