I was deeply touched when she shared that my grandfather adored Johnny- my Dad! I had never heard this loving affirmation before.
She inquired about our family in the United States - mentioning them by name.
She really savored every spoonful of the small dish of Trifle that I gave her.
Aunt Tess is feisty and funny. She tells delightful stories about her childhood days growing up in the cottage in Ballyroan. Every time our family returns to Ireland, we enjoy spending time with her.
Aunt Tess
This is site where Abbeyleix Hospital stood, now a nursing home.
We saw scene after scene of beautiful wild flowers and green fields like this in County Laois where our family lived for the first 8 years of my life☘️
(Note -- if you have a problem with the above link, open your ZOOM app and insert the Meeting ID number and Passcode)
One tap mobile: 1-312-626-6799
Presiders:Joan Pesce and Dotty Shugrue, ARCWP
Readers:Anna Davis and Maryal Gagnon
Prayer Leaders: Jim Brandi, Jack Duffy, Ann Cooke, Cheryl Brandi, and Joan Meehan
IT Team:Peg Bowen and Cheryl Brandi
Joan M: Welcome dear ones of MMOJ, our inclusive Catholic Community. We gather in community every weekend; we join in heart and spirit and hold one another in transforming light as we are transfigured in and with the Christ.With all the struggles and concerns we have, we know that in this circle we are comforted, supported, and accepted for who we are.
Joan P:Transformation/TRANSFIGURATION occurs for us every MOMENT OF LIFE.Wisdom comes to us every moment as we embrace the profound presence of Sacred Spirit, Holy Mystery in a special way as we gather in community.
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration.We hold the world and all the suffering that is everywhere on our planet as we pray together in hope and faith that the power of Transfiguration is ours to embrace. This is the truth that sets us free.
Cheryl B: Transformation Prayer
“Nothing shall sully the image of the Holy One. No matter the power of evil, the
Holy One is stronger and we need not fear …”
Let our faith be the source of our transfiguration.
Pause
Glory be to the One in whom we live,
and move and have our being,
And to the many who participate in this ONE life,
And to the Spirit who gathers us
as ONE in Love.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever evolving,
World without end. Amen
(Mass of the World, Teilhard de Chardin)
Dotty: Today our theme is the call to be transformed and to recognize transfiguration in all of life including our own life. We open ourselves to embrace the only reality; we are One with the Holy One. We embrace our call to join with the transfigured Christ as we commit to live our lives as a people who have faith “that can move mountains.”
First Reading:Joan Pesce
The Home of Transformation
by Joyce Rupp from her new book: Prayer Seeds (adapted)
When the heart slowly sinks
into the mire of unhappiness,
when the mind insistently whispers
could, must, should and ought.
When the voice of the less-than-whole self
grows irritable and impatientwith the way people are, or are not,
and with the way I am, or am not,
Let my faith, our faith make us whole, give us inner strength, let us embrace the undeniable presence of Christ in all that lives in all of life.
Move away. Step aside.Go into the inner dwelling place
where the Christ-light flames endlessly.
Stand in the center of that love,
untouched by ego demands, societal failures,
shattered hopes and unfulfilled yearnings.
Walk past all that hinders and that holds you and me stuck.
Move into the home of transformation and be transfigured,
into that grace-filled place within, into the spacious vessel.
Be restored, repaired, renewed, regenerated.
Come forth with germinating hope, start again
with less control, fewer anticipations,and more peaceful receptivityin the container of mind and heart. Live in the present moment as that is all we have.Yes, this is our Transfiguration.
The inspired word of Joyce Ruff and together we proclaim,
ALL:This is our truth, and we accept it in faith.LET IT BE SO
Psalm:Anna Davis
“A Psalm for the Gathered Community” inspired and written by Miriam Therese Winter
Blessed are we who are glad to be part of the household of faith,
who gather to pray from time to time, remembering all who are in need
of the strength of our support.
Blessed are we who love to sing new songs of inspiration,
whose hearts are moved by the rhythms
and the harmonies of praise.
Blessed are we when the bread we break, corresponds to our cry for justice,
when the cup we take reiterates those covenants sealed in blood.
Blessed are we when the world proclaims our own love’s liberation,
freedom from fascination with the lure of transient gods.
Blessed are You, O Welcoming One, who lifts the yoke of our bondage,
And blessed are we who shelter within the shade of Your outstretched wing.
A reading from the Gospel of the apostle known as Matthew
Six days later, Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain alone. Suddenly, His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white aslight and his appearance was transformed before their very eyes. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with Jesus.
