CATHOLIC FEAST DAYS

 

CHRIST VICTORIOUS

WE ADORE YOU O CHRIST, AND WE BLESS YOU

BECAUSE BY YOUR HOLY CROSS YOU HAVE REDEEMED THE WORLD!

EXHALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS SEPTEMBER 14

 BACKGROUND

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Triumph of the Cross), is celebrated every year on September 14 and  recalls two historical events: the finding of the True Cross by Saint Helena,  mother of the emperor Constantine, and the dedication of churches built by Constantine (335) on the site of the Holy Sepulcher and Mount Calvary.

After the death and resurrection of Christ, both the Jewish and Roman authorities in Jerusalem made efforts to obscure the Holy Sepulcher, Christ’s tomb, in a garden near the site of His crucifixion. The earth was mounded up over the site, and pagan temples were built on top of it.

According to tradition, Saint Helena, Mother of Emperor, Constantine, nearing the end of her life, decided under divine inspiration to travel to Jerusalem in 326 to excavate the Holy Sepulcher in an attempt to locate the True Cross.

In celebration of the discovery of the Holy Cross, Constantine ordered the construction of churches at the site of the Holy Sepulcher and on Mount Calvary. Those churches were dedicated on September 13 and 14, 335, and shortly thereafter the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross began to be celebrated on September 14.

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME

MATTHEW 16:24

COMMENTARY.

St. Paul says in First Corinthians “WE PREACH CHRIST CRUCIFIED” 1 Corinthians 1;23.

I used to have a problem when gazing upon the cross because like so many, all I saw was suffering and death.  Then my perspective changed The Cross is a sign of contradiction. I saw the love of Christ with His open arms embracing the whole world.

For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:19

The cross designed as an instrument of torture, designed to disgrace and dismiss the worst of criminals, became the life-giving tree that reversed Adam’s Original Sin. Genesis 3:6 The Cross is not a symbol, principally, of agonizing suffering, but of the mind-blowing love God has for us. 

The cross reminds us of many things: atonement, forgiveness, love, mercy, redemption, and salvation.  Christians display the cross in their homes.  They wear it on their person.  They make the sign of the cross before prayer and on entering Church with the waters of Baptism.

With the sign of the cross we remind ourselves and witness to others that we have set ourselves apart from worldly rule and pledge our very selves to God’s reign, the kingdom in heaven.

God will not abandon us nor did He abandon His Son on the cross.  With the words, “It is finished,” John 19:30 Jesus acknowledged that He has remained faithful to the Father’s will and trusts that all will be well.

On Easter, Jesus is raised in glory and sits today and forever at right hand of the Father in heaven, preparing a place for us.

 REFLECTION

Christianity without the Cross is meaningless.  Only by uniting ourselves to Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross can we enter into eternal life. “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” Luke 9:23

When we participate in the Mass, the Cross is there, too. The “un-bloody sacrifice” offered on the altar is the re-presentation of Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross.

When we receive the Sacrament of Holy Communion we do not simply unite ourselves to Christ; we nail ourselves to the Cross, dying with Christ so we might rise with Him in glory.

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” John 20:19

When we can no longer help ourselves because we have become paralyzed with fear and overcome by darkness, Trust in Jesus!

When we have reached that stage in our life where we can no longer open the door to let light and life in, God can still come through our locked doors to heal our paralysis, and breathe peace among us.

Let us join the prophet Isaiah 53:5 in proclaiming that Jesus, our Savior and Lord, “was pierced for our offences, crushed for our sins; and upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole. By his stripes we were healed”

 O HAPPY FAULT THAT EARNED FOR US SO GREAT,

SO GLORIOUS A REDEEMER!

PRAYER TO JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED.

