This upcoming Sunday, the Gospel reading centers around the Transfiguration, when Jesus' appearance was transformed as He revealed the fullness of his divinity to his followers.

As we face "one crisis after another," how can we be personally, communally, and politically transformed as we witness for "peace, justice, mercy, and compassion"? What is calling out to be transformed in our churches, our movements, and our common life together?

2023 is shaping up to be a year of transformation for Pax Christi USA, as our staff promotes peace on international delegations, our Young Adult Caucus convenes to strengthen our movement, and we explore the next 20 years of our commitment to being an anti-racist, multicultural movement for peace and justice.

Political transfiguration: Read "From Mountaintops to Valleys," a reflection on the political implications of transfiguration from Anglican theologian Anderson Jeremiah. Jeremiah reflects on the importance of transfiguring a church "that is institutionally racist, steeped in its colonial past, and primarily denied by its white normative theology."

In place of a racist system of control and domination, the author asks us to follow Jesus in building a "politics of love built on pursuit of justice and truth in every sphere of life."

Reflecting on Jeremiah's words, ask yourself: "What violations of human dignity do I see in my own context? How can these be transfigured into just systems?"

Personal transfiguration: Our friends at New Ways Ministry (NWM) have compiled a beautiful resource on the LGBTQ+ experience and transfiguration, inviting prayerful reflection on disclosure, vulnerability, and community.

From the resource: "Each time we disclose a truth about ourselves, we part a veil. By doing so, we invite others to come into our lives and make contact with us. Parting any veil forces a degree of vulnerability and demands unimaginable trust and faith."

Use the NWM resource to guide your own reflections on transfiguration, LGBTQ+ equality, and living in wholeness and truth. How can living in authenticity inform your work for peace and justice? Where can you practice vulnerability, trust, and faith?

Catholic Social Teaching reminds us that spiritual transformation and living in right relationship with those around us ultimately means considering "the joys and the hopes, the griefs and anxieties" of our neighbors, "especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted."

1) Traditionally, many Pax Christi USA local groups plan and stage a “Way of the Cross” event on Good Friday, connecting the sufferings of Christ during his passion with the suffering of our siblings at the hands of violence, greed, poverty, sickness and war.

>> Let us know if you have a Way of the Cross planned in your community by filling out this form.

2) Join Pax Christi USA as we celebrate the United Nations' first International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness (IDDNPA) on March 5.

Along with our international partners around the world and at the UN, Pax Christi USA supports multilateral disarmament efforts. The new International Day seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues, especially for young people. Here's how to join us in this week of action that starts March 5:

>> Use this action alert from the Back from the Brink campaign and urge your U.S. House Representative to show leadership on nuclear weapons by co-sponsoring H. Res. 77.

>> Request an “in-district” meeting with your House member(s) to discuss H. Res. 77. Let the campaign know your plans in advance by emailing jeremy@preventnuclearwar.org so Back from the Brink can keep track of these requests and offer assistance to you.