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. Mat. 17:5-8 NABRE

From Fear to Faith! Thomas Merton, the

great mystic, once said that at the root of all war is

fear. Not necessarily the fear we have of one

another, but the fear we have of everything. How

right he is. We do strange things out of fear. We are

wired to either stay and fight or run away to safety.

Once our adrenal glands start working, we tend to

lose control of our senses. For this precise reason,

grizzly bears, unlike other bears, are so dangerous.

They have a highly unstable adrenal gland and are

"high" on this fight-flight drug most of the time.

Imagine having your insides - your nerves, stomach

and heart - jangling, reeling and pounding all the

time, like you'd just seen a ghost. Poor bears, and

poor anyone who gets in their way! Their

aggression is based in fear.

Reading I: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14

St. Maria Goretti and St. Peter Claver Parishes August 6, 2017

Volume 1 Issue 34

.. though I am knocking

at death’s door …. I fear

no evil.

The apocalyptic writings of the Book of Daniel

may also have its root in the Jewish exiles’ fear of an

uncertain future. The book, was written about

200B.C. During the bitter persecution of the Jews by

Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The literary form and

contents are designed to give courage and hope.

Chapters 7-12 are a series of visions

promising deliverance and glory in the future. In this

apocalyptic imagery, prophetic teaching is creäted.

These teachings include, the requirement of right

conduct, acknowledgment of God’s control over

events, a belief in the certainty that the kingdom of

God will ultimately triumph and humanity attain the

goal intended for it at the beginning of creation.

These prophetic images expressed in the four verses

of the first reading take the reader from fear to faith.

The vision of the horrible monsters is tempered by

the image of God on His throne judging all nations

(vv.9-10). He is attended by the “holy ones”, which

can refer to His heavenly court, or His chosen people,

Israel. The image of God in His Glory is to take the

Chosen People from fear of enemies to faith in God.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: How do you overcome your

fears?

Reading II: 2 Peter 1:16-19

From Fear to Faith! These verses from

the Second St. Peter give his personal account of

the transfiguration. In his discussion about false

teachers, St. Peter declared that that his witness

of Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah gave him a

unique authority to declare the life, death,

resurrection and return of Jesus Christ. In verse

17, he declared that he, along with St. James and

St. John, heard God’s voice proclaim the sacred

ministry of Jesus Christ. He experienced the power

of the Holy Trinity on that holy mountain. In verse

19, St. Peter boldly proclaimed that he possessed

the prophetic message given to him by Jesus the

Christ. The experience of the Transfiguration of

Jesus Christ allowed him to understand that the

prophetic word comes through men by the Holy

Spirit of God. (2 Pet1:21). Therefore, we should

not rely on our own understanding or that of false

teachers. We must be open to being moved by the

Holy Spirit when we read the manuscripts of the

“holy ones of God.” That is how we go from fear to

faith. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: How do you

study the Word of God? Whose voice do you hear?

Bible Study Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord

Year A

WHAT IS APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE?

Apocalyptic (a pock uh lip tik) Literature is a certain

type of Jewish and Christian literature written in Egypt and

Palestine during the period from 200 B.C. to A.D 200. The

word apocalypse is a Greek word meaning "revelation."

Therefore, apocalyptic literature is a special kind of writing that

arose among the Jews and Christians to reveal certain mysteries

about heaven and earth, humankind and God, angels and

demons, the life of the world today, and the world to come.

Apocalyptic literature probably arose in the tradition of

the prophets of Israel, but it came several centuries after their

time. The last prophet of Israel, Malachi, wrote about 450 B.C.

Two books in the Bible-the Book of Daniel in the Old

Testament and the New Testament Book of Revelation-are

good examples of the apocalyptic literary form.

…Most of the apocalyptic books were written by Jews in

reaction to the oppression of their people by foreign powers.

Often, they wrote to explain why evil seemed to prosper while

the righteous suffered. … The Book of Revelation in the New

Testament uses symbols and images that occur in the Book of

Enoch, and the book known as 4 Ezra, written about A.D. 100,

seems to parallel the New Testament book of Revelation in

several ways. … (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary,

Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

Monday

Read 2 Tim.1:7. What do you fear the most?

Tuesday

Read 2 Pet1:21. How do you live the prophetic

voice of Holy Scripture?

Wednesday

Read Matt. 17:1-9. What is God’s vision for you?

