Friday, 6 August 2010

Transfiguration

Jesus took three of his disciples up a mountain to pray, and there he became transfigured with God's glory.
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD
LUKE 9:28b-36
(Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; Psalm 97; 2 Peter 1:16-19)
KEY VERSE: "Then from a cloud came a voice that said, `This is my chosen Son; listen to him'" (v 35).



POPE BEN EDICT XVI  'JESUS OF NAZARETH' pp. 305-307

THE TRANSFIGURATION
All three Synoptic Gospels create a link between Peter's confession and the account of Jesus' Transfiguration by means of a reference to time. Matthew and Mark say: "And after SIX days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother" Mt. 17:1; Mk 9:2). Luke writes: "Now about eight days after these sayings" Lk 9:28). Clearly, this means that the two events, in each of which Peter plays a prominent role, are interrelated. We could say that in both cases the issue is the divinity of Jesus as the Son; another point, though, is that in both cases the appearance of his glory is connected with the Passion motif Jesus' divinity belongs with the Cross--only when we put the two together do we recognize Jesus correctly. John expressed this intrinsic interconnectedness of Cross and glory when he said that the Cross is Jesus' "exaltation," and that his exaltation is accomplished in no other way than in the Cross. But now we must try to delve somewhat more deeply into this remarkable time reference. There are two different interpretations, though they do not have to be considered mutually exclusive.   

Thursday, 5 August 2010

You are The Christ, The Son of The God of THE living




Matthew 16:16
This mrning, it is my turn for the Mass.
Peter's confession features in the Pope "Jesus of Nazareth".
see below.


For the Gospel, the lead was from Peter's words, "You are the Christ of the Son of  the living God". 
We could have Noted the repeating the three Articles in the English, THE Christ,
THE Son, THE living God, four articles in the Greek, 
In fact, interest is much from Benedict's
Two Milestones on Jesus’ Way: Peter's
Confession and the Transfiguration
PETER'S CONFESSION
All three Synoptis Gospels present the Confession of Peter and Benedict has five shematic observations

"But only Matthew follows Peter's confession withthe bestowal upon Peter of the power of the keys -".

% % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % %
Jesus of Nazareth – Benedict XVI  
CHAPTER NINE
Two Milestones on Jesus’ Way: Peter's
Confession and the Transfiguration
PETER'S CONFESSION
All three Synoptic Gospels (Edit Print Layout) present Jesus' question to the disciples about who the people think he is and who they themselves consider him to be (Mk 8:27-30; Mt 16:13-20; Lk 9:18-21) as an important milestone on his way.
In all three Gospels, Peter answers in the name of the Twelve with a confession that is markedly different from the opinion of the "people."
In all three Gospels, Jesus then foretells his Passion and Resurrection, and continues this announcement of his own destiny with a teaching about the way of discipleship, the way to follow him, the Crucified.
In all three Gospels, however, he also interprets this "following" on rhc way of the Cross from an essentially anthropological standpoint: It is the indispensable way for man to "lose his life:' without which it is impossible for him to find it (Mk 8:31-9:1; Mt 16:21-28; Lk 9:22-27). And finally,
in all three Gospels there follows the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus, which once again interprets Peter's confession and takes it deeper, while at the same time connecting it with the mystery of Jesus' death and Resurrection (Mk 9:2-13; Mt 17:1-13; Lk 9:28-36).
Only Matthew immediately follows Peter's confession with the bestowal upon Peter of the power of the keys--of the power to bind and loose-and this is connected with Jesus' promise to build his Church upon Peter as on a rock. Parallel passages concerning this commission and this promise are found in Luke 22:31f., in the context of the Last Supper and in John 21:15-19 after Jesus' Resurrection.
It should be pointed out that John, too, places a similar confession on Peter's lips, which once again is presented as a decisive milestone on Jesus' way, giving the circle of the Twelve its full weight and profile for the first time an 6:68£). As we study Peter's confession in the Synoptics, we will also need to take this text into account, since, despite all the dif­ferences, it does reveal some basic elements in common with the Synoptic tradition.
These somewhat schematic observations should have made it clear that Peter's confession can be properly understood only in the context of Jesus' prophecy of the Passion and his words about the way of discipleship. These three elements-Peter's words and Jesus' twofold answer-belong inseparably together. Equally indispensable for understanding Peter's confession is the attestation of Jesus in the Transfiguration scene by the Father himself and by the Law and the Prophets. In Mark's Gospel, the story of the Transfigura­tion is preceded by what seems to be a promise of the Parousia. On one hand, this promise is connected with what Jesus …
Jesus of Nathareth, POPE BENEDICT XVI pp. 287- 288

RWP
Mat 16:16 -
Peter is the spokesman now: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Su ei ho Christos ho huios tou theou tou zōntos). It was a noble confession, but not a new claim by Jesus. Peter had made it before (Joh_6:69) when the multitude deserted Jesus in Capernaum. Since the early ministry (John 4) Jesus had avoided the word Messiah because of its political meaning to the people. But now Peter plainly calls Jesus the Anointed One, the Messiah, the Son of the God the living one (note the four Greek articles). This great confession of Peter means that he and the other disciples believe in Jesus as the Messiah and are still true to him in spite of the defection of the Galilean populace (John 6).
(GNT) Mat 16:16 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν, Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.