My good and dear Jesus, I kneel before you, asking you with great fervor, to instill in me true sorrow and repentance for my sins and a firm resolve to amend my life while contemplating your five wounds, remembering the words of the Psalmist, “They have pierced my hands and my feet, I can count all my bones.”Psalm 22:17-18

 

 

 

 

 

FEAST DAY SEPTEMBER 5

 INTRODUCTION

Saints are not only intercessors but also models for us. Mother Teresa is one of my favorite saints.  Years ago she inspired our whole family, teenage girls included, to spend time in the poorest of poor nations, Haiti, to work with the poor and dying.  We have never been the same since.  We are all called to service at our Baptisms. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

BACKGROUND

Born in Skopje (North Macedonia) in 1910, MOTHER TERESA joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin in 1928 and was sent to India, where she began her novitiate. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948, until leaving the Loreto order to begin the Missionaries of Charity.

In 1946, Mother Teresa had a mystical encounter with Christ on a train to Darjeeling September 26, 1946 in which He asked her to take her love for Him a large step further. He asked her to leave the convent of Loreto and begin an order which would serve the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

During the time of her mystical experiences leading to the founding of the new order, she experienced deep spiritual union and the sensible awareness of God’s Presence in her life.

Here is a small sample of Jesus’ words to Mother Teresa: “My little one – come – carry Me into the holes of the poor. –  Come be My light – I cannot go alone – they don’t know Me – in your love for Me – they will see Me, know Me, want Me…. For them I long –Wilt thou refuse?”

During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and the thousands of discarded has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world.

MEDITATION

 PONDER THE GOOD NEWS SHARED BY MOTHER TERESA

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Each person is Jesus in disguise. I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy.  I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.

 It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.

INSPIRATIONAL POEM

BY Kent M. Keith as “Paradoxical Commandments

PROMOTED BY MOTHER TERESA

People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.

Be kind anyway.

If you are honest, people may cheat you.

Be honest anyway.

If you find happiness, people may be jealous.

Be happy anyway.  

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.

Do Good anyway.

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.

Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God.

It was never between you and them anyway.

REFLECTION

Wherever we are, with whatever talents and relationships God has entrusted us, we are called not to do what Mother Teresa did, but to love as she loved in the Calcutta of our own life.

Made in the very image and likeness of God, We on earth, are God’s love, God’s compassion, God’s will, God’s smile, God’s tears.  We must show the presence of God in this world until He comes again at the end of time.

At the hour of our death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.

Mother Teresa’s 1979 Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace that, where there is hatred, I may bring love; that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that, where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that, where there is error, I may bring truth;

 that, where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that, where there is despair, I may bring hope; that, where there are shadows, I may bring light; that, where there is sadness, I may bring joy.

 Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds; it is forgiving that one is forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

MOTHER TERESA PRAY FOR US

 

 

FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION AUGUST 6

 

 THIS IS MY BELOVED SON WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.  And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

…. a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,^* then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision^* to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”… Matthew 17:1-13

INTRODUCTION

On August 6th, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. In this extraordinary event, found in the Synoptic Gospels and the 2nd Letter of St. Peter, Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John. .

In Caesarea Philippi, (six days before Transfiguration on Mount Tabor) Jesus asks them: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds that Jesus is “The Messiah, the Son of the living God” Mtatthew 16:16. Jesus acknowledges that Peter’s response could only be prompted by the Father and designates Peter as the leader of the Church. “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,” Matthew 16:18

Next, Jesus astounds those present, saying he will soon go to Jerusalem where he will be killed and then rise on the third day. His followers couldn’t grasp that such events could possibly happen if he was truly the Messiah. In fact, Peter argues, “No such thing could ever happen to you.”  Jesus offers a stern response: “Get behind me, Satan!(def. adversary) You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” Mathewt 16:22-23.

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY

 BOOK OF DANIEL CHAPTER 7:12

Daniel had a dream or four beasts which represented the four kingdoms that oppressed the Jews, Babylon, Egypt, Persia, and Rome these all wpold be replaced by the kingdom of God when the promised Mesiah arrives

 …the Ancient of Days took his throne. His clothing was white as snow, the hair on his head like pure wool…  I saw coming with the clouds of heaven^c One like a son of man.^* When he reached the Ancient of Days…He received dominion, splendor, and kingship; all nations, peoples and tongues will serve him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away

REFLECTION

On a mountain, for a brief time, the splendor of Christ’s eternal divinity is revealed. The apostles witness how Jesus will appear in heaven and we too, as followers of Christ, will share in his glory. His passion was not the end, so too our suffering, our death. is not the end.

