Prayer for Earth by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

Holy One, Source of Life,
Divine Presence breathing through all creation—
we come before you with grateful hearts,
standing on sacred ground,
held in the web of life that is your body.

Like Francis of Assisi,
we sing with Brother Sun who warms us,
with Sister Moon who lights our way in darkness,
with Brother Wind who dances through our lives,
and Sister Water who sustains and renews us.
Teach us again the language of kinship,
that we may recognize all beings as our relatives,
not resources to be used, but gifts to be cherished.

Like Clare of Assisi,
may we gaze with contemplative love
into the mirror of your presence in all that is.
In stillness, may we behold your radiant beauty
in forests and oceans,
in creatures great and small,
and in one another—
especially in those whose voices have been silenced.

God of justice and tenderness,
you have entrusted Earth to our care,
yet we confess with sorrow
that we have wounded the body of creation—
through greed, neglect, and systems of domination.
We have forgotten that the Earth is not ours to possess,
but ours to protect in love.

Call us now into conversion—
a transformation of heart and action.
Awaken in us a fierce compassion
that resists exploitation and heals what has been broken.
Strengthen us to stand with those on the margins—
especially women, Indigenous peoples,
and all who bear the heaviest burdens of environmental harm.

Spirit of Wisdom, Sophia-God,
flow through us like a living river,
guiding us into right relationship
with Earth and with one another.
May our communities become circles of care,
where every voice matters,
and every table is open—
a foretaste of your dream for the world.

Bless our hands, that they may tend the soil.
Bless our voices, that they may speak for the voiceless.
Bless our lives, that they may become a prayer—
woven with acts of justice,
compassion, and courageous love.

And may we, like Francis and Clare,
walk gently upon this Earth,
radiating joy, simplicity, and peace,
until all creation sings together again
in harmony, dignity, and delight.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, our brother,
who lived in deep communion with all creation,
and in the power of the Holy Spirit,
the breath of life within us all.

Amen.

Video Clip of Inclusive Mary Mother of Jesus Liturgy from our early days at St. Andrew UCC

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fhqOWBo2mo

Priests: Lee Breyer (left) Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP (center) and Michael Rigdon (right)

See Links to Women Priests’ Witness for Justice- Katy Zatsick ARCWP and Ann Harrington ARCWP

How Katy Zatsick ARCWP 

https://www.youtube.com/live/3u36EOK7bII?si=RIFzUpd_OKu8LeR2

Rev. Ann Harrington ARCWP

“Service is at the heart of the gospel of Jesus. Jesus' command to love God, self, neighbor and enemy is my guiding light. The terror unleashed by the Trump administration makes my blood boil. Any MAGA supporter who thinks tearing people from their families and putting them in detention centers is consistent with the gospel of Jesus is dead wrong.”

”

https://paxchristi.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Public-Letter-Pope-Leo_Pax-Christi-International.pdf

Liturgy for Third Sunday of Easter by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP Theme: “Did Not Our Hearts Burn?” — The Road to Emmaus Reimagined

What if one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus was a woman?

The Gospel names only Cleopas.

The other disciple remains unnamed—open, spacious, inviting us in.

What if that second disciple is not an omission,

but an invitation?

An invitation to see ourselves in the story.

An invitation to recognize that resurrection appearances

are not limited by gender, status, or recognition.

So today, let us imagine:

Cleopas and his companion—perhaps his wife, perhaps a woman disciple—

walking together, side by side,

carrying grief, confusion, and shattered hope. 

https://open.substack.com/pub/bridgetmarymeehan/p/liturgy-for-third-sunday-of-easter?r=2kfqor&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

My Call to Be a Priest by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

I didn’t set out to become a Roman Catholic woman priest. Like many of you, I was simply trying to follow God as best I could—one step, one prayer, one yes at a time.

Looking back now, I can see how the Spirit was gently guiding me, even when I didn’t yet have the words for where I was being led.

My story begins in a small cottage in Ireland, where my mother, Bridie, welcomed neighbors with tea and scones around our family table, and my dad filled our home with lively music on the trumpet. It was there, in the warmth of family, faith, and simple joys, that I first encountered a God who was close, loving, and alive in everyday life.

That same Spirit has led me on a journey—from those early days in Ireland to inclusive communities today, where the Eucharistic table is open and all are invited to receive spiritual nourishment without exception… see story on Substack

https://substack.com/@bridgetmarymeehan/note/c-243231482?r=2kfqor&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

 https://substack.com/@bridgetmarymeehan/note/c-243231482?r=2kfqor&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

It Only Takes Two or Three: A Community of Equals Gathered in Love by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 

You might wonder:

Am I ready? Do I have enough?