Thursday

Read 2 Peter 1:16-19. Describe your relationship

with Jesus Christ.

Friday

Attend Mass and receive the Eucharist.

Bible Study – The Feast of the Transfiguration Year A Page 2

The Catechism of the Catholic Church Teaches …

134 All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and this one book

is Christ, "because all divine Scripture speaks of Christ, and

all divine Scripture is fulfilled in Christ" (Hugh of St.

Victor, De arca Noe 2,8:PL 176,642: cf. ibid. 2,9:PL

176,642-643).

135 "The Sacred Scriptures contain the Word of God and,

because they are inspired, they are truly the Word of God"

(DV 24).

136 God is the author of Sacred Scripture because he

inspired its human authors; he acts in them and by means of

them. He thus gives assurance that their writings teach

without error his saving truth (cf. DV 11).

137 Interpretation of the inspired Scripture must be attentive

above all to what God wants to reveal through the sacred

authors for our salvation. What comes from the Spirit is not

fully "understood except by the Spirit's action' (cf. Origen,

Hom. in Ex. 4, 5: PG 12, 320).

Resources: The Gospel According to Matthew, The Collegeville Bible Commentary the New Testament, Daniel Harrington, S. J, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minn. p. 886; 2 Peter Jerome H. Neyrey, S. J.; Collegeville Bible Commentary, The Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minn., p. p.1235-1237; Ezekiel and Daniel, Tony Craven, Collegeville Bible Commentary Old Testament, Collegeville Minn. p 565; Living Liturgy Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities Year A 2017, Joyce Zimmerman, C. PP. S. Kathleen Harmon, S.ND. de N., Christopher W. Canlon, S. M. Liturgical Press Collegeville, MN. pp. 184-187; Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner; http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism.

This meditation is prepared by Deacon Terrel J. Broussard for

personal use in Adult Faith Formation at St. Peter Claver and

St. Maria Goretti Parishes in New Orleans, La. ©2017

From Fear to Faith! St. Catherine of Siena,

the great 14th-century mystic, once experienced a

terrible time of spiritual suffering in her soul. It was

made all the worse by her fear that Jesus had

abandoned her. Finally, she cried out to Him in prayer:

"Where were you when my heart was so tormented?"

To which she heard Him reply: "I was in your heart." It

may be that we fear what we do not know or

understand. We fear the future, change in

circumstances, diagnosis of a major illness, strangers

in our community, and members of different races, or

ethnicities. Some are ever afraid of the dark or their

own shadows in sunlight. As people of faith, we know

that fear is not of God. God did not give us a spirit of

fear and weakness. Rather, we are empowered by His

love that gives us courage and discipline. Jesus did not

die for us to live in fear. He died so that we would have

the freedom and power that love of God and love of

neighbor bring to the world. That is why we must

move from fear of the world to faith in God.

The transfiguration of Jesus in the presence of

Sts. Peter, James and John is a unique and intriguing

event, recorded in three of the four Gospels. It

followed Jesus' first announcement to the disciples that

he would go to Jerusalem, be killed, but then rise from

the dead on the third day. It was shortly after Jesus

called Peter a Satan, a stumbling block to His salvific

mission. But Peter went from fear to faith. (See second

reading). The gospel of the transfiguration gives us

five ways to move from fear to faith.

1) Don’t be afraid to climb the mountain (v. 1).

What if Peter James and John were afraid of heights?

Jesus took them to a high place, away from others.

Theologically, the event resembled Moses on Mount

Sinai (Ex 24:12-18) They would not have had a deep

personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They would not

have seen Him in His Glory. Their preaching would not

have been as effective. 2) Follow your guide. Jesus

took them up the mountain. He is the second person of

the Blessed Trinity. He is the Creator of the universe,

the problem solver who loves us and cares for us. He

would not lead us astray. Trust what He reveals to

you. That is how you know that you are not alone (vv.

2-3). 3) Build a place for Him in your heart (v.4). Just

as Peter sought to build the three tents for Jesus

Moses and Elijah, embrace God and His holy ones in

sacred scripture. 4) Accept the presence of God in your

life (v.5). The words “listen to Him” should ring in our

ears and blot out our fears. 5) Change your life (vv. 7-

9) When Jesus tells us to get up and don’t be afraid,

that is what we must do to live the prophetic message

we have received. This is how we go from fear to faith.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Have you accepted God’s

vision for your life? What is that vision?

Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9 Pray About It!