Both before and after the Transfiguration, Jesus told the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of the elders, saying, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Matthew 17:22-23.

You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” Matt 16:22

Do we look at things in this world the way God does or are we caught up in trends and what is popular?

The three disciples who saw the glorified Lord were given a vision meant to strengthen them for the difficult days ahead when Jesus would be arrested and crucified.

It is a foretaste of the glory that will be theirs in the Kingdom of God. This moment, forever embedded in their minds, will help them to endure the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Let us reflect back on the times in which we have caught a subtle glimpse of the glory of our Lord.  Perhaps while reading Scripture where we have encountered the majesty of God. Or perhaps moments that occurred at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in our adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Hour.

Let the Glory of God wash over us and fill us with fortitude to endure present difficulties in order to share in that Glory one day. Jesus is the light of the world. Let him enlighten us so we can radiate to the world as St Paul says in Galatians, I no longer live but Christ lives in me Galatians 2:19-20

 Do not light your lamp and put it under a bushel Matthew 5:15 A popular traditional gospel song may say it best…. This little light of mine

This little light o’ mine, I’m goin’ let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
Everywhere I go, I’m goin’ let it shine…

 CONCLUSION

JESUS WELCOMES US INTO HIS GLORY

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…. a holy city, a New Jerusalem, coming down from God…, I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God..He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain… REVELATION 21:1-4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 6 we celebrate liturgically the feast of Saint Maria Goretti.   I remember this feast because my granddaughter did research on a Confirmation name back in grade school and chose St. Maria Goretti for her Confirmation name.

SAINT MARIA GORETTI

Maria Goretti (October 16, 1890 – July 6, 1902) is an Italian virgin-martyr. Having died at the age of 11, she is the youngest canonized saint in the Catholic Church’s long and storied history.

She was born on the eastern side of Italy to a farming family, but increased poverty forced the family to move to the western side of the country when she was only six.

When Maria was nine, her father died tragically from Malaria.   This was a terrible time of trial and suffering for the whole family.  The Gorettis had to share a house with another family, the Serenellis, in order to survive. Aside from having the responsibility of caring for her family, Maria had to also cook and clean for her two next door neighbors–Giovanni Serenelli and his son, Alessandro–who assisted her mother with the farm tasks.

The Serenelli family was what we would call today a very dysfunctional family. Alessandro Serenelli, the young man (20) who attacked Maria was part of this terrible mess. Giovanni, his father, was an alcoholic and his mother died in a psychiatric hospital when he was only a few months old, apparently after trying to drown Alessandro when he was a newborn.

On July 5, 1902, eleven-year-old Maria was sitting on the outside steps of her home, sewing one of Alessandro’s shirts and watching Teresa, her baby sister, when Alessandro threatened her with a knife if she did not do what he said; he was intending to rape her.

Maria would not submit, protesting that what he wanted to do was a mortal sin and warning him that he would go to hell.  She desperately fought to stop him. She kept screaming, “No! It is a sin! God does not want it!” He first choked her, but when she insisted she would rather die than submit to him, he stabbed her eleven times.

Though, she prevented him from violating her, Maria was mortally wounded. The next day in the hospital Maria died, while looking at a picture of the Virgin Mary and clutching a cross to her chest.   Her last words were, “I forgive Alessandro Serenelli and I want him with me in heaven forever.”

During his prison sentence Maria appeared to Alessandro and forgave him.  That act of mercy and forgiveness—that act of love—filled Alessandro with contrition for his crime.  When he was eventually released from prison, he visited Maria’s mother begging forgiveness, which she readily granted. From that point on, he lived a beautiful and converted life of holiness, eventually becoming a Franciscan lay brother.

Maria Goretti was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1947, and canonized in 1950 by the same Pope.  Maria’s mother and Alessandro were present at both ceremonies.

