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Thursday, November 24, 2022

A Thanksgiving Prayer -Thanks All the Time Thanks

With gratitude to one of our contemporary prophets:



Dr. Walter Brueggemann graciously offered this prayer to us that he wrote and will be sharing around his table this Thanksgiving. May it nourish you and, if you choose, your community as well! Use it in worship, share it on social media, pray it around your table this Thanksgiving!

We are among those who give thanks in every circumstance.

We give thanks easily for the obvious blessings of our lives:

We give thanks for family, and for good friends such as these who bring wellbeing to our lives.

We give thanks for abundant food, like the bounty of this table.

We give thanks for the warmth and comfort and safety of our homes.

But we also give thanks in harder, more ambiguous circumstances:

We give thanks for every breath of life, while fragility or old age crowds in on us.

We give thanks for an economy in which we flourish, not unmindful of the multitude left behind.

We give thanks for the body politic, while we track the force of violence, fear, and hate.

W give thanks for the beauty of the earth, even while we collude in its toxicity.

We give thanks for the church, while our familiar forms and habits fade away.

We give thanks everywhere, all the time.

Receive our thanks. Give it back to us, we ask,

as courage, energy, and resolve,

that we may love more fully the things you love,

faithfulness, justice, and mercy.  Amen.

Written for Thanksgiving, November 24, 2022

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

10th Anniversary of Jack Meehan's Passing into Eternal Life, -Nov. 24, 2022- Precious Memories Live In Our Hearts Forever- See Video of Happy Memories of Ireland

 












We will hold you in our hearts forever.
Thanks for the precious memories, loving family, fun stories of life long ago in Ireland and beautiful music.
You are always with us!

See Video below of Jack Meehan in Ireland with Family on Video that Aired on TV in DC/VA. area.
https://youtu.be/SJK6kwq3d8s
Features beautiful landscapes of the Aran Islands, the breathtaking mountains and lakes of Connemara, Cliffs of Moher. Explore sacred sites of Celtic Saints such as St. Enda's well, St. Gobnait's Church and St. Patrick's holy mountain.   Jack  narrates  the characteristics of Celtic spirituality through the lens of our Irish family heritage. Enjoy some beautiful Irish tunes like Galway Bay, Danny Boy, the Rose of Tralee and many more played by Jack and Dan Hallissey.  This program aired on Godtalk on public access TV in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC . I wrote a book about Celtic spirituality, Praying with Celtic Spirituality, available on online retailers including
amazon. 
https://smile.amazon.com/Praying-Celtic-Women-Bridget-Meehan/dp/0764809296/ref=smi_www_rco2_go_smi_g2609328962?_encoding=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&ie=UTF8







Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Jack Meehan Plays at American Legion in Sarasota, Florida in 2005

 

Jack Meehan Plays at American Legion in Sarasota in 2005, Enjoy two wonderful musical videos!

https://youtu.be/LUCo9MV1ppw

My Dad, ,Jack Meehan, was a wonderful musician. He played in a band for over 70's years. When he retired, he played for fun. Enjoy this fabulous video. He is joined by his friend and fellow band member, Hank Oeser and Joe Mintern. 

https://youtu.be/N2afx6Qx4pU

This clip from 2005 begins in Allen's Pub in Ireland, then Oakwood Manor, then a part at our home in Sarasota.



https://youtu.be/9S0QKU7-0AY
in

Dad and I returned to Coolkerry. We met the owner and he had a lovely conversation with her as I was filming this segment. Then we went to Allen's Pub where Dad and Sister Regina played for a party celebrating the Plowing competition. What fun as you will see!

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Precious Memories of Family Gathering: Aidan and Dad playing, Katie- Irish dancing, Katie and Aunt Mary Dancing

https://youtu.be/y3tZQWqQ2HE

Forward to 40 minutes to see family party with Aidan and Grandpa playing, Katie doing her Irish dancing and Katie and I  dancing. 
Music is broken, but you will catch the hilarity as you watch!