<< Matthew 16:16 >>



Greek
Transliteration
Strong's
Morphology
English
ἀποκριθεὶς
apokritheis
having answered
δὲ
de
And
Σίμων
simōn
Simon
Πέτρος
petros
Peter
εἶπεν
eipen
said
σὺ
su
Thou
εἰ
ei
art
o

χριστὸς
christos
Christ
o

υἱὸς
uios
Son
τοῦ
tou
of
θεοῦ
theou
God
τοῦ
tou

ζῶντος
zōntos
living
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν· σὺ εἰ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπε· Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν· σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος.
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος εἶπεν Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος
αποκριθεις δε σιμων πετρος ειπεν συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου του ζωντος
αποκριθεις δε σιμων πετρος ειπεν συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου του ζωντος
ויען שמעון פטרוס ויאמר אתה הוא המשיח בן אלהים חיים׃
ܥܢܐ ܫܡܥܘܢ ܟܐܦܐ ܘܐܡܪ ܐܢܬ ܗܘ ܡܫܝܚܐ ܒܪܗ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܚܝܐ ܀
respondens Simon Petrus dixit tu es Christus Filius Dei vivi

Noble Silver Fir

---- Forwarded Message ----
From: Anne Marie …
Sent: Thu, 5 August, 2010 1:46:37
Subject:                           The tree

I am fascinated by the tree that stands above all the rest and seems battered by the elements.
There is something quite profound in its image.
It is all bent by the wind and the branches are struggling to survive.  It would have been much easier to be the same 
height as all the other trees.
 
You could make a nice movie from the sunset pics and the ones you took the other day.
Nivard can put music to it …
Yours …
Anne Marie
  

Tuesday, 3 August 2010

COMMENT Feeding Five Thousand

Hi, William,
Thanks for the COMMENT.
I had my oar in just before your word.
St. Hilary sets us on the scent of Jesus' track.
Hilary raises the sights but encountering Benedict XVI explaining the Meaning of the Manna has overawed me.
Keep on opening the alerting pages.
Yours aye.
Donald




---- Forwarded Message ----
From: William J ...
To: Donald ...
Sent: Mon, 2 August, 2010 19:02:00
Subject: Mtt 14:15 Feeding of the Five Thousand


Dear Father Donald,
You may well be on the trail of an enlightening commentary, and you may indeed have seen today's issue... but it inspires me to share it with you...
Since you provided us with the weblink to http://www.dailygospel.org there have been several remarkable commentaries on the Gospel of the day, but today's, on Mtt 14:15 the Feeding of the Five Thousand, from the writings of Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church, is outstanding.
Mysteries are seldom approached, but here Saint Hilary has shown the 'audacity' of Moses as he neared the burning bush: with one overwhelming difference - Our Lord stands there before us with the loaves in his hands: 

"After taking the loaves our Lord raised his eyes to heaven to worship Him from whom he himself had his being... 
he gave the loaves to his disciples. It wasn't through multiplication that those five loaves became many. The fragments followed one another and deceived those breaking them; it was as though they had been cut into pieces beforehand! Matter continues to be produced...
Therefore, don't be surprised that springs flow on, that there are bunches of grapes on the stock of the vine and that rivers of wine flow from the grapes. The earth's whole resources spread according to an unalterable annual rhythm. 
A multiplication of loaves such as this reveals the author of the world's doing.
 
As a general rule he sets a limit to such growth since he knows in depth the laws of matter. In the visible creation an invisible work takes place.
The mystery of the present deed is the work of the Lord of heavenly mysteries.
The power of the One who acts surpasses all nature, and the method used by this Power goes beyond all our understanding of it.
 
All that remains is our wonder before this power."
... in Our Lord,
William

Peter walks on the water


MATTHEW 14:22-36  (Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22
3 August July 2010 Mt 14:22-36

Fr. Santosh offered the early community Mass this morning.
The Readings from Jeremiah and Matthew were the basis of the Introduction.
“Take heart, it is I, have no fear.” (v 27).  (Mt. 14:29).
The Book of Jeremiah Chapter 30 is called the Book of Consolation. Jeremiah spoke the work of Condemnation in previous Chapters. Now he speaks God’s word of healing forgiveness, hope and promise. He says “your hurt and pain are incurable. Your wound is grievous because of your sinfulness”. Now God will raise up a Saviour who will bring salvation. God will fulfil this in Jesus.

In the Gospel the frantic and the terrified disciples in the storm-tossed boat failed to recognise Jesus.
Peter experienced the force of the wind was greater than the power off Jesus. We also feel at some point the force of the wind is greater in our lives than the power of the risen Lord.
We are subject to discouragements and depression due t our personal problem, future insecurities, anxieties, fictitious fear of our own making. At that moment we tend to forget the presence of Jesus and the power of His Resurrection is with us. At that very moment mat we hear Jesus’ inspiring words, “Take heart, it is I have no fear.” During the Eucharist, Jesus wants us to turn to Him in faith so that He may strengthen us.

Gospel Harmony (e-Sword)
74. The peril of the Twelve in the storm at sea and Christ's coming to them on the water in the darkness. Peter walks on the water
Mat 14:24-33
Mar 6:47-52
Joh 6:16-21