COMMENTARY

I share the story of Maria Goretti not only to honor her, but to cite her as an example of one who understood the horror and consequences of sin and preferred to die rather than commit a mortal sin. Today we live in a culture that has lost the sense of sin.  It is the last thing most people want to acknowledge or talk about.

In today’s hardened society, those supporting abortion, a grave sin, avoid at all cost discussing the killing and dismemberment of the innocent, our youngest and most vulnerable human beings.  Killing innocent human beings is a mortal sin against the 5^th Commandment.

Sexual sins are not the only sins but they are certainly a battle of our times. Adultery, fornication, masturbation, pornography, contraception, sterilization and abortion are real life struggles for many. These are still GRAVE SINS, despite our culture’s embrace of Moral Relativism.

Moral relativism is the philosophical theory that all morality is relative, different moral truths hold for different people.  We can all decide what is right for ourselves. You decide what’s right for you, and I’ll decide what’s right for me. No authority outside of me. In other words we play God.

Hmmm, wouldn’t that be interesting! What if it was up to each individual driver to choose the speed limit, when to turn, how to turn, when or if to stop at intersection? I suspect there would be a lot of collateral damage. to you and others.  It is the same for sin. We don’t sin alone! What we choose affects everyone in Mystical Body of Christ

“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.” CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH #733

For forgiveness of sins, Jesus instituted the Sacrament of Penance. “Receive the Holy Spirit.  For those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.”

JOHN  20: 22-23

 

REFLECTION

 Saint Maria Goretti, is a model of righteousness and encouragement to avoid sin at all cost and to forgive at all cost as well.   “If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions”.  Matthew 6:15

We experience God’s mercy through the Sacrament of Confession.  It is there that we acknowledge who we are, limited, weak, and sinful creatures in need of redemption.  It is there that God forgives us of any and all of our sins.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” John 3: 16-17

The Sacrament of Penance is an enormous source of interior peace.  The priest in the person of Jesus raises his hand, and then with a blessing pronounces those amazing words, “I absolve you from your sins.”  At that moment, we know that God has heard our cry for forgiveness, and we have been pardoned of our sins.

PRAYER TO SAINT MARIA GORETTI

 St. Maria Goretti model of love and forgiveness, Help us all, especially our youth ,to flee  anything that could offend Jesus or stain our souls with sin.

Even at age of eleven you understood what it meant to love God and love your neighbor.  You did not withhold forgiveness from your attacker.  In fact you wanted him in heaven with you.

 Pray for me, that I, too, will be able to love my enemies like you did. Obtain for us victory in temptation, and grace of perseverance that we may one day enjoy with you the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen.

SAINT MARIA GORETTI

PRAY FOR ME!

 

 

 

JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH

REFLECTION

As I look at this picture of the Holy Family, many themes come to mind. Love and faithfulness stand out…  Mary’s words of obedience to God’s messenger, “Be it done to me according to thy word,” without understanding the consequences of her fiat.  Her submission to God’s will says so much about the trust Mary had in a benevolent God that only wishes us well.

Mary conceives a Son by the Power of the Holy Spirit….the Son Mary conceived was no ordinary Son but the Son of God…Mary will bring God to the world… the Word Incarnate…God will dwell once again among His people…The Garden is refreshed with a NEW ADAM…

Joseph had his own qualms to deal with when his wife to be became pregnant and not by him.  Joseph was already a righteous man in relationship with God and did not want to do anything to embarrass or jeopardize his spouse to be so he was going to separate quietly.

Then God intervened, “behold, the angel of the Lord^* appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.” Matthew 1:20

Because of the love of Mary and Joseph, the Christ child in the picture is able to hold out his arms and embrace the whole world in blessing.  A child lives what he experiences.  A loving family attached to God their creator and source can only spread the love and embrace of God the Father to others.

At one point Jesus got separated from Mary and Joseph and when found teaching in the temple he willingly left His Father’s house and went back to his earthly home in Nazereth.  “He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.  And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man” Luke 2:49-51

 Jesus went home with His earthly parents and was obedient to them…He obeyed the Father’s will in honoring Mary and Joseph….How am I honoring God in my daily duties…

Not much is known about Jesus’ child hood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood in his home town of Nazareth.  We do know the Holy Family were all devout Jews honoring and worshiping God according to Jewish practices, especially holy days like Passover, Feast of Tabernacles, and Pentecost.

