Parish General Info

OUR LADY OF LOURDES & SWITHUN’S LAUNCH OUR NEW WEBSITE FACEBOOK & TWITTER PRESENCE

WELCOME TO THE DIGITAL AGE !

WWW.STSWITHUNS.ORG.UK

With a huge joy – during this weekend of Parish Retreat, of St Swithun’s Day and our Spiritual Renewal – I would like to announce, that we have a fantastic, very special PARISH WEBSITE – We are all very welcome to visit: www.stswithuns.org.uk It is the effect of a hard work, dedication and generosity of the people, whose name I would like to introduce to You in the next Newsletter.

HELP US SHARE THE GOOD NEWS – LIKE and SHARE OUR NEW FACEBOOK PAGE –www.facebook.com/stswithuns.org.uk/

HELP US SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS – SIGN UP AND FOLLOW FATHER MARCIN ON TWITTER @FRMARCIND

Our Parish Locations

Come and join our friendly congregation who come together in our two Parish churches, Our Lady of Lourdes and St Swithun’s, to worship God and listen to God’s word.

Our Lady of Lourdes Church


Telephone: 023 9282 8305	Bransbury Rd, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO4 9JY

Daily Services Calendar >

St Swithun’s Church


Telephone: 023 9282 8305	Waverley Road, Southsea, Hampshire. PO5 2PL

Daily Services Calendar >

You can contact us or send us a message

Address: 105 Waverley Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire. PO5 2PL
Telephone: 023 9282 8305

A warm welcome to our Parish

Welcome to Our Lady of Lourdes & St Swithun Parish.

We are a vibrant community and come together to worship our Lord Jesus Christ in our two churches of Our Lady of Lourdes and St Swithun’s here in Southsea.

We are part of the Diocese of Portsmouth with our Bishop Philip Egan. We are a very friendly group of people who come together in our two Parish churches to worship God and listen to God’s word. We are an active community that is served by Father Marcin Drabik and a great parish council and many other people in our Parish.

We are linked with our Roman Catholic Primary School, St Swithun’s and have a number of Religious communities affiliated to us too.

You will find a large, mixed and varied congregation who participate in all sorts of parish activities and functions. We have many different groups and we even run a Parish Film club.

We invite you to come and share in our beautiful worship of God through our various services and ministries. We ask that you have a look at our website, where hopefully you will find something of interest that sparks your thoughts further about our Lord.

If you have a special intention or want a prayer sent then please feel free to ask us. You can do this by adding your request in the form below.

With Best wishes and God’s Blessing Fr Marcin

Beacon

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Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our Parish

Exposition and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament:

We welcome you to our Parish. Here is a list of our general list of Benediction and Adoration Services for the Parish. However use our Daily Services Calendar to get an actual view of the Services for that day.

View our Daily Services calendar for upcoming dates >

Please try and take the opportunity this week to spend some time quietly in the company of the Real presence of Our Lord.

Normal Times during the week that we have Mass at St Swithuns (Check calendar for actual dates)

Mondays at 9:30am
Tuesdays at 9:30am
Wednesdays at 9:30am
Thursdays at 9:30am
Fridays at 9:30am
Saturdays at 9:30am

Beacon

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Confession and Reconciliation in our Parish

The Sacrament of Reconciliation

We welcome you to our Parish. If you would like to go to Confession then you can find the general times below in our Parish churches. However use our Daily Services Calendar to get an actual view of the Services for that day.

Confession is heard at the front of the Church in the sacristy either privately or face to face.
Confession is also available on request if at all possible.
If you want to find out more about the Sacrament of Reconciliation then please feel free to visit out webpage on Reconciliation

View our Daily Services calendar for upcoming dates >

Confession at St Swithuns

(Check calendar for actual dates)
Mondays at 9.30am to 9.55am
Tuesdays at 9.30am to 9.55am and 6:30pm to 6:55pm
Wednesdays at 9.30am to 9.55am
Thursdays at 9.30am to 9.55am
Fridays at 9.30am to 9.55am and 6:30pm to 6:55pm
Saturdays at 9.30am to 9.55am
Sundays at 8.00am to 8.25am and 5:30pm to 5:55pm

