TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORD August 6, 2006 - St. Mary Parish

TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORDpage 5Invest just five minutes a day, andyour faith will deepen and grow—a day at a time.SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 2006FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION OF THE LORDGlimpses of gloryJesus takes the disciples Peter, James, and John up the mountain. There they see theirLord glorified before their amazed eyes. He speaks with Elijah and Moses, to showhis connection with the prophets and the law. It’s almost as if Jesus is offering hisfollowers some positive reinforcement—“See, your belief in me is true.” Notsurprisingly, Peter wants to “capture the moment” and remain in this place ofassurance, but after they hear a voice from heaven, things return to “normal” and“they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them.”As Christians we crave times when we feel what we believe is really true. Butwe can’t live in these moments forever. Most of our journey won’t be on the mountainbut on much more uncertain ground. But we have Jesus, and we have one another.TODAY’S READINGS: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14; 2 Peter 1:16-19; Mark 9:2-10 “This ismy Son, the Beloved; listen to him!”MONDAY, AUGUST 7FEAST OF SIXTUS II, POPE, MARTYR AND HISCOMPANIONS, MARTYRSPower of the peoplePriests, prophets, princes, popes—in the church and world, the power of leaders drivesmuch of the action. The Roman Empire hit hard times, so Emperor Valerius orderedthe execution of Christian leaders. The church, still young and wrangling over rules,was already agitated as persecution hit. Enter Sixtus II, the pope trying to holdeverything together, “a good and peace-loving priest,” says one biographer. But enter,too, those who follow leaders—the audience, wielding a power all its own. BecauseSixtus wanted to protect his assembled flock, he didn’t flee the soldiers who stormedworship to behead him and his deacons. Crowds also moved Jesus to multiply loavesand fishes. If we must follow crowds, let’s make them good ones.TODAY’S READINGS: Jeremiah 28:1-17; Matthew 14:13-21 “Jesus said, ‘Theyneed not go away; you give them something to eat.’ ”TUESDAY, AUGUST 8FEAST OF DOMINIC, PRIEST, RELIGIOUS FOUNDERBetter living through booksThe sheer glut of information in which we live tempts us to be satisfied with soundbites, news highlights, even “spirituality lite.” However, Dominic reminds us to godeeper. The study of the Word of God is “itself an act of worship which sanctifies us,”and “today we need a knowledge of many things if we are to understand the HolyScriptures properly and apply them to the concerns of our age” (Benedict Ashley,O.P.). A subscription to one of the many high-quality Catholic periodicals or joining abook discussion group might be just the right way to take up Dominic’s challenge.TODAY’S READINGS: Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22; Matthew 14:22-36 “Takeheart, it is I; do not be afraid.”WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9FEAST OF TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS (EDITHSTEIN), VIRGIN, HOLOCAUST VICTIM, MARTYRGreat faith doesn’t happen overnightMany of us may be able to pinpoint clarifying moments when our faith comes to lifeand we are keenly aware of God’s presence, but underlying those moments are manyhours of reading, discussing, pondering, and questioning. This is the process thatEdith Stein (1891-1942) went through on her way to becoming a Catholic, aCarmelite, and a martyr among Jews and Christians. She credits her conversion withreading the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Ávila, but it was her lifelong pursuit ofknowledge—challenging her own and others’ beliefs—that primed her to read thebook that would lead her to Christ. In honor of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,read a book that stretches your mind and heart today.TODAY’S READINGS: Jeremiah 31:1-7; Matthew 15:21-28 “Woman, great isyour faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.”THURSDAY, AUGUST 10FEAST OF LAWRENCE, DEACON, MARTYRLaugh it upWe don’t picture saints as having senses of humor. That is what makes the story ofLawrence being roasted over hot coals and telling his tormentors: “Turn me over. Iam done on this side!” one of the most retold accounts of martyrdom. Who cares if itis just a legend? It remains a wonderful reminder that many saints laughed in themidst of great hardship and that helped them reach sanctity. What has made youlaugh a holy laugh lately?TODAY’S READINGS: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10; John 12: 24-26 “God loves acheerful giver.”FRIDAY, AUGUST 11FEAST OF CLARE, VIRGIN, RELIGIOUS FOUNDERSalvation or stuff?It’s so easy to be taken in by the things of the world. But all the “stuff” life offers is like thelegendary monkey trap made from a hollow coconut with a hole in it tied to a tree. Insideare berries the monkey likes. The monkey sticks its hand through the hole to get the berries,but its closed fist is too big to come out of the hole. The monkey wants the berries andwon’t let go, so it’s trapped. In the same way, we can be trapped by our possessions. Weneed to be more like Saint Clare (1193-1253), who took Jesus at his word and let go ofeverything in order to gain complete fulfillment.TODAY’S READINGS: Nahum 2:1, 3; 3:1-3, 6-7; Matthew 16:24-28 “For what will itprofit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life?”SATURDAY, AUGUST 12FEAST OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARYHelp my kids!Anybody with children (or grandchildren or students or young people in their lives)knows that kids need help. Like the son in today’s parable, children often “fall intothe fire and into the water” as they face the perils of growing up. And while we wholove them want to make them safe from all that could harm them physically ormorally, it’s impossible to build a safety net around them indefinitely. We can,however, follow the example of Mary of Nazareth, who placed her son in the care ofGod and let him go to meet his destiny.TODAY’S READINGS: Habakkuk 1:12-2:4; Matthew 17:14-20 “The man kneltbefore Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son!’ ”©2006 by TrueQuest Communications, L.L.C. PHONE: 800-942-2811;E-MAIL: mail@takefiveforfaith.com; WEBSITE: www.takefiveforfaith.com.Licensed for noncommercial use. All rightsreserved. Scripture quotes come from the NewRevised Standard Version of the Bible.Contributors: Father Paul Boudreau, AliceCamille, Father Dominic Grassi, Mary LynnHendrickson, Father Larry Janowski, Joel Schorn,and Patrice J. Tuohy100 Years of Living Jesus. 5