Mary and Joseph would have provided for their family in traditional roles of feeding and caring for their child.  In his human nature Jesus would be learning and not taking any “divine” short cuts as he assisted his earthly foster father, Joseph, in his carpentry trade.

Loving parents, loving child, the core of God’s plan for salvation of mankind, imaging the relationship of the Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit

 In the cultural change taking place in the present-day, models are often presented which conflict with the Christian vision of the family. Christianity proclaims that God created humanity as male and female, and blessed them to form one flesh and transmit life Gen 1: 27-28; 2, 24

 The mystery of life’s creation on earth fills us with wonder and delight. The family, founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, is splendid to behold and irreplaceable in an interpersonal loving relationship which transmits life. The act of generation, must be understood in light of the parents’ responsibility and commitment to the care and Christian upbringing of their children, who are the most precious fruit of conjugal love

According to our faith, the difference between the sexes bears in itself the image and likeness of God  Genesis 1:26-27. “This tells us that it is not man alone who is the image of God or woman alone who is the image of God, but man and woman as a couple who are the image of God.

 To families with homosexual members, the Church reiterates that every person, regardless of sexual orientation, ought to be respected in his/her dignity, while carefully avoiding “every sign of unjust discrimination”…Regarding proposals to place unions of homosexual persons on the same level as marriage, “there are absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and family”.

Marriage is a gift and a promise of God. The witness of couples, who faithfully live their marriage, highlights the value of this indissoluble union and awakens the desire to constantly renew their commitment to fidelity.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY FAMILY

Heavenly father, you have given us a model of life

in the Holy family of Nazareth

Help us, O Loving Father to make our family another Nazareth

where love, peace, and joy reign

May it be deeply contemplative, intensely Eucharistic,

and vibrant with joy.

Holy Family Pray for us.

 St. Terese Kolkata

IN JESUS’ NAME WE PRAY

 

 

 

 

FEAST DAY SEPTEMBER 5

 INTRODUCTION

Saints are models for us. The saints are not only models for us, they are intercessors on our behalf.  Mother Teresa is one of my favorite saints.  Years ago she inspired our whole family, teenage girls included, to spend time in the poorest of poor nations, Haiti, to work with the poor and dying.  One of the places was a hospice run by the Missionaries of Charity the order Mother Teresa founded.

We have never been the same since. “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25 It is true when you give your life for another, you save your life and that life becomes more abundant.  God keeps His promises.

BACKGROUND

 Born in Skopje (North Macedonia) in 1910, MOTHER TERESA joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin in 1928 and was sent to India, where she began her novitiate. She taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta from 1931 to 1948, until leaving the Loreto order to begin the Missionaries of Charity.

In 1946, Mother Teresa had a mystical encounter with Christ on a train to Darjeeling September 26, 1946 in which He asked her to take her love for Him a large step further. He asked her to leave the convent of Loreto and begin an order which would serve the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta.

During the time of her mystical experiences leading to the founding of the new order, she experienced deep spiritual union and the sensible awareness of God’s Presence in her life.

Here is a small sample of Jesus’ words to her: “My little one – come – carry Me into the holes of the poor. –  Come be My light – I cannot go alone – they don’t know Me – in your love for Me – they will see Me, know Me, want Me…. For them I long –Wilt thou refuse?”

During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religions; her extraordinary contributions to the care of the sick, the dying, and thousands of others nobody else was prepared to look after, has been recognized and acclaimed throughout the world.

MEDITATION: PONDER THE GOOD NEWS

SHARED BY MOTHER TERESA

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Each person is Jesus in disguise. I see Jesus in every human being. I say to myself, this is hungry Jesus, I must feed him. This is sick Jesus. This one has leprosy.  I must wash him and tend to him. I serve because I love Jesus.

 It is easy to love the people far away. It is not always easy to love those close to us. It is easier to give a cup of rice to relieve hunger than to relieve the loneliness and pain of someone unloved in our own home. Bring love into your home for this is where our love for each other must start.

