#I would parish from sheer overwhelm | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dwellordream · 4 years ago

Text

“...In the course of their early lives, many children were placed outside their parental home and thus forced to part from their parents. The duration of these separations could vary between a couple of days or weeks and a number of years. About a quarter of the autobiographers mention some form of boarding out during their early and late childhood before they departed for service or the university.

The experience of Simonds D'Ewes, who, until the age of 16, was separated from his parents five times for periods totaling no less than twelve years, was to some extent unusual but not altogether unique, both among children of a similar social background - D’Ewes's father was a wealthy lawyer - as well as among those less well off. Thomas Shepard, the son of a small grocer in Towcester, Northamptonshire, was sent away to live with his grandparents when he was three years old, and after a couple of weeks he was placed with his uncle. Following his return to his parents, he was again boarded out for three years, between the ages of six and nine.

Oliver Sansom, the son of a trader, was placed with his aunt between the ages of seven and ten, while Mary Rich, a gentleman's daughter, boarded with a gentlewoman from the age of three until she was eleven years old. John Whitting, Anthony Wood, Frances Dodshon, James Fretwell, Edward Coxere, Edward Terril, Simon Forman, Joseph Oxley, Phineas Pett, George Bewley and William Johnson all spent one, two, three or four years away from their parental homes, at least once, in their childhood, before they reached their mid-teens and, in the case of males, before they began a career as university students or apprentices.

The reasons for these early separations between children and their parents varied greatly. Among autobiographers, the most common reason given was the schooling of children. As is by now well known, the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries witnessed a substantial increase in the number of schools available for elementary and higher education. Some schools, such as Eton and Winchester, were well-established institutions designed for the preparation of sons of the aristocracy for a career at Oxford or Cambridge; others among the great endowed grammar schools which had also gained in reputation became more fashionable among gentry and yeomen families.

In most cases, sending a son to a prestigious school dictated boarding him away. The practice of 'tabling out' in towns was already well established in the sixteenth century, and the few dozens of major endowed grammar schools must have included substantial numbers of students who came from far away and who were tabled out during their studies, at times for quite substantial amounts of money. But even when a child was not sent to a particularly prestigious school, he was often boarded away from home for the purpose of schooling, and at times at a very young age.

The most common reason for boarding one's son during his school years was the sheer distance of schools, any school, from one's home. The increase in the number of schools spread such institutions geographically, so that most market towns and many rural parishes had a school and only a small proportion of the rural population had no access to any kind of schooling. Nonetheless, even if this meant that there was a school approximately every twelve miles, many parents would still have found this distance too great, and would have boarded their children nearer to school. In large towns, and especially in the rapidly expanding capital, going to school might still require boarding out if the school was not located within walking distance of home.

…Finally, since the single largest category of schools was that of the feepaying unendowed schools, some parents found the local school simply too expensive and were forced to seek an alternative arrangement. Scattered around the country were women and schooldames who taught, without licence, reading and basic literacy, and as some autobiographies suggest, these women could offer boarding to sons of relatives and kin.

…Outbreaks of plague could also bring parents to send their children away. In 1610 a plague broke out in Towcester, where Thomas Sheppard's parents lived, and young Thomas, who was three years old, was sent away the same day the plague broke out to live with his grandfather and grandmother in a remote place in the countryside. Later on he was placed with his uncle, and returned home only when the plague disappeared from Towcester.

…While wealthier families could afford to travel and escape the disaster together, among poorer families separations of parents and children during times of plague must have been common. Plague occurred frequently, and its impact was often random, striking one community disastrously and avoiding another. Since most people recognized this randomness, sending one's child away, even only a few miles to another village, might have been a reasonable strategy; it could save a child from being infected. Moreover, the disease spread slowly and over a long period, so parents could be aware of the approaching danger the moment it arrived in a nearby parish or town, and react to protect their children.

Since the mortality of infants and children under 10 years was exceptionally high throughout the period, and since contemporaries were fully aware that children were the most likely victims of plague, sending them away to relatives and to neigbouring villages, if parents could not afford to move themselves, must have been a common response. Parental death could also cause the departure of a child from his home. At the age of three, following the death of her mother, Mary Rich was sent away 'by the tender care of my indulgent father, that I might be carefully and piously educated', to 'a prudent and vertuous lady', with whom she lived until she was eleven.