Confession at Our Lady of Lourdes

(Check calendar for actual dates)
Saturdays at 5:30pm to 5:55pm

Beacon

Request a prayer…

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Bishop Barron on Saints Patrick and Joseph

wordonfire.org

14 hours ago

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Saint JosephMatthew 1:16.18-21.24aJoseph, the Spouse of Mary, the Mother of Jesus 1. LECTIOa) Opening prayer:Spirit who moves over the water,calm in us all discordance,the agitated waves, the noise of the words,the whirlwind of vanity,and make the Word which recreates,arise in silence.Spirit who in a sigh you whisperto our spirit the Name of the Father,come and gather together all our desires,make them grow in a beam of lightwhich will be a response to Your light,the Word of the new Day.Spirit of God, the sap of loveof the immense tree on which you graft us,so that all our brothers and sisterswill seem to us as a giftin the great Body in whichthe Word of communion matures.(Frère Pierre-Yves of Taizé)b) Reading of the Gospel: Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24aJacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, 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. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.c) A moment of silence:so that the Word of God may enter into our hearts and enlighten our lives.2. MEDITATIOa) A key to the reading:The passage of today’s Gospel is taken from the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew which forms part of the section concerning the conception, birth and infancy of Jesus. The center of all this account is the person of Jesus around which are all the events and the persons mentioned. One must keep in mind that the Gospel reveals a theology of the history of Jesus, and so getting close to the Word of God we should get the message which is hidden under the veils of the account without losing ourselves, as Paul so wisely advises us “in foolish speculations”, avoiding “those genealogies and the quibbles and disputes about the Law, they are useless and futile” (Tt 3:9).In fact, this text is connected to the genealogy of Jesus, which Matthew arranges with the intention of stressing the dynastic succession of Jesus, the Savior of his people (Mt 1:21). To Jesus are conferred all the rights inherited from the lineage of David, of “Joseph, son of David” (Mt 1:20; Lk 2:4-5) His legal father. For the Biblical and Hebrew world legal paternity was sufficient to confer all the rights of the lineage in question (cf.: the law of the levirate and of adoption (Dt 25:5ff). That is why from the beginning of the genealogy, Jesus is designed as “Christ the Son of David” (Mt 1:1) that is, the anointed one of the Lord Son of David, with whom all the promises of God to David His servant, are fulfilled (2 Sam 7:1-16; 2 Cr 7:18; 2 Cr 21:7; Ps 89:30). This is why Matthew adds to the account of the genealogy and of the conception of Jesus the prophecy of Isaiah: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken through the prophet.: The young woman is with child and will give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel, which means God with us” (Mt 1:21-23 and Is 7:14).Let us stop to say something, on the spiritual reality of adoption, we can refer to the fact that the elected people possess “the glory, the covenants, the legislation, the cult, the promises”, because “they are Israelites and possess the adoption of sons” (Rm 9:4). But we also, the new people of God in Christ receive the adoption of children because “when the completion of the time came God sent His Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, to redeem the subjects of the Law, so that we could receive adoption as children” (Gal 4:4-5). This is the salvation which Jesus has brought to us. Christ “will save His people from their sins” (Mt 1:21) because He is the “God with us!” (Mt 1:23) who makes us adopted children of God.Jesus is born from “Mary who was betrothed to Joseph” (Mt 1:18a)) who “was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:18b). Matthew does not give the account of the annunciation as Luke does (Lk 1:26-38), but structures the account from the point of view of the experience of Joseph the just man. The Bible reveals to us that God loves the just and many times chooses them for an important mission, protects them and does not join them to the impious (Gen 18:23ff). In the Old Testament we find many persons who are considered just. We think of Noah “a good man, an upright man among his contemporaries” (Gen 6:9). Or also Johoash who “did what Yahweh regards as right” (2 K 12:3).A constant idea in the Bible is the “dream” as a privileged place where God makes His plans and designs known, and sometimes reveals the future. The dreams of Jacob at Bethel are well known (Gen 28:10ff) and Joseph his son, as also those of the cup-bearer and the chief baker imprisoned in Egypt with him (Gen 37:5ff; Gen 40:5ff) and the dreams of Pharaoh which revealed the future years of plenty and of famine and want (Gen 41:1ff).“An Angel of the Lord“ appeared to Joseph (Mt 1:20) to reveal to him God’s design. In the Gospels of the infancy frequently the Angel of the Lord is mentioned as the heavenly messenger (Mt 1:20.24; 2:13.19; Lk 1:11; 2:9) and also on other occasions the angel appears to calm, to reveal the plans of God, to heal and to liberate from slavery (cf. Mt 28:2; Jn 5:4; Acts 5:19; 8:26; 12:7.23). Many are the references to the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament where originally the angel represented the Lord himself who guided and protected His people being close to them (cf. Gen 16:7-16; 22:12; 24:7; Ex 3:3; 23:20; Tb 5:4).b) Questions to orient the meditation and make it relevant:● What is the most important thing to you in this passage? Why?● In the key to the reading, consideration is given to some terms (adoption, angel, dream, just). What thoughts did these raise in your heart? What relevance can they have for your journey of spiritual maturation?3. ORATIOa) Psalm 92It is good to give thanks to Yahweh,to make music for Your name, Most High,to proclaim Your faithful love at daybreak,and Your constancy all through the night,on the lyre, the ten-stringed lyre,to the murmur of the harp.You have brought me joy, Yahweh,by Your deeds, at the work of Your hands I cry out,'How great are Your works, Yahweh,immensely deep Your thoughts!'Stupid people cannot realize this,fools do not grasp it.The wicked may sprout like weeds,and every evil-doer flourish,but only to be eternally destroyed;whereas You are supreme for ever, Yahweh.Look how Your enemies perish,how all evil-doers are scattered!You give me the strength of the wild ox,You anoint me with fresh oil;I caught sight of the ambush against me,overheard the plans of the wicked.The upright will flourish like the palm tree,will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.Planted in the house of Yahweh,they will flourish in the courts of our God.In old age they will still bear fruit,will remain fresh and green,to proclaim Yahweh's integrity;my rock, in whom no fault can be found.b) Moments for a prayerful silence4. CONTEMPLATIOThe Christian contemplation of God’s dream, of the plan which God cherishes for the history of humanity does not produce alienation but keeps the consciences vigilant and active and stimulates us to face with courage and altruism the responsibilities which life gives us.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-19032019 ... See MoreSee Less

