Transfiguration Liturgy - Second Sunday of Lent, March 1 2026, Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Welcome

Presider 1: Mary Theresa

Welcome to our liturgy for the second Sunday in Lent. Today as we journey to Mt. Tabor we are blessed by Jesus’ radiance that illuminates our heart.

Greeting:

Presider: Bridget Mary

We begin our celebration in the name of God our Creator,
the Sacred Source who breathes life into Earth and all her creatures;
and in the name of Jesus our brother,
companion of the poor, healer of the broken,
and prophet of inclusive love;
and in the name of the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom. Amen.

Opening Song: Transfiguration by Carey Landry

https://youtu.be/FfJw-xh0opE

Transformation Rite

Presider: Bridget Mary
Holy One,
we come before you aware of our wounds
and the ways we have fallen short
of living as the Christ Presence in our world.

Yet we trust in the love you have placed within us—
a love that heals, forgives, and restores.

(Brief Silence)

Breathe in the tenderness of God.
Breathe out compassion for yourself, for one another, and for our Earth.

(Please extend hands in gesture of mutual forgiveness and pray together)

 God of Compassion,
Mothering and Fathering Love,
through Jesus, our brother,
you show us that nothing can separate us
from your unconditional love.

Through the Spirit—Holy Wisdom, Sophia—
we receive healing and peace.
We forgive one another
and renew our care for each other
and for all creation.

Amen.

Opening Prayer :

Presider Mary Theresa

Holy One, as we gather in prayer, we open our hearts to Your presence. May your light dispel all darkness within us for You Transform us by Your grace. May we listen to Your Son, follow Him faithfully, and be renewed in holiness. Amen.

First Reading: A reading from “Loud, Clear and Nonviolent” by Joan Chittister

Peter longed to stay atop the mountain, where he recognized the presence of holiness. But he was challenged to come down the mountain and bring his new awareness of God’s presence with him. If there is anything about the prophetic dimension of life that is clear, it is surely this: more people decline to accept the appointment than to embrace it. The struggle to escape the world–to avoid conflict and let things take care of themselves–stays strong in us.

No doubt about it: The purpose of prophecy is to leaven the world, not to leave it, to bring it closer to the Reign of God. The quality of life we create around us as followers of Jesus is meant to seed new life, new hope, new dynamism, the very essence of a new world.

The local messenger of God’s word of justice for the poor becomes known as the expert on an issue. They do their best to follow new material, to write short pieces for the local newspaper on current problems, and to lead discussions on those issues as well. It has been said that every community needs at least one prophet. The poet Mary Oliver may have written the best definition of what it means to be a prophet, “Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”

Maybe we should start by writing those instructions on every church wall. Then we might be alert enough to notice when God’s beloved sons and daughters are deported, when their healthcare costs rise, when their food assistance is slashed. Maybe we could start telling people about it who have the power to change things. Then we could take our place among the prophets.

These are the inspired words of contemporary prophet and writer, Sr. Joan Chittister and the community affirms them by saying “Amen”

Gospel Acclamation: Spirit of the Living God by Michael Crawford-video by MTStreck 

https://youtu.be/xoJN0owUoWA

Gospel: A reading from the Gospel of Luke

( 9:28b-36)

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up a 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
and what 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,
“Teacher, 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 beloved 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.

May this good news, attributed to Luke, inspire us.  Amen.

Homily: Bridget Mary 

The Transfiguration is not a reward for the faithful few. It is a revelation for the journey. It prepares the disciples for what comes next: the road down the mountain, toward suffering, resistance, healing, and costly love.

I remember a moment like this in my own ministry. Several years ago, after an ordination in an inclusive Catholic community, we gathered around a simple table—bread, wine, and people who for much of their lives had been told they did not belong. Some had been excluded because they were women called to priesthood, others because of divorce, sexuality, or simply asking questions that made institutions uncomfortable.

As we prayed together, something shifted. The room grew quiet in that unmistakable way when people sense they are standing on holy ground. 

One woman later said to me, with tears in her eyes, “For the first time, I felt seen by God.”

It was a mountaintop moment—not because everything was solved, but because the light of love became visible among us. 