Peter broke in and interrupted, “Jesus, this a great moment! What would you think if I built three tents here on the mountain – one for you, one for Elijah, one for Moses?”
While he was going on babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice said: “This is the child of humanity, my son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.” When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. “Don’t be afraid.” When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.
Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t breathe a word of what you’ve seen.After the son of humanity is raised from the dead, you are free to talk.”
These are the inspired word of the apostle called Matthew, and the people say
LET IT BE SO!
Shared Reflection
Jim B:Let us pray together a statement of faith:
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery beyond all definition and rational understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that ever will exist.
We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word, bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion, bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that we are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of divine love, a source of wisdom and truth, and an instrument of peace in the world.
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One, the life that is our innermost life, the breath moving in our being, the depth living in each of us.
We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now,stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to make it happen.
Joan M: We now pause to bring to the table our prayers and intentions.
As we prepare for the sacred meal, we bring to the table our prayers and intentions.
We bring to the table the hope and blessing of peace to all borders especially Ukraine’s.
We bring to the table all women who are and will be affected by laws that seek to limit women's rights and freedom.
We bring to the table prayers for the end of world hunger, the end of worldwide sickness and disease, and the end of worldwide conquest through war.
We bring to the table those LGBTQ+ persons who have been dehumanized, brutalized, and murdered for living the truth of their divine nature and being their authentic selves.
We bring to the table all vulnerable persons being trafficked into slavery for purposes of sex, marriage and /or work.
We bring to the table indigenous children and their families in both Canada and the United States as they continue to mourn children lost, and the impact of forced acculturation.
We bring to the table the MMOJ book of prayer request (Joan Meehan)
We pray for these and all the individual intentions we hold in our hearts.
Pause
Cheryl:Let us pray our Eucharistic prayer with open hearts:
We have gathered in faith and hope to celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus. We recognize mystery in the experience of Peter, James, and John. This story told in the gospel of John is an invitation to us to experience our own Transfiguration.
We can travel deep into the Divine Spirit within us to understand how we too can experience the Transfiguration of Jesus. We believe with deep conviction that divisions will be healed. We bring a tender heart to the broken, to our broken country and our broken world. We celebrate the gift of life, and we support one another on the journey to transformation.
Holy One, we commit to follow the ministry of Jesus and bring comfort to wherever people are in need. We pray for wisdom, patience, and persistence to make a difference in our world. We resolve to love as Jesus loved, to discern the better transformed aspects of our nature with open hearts.
Holy, Holy, Holy:Here in this Place by Chris Grundy
Dotty: Please extend your hands over the bread and wine you have placed before you and pray:
We call upon you, Spirit of life.We recognize your presence in us at this Eucharistic table.We are grateful for the bread and wine that remind us of our call to be the light of Christ and to witness to the world our personal and continuing Transfiguration.
On the night before he faced betrayal and death, Jesus shared supper with his friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.
When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread, and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this is my very self.
Then he took the cup of the new covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you
Joan P: What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge. Let us share this bread and cup as we proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
Please consume your bread and wine with the words “I am transfigured today and every day.”
Holy One, you are within, around and among us. We celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come; your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us. Each day you give us all that we need. You remind us of our limits, and we let go. You support us in our power, and we act with courage. For you are the dwelling place within us, the empowerment around us, and the celebration among us, now and forever, Amen.
Created by Miriam Therese Winter
Ann C:As we bring our celebration to a close let us pause and share thanks for special gifts we hold in gratitude welcome any guests and share announcement
Let us all extend our hands for our mutual blessing:
May vision and truth companion us.
May beauty be in our eyes.
May peace fill our being.
May Love hold us close.
May the Earth give us guidance.
May the Stars give us hope.
May the experience of transfiguration in our lives awaken wisdom, truth, and abiding hope.
LET IT BE SO
Dotty: Final Thought:Today is the 35th anniversary of my Mummy’s death. It seems so long ago and yet not. I wasn’t sure about ending Liturgy with this song.In the end, it was my faith that made the decision for me; and as my mother would often say to me, “mull it over in your heart and then you will know what to do.” I believe that when we die, we enter our final transfiguration. The essence of who we are in this dimension of life is transfigured with the Christ.This song is about that final transfiguration.I dedicate it to my three brothers Marty, Jack, and Tom who live in their everlasting transfiguration and finally rest in peace.As you listen, I invite you to recall all those you have loved and who now live fully and completely in and with the Transfigured Christ.
