Can you imagine the reaction of the Apostles!
Today, I was literally on my knees before the Tabernacle. Three of us showed up to clean the church today. With Pledge and dustcloth in hand, I cleaned the Tabernacle and its stand. How grateful I am to Him for leading me to this parish.
Father took charge of repairing broken kneelers and other heavier chores. We washed down the pews with Murphy's Oil Soap, rolled up the Oriental rugs to vacuum and clean the carpeting underneath, pulled down the cobwebs, scraped up candle wax, washed windows, and cleaned the statues. The Church was sparkling by the time we finished. Now, if I could just get that motivated about cleaning my own home :-).
I was replacing the Welcome Brochures and the Visitor envelopes this last week too.
I share your sentiments about the cleaning being transferred my home. (Although I did get two rooms cleaned in the last two months!) Sloooooow. LOL!
August 6, 2007
Transfiguration of the Lord
All three Synoptic Gospels tell the story of the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-9; Luke 9:28-36). With remarkable agreement, all three place the event shortly after Peters confession of faith that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus first prediction of his passion and death. Peters eagerness to erect tents or booths on the spot suggests it occurred during the Jewish weeklong, fall Feast of Booths.
In spite of the texts agreement, it is difficult to reconstruct the disciples experience, according to Scripture scholars, because the Gospels draw heavily on Old Testament descriptions of the Sinai encounter with God and prophetic visions of the Son of Man. Certainly Peter, James and John had a glimpse of Jesus divinity strong enough to strike fear into their hearts. Such an experience defies description, so they drew on familiar religious language to describe it. And certainly Jesus warned them that his glory and his suffering were to be inextricably connecteda theme John highlights throughout his Gospel. Tradition names Mt. Tabor as the site of the revelation. A church first raised there in the fourth century was dedicated on August 6. A feast in honor of the Transfiguration was celebrated in the Eastern Church from about that time. Western observance began in some localities about the eighth century. On July 22, 1456, Crusaders defeated the Turks at Belgrade. News of the victory reached Rome on August 6, and Pope Callistus III placed the feast on the Roman calendar the following year. Quote:
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