And yet, like the disciples, we knew we could not remain there. The call was to carry that experience back into the world—to continue building communities where dignity is restored and love made visible.

Mary Theresa :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. 

Prayers of Community 

Presider: Bridget Mary

As we prepare for the sacred meal, we voice our intentions beginning with the words, “We bring to the table…..”  

We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.  

Eucharistic Prayer

Presider: Mary Theresa

On the mountain, his face shone with light—
not to escape the world,
but to reveal what humanity can become
when fully open to you.

Moses and Elijah stood with him,
the voices of liberation and prophecy,
reminding us that glory is always bound
to justice, memory, and hope.

We now join with the Angels and Saints in a song of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy  

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=xAc1gOkkEdxoz3sv

Presider: Bridget Mary

Send your Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine,
and upon us, your people.
May this table be a mountain of revelation
where fear is transfigured into trust,
where wounds are held in compassion,
where all are seen, named, and welcomed.

Presider: Mary Theresa 

Make us the Body of Christ—
many members, one living communion—
radiant with courage,
grounded in mercy,
bold in our witness.

Presider and All: Bridget Mary
On the night before he faced betrayal and death—
a night shadowed by fear yet filled with love—
Jesus gathered his friends, women and men,
all who dared to trust him.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it, saying:
“Take and eat.
This is my body, given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

Presider and All: Mary Theresa
After supper, he took the cup,
a cup of covenant and courage, and said:
“Take and drink.
This is my life poured out for you and for all,
for the healing of the world.
Do this in remembrance of me.”

We remember his life of love.
We proclaim his transforming presence.
We commit ourselves to the way of justice and peace.

Presider: Bridget Mary

As we are nourished here,
send us down the mountain,
transformed by what we have seen and tasted,
to shine your light in places of suffering,
to speak truth with tenderness,
to labor for justice with joy.

Mary Theresa

Until that day when all creation is transfigured,
and every tear is wiped away,
we praise you, Source of Life,
through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
All:
Amen.

Let us pray together the Prayer of Jesus: Our Father and Mother…

Sign of Peace,

Breaking of Bread: 

Communion:

This is the table of love, all are welcome.

Communion song:  Be Still And Know by Shaina Knoll 

                                  Video created by Mary Theresa Streck

 

https://youtu.be/CCGsExqtYKo

Post-Communion Prayer: Bridget Mary“Sent Down the Mountain”

God of transforming love,
we thank you for this sacred meal—
for bread broken and shared,
for life poured out in hope.
Here we have tasted your glory,
not as escape from the world,
but as strength for the journey.

Let what we have received
continue to transfigure us—
our hearts made braver,
our vision clearer,
our lives more generous.

As we go from this table,
send us down the mountain,
carrying your light into places of struggle and pain,
into communities longing for healing,
into a world waiting for signs of hope.

May we shine with quiet courage,
listen with open hearts,
and live as witnesses to your love
until all creation is made new.

Closing Blessing: Mary Theresa 

May the light you glimpse in prayer
steady you for the work ahead.
May the voice you hear—“You are my beloved”—
echo when the road is hard.
And may we, as a community of equals,
carry the fire of Transfiguration
into a world longing to be made whole.
Amen.

A Lenten Fast- Pope Francis

 

In the words of our late Pope Francis:

Let us pray that as we begin the season of lent we:

Fast from hurting words and say kind words.
Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude.
Fast from anger and be filled with patience.
Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope.
Fast from worries and have trust in God.
Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity.
Fast from pressures and be prayerful.
Fast from bitterness and fill our hearts with joy.
Fast from selfishness and be compassionate to others.
Fast from grudges and be reconciled.
Fast from words and be silent so we can listen.

We pray that
our only desire
and our one choice
is to choose
what better leads
to the deepening
of God's life in us.  Amzen

Why the Roman Catholic Church Needs Women Priests by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 

Jesus shattered religious barriers by welcoming women as disciples, engaging them as theological conversation partners, and entrusting Mary of Magdala with the first proclamation of the Resurrection—therefore, the Church needs women priests to remain faithful to his example of radical inclusion.

