Transfiguration of the Lord

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Matthew 17:1-9

Transfiguration

ANGELICO, Fra

1450

painted for the Dominican friars at San’ Marco

Florence, Italy

http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/diglib-fulldisplay.pl?SID=20110303574188232&code=ACT&RC=47774&Row=8

Away from the constraints of wealthy clients and the limitations of panel painting, Fra Angelico was able to express his deep reverence for his God and his knowledge and love of humanity. The meditational frescoes in the cells of the convent have a quieting quality about them. They are humble works in simple colours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Angelico

What is real is not the external form,
but the essence of things …
it is impossible for anyone to express anything essentially real by imitating its exterior surface.*
~ Constantin Brancusi

Kindness is more important than wisdom,
and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom.

~ Theodore Rubin

Graduation from her Tokyo high school

March, 2011

Reina Sakamoto is in the front wearing a gorgeous smile and lovely corsage!

Back: Dottie Alexander, Kiyokazu and Robin Sakamoto, Jack Alexander

Barbara, one of our Alzheimer artists, is admiring the painting of a bird that Mike is working on in one of our Memories in the Making groups.

Our speaker at Rotary this week was Greg Dobbs, correspondent.

He shared some of his thoughts about Libya and Egypt and other Arab countries.

We also had other important business at Rotary!

Mary, Ginny

Ginny and Rick have moved to Pearl Street in Denver and a
number of us went down to inspect their lovely new home.

Jackie, Jeanne …

… having lunch at India’s Pearl on Pearl Street.

Jeanne and I went to the Museum of Outdoor Art in Englewood.

This is part of a sculpture by Red Grooms titled Brooklyn Bridge.

Bathroom People

by Andy Miller

Two Open Trapezoids: Excentric V

by George Rickey

Duo

by Lin Emery

We had dinner at Mizuna’s for Restaurant Week.

This is a painting on their wall of one of their (former) chefs.

Life's splendor forever lies in wait about each one of us in all its fullness,
but veiled from view, deep down, invisible, far off.
It is there, though, not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf.
If you summon it by the right word, by its right name, it will come.

~ Franz Kafka

March 6, 2011 Transfiguration of the Lord

Previous OPQs may be found at:

http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

* Well, phooey!!!

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

Contemplatio (contemplation), or the Prayer of Union, is the birthright of every child of God. However, few of God’s children claim this birthright. Perhaps it is the natural consequence of our frantic lifestyles.

... Henri Nouen describes this accurately in the Forward to The Practice of the Presence of God:

Our lives are fragmented. There are so many things to do, so many events to worry about, so many people to think of, so many experiences to work through, so many tasks to fulfill, so many demands to respond to, and so many needs to pay attention to. Often it seems that just keeping things together asks for enormous energy. Different powers pull us into different directions and our sense of unity and togetherness is constantly threatened. This fragmentation is probably one of the most painful experiences of modern man and women. … Life has become so busy … that it is hard to keep the pieces together. Underneath… lurks the nagging feeling of being disconnected, alienated and bored. … And so while we are busy we feel an inner emptiness.[3]

Instead of turning to God in our emptiness, we tend to fill our lives up with more things to do. Even our religious practices have become part of a check-list of tasks to accomplish. The key to contemplation, and therefore the contemplative life, is stillness and quiet.

The Battle Hymn of the Republic

Lyrics by

Julia Ward Howe

1861

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord:

He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;

He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:

His truth is marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps,

They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;

I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps:

His day is marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:

"As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal;

Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,

Since God is marching on."

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;

He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment-seat:

Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet!

Our God is marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:

As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

While God is marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,

He is Wisdom to the mighty, He is Succour to the brave,

So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of Time His slave,

Our God is marching on.

(Chorus)

Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Our God is marching on.

Howe's "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was first published on the front page of The Atlantic Monthly of February 1862.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_Hymn_of_the_Republic

http://www.heartlight.org/gallery

Psalm 51:1-17

for Ash Wednesday

March 6 (Transfiguration of the Lord)

Exodus 24:12-18

Psalm 2:1-12 or Psalm 99:1-9

2 Peter 1:16-21

Matthew 17:1-9

March 9 (Ash Wednesday)

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 or Isaiah 58:1-12

Psalm 51:1-17

2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10

Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21