…Unlike earlier legislation regarding the poor, the Poor Laws of 1598 and 1601 did not specify a lower age limit at which children could be apprenticed,' no doubt to enable parish authorities to bind poor children even when very young. But such attempts were bound to confront difficulties, and not only because some parents objected to the forcing of their children into undesirable apprenticeships or labour in workhouses. Parish authorities recognised that children had to reach an age when they were 'fit to be placed forth' - as the churchwardens of the parish of St James in Bristol put it - before they were apprenticed. So in cases of destitute brothers and sisters, parish authorities could order only that the 'eldest of them to be bound apprentice'.

In the Southampton Poor-child Register, the overwhelming majority of children were 10 years old and above.' The result of this all was that quite a few, even among the orphaned and very poor, were boarded out for their maintenance and upbringing rather than placed as apprentices or agricultural and domestic servants. …Similar cases of children who were too young to be apprenticed and who were boarded out by parish authorities can be found elsewhere. According to Tim Wales, in Norfolk it was a common practice for parish officers to pay neighbours, who were often themselves very poor, for keeping paupers, among them orphaned children. It is difficult to estimate the frequency with which the practice of boarding out in childhood occurred.”

- Ilana Krausman Ben-Amos, “ Early Lives: Separations and Work.” in Adolescence and Youth in Early Modern England

#adolescence and youth in early modern england #education #children #history #renaissance #georgian #elizabethan #jacobean #caroline era #ilana krausman ben amos

6 notes · View notes

alexriehman · 4 years ago

Text

Trip to Bridgeport

In the second week of Chicago excursions I was assigned to explore the neighborhood of Bridgeport. Bridgeport is located in the city’s south side, the neighborhood is confined to the north by the south branch of the Chicago river stretching south to Pershing Road. Laterally the neighborhood spans from the Union Pacific Railroad tracks in the east, to Bubbly Creek in the west. Bridgeport possesses the title as the oldest neighborhood in the city of Chicago, officially becoming Bridgeport Township in 1863. The history of Bridgeport and what survives today projects different stories about the neighborhood. Originally an Irish enclave of industry, Bridgeport today is ethnically diverse with many varying socioeconomic levels residing in the neighborhood.

Map of Bridgeport

Industry began to boom in Bridgeport around 1830 when Stearns’ Quarry established a limestone quarry, dynamiting in the neighborhood until 1969 (Bloom, 2020). Industrialization swallowed the area, by 1905 the first privately owned and managed industrial park was established, called the Central Manufacturing District. The owners of the park invested into the neighborhood, building roads, public emergency services, a bank, and even leisure businesses. The demographic composed today in Bridgeport one will find around two of five residents being Asian, and one of five residents being of Hispanic dissent (Statistical Atlas, 2020). Immigrants from the old world flooded Bridgeport in aims for a working job. The Irish flooded the neighborhood first, soon to follow were northern and eastern European immigrants. Important to the neighborhood during the beginning of the 20th century was the railroad construction nearby (Bloom, 2020). Many of the workers who recently migrated were Mexican, who established homes in the neighborhood (Bloom, 2020). The remainder of the 20th century and leading to modern day, Bridgeport witnessed many Asian immigrants moving to the area. Being within close proximity to the city’s long-standing, well-established Chinatown district. Also residing near the historic district of Bronzeville, the population consists of African American and Hispanic dwellers.

What was once a booming sector of industry, today Bridgeport is now a cultural center for art and diversity. The neighborhood although slightly large on scale, is entitled to a strong sense of community. This strong sense of community may be one such production of the deeply rooted religious structures seen very visibly throughout the neighborhood. Apparent to the neighborhood is its nonsecular nature, with many ornate and magnificent churches. Also clearly apparent in Bridgeport, is the neighborhood’s lust for art, specifically modern, urban art; two art centers stand just a stone’s throw apart from one another. To note as well is the neighborhood repurposing efforts to transition areas of industry into public spaces. Many parks are scattered throughout Bridgeport today. On my visit to the neighborhood I was able to explore one of these parks, also I witnessed a few churches, and was able to tour the neighborhood’s art center.