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: Luke 6:36-381) OPENING PRAYERJust and holy God,our loving Father,you offered us Your hand in friendshipand You sent us Your Son Jesusto go with us on the roadof obedience and loyalty.God, we often hurt this friendship,we act as if we were not Your sons and daughters.See the look of shame on our faces.Forgive us, for we count on You.Accept our thanksfor continuing to take us as we areand loving us notwithstanding our sins.We ask You this through Christ our Lord.2) GOSPEL READING - LUKE 6:36-38Jesus said to his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. "Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."3) REFLECTIONThese three brief verses of today’s Gospel (Lk 6:36-38) are the final part of a brief discourse of Jesus (Lk 6:20-38). In the first part of His discourse, He addresses Himself to the disciples (Lk 6:20) and to the rich (Lk 6:24) proclaiming four beatitudes for the disciples (Lk 6:20-23), and four curses for the rich (Lk 6:20-26). In the second part, He addresses Himself to all those who are listening (Lk 6:27), that is, the immense crowd of poor and sick, who had come from all parts (Lk 6:17-19). The words which He addresses to this people and to all of us are demanding and difficult: to love the enemy (Lk 6,27), not curse them (Lk 6:28), offer the other cheek to the one who slaps you on one, and do not complain if someone takes what is ours (Lk 6:29). How can this difficult advice be understood? The explanation is given in the three verses of today’s Gospel from which we draw the center of the Good News brought by Jesus.Luke 6:36: Be merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful. The Beatitudes for the disciples (Lk 6:20-23) and the curses against the rich (Lk 6:24-26) cannot be interpreted as an occasion for the poor to take revenge against the rich. Jesus orders us to have the contrary attitude. He says: Love your enemies! (Lk 6:27). The change which Jesus wants to bring about in us does not consist in merely changing something to invert the system, because in this way nothing would change. He wants to change the system. The idea which Jesus wants to portray comes from the new experience that He has of God the Father, full of tenderness, who accepts all, good and bad, who makes the sun shine on both the good and on the bad and makes the rain fall on both good and bad (Mt 5:5,45). True love does not depend, nor can it depend, on what I receive from others. Love must want the good of the other independently of what he does for me. Because this is how God’s love is for us. He is merciful not only toward those who are good, but with all, even with the ungrateful and the evil (Lk 6:35). The disciples of Jesus should radiate this merciful love.Luke 6:37-38: Do not judge and you will not be judged. These last words repeat in a clearer way what Jesus had said before: Treat others as you would like them to treat you (Lk 6:31; cf. Mt 7:12). If you do not want to be judged, do not judge! If you do not want to be condemned, do not condemn. If you want to be forgiven, then forgive! If you want to receive a good measure, give this good measure to others! Do not wait for the other one to take the initiative. You take it and begin now! You will see that it is like this.4) PERSONAL QUESTIONSLent is a time of conversion. Which is the conversion which today s Gospel is asking of me?Have you already been merciful as the Heavenly Father is?What are my limits in being merciful and forgiving?5) CONCLUDING PRAYERHelp us, God our Savior,for the glory of Your name;Yahweh, wipe away our sins,rescue us for the sake of Your name. (Ps 79,9)#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-18032019 ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago

The Glorified Body - Word on Fire

3 days ago

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CHRISTIAN MORNING MEDITATION:Lectio Divina: 2nd Sunday of Lent (C)Sunday, March 17, 2019Luke 9:28-36The Transfiguration of JesusA new way of fulfilling the prophecies1. Opening prayerLord Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us read the scriptures with the same mind that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the Word, written in the bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of resurrection.Create silence in us so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the scriptures, in events and in people, above all, in the poor and suffering. May Your word guide us so that we too, like the two disciples on the way to Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We ask this of You, Jesus, son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us Your Spirit. Amen.2. Readinga) A key to the reading:A few days earlier, Jesus had said that He, the Son of Man, had to be tried and crucified by the authorities (Lk 9:22; Mk 8:31). According to the information in the gospels of Mark and Matthew, the disciples, especially Peter, did not understand what Jesus had said and were scandalized by the news (Mt 16:22; Mk 8:32). Jesus reacted strongly and turned to Peter calling him Satan (Mt 16:23; Mk 8:33). This was because Jesus’ words did not correspond with the ideal of the glorious Messiah whom they imagined. Luke does not mention Peter’s reaction and Jesus’ strong reply, but he does describe, as do the other Evangelists, the episode of the Transfiguration. Luke sees the Transfiguration as an aid to the disciples so that they may be able to get over the scandal and change their idea of the Messiah (Lk 9:28-36). Taking the three disciples with Him, Jesus goes up the mountain to pray, and while He is praying, is transfigured. As we read the text, it is good to note what follows: “Who appears with Jesus on the mountain to converse with Him? What is the theme of their conversation? What is the disciples’ attitude?”b) A division of the text as an aid to the reading:i) Luke 9:28: The moment of crisisii) Luke 9:29: The change that takes place during the prayeriii) Luke 9:30-31: The appearance of the two men and their conversation with Jesusiv) Luke 9:32-34: The disciples’ reactionv) Luke 9:35-36: The Father’s voicec) The text:Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my chosen Son; listen to him." After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.3. A moment of prayerful silenceso that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.4. Some questionsto help us in our personal reflection.a) What did you like most in this episode of the Transfiguration? Why?b) Who are those who go to the mountain with Jesus? Why do they go?c) Moses and Elijah appear on the mountain next to Jesus. What is the significance of these two people from the Old Testament for Jesus, for the disciples, for the community in the 80s and for us today?d) Which prophecy from the Old Testament is fulfilled in the words of the Father concerning Jesus?e) What is the disciples’ attitude during this episode?f) Has there been a transfiguration in your life? How have such experiences of transfiguration helped you to fulfill your mission better?g) Compare Luke’s description of the Transfiguration of Jesus (Lk 9:28-36) with his description of the agony of Jesus in the Garden (Lk 22:39-46). Try to see whether there are any similarities. What is the significance of these similarities?5. A key to the readingfor those who wish to go deeper into the theme.a) The context of Jesus’ discourse:In the two previous chapters of Luke’s Gospel, the innovation brought by Jesus highlights the tensions between the New and the Old Testaments. In the end, Jesus realized that no one had understood His meaning, much less His person. People thought that He was like John the Baptist, Elijah or some other prophet (Lk 9:18-19). The disciples accepted Him as the Messiah, but a glorious Messiah, according to the expectations issued by the government and the official religion of the temple (Lk 9:20-21). Jesus tried to explain to His disciples that the journey foreseen by the prophets was one of suffering because of its commitment to the excluded, and that a disciple could only be a disciple if he/she took up his/her cross (Lk 9:22-26). But Jesus did not meet with much success. It is in such a context of crisis that the Transfiguration takes place.In the 30s, the experience of the Transfiguration had a very important significance in the life of Jesus and the disciples. It helped them overcome the crisis of faith and to change their ideals concerning the Messiah. In the 80s, when Luke was writing for the Christian communities in Greece, the meaning of the Transfiguration had already been deepened and broadened. In the light