Sunday, May 13, 2018

On Mother's Day I Remember Mom's Faith and Funny Sayings



http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/2018/05/on-mothers-day-i-remember-moms-faith.html




Bridie Meehan on her 50th Wedding Anniversary

A Tribute to Mom
My mother, Bridie Meehan, was a woman of mountain-moving faith, deep devotion to our family and funny sayings! She believed that God was very kind to us.

In the 1930's she was enrolled as a child of Mary in Ireland, and had a special relationship with the "blessed mother" throughout her life.

I still have the holy picture that hung in our cottage in Coolkerry, County Laois.

One of my earliest memories is each night before bed, Mom led our family in praying the rosary, not only the 5 decades, but also the trimmings -the Litany of Loretto- and a few additional aspirations were included.
She was also a big believer in rituals such as blessing ourselves with holy water (we had holy water founts near our doors) When we passed a church, she reminded us to make the sign of the cross. She sprinkled us us with holy water when we went on trips and said a prayer of blessing for protection

When we visited Ireland, we went to Mary's shrine in Knock, and brought back a generous supply of holy water!

I still have holy water from Knock!

After we emigrated to the U.S. and settled in Arlington, Virginia, she consecrated our family and home to the Sacred Heart, and displayed a large holy picture with the 12 promises.

Our house looked more like a convent with the crosses and large holy pictures of Jesus, Mary and the saints on the wall then many convents I was in or have visited!

Mom told me that she would have been a nun if she had not fallen in love with my Dad, Jack. And that is another great story of a 51 year marriage that was deeply blessed and a source of happiness for both of them.


My mother also had some wonderful sayings that I'd like to share:

"Go on r that!" (when she doubted the veracity of what you were saying.)"Put the kettle down and make a cup of tea." (everyone who came to our home was offered a cup of tea and scones or cake bread)
You'd trot a mouse through that tea!"(Weak tea, and not a compliment!)
"Keep your head about you." ( stay focused, don't get distracted)"Eat something or you'll fall a victim." (when I was on a diet)
- "There is no time like the present." ( I embraced this saying and did my homework on Friday nights to the amazement of my friends!)

When we played the Irish card game- 25- still my favorite card game!
"Don't send a chap on a man's journey."
"Who kissed Peggy?"
"Are you home"
"There are dogs at Brophys"


Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Memories of Mom Blessing Our Family With Holy Water from Knock, Ireland

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/pope-francis-knock-mayo-ireland-12417747

Bridie Meehan, my dear Mother died in 1998.

 I love to spend time with pilgrims at Knock Shrine in County Mayo, Ireland. It is a "thin place" where I feel  the spiritual presence of Mary and  the precious saints I dearly loved, like my Mom, Bridie, who took us to Knock on all visits to Ireland.  In 1956, we emigrated to the United States but we were fortunate to be able to return twice as a family when I was a teenager. In 1964 and 1966, we visited our relatives and toured around Ireland .We never left our homeland without holy water from Knock and  turf from the bog. At one time, I had several gallons of water from Knock in our family home. I still have a bottle of Knock water in my Florida home. 
One of my happy memories is of my mother blessing us on our major trips with holy water. When we got a new car, it was blessed too.  Mom kept the holy water fonts at our doors filled with holy water too! 
In 2014, I visited Knock with 12 friends on Celtic pilgrimage. We prayed together in a circle near the apparition site. Even though many do not attend church regularly anymore in Ireland  people of all ages including the young  still go to Croak Patrick and pilgrimage sites like Knock, and St Brigid wells in Liscannor, Kildare and Faughart. 
Bridget Mary Meehan #womenpriestsnow, https;//www.arcwp.org

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o72r1-rtOtc

Daniel ODonnell, Michael English, Nathan Carter- Biggest Names in County Music Perform on Late, Late Show in Ireland RTE/Enjoy!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymoAq_inLQk


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxyWqdBJFTI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELtEdVyCSIk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGpMrMiuXaU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgmeS-HcHB8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z9WM0WwDt4