During the Friday excursion of the neighborhood, I began my day at the Bridgeport Art Center. The art center is located on 35th Street, at 1200 West 35th Street, in the central manufacturing district; once the location for the Spiegel Catalog warehouse. Established in 2001, the Bridgeport Art Center is focused to continuously serve as a resource for creative minds, and to be the beacon for the innovating Chicago art scene (Bridgeport Art Center, 2020). The art center is home to numerous artists, designers, and working professionals. Incredibly, I was fortunate enough and one of the first to attend the art center on the same day of its 4th Floor Gallery opening reception. The gallery’s newest theme entitled ‘Where’s the Revolution,’ is an exhibition featuring political art expressing varying points of view of global politics and social justice standards (Bridgeport Art Center, 2020). The exhibits displayed depict themes current to modern issues in America. At the forefront of the exhibits were criticisms of the current presidency, as well as the extremely salient movement of Black Lives Matter. In one work the artist depicts the final words of George Floyd, “I can’t breathe.” The artistic piece utilizes yarn on canvas to depict the final words, in the artist’s own words, “lives holding by a thread.” Many of the artistic works also present an underlying theme of police brutality targeted against racial minorities.

I Can’t Breathe by Pinar Aral

Floyd by Victoria Goite

Although the 4th Floor Gallery was fascinating to explore and witness, I was able to meet and discuss with internationally acclaimed Italian sculptor, Virginio Ferrari. During my walkthrough of the 4th Floor Gallery I was confronted by a waste management consultant who worked in the building. He thought it would be an advantageous opportunity to meet and have a dialogue with Ferrari. I agreed to his opportunity and he escorted me to Ferrari’s work space in the basement of the building.

Virginio Ferrari’s Workshop in Bridgeport Art Center

I had the ability to have a personal tour of Ferrari’s shop by the man himself. He discussed his life story and beginnings of his artistic career. Mentored by his father and grandfather in the trade of stone cutting, Ferrari learned respect for the craft, and has continued his family’s legacy since. Ferrari is an immigrant of Italy who migrated to Chicago in the 1960s. After his migration to Chicago, Ferrari would serve for one decade as the Assistant Professor of Art and Sculptor in Residence, at the prestigious University of Chicago (Ferrari, 2020). Ferrari has thirty monumental pieces alone in Chicago, and other works can be witnessed all over the world, with sculptures located in Europe, Asia, and throughout the continental United States. Some of his most notable works found in Chicago include the Being Born exhibition near the Ohio Feeder Ramp in Riverside North, as well as the controversial exhibit Dialogo, which casts a shadow annually on May Day that depicts the Communist sickle and hammer (Ferrari, 2020). Even at the age of eighty-three year, Ferrari is still active with his craftsmanship, constantly creating new sculptures in his Bridgeport workspace.

Being Born by Virginio Ferrari

Although the opportunity to meet the world renowned sculptor, Virginio Ferrari, was incredibly exciting, there was still more to see of the neighborhood. After my visit to the Bridgeport Art Center, I continued my morning walkthrough of Bridgeport by viewing a couple of churches located in near proximity. The first church I was able to visit was the Roman Catholic Church of St. Mary of Perpetual Help. This church has been standing in Bridgeport since 1882 (St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church, 2020). Its establishment was influenced by the growing Polish immigrant population in the area. It served as a community home for these Polish immigrants, and still serves today as the parish for the Catholic girl high school, De La Salle Institute. The building itself is magnificent with elaborate towers and a colossal dome, with intricate detailing found all over the building.

St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church, 1039 West 32nd Street

After my walk by the St. Mary Church, I was able to see the Monastery of the Holy Cross. This monastery was established a century later than the previous parish discussed, in 1988. Although the monastery was established in 1988, the building in which the monastery resides was once the home of a Polish parish, the Immaculate Conception Church (Monastery of the Holy Cross, 2020). The Monastery of the Holy Cross was founded by three missionary priests who sought out to combat the challenges of evangelization in the modern world (Monastery of the Holy Cross, 2020). The priest's mission was evangelization of the modern ‘desert’ of the city, which faces issues of violence, alienation, and spiritual poverty (Monastery of the Holy Cross, 2020). To comment on the building, the monastery is found at the location of the former Immaculate Conception church. The building although simple in design, with a only singular vertical turret attached, is known for its beauty. The sheer height of the tower was quite remarkable to witness in person.