 People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.  The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

 Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

At the hour of death when we come face-to-face with God, we are going to be judged on love; not how much we have done, but how much love we put into the doing.

REFLECTION

We are each called and equipped by God to not only survive our personal Calcutta, but to contribute to those around us whose individual Calcutta intersects our own.   There is no need, then, to travel to far-off lands to contribute…

Wherever we are, with whatever talents and relationships God has entrusted us, we are each called not to do what Mother Teresa did, but– to love as she loved in the Calcutta of our own life.

Made in the very image and likeness of God, We on earth, are God’s love, God’s compassion, God’s will, God’s caregivers, His smile, His tears.  We must show the presence of God in this world until He comes again at the end of time.

Mother Teresa’s 1979 Nobel Peace Prize

Acceptance Speech

Lord, make me a channel of Thy peace that, where there is hatred, I may bring love;

that where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness; that, where there is discord, I may bring harmony; that, where there is error, I may bring truth;

that, where there is doubt, I may bring faith; that, where there is despair, I may bring hope; that, where there are shadows, I may bring light;

that, where there is sadness, I may bring joy. Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted, to love than to be loved; for it is by forgetting self that one finds;

it is forgiving that one is forgiven; it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

 

 

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him.

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tent here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them,* then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and do not be afraid.”And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, “Do not tell the vision* to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Then the disciples asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”He said in reply “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. Matthew 17:1-13

BACKGROUND

On August 6th, we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord on Mount Tabor. In this extraordinary event, found in the Synoptic Gospels and the 2nd Letter of St. Peter, Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John. The evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke record that our Lord’s face shone like the sun and that his clothes became white as light. Moses and Elijah appears to them and conversed with Christ.

To fully comprehend the importance of this event, it is helpful to understand the context. In Caesarea Philippi, (six days before Transfiguration on Mount Tabor) Jesus asks them: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter responds that Jesus is “The Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). Jesus acknowledges that Peter’s response could only be prompted by the Father and designates Peter as the leader of the Church. “you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,”

Next, Jesus astounds those present, saying he will soon go to Jerusalem where he will be killed and then rise on the third day. His followers couldn’t grasp that such events could possibly happen if he was truly the Messiah. In fact, Peter argues, “No such thing could ever happen to you.” Jesus offers a stern response: “Get behind me, Satan!(def. adversary) You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do” (Mathew 16:22-23).

Some six days after the discussions at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus furnishes clarification of his words to three of the apostles, Peter, James, and John during the miracle of the Transfiguration. The apostles are awestruck by this scene, and Peter wants to build three tents (tabernacles), one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah (cf. Mt 17:4).

Peter is ready to stay in this beautiful place, but he and the others must go back down the mountain. Glory awaits Him and us if he stays the path, deny himself, picks up his cross and follows Jesus.(Mt. 16:24)

This is not unlike the soldier who goes on R&R from a combat zone. He enjoys, even relishes his time away from combat, but he has to go back. The victory still has to be won; sacrifices still have to be made.

A GLIMPSE OF GLORY

THIS IS MY BELOVED SON WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED
MATTHEW 17:5

REFLECTION
On a mountain, for a brief time, the splendor of Christ’s eternal divinity is revealed. The apostles witness how Jesus will appear in heaven and we too, as followers of Christ, will share in his glory. His passion was not the end, so too our suffering, our death. is not the end.

Both before and after the Transfiguration, Jesus told the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and die at the hands of the elders, saying, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” Matthew 17:22-23.

The three disciples who saw the glorified Lord were given a vision meant to strengthen them for the difficult days ahead when Jesus would be arrested and crucified. It is a foretaste of the glory that will be theirs in the Kingdom of God. This moment, forever embedded in their minds, will help them to endure the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus.

Let us reflect back on the times in which we have caught a subtle glimpse of the glory of our Lord. Perhaps while reading Scripture where we have encountered the majesty of God. Or perhaps moments that occurred at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or in our adoration of the Blessed Sacrament during Holy Hour.

