Who do you say that I am?

According to John Pilch in "The Cultural World of Jesus: Sunday by Sunday, Cycle A", in the Mediterranean world of Jesus’ time, people were relational to such an extent that they had no sense of their individuality but depended on the opinions of others to help them know who they were. So, Jesus question to his disciples in today's Gospel is not a “theology quiz” for his followers. Rather Jesus is curious about how others see him. He needs feedback because he does not know who he is and he is trying to learn this from significant others in his life. This may seem strange to us who have grown up with the idea that Jesus is all-knowing. But remember, just last week we heard Jesus struggle with the boundaries of his mission – was he sent just to Israelites or did God’s mercy extend to Syro-Phoenician women and other outsiders.

As I reflected on this new understanding I wondered if this story is not meant to be a kind of mirror for us. In his historical understanding, Jesus came to know himself through what others were saying about him. What if we, too, come to know ourselves from what another says of us? I’m not talking about being worried about rumors and the false impressions that our friends, neighbors and colleagues might have of us. I am talking about gaining our identity from Jesus himself. It is as if we echo back the question of Jesus – “who do you say that I am?”

By looking to him and asking the question, “who do you say that I am” we discover the God-given answer to our identity – you are my beloved son, my beloved daughter. This is has been the consistent message of the pontificate of Pope Benedict. He has been proposing that we turn to Jesus in whom we will find happiness and identity. In his remarks just prior to World Youth Day he said, “Christian faith is not only a matter of believing that certain things are true, but above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is an encounter with the Son of God that gives new energy to the whole of our existence. When we enter into a personal relationship with him, Christ reveals our true identity and, in friendship with him, our life grows towards complete fulfillment.”

Some resources on the new translation for young people

Liturgy Training Publications has a website with lots of resources for introducing the new translation of the Roman Missal. They are short and use young people to talk about the upcoming changes. They may be used in your programs without additional permission. The videos are in the media section but check out the downloadables too.

http://revisedromanmissal.org/Resources.aspx

General Instruction of the Roman Missal

In addition to a new translation of the prayer texts in the Roman Missal the General Instruction has also been given a new translation. Here is a link to the USCCB website and the revised text.

General Instruction of the Roman Missal

The Making of a Roman Missal

Did you ever wonder how a Roman Missal is made? The Catholic Herald in the United Kingdom has an interesting article on how the Missals are being fabricated. I suspect that publishers in this country are using a similar process. I recently read that World Library has received their advance copies of the new Missal. Remember, nothing may be shipped until October.

These are the hands making your Missal CatholicHerald.co.uk

The Solemnity of the Assumption

Because it falls on a Monday this year, there is no obligation to attend Mass attached to the Solemnity of the Assumption. Parishes are encouraged to celebrate a Mass on this day, even if there is not a regularly scheduled Monday Mass.

Join us for the Harvest Mass

On Sunday the Diocese will celebrate the annual Harvest Mass.

19320 Hwy 74 SE, Chatfield, MN 55923 (map)
2011 Harvest Mass
Sunday, August 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM*

The Hinckley Farm
19320 Hwy 74 SE
Chatfield, MN 55923

Meal: Chicken, choice of Italian pasta salad or coleslaw, garden veggies, watermelon, roll, homemade desserts, milk & coffee.
$6.00 for chicken meal
$4.00 kids 12 and under hot dog meal

Entertainment following Mass
Homemade goodies to purchase
Kids games & calves to pet in nursery
Old Territory Rd and Stagecoach Bridge to visit

Directions: Map Link
From east: take I 90 West, Exit 233, head south 8 miles. Farm is on left
From west: Take I 90 East, Exit 233, head south 8 miles. Farm is on left.

*This will be a Sunday Mass. Since it falls on a Monday this year, the Solemnity of the Assumption of our Lady is not a Holy Day of Obligation.

Walking on Water

Chaos and Death. Waves and Fear. That is where we find the disciples in today’s Gospel. Jesus has sent them ahead in a boat and they are engulfed by a storm. These disciples, some of whom are fishermen and accustomed to the unpredictability of the sea are frightened. It must have been quite a storm. In the midst of the chaos, in the midst of their fear they spy Jesus, who, Matthew tells us, is coming to them – walking on the water. You would think they would be comforted but instead we get deeper fear – even terror – “It is a ghost” they think. And they cry out. Jesus speaks – “Take courage, it is I; Do not be afraid.”

Feast of the Transfiguration

The Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus commemorates a singular event in His life when his disciples came to know who this Jesus really is. What the gospel authors describe for us with the appearance of Moses and Elijah and the dazzling white garment are not things that the Father does to change Jesus but rather to reveal who Jesus is “on the inside,” at the depth of his being. In other words, the transfiguration of Jesus is not something that gets added to who Jesus is but rather shows us who he is. And that was important for the disciples who were having to come to grips with the fact that Jesus would soon die. They needed a word of hope and encouragement to get them through the difficult time ahead.
In the transfiguration of Christ, what God was saying to Peter, James and John was that they should not be deceived by their apparently human rabbi, nor by his impending trial and execution. “Don’t judge this book by its cover,” God seems to be saying to the disciples. “See a deeper reality that is nothing less than God among you, salvation happening before you.” The voice from the cloud in today’s gospel tells them and us: “This is my Son, my chosen one, listen to him.”

Memorial of the Dedication of the Basilica of Mary Major in Rome

Today the Church celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Built in the 5th century in celebration of the defining of the dogma of Mary as Mother of God (theotokos) it was built on a site on the Esquiline Hill on which snow appeared on this date in Rome. August in Rome is hot, humid and smoggy. So snow in August would be a miracle.

The Basilica contains the traditional relics of the crib in which Jesus was born.

Sergei Rachmaninoff wrote a beautiful setting of the Orthodox Vespers. Here is the Bogoroditse Devo, essentially the "Hail Mary".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tu9moIJ3uM&feature=player_detailpage

Last Music Reading Session this Saturday

Our final music reading session on the new translation of the Roman Missal will be on Saturday at St. Francis Church in Rochester. We begin at 10 a.m. with registration at 9:30. We have almost 80 signed up already. Come and join us.

With Finest Wheat

Last Sunday we had the beautiful passage in which Jesus feeds the 5000 (not counting women and children!). I am struck that Matthew is not primarily interested in the miracle but in the parallel to the manna in the desert when God fed the people in their wandering. In a place of death, the God of life is revealed in the abundance of the gift.

Here is a beautiful setting of a portion of the responsorial Psalm by Jean Berger.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv4pcothYZ8&feature=player_detailpage