of Jesus’ resurrection and of the spread of the Good News among the pagans in almost every country, from Palestine to Italy, the experience of the Transfiguration began to be seen as a confirmation of the faith of the Christian communities in Jesus, Son of God. The two meanings are present in the description and interpretation of the Transfiguration in Luke’s Gospel.b) A commentary on the text:Luke 9:28: The moment of crisis.On several occasions Jesus entered into conflict with the people and the religious and civil authorities of his time (Lk 4:28-29;5:21-20;6:2-11;7:30.39;8:37;9:9). He knew they would not allow Him to do the things He did. Sooner or later they would catch Him. Besides, in that society, the proclamation of the Kingdom, as Jesus did, was not to be tolerated. He either had to withdraw or face death! There were no other alternatives. Jesus did not withdraw. Hence the cross appears on the horizon, not just as a possibility but as a certainty (Lk 9:22). Together with the cross there also appears the temptation to go on with the idea of the Glorious Messiah and not of the Crucified, suffering servant, announced by the prophet Isaiah (Mk 8:32-33). At this difficult moment Jesus goes up the mountain to pray, taking with Him Peter, James and John. Through His prayer, Jesus seeks strength not to lose sense of direction in His mission (cf. Mk 1:35).Luke 9:29: The change that takes place during the prayer.As soon as Jesus starts praying, His appearance changes and He appears glorious. His face changes and His clothes become white and shining. It is the glory that the disciples imagined for the Messiah. This transformation told them clearly that Jesus was indeed the Messiah expected by all. But what follows the episode of the Transfiguration will point out that the way to glory is quite different from what they imagined. The Transfiguration will be a call to conversion.Luke 9:30-31: Two men appear speaking with Jesus.Together with Jesus and in the same glorious state there appear Moses and Elijah, the two major exponents of the Old Testament, representing the Law and the Prophets. They speak with Jesus about “the Exodus brought to fulfilment in Jerusalem”. Thus, in front of the disciples, the Law and the Prophets confirm that Jesus is truly the glorious Messiah, promised in the Old Testament and awaited by the whole people. They further confirm that the way to glory is through the painful way of the exodus. Jesus’ exodus is His passion, death and resurrection. Through His “exodus” Jesus breaks the dominion of the false idea concerning the Messiah spread by the government and by the official religion and that held all ensnared in the vision of a glorious, nationalistic messiah. The experience of the Transfiguration confirmed that Jesus as Messiah Servant constituted an aid to free them from their wrong ideas concerning the Messiah and to discover the real meaning of the Kingdom of God.Luke 9:32-34: The disciples’ reaction.The disciples were in deep sleep. When they woke up, they saw Jesus in His glory and the two men with Him. But Peter’s reaction shows that they were not aware of the real meaning of the glory in which Jesus appeared to them. As often happens with us, they were only aware of what concerned them. The rest escapes their attention. “Master, it is good for us to be here!” And they do not want to get off the mountain any more! When it is question of the cross, whether on the Mount of the Transfiguration or on the Mount of Olives (Lk 22:45), they sleep! They prefer the glory to the cross! They do not like to speak or hear of the cross. They want to make sure of the moment of glory on the mountain, to extend it, and they offer to build three tents. Peter did not know what he was saying.While Peter was speaking, a cloud descended from on high and covered them with its shadow. Luke says that the disciples became afraid when the cloud enfolded them. The cloud is the symbol of the presence of God. The cloud accompanied the multitude on their journey through the desert (Ex 40:34-38; Num 10:11-12). When Jesus ascended into heaven, He was covered by a cloud and they no longer saw Him (Acts 1:9). This was a sign that Jesus had entered forever into God’s world.Luke 9:35-36: The Father’s voice.A voice is heard from the cloud that says: “This is My Son, the Chosen, listen to Him”. With this same sentence the prophet Isaiah had proclaimed the Messiah-Servant (Isa 42:1). First Moses and Elijah, now God Himself presents Jesus as the Messiah-Servant who will come to glory through the cross. The voice ends with a final admonition: “Listen to Him!” As the heavenly voice speaks, Moses and Elijah disappear and only Jesus is left. This signifies that from now on only He will interpret the scriptures and the will of God. He is the Word of God for the disciples: “Listen to Him!”The proclamation “This is My