| Monday
7th November 2011 |
Celebrant
: : Monsignor Donnelly |
Location
: St Mary's Church, Drumragh |
|
Eucharistic
Congress Preparation - The third stage in the planning
for the Eucharistic Congress 2012 took place through November
2011. With the neighbouring parishes we have already reflected
upon the Introductory Rites (Advent 2010) and the Liturgy
of the Word (Lent 2011). In this third stage we reflected
upon the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We gathered in St Mary’s
Church, Drumragh on :
Monday 7th November: Gifts & Transformation
Wednesday 9th November: Remembering
Monday 14th November: Recognising
Jesus
Wednesday 16th November: The Real
Presence
Each service began at 7 pm and lasted about forty minutes.
This stage of preparation will be concluded with all the neighbouring
parishes gathering for a Mass in Christ the King Church, Strathroy
on Wednesday, 23rd November at 8 pm. All are welcome.
The first night of this stage of preparation saw a truly
multi-media affair - bringing the word of God through as many
of our senses as possible. The night saw the beginning of
a structure that was followed each night - a warm welcome
was followed the singing of the Congress Hymn, then there
was the focus on the evenings Icon (below) and the saying
of the Congress Prayer - all projected onto the wall behind
the altar.
The congregation were also treated to a movie from 1932,
giving them a flavour of what it was like the last time the
Eucharistic Congress came to Ireland. See full
movie below the Icon.
Then the younger members of the audience took over - bringing
the Harvest to the altar.
The evening then ended with the Prayers of the Faithful and
singing of the Congress Hymn.
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| Look
closely at the icon, be attentive to its
colours – to read the message they hold.
Notice the body language of both Mary and John,
Notice the space around the figures and between them,
sense the emptiness.
Look at Mary’s face –serious and concerned,
sorrowful at the suffering of her son Jesus,
looking outward, toward John.
Yet look at her feet, clothed in red, the colour of
joy –her faith in the resurrection revealed.
Allow yourself be drawn into this gathering,
Stand withMary, Mother of the Church,
and know yourself to be, like John, ‘the disciple
Jesus loved.’
Gather with them, fill the space between them, hear
God speak to you with them,
be aware that we all gather with them.
Hear the words: “Woman, behold your child”,
And as though they are spoken to you, hear the words:
“behold your mother.”
Be drawn to the figure of John, the one who recognised
Jesus to be the light that darkness could not overcome,
who witnessed the Transfiguration and the one who sat
next to Jesus at the last supper. What questions about
his experience of Jesus would you like to ask him?
Draw close, remember some of the verses from John’s
gospel about Jesus –behold the lamb of God; you
are the Christ; remain in mylove; abide in me and I
will abide in you. |
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