From the beginning, Jesus modeled a discipleship of equals. He received the anointing of a woman and declared that her act would be remembered wherever the Gospel is preached. He taught Mary of Bethany at his feet—a posture reserved for male disciples. He revealed his identity as Messiah to the Samaritan woman and commissioned her, in effect, as the first evangelist to her people. In a culture that restricted women’s public religious authority, Jesus expanded it.

The question before the Church is simple: will we continue his inclusive practice?

As a bishop in the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests, I have witnessed the Spirit alive in women who are called to priestly ministry. Our movement began in 2002 as a renewal within the Roman Catholic Church. We love our Church. We stand in apostolic succession. We celebrate Eucharist in inclusive communities where all are welcome at the table. Women’s ordination is not rebellion; it is fidelity to Jesus’ vision of a community rooted in equality and mutual service.

1. Faithfulness to Jesus’ Inclusive Discipleship

Jesus did not establish a caste of sacred males. He formed a community of disciples. The Gospels name women among his followers. They funded the mission. They remained at the cross when others fled. They were the first witnesses to the empty tomb.

If Jesus entrusted women with the Resurrection—the heart of our faith—how can we deny women the sacramental proclamation of that same mystery?

Priesthood is not about biological resemblance to Jesus. It is about embodying his compassion, his courage, and his prophetic love. Women can image Christ because Christ’s humanity is shared by all humanity.

2. The Church Needs the Full Image of God

When the symbol at the altar is exclusively male, the community’s image of God narrows. Symbols shape consciousness. If sacred authority looks only like men, then maleness becomes unconsciously equated with divinity.

Yet God is Mystery beyond gender. Scripture offers maternal and feminine images of the Divine alongside paternal ones. Expanding sacramental leadership to women expands the Church’s experience of God.

When women preside at Eucharist, preach the Word, and anoint the sick, the Body of Christ sees itself more fully reflected. The symbol system begins to heal.

3. The Church Needs Justice to Be Credible

The Church proclaims the dignity and equality of women in society. To exclude women from ordination while preaching equality creates a painful contradiction. Baptism is our foundational sacrament, and in baptism there is no hierarchy of worth.

Women already serve as theologians, pastors in practice, spiritual directors, chaplains, and leaders in nearly every dimension of ecclesial life—except sacramental leadership. The exclusion is not about ability; it is about structure.

For the Church to be credible in its call for justice in the world, it must embody justice within its own structures.

4. The Church Needs a Renewed Model of Priesthood

The crisis facing the institutional Church is not simply about a shortage of priests; it is about clericalism and power. Jesus washed feet. He did not claim privilege. He redefined greatness as service.

In our communities within ARCWP, we seek to live this servant model. Leadership is collaborative. Decision-making flows from communal discernment. The Eucharistic table is open. LGBTQ+ persons, divorced and remarried Catholics, and those long excluded find welcome.

Women’s ordination is not only about inclusion; it is about transformation—from hierarchy to partnership, from pyramid to circle, from domination to shared responsibility.

5. The Church Needs to Listen to the Spirit

Throughout history, the Spirit has led the Church beyond its comfort zones. What once seemed impossible becomes grace. The sensus fidelium—the lived faith of the people—has evolved. Many Catholics already recognize women’s calls to priesthood.

Our ordinations are acts of prophetic obedience. We stand in apostolic succession through a bishop in valid orders who courageously ordained the first women bishops in our movement. But even more deeply, we stand in continuity with Jesus’ practice of inclusion.

Rooted in Hope, Rising in Love

The Church needs women priests because fidelity to Jesus requires it.

When women stand at the altar, little girls see their own sacred worth reflected. When women preach, new metaphors for God emerge. When women serve as bishops, structures begin to shift toward shared responsibility. When women break bread in inclusive communities, Eucharist becomes what it was always meant to be—a sign of radical belonging.

This is not about replacing men. It is about partnership in the Gospel. It is about healing a wound in the Body of Christ.

Jesus began a movement of equals. The Spirit continues that movement today.

The Church needs women priests because the Church must mirror the inclusive heart of Jesus—and the Spirit is still speaking.