Son, the Chosen; listen to Him” was very important for the community of the late 80s. Through this assertion God the Father confirmed the faith of Christians in Jesus as Son of God. In Jesus’ time, that is, in the 30s, the expression Son of Man pointed to a very high dignity and mission. Jesus Himself gave a relative meaning to the term by saying that all were children of God (cf. John 10:33-35). But for some the title Son of God became a resume of all titles, over one hundred that the first Christians gave Jesus in the second half of the first century. In succeeding centuries, it was the title of Son of God that the Church concentrated all its faith in the person of Jesus.c) A deepening:i) The Transfiguration is told in three of the Gospels: Matthew (Mt 17:1-9), Mark (Mk 9:2-8) and Luke (Lk 9:28-36). This is a sign that this episode contained a very important message. As we said, it was a matter of great help to Jesus, to His disciples and to the first communities. It confirmed Jesus in His mission as Messiah-Servant. It helped the disciples to overcome the crisis that the cross and suffering caused them. It led the communities to deepen their faith in Jesus, Son of God, the One who revealed the Father and who became the new key to the interpretation of the Law and the Prophets. The Transfiguration continues to be of help in overcoming the crisis that the cross and suffering provoke today. The three sleeping disciples are a reflection of all of us. The voice of the Father is directed to us as it was to them: “This is My Son, the Chosen; listen to Him!”ii) In Luke’s Gospel there is a great similarity between the scene of the Transfiguration (Lk 9:28-36) and the scene of the agony of Jesus in the Garden of Olives (Lk 22:39-46). We may note the following: in both scenes Jesus goes up the mountain to pray and takes with Him three disciples, Peter, James and John. On both occasions, Jesus’ appearance is transformed and He is transfigured before them; glorious at the Transfiguration, perspiring blood in the Garden of Olives. Both times heavenly figures appear to comfort Him, Moses and Elijah and an angel from heaven. Both in the Transfiguration and in the Agony, the disciples sleep, they seem to be outside the event and they seem not to understand anything. At the end of both episodes, Jesus is reunited with His disciples. Doubtless, Luke intended to emphasize the resemblance between these two episodes. What would that be? Perhaps it is to show that understanding takes time and effort, even for the Apostles, so we should persevere and not be asleep, especially at those crucial moments in our lives when He is revealing Himself to us personally. It is in meditating and praying that we shall come to understand the meaning that goes beyond words, and to perceive the intention of the author. The Holy Spirit will guide us.iii) Luke describes the Transfiguration. There are times in our life when suffering is such that we might think: “God has abandoned me! He is no longer with me!” And then suddenly we realize that He has never deserted us, but that we had our eyes bandaged and were not aware of the presence of God. Then everything is changed and transfigured. It is the transfiguration! This happens every day in our lives.6. Psalm 42 (41)“My soul thirsts for the living God!”As a dear longs for flowing streams,so longs my soul for Thee, O God.My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and behold the face of God?My tears have been my food day and night,while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"These things I remember, as I pour out my soul:how I went with the throng,and led them in procession to the house of God,with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,a multitude keeping festival.Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,my help and my God.My soul is cast down within me;therefore I remember Thee from the land of Jordanand of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.Deep calls to deep at the roar of Your torrents;all Thy waves and breakers have gone over me.By day the Lord commands His steadfast love;and at night His song is with me,a prayer to the God of my life.I say to God, my rock:"Why hast Thou forgotten me?Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"As with a deadly wound in my body,my adversaries taunt me,while they say to me continually,"Where is your God?"Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you disquieted within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him,my help and my God.7. Final PrayerLord Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.#dailymeditations www.stswithuns.org.uk/event/dr-16032019 ... See MoreSee Less

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And I always thought this so simple an event!! Loads of meaning in it!!!

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