But listen again to Jesus’ promise:
two or three are enough.

Invite a few companions.
Sit together.
Share your stories—of longing, of exclusion, of grace.

In that sacred listening, something begins to form.
Not an institution—but a community.
Not a program—but a living Body of Christ.

An Open Table of Love

At the heart of these communities is the table.

A table where no one is turned away.
A table where Eucharist is not a reward for the worthy, but nourishment for the journey.
A table where Christ is present—in the bread, in the cup, and in one another.

We remember:
This is God’s table—and all are welcome.

And in that welcome, healing begins.


What we are witnessing is not the end of the Church—
it is a new beginning.

A Church where:

leadership is shared
voices are honored
justice flows from prayer
and love is the center of everything

A Church that looks more like the community Jesus lived and loved.

Trust the Spirit

You do not need to have all the answers.
You do not need to know exactly what will unfold.

You only need to trust.

Trust the nudge within you.
Trust the companions who gather.
Trust the Spirit who is already ahead of you, preparing the way.

An Invitation

So begin simply.

Gather.
Pray.
Break bread.
Listen.
Love.

And remember:

Even in the smallest circle—
even with just two or three—
Christ is there.
The Spirit is moving.
And the Church we long for
is already being born among us.

See a Practical Guide to Creating an Inclusive Catholic Community:
https://open.substack.com/pub/bridgetmarymeehan/p/a-practical-guide-to-creating-an?r=2kfqor&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

 https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-04/cardinal-hollerich-report-synod-women-church-ordained-ministry.html?fbclid=IwdGRjcARHGmdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeLWLG67SMn4CH2SU6ym-utl8S_WM5iQ9gdWDoiSFcOgipOZLCFm7Ym01aY5M_aem_adPIm3F4i67zcqemT2uh9A

Women Priests Rising, Prophets for Justice: A Holy Shakeup by Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP

 

A River of Fire: Our Yes to God

On July 31, 2006, I stood with twelve courageous women as we boarded the Majestic River Boat for the first U.S. ordination of women deacons and priests.

https://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2014/08/roman-catholic-women-priests-celebrate.html

We knew what we were doing.

We were stepping into the fire—
the fire of resistance,
and the fire of renewal.

We were not rebels without a cause.
We were women in love with the Church—
so deeply in love
that we could no longer remain silent while God’s people were denied the fullness of their gifts.

In that sacred moment, I felt it in my bones:

The Spirit was moving.
And nothing could stop her.

https://youtu.be/LjKILWyp_D4?si=NqyNSyEMUIkKbp8M

Like Miriam, dancing on the far side of the Red Sea, we crossed over—
not through parted waters........ https://open.substack.com/pub/bridgetmarymeehan/p/women-priests-rising-prophets-for?r=2kfqor&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

To read full article: click on substack link above.

Emmaus Prayer: Hearts on Fire Inspired by the Emmaus Icon by Sister Marie Paul By Rev. Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

Risen Christ,

Flame within the journey,

Hidden Guest of every road,

you walk beside us—

unrecognized,

yet nearer than our breath.

In the dust of our days,

in the weight of our sorrow,

in stories half-broken and hope half-buried,

you listen—

as if every word matters,

as if every wound is holy ground.

We are Emmaus people—

carrying fragments:

dreams deferred,

justice delayed,

love crucified by exclusion.

And still—

you draw near.

Soft as twilight,

steady as mercy,

you open the scriptures of our lives—

each line illumined

by your living Word.

And something stirs.

A spark.

A remembering.

A fire catching breath within us.

Stay with us, Risen One,

for evening falls across our world—

where fear dims courage,

where power forgets compassion,

where your Gospel of equality

waits to be embodied again.

Stay with us—

as we gather at open tables,

circles of blessing,

communities of equals—

in living rooms and sanctuaries,

on glowing screens and sacred ground.

Stay with us—

until our hearts burn within us.

In the breaking of the bread,

you are revealed—

not in spectacle,

but in shared presence.

We see you

in the warmth of welcome,

in the grace of inclusion,

in hands extended,

in bread passed,

in love made visible.

Your smile—

a quiet resurrection.

Your voice—

a call to rise.

Your touch—

the healing of the world.

And then—

you vanish.

Not into absence,

but into us.

Risen Christ,

you become the fire we carry,

the courage we speak,

the love we dare to live.

Set us ablaze—

with justice that will not rest,

with compassion that will not turn away,

with hope that will not die.

Send us forth—

Emmaus people,

bread-bearers,

fire-carriers—

to proclaim with our lives:

Love is alive.

Hope is rising.

Christ is here—

on every road,

at every table,

in every heart.