Let the Glory of God wash over us and fill us with fortitude to endure present difficulties in order to share in that Glory one day. Simply enjoy His presence and peace. Be thankful day and night, for the Lord is good, his mercy endures forever.

RISE AND DO NOT BE AFRAID

The way of suffering and glory intertwined is part of what we gain from celebrating this feast. It invites us to ascend the mountain with those disciples, to tremble with them at the awesome reality of God’s glory in Jesus, The disciples fall prostrate and are very much afraid. and to hear the words of comfort from Jesus, to rise and not to be afraid.

We celebrate the Transfiguration not only for the picture it paints of our glorified Lord, but for what it shows us about how we can be changed. We don’t have to be stuck in the muck. Trust in Jesus!

The voice of God the Father from the cloud hearkens back to the cloud that guided the Israelites during their journey to the Promised Land. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law. Jesus is the New Moses. Elijah paved the way for Christ, announcing His coming, the true God among the pagans of his time. Christ fulfills what the prophets foretold of the Messiah.

POST-SCRIPT

JESUS WELCOMES US INTO HIS GLORY

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth…. a holy city, a New Jerusalem, coming down from God…,
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.
He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God..
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain…
REVELATION 21:1-4

PRAYER (PSALM 27)

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?….

Though an army encamp against me,
my heart does not fear;
Though war be waged against me,
even then do I trust.

One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:To dwell in the LORD’s house
all the days of my life,To gaze on the LORD’s beauty, to visit his temple

Hear my voice, LORD, when I call;
have mercy on me and answer me.
“Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”

LORD, Do not hide your face from me;
do not repel your servant in anger.
You are my salvation; do not cast me off;
do not forsake me, God my savior!….

Wait for the LORD, take courage;
be stouthearted, wait for the LORD!

BEHOLD A GREAT LIGHT SHATTERS THE DARKNESS!

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone. You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing.” Isaiah 9:1-2

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.  All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. John 1:1

In time the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you… Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son…  He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High

THE GREATEST EXCHANGE OF GIFTS

At Bethlehem, humanity sees not only God-Made flesh but also receives an invitation to become God-like.  God offers to make men and women by grace what Jesus Christ is by nature, namely, a beloved child of our heavenly Father.  In Jesus, God took on human attributes, in Jesus humans can now take on the divine qualities of mercy, love, insight, and immortality.

In exchange for the humanity He takes, the Incarnate Word gives us a share in his divinity.   God is born in time so we can be reborn in eternity.  The Son of God becomes the Son of Man so men and women can become children of the one same Father in heaven.

 CHRIST THE KING IS BORN; COME LET US ADORE HIM

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock.

The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them…The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  

For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

  “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST AND ON EARTH PEACE TO THOSE  ON WHOM HIS FAVOR RESTS.”

REFLECTION

God became man.  What caused this transcendent almighty God to humble himself to take on humanity?  Because He had something more He wanted to share.  He had already created us out of nothing.  Who does that, we don’t.  Everything we make is from something else. God humbles himself that He might share His divine life with us, the life of grace here on earth and face to face in heaven.

Why do we gift others at Christmas; for the most part it isn’t their birthday.  We gift others not because of shopping malls or internet deals but because we imitate God who has gifted us with the greatest gift of all, His only begotten Son and our Redeemer, out gateway into heaven.

One of my favorite images of the Birth of Christ is the star that lights and exclaims a new born king of heaven and earth is born today.  ‘I am the Light of the World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life. John 8:12

This light has shattered darkness of sin and death. Jesus declares He is exclusive source of all spiritual truth. We can either walk in the light or in darkness.  We choose!  There is more.  It is not just about us. We must be light (witnesses) for other people. People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Matthew 5:15

The night the Christ Child was born, shepherds came and saw, then worshiped and spread the Good News. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them. Luke 2:20…do I spread the Good News…Mary pondered all these mysteries in her heart…do I ponder the birth of Jesus in my heart… And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Luke 2:19

FROM TOM AND JEANETTE BLOCK

STILL ROMAN CATHOLIC AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. COM