Monastery of the Holy Cross, 3111 South Aberdeen Street

As the end of my trip neared, I decided to visit one of the local parks in the neighborhood. Located at 2700 South Halsted Street, in the heart of the Bridgeport neighborhood, I was able to visit the Palmisano Park and Quarry. Prior to the park, the area was most well known for the Stearns’ Quarry, in which massive amounts of limestone were extracted from the earth. This twenty-six acre site offers a bountiful amount of activities for visitors to enjoy. The park includes a fishing pond, interpretive wetlands, preserved quarry walls, trails, an athletic field, a running track, and over one and a half miles of walking trails (Chicago Park District, 2020). The park itself was gorgeous to walk around. It provided an incredible view of the Chicago skyline, and most notably preserves the land of the neighborhood. This park was very refreshing to experience. Being in the city can be overwhelming with the lack of green space, but the Palmisano Park adds a much needed escape from the urban environment. It is hard to imagine, but the natural landscape of Chicago is composed of a marsh, and this is made very apparent through the park. Tall grasses and a pond were just two obvious features of the park displaying marsh characteristics. It was a pleasant surprise to discover this park. Even though I have been living in the area for two years now, it was exciting to explore a new green space in close relation to my university.

View of Chicago Skyline from Palmisano Park

Fishing Pond at Palmisano Park

Looking back on my trip to Bridgeport, the neighborhood is a multicultural enclave in a new emerging art scene. The oldest neighborhood of the city of Chicago surprised me with its numerous cultural identities. Initially founded by mainly Irish immigrants, the neighborhood has transformed its identity through the inclusion of other minorities. Immigrants from Mexico and Asia have built a new home for themselves in the neighborhood. The city in its past has been considered segregated, but this was not the impression I felt during my visit to the neighborhood. Bridgeport if anything, is a hub of acceptance and integration, consisting of many varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Made apparent by the religious institutions littered around the neighborhood, Bridgeport is a melting pot of culture, history, and art. Some individuals debate whether or not Bridgeport is the next ‘hipster’ neighborhood. I think that Bridgeport has the potential to grow to be this hipster hub. With two art centers already established in the neighborhood, along with a collection of unique restaurants, and public spaces for neighborhood residents to enjoy; Bridgeport, although the oldest neighborhood, is still transforming and staying up-to-date with cultural and social activities. I would recommend any visitor of Chicago to explore Bridgeport. As illustrated previously throughout this post, the neighborhood is compiled of varying commercial, religious, residential, and public spaces. Also home to the Chicago White Sox, the neighborhood offers plenty of activities for visitors to expierence. Bridgeport is a neighborhood of detailed and extensive history, but it is still transforming to serve the needs of its people.

Sources

Bloom, J. G. (2012). Images of America: Bridgeport. Retrieved September 25,2020, from https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bridgeport/JpjWCdLKyzEC?hl=en

Bridgeport Art Center. (2020). 4th Floor Gallery. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://bridgeportart.com/

Ferrari, M. G. (2020, September 02). Virginio Ferrari Foundation. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://virginioferrarifoundation.org/

St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church. (2020). History. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from http://www.stmaryofperpetualhelp.com/p/history-of-our-church.html

Monastery of the Holy Cross. (2020). Our History. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://chicagomonk.org/about-us/our-history/

Chicago Park District. (2020). Palmisano Park. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/palmisano-henry-park

Statistical Atlas. (2020). Race and Ethnicity in Bridgeport, Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved September 25, 2020 from https://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/Bridgeport/Race-and-Ethnicity

Photos

All of the photos illustrated throughout the blog were taken by me except for the following images:

Map of Bridgeport:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bridgeport/JpjWCdLKyzEC?hl=en

1 note · View note

romancatholicreflections · 6 years ago

Photo

23rd February >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Mark 9:2-13 for Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘It is wonderful for us to be here’.

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus was transfigured in their presence

As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’

Gospel (USA)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus was transfigured before them.

As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Reflections (3)

(i) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

There is a striking contrast in today’s gospel reading between the glorious scene on the mountain and the conversation Jesus had with his disciples when they came down the mountain. On the mountain, Peter, James and John had an experience of Jesus in glory. His intense communion with God on the mountain left him transfigured. It was such a striking moment that Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it is wonderful for us to be here’, and he suggested a way of prolonging this entrancing experience, ‘Let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah’. It was a powerful experience of Jesus as Son of God. When they came down the mountain, the conversation was not about glory but about suffering and death. With reference to John the Baptist’s execution by Herod, Jesus says, ‘they treated him as they pleased’. Jesus also speaks of himself as the Son of Man who is to ‘suffer grievously and be treated with contempt’. On the mountain, the disciples had heard a voice from the cloud saying to them, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him’. It can’t have been easy for the disciples to listen to Jesus speak about himself in this dark and ominous manner. The gospel reading captures something of the rhythm of our own lives as human beings, and as followers of the Lord. There will always be light and darkness there. There will be moments when we will say, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here’, and other moments when we find ourselves having to face into struggle and suffering of one shape or form. Yet, the Lord is with us in those valleys of darkness just as much as he is with us on the bright mountain top. God was present to Jesus on the hill of Calvary as much as he was present to him on the Mount of Transfiguration. God and his Son are present in our Calvary moments too. The light of the Lord’s presence always shines in our darkness, and is always stronger than the darkness.

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

On the mount of transfiguration the disciples saw Jesus as they had never seen him before. It was a foretaste of the experience they would have of the risen Lord. It was an experience that was full of light and joy, so much so that Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it is wonderful for us to be here’. It is possible that we might all be able to remember a moment when we too were able to say, ‘It is wonderful for us to be here’. Perhaps it was a moment when we had a very strong sense of the Lord’s presence to us, an overwhelming sense of his love for us. In Mark’s gospel the disciples experience on the mount of transfiguration came just after Jesus and his disciples had set out on the long and difficult road to Jerusalem, the way to the cross. Jesus had just spoken of himself as the Son of Man who must suffer and die; these were words which the disciples found very disturbing and distressing. As they set out on this difficult road, they were given this wonderful grace on the mount of transfiguration. In our own lives too when we are struggling with something very painful, the Lord will grace us in some way. When we seem to be at our weakest, he will give us his strength. When darkness seems to envelope us, he will touch us with the light of his presence.

And/Or

(iii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

In this morning’s gospel reading, Mark describes what must have been a very memorable moment in the lives of Peter, James and John. This experience of Jesus transfigured on the mountain came to them as a sheer gift. They had done nothing to make it happen. It was Jesus who took the initiative to lead them up a mountain where they could be alone with him. They had no hand or part in the transformation that came over Jesus on the mountain. They were simply the recipients of this extraordinary grace. In Mark’s gospel, this experience came just after that difficult moment when Jesus revealed himself to his disciples as the Son of Man who must suffer and die, must to their consternation, and Peter’s consternation in particular. Beyond this experience lay the way to Jerusalem where Jesus would suffer and die and the disciples would know the pain of denial and flight. Here on the mountain they were given the grace of seeing the deeper reality behind all the suffering to come, the love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for the Father, and the Father’s gift of the Son to all, ‘Listen to him'. We too can be unexpectedly graced by the Lord on our life’s journey, sometimes even in the midst of struggle and suffering. Such graces can take many forms, but they all leave us saying with Peter, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here’. Often it is not what we work for but what is given to us that touches us most deeply and enduringly.

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

1 note · View note

frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 6 years ago

Photo

23rd February >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Mark 9:2-13 for Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘It is wonderful for us to be here’.

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Europe, Africa, New Zealand, Australia & Canada)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus was transfigured in their presence

Gospel (USA)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus was transfigured before them.

Reflections (3)

(i) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

And/Or

(iii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Fr. Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, D03 AO62, Ireland.

Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ie Please join us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

0 notes

romancatholicreflections · 8 years ago

Text

18th February >> Fr. Martin’s Reflection on Today’s Gospel Reading (Mark 9:2-13) for Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘It is wonderful for us to be here.‘

Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa) Mark 9:2-13 Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus. As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’ Gospel (USA) Mark 9:2-13 Jesus was transfigured before them. Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.” Reflections (2) (i) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time In this morning’s gospel reading, Mark describes what must have been a very memorable moment in the lives of Peter, James and John. This experience of Jesus transfigured on the mountain came to them as a sheer gift. They had done nothing to make it happen. It was Jesus who took the initiative to lead them up a mountain where they could be alone with him. They had no hand or part in the transformation that came over Jesus on the mountain. They were simply the recipients of this extraordinary grace. In Mark’s gospel, this experience came just after that difficult moment when Jesus revealed himself to his disciples as the Son of Man who must suffer and die, must to their consternation, and Peter’s consternation in particular. Beyond this experience lay the way to Jerusalem where Jesus would suffer and die and the disciples would know the pain of denial and flight. Here on the mountain they were given the grace of seeing the deeper reality behind all the suffering to come, the love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for the Father, and the Father’s gift of the Son to all, ‘Listen to him’. We too can be unexpectedly graced by the Lord on our life’s journey, sometimes even in the midst of struggle and suffering. Such graces can take many forms, but they all leave us saying with Peter, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here’. Often it is not what we work for but what is given to us that touches us most deeply and enduringly. And/Or (ii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time On the mount of transfiguration the disciples saw Jesus as they had never seen him before. It was a foretaste of the experience they would have of the risen Lord. It was an experience that was full of light and joy, so much so that Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it is wonderful for us to be here’. It is possible that we might all be able to remember a moment when we too were able to say, ‘It is wonderful for us to be here’. Perhaps it was a moment when we had a very strong sense of the Lord’s presence to us, an overwhelming sense of his love for us. In Mark’s gospel the disciples experience on the mount of transfiguration came just after Jesus and his disciples had set out on the long and difficult road to Jerusalem, the way to the cross. Jesus had just spoken of himself as the Son of Man who must suffer and die; these were words which the disciples found very disturbing and distressing. As they set out on this difficult road, they were given this wonderful grace on the mount of transfiguration. In our own lives too when we are struggling with something very painful, the Lord will grace us in some way. When we seem to be at our weakest, he will give us his strength. When darkness seems to envelope us, he will touch us with the light of his presence. Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoin us via our webcam. Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC. Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf. Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

0 notes

frmartinshomiliesandreflections · 8 years ago

Text

18th February >> Fr. Martin's Reflection on Today's Gospel Reading (Mark 9:2-13) for Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time: ‘It is wonderful for us to be here.'

Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Gospel (Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Canada & South Africa)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone by themselves. There in their presence he was transfigured: his clothes became dazzlingly white, whiter than any earthly bleacher could make them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter spoke to Jesus: ‘Rabbi,’ he said ‘it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what to say; they were so frightened. And a cloud came, covering them in shadow; and there came a voice from the cloud, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.’ Then suddenly, when they looked round, they saw no one with them any more but only Jesus. As they came down from the mountain he warned them to tell no one what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. They observed the warning faithfully, though among themselves they discussed what ‘rising from the dead’ could mean. And they put this question to him, ‘Why do the scribes say that Elijah has to come first?’ ‘True,’ he said ‘Elijah is to come first and to see that everything is as it should be; yet how is it that the scriptures say about the Son of Man that he is to suffer grievously and be treated with contempt? However, I tell you that Elijah has come and they have treated him as they pleased, just as the scriptures say about him.’

Gospel (USA)

Mark 9:2-13

Jesus was transfigured before them.

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, the disciples no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Reflections (2)

(i) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

In this morning’s gospel reading, Mark describes what must have been a very memorable moment in the lives of Peter, James and John. This experience of Jesus transfigured on the mountain came to them as a sheer gift. They had done nothing to make it happen. It was Jesus who took the initiative to lead them up a mountain where they could be alone with him. They had no hand or part in the transformation that came over Jesus on the mountain. They were simply the recipients of this extraordinary grace. In Mark’s gospel, this experience came just after that difficult moment when Jesus revealed himself to his disciples as the Son of Man who must suffer and die, must to their consternation, and Peter’s consternation in particular. Beyond this experience lay the way to Jerusalem where Jesus would suffer and die and the disciples would know the pain of denial and flight. Here on the mountain they were given the grace of seeing the deeper reality behind all the suffering to come, the love of the Father for the Son, the love of the Son for the Father, and the Father’s gift of the Son to all, ‘Listen to him’. We too can be unexpectedly graced by the Lord on our life’s journey, sometimes even in the midst of struggle and suffering. Such graces can take many forms, but they all leave us saying with Peter, ‘it is wonderful for us to be here’. Often it is not what we work for but what is given to us that touches us most deeply and enduringly.

And/Or

(ii) Saturday, Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Fr Martin Hogan, Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland.

Parish Website: www.stjohnsclontarf.ieJoin us via our webcam.

Twitter: @SJtBClontarfRC.

Facebook: St John the Baptist RC Parish, Clontarf.

Tumblr: Saint John the Baptist Parish, Clontarf, Dublin.

0 notes