Prayer Service Feb. 13

Day 5: Monday, February 13, 2012

Mount Tabor, Jerusalem

- Song: "I Want to Sing"

I want to sing, I want to shout Your praise, O Lord!

Awake and sing my soul;

Awake and play my harp and zither!

Let the dawning day join in praise.

Right: I will celebrate Your love forever, Adonai,

Age after age my words shall proclaim Your faithfulness

For I claim that love is built to last forever

And Your faithfulness founded firmly in the heavens.

Left: The heavens are Yours and the earth is Yours

You formed the world and all it holds,

You created the north and south;

Tabor and Hermon hail Your name with joy.

Right: Happy the people who learn to acclaim You!

Adonai, they will live in the light of Your favor;

They will rejoice in Your name all day

And exalt in Your righteousness.

Left: You are our glory and our strength

You, by Your kindness, raise our fortunes

Our shield and our king

Belong to God, the Holy One of Israel.

Song: "I Want to Sing"

Today we should sing!

We travel to two not only holy but most beautiful Mounts.

Tabor, the place of the Transfiguration of Jesus….

Tabor is a Beautiful mountain overlooking the lovely, fertile, Esdraelon plain. Jesus tales Peter, James and John and climbs to the top of Tabor to pray.  There His divinity shines through His humanity.  He is transfigured.

"This is My Son, the Chosen One  Listen to Him."

Each of us have moments of Transfiguration… there have been the people…places…events … songs … stories … pictures … where God's Presence has shown forth for us.  Can you recall a time, place of transfiguration when you knew God was Personally Present to you… In gratitude recall this Gift of God in life ….

Like Peter we want to stay in the holy place forever; to "pitch our tent" there.  But Jesus moves us on to build the Kingdom in us, through us. However, in the sacred gift of memory we carry this gift of God's Presence, always.

On to Mt. Carmel, in Old Testament Times said to be Beautiful.  The word "Karem" became a synonym of "beautiful," "fruitful," "lavish." No wonder she who is God's sinless creature, our Mother Mary is called Our Lady of Mt. Carmel…We will honor the beauty of her total openness to God on the mount where Elijah disputed the false prophets, defending his faith…(1 Kings 18). Where the Prophet heard the Lord God not in the storm, but in the gentle breeze (1 Kings 19:13). Here the great Carmelite Order developed in the 13th century, placing themselves under the protection of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, God's Most Beautiful One…..

Who are Carmelites we have known… How has their faith, that reaches back to this holy mountain, touched ours? ….

After prayer at the chapel of Stella Maris we go to the New Testament town of Cana, the place of Jesus' first miracle…About four miles from Nazareth, Jesus and his new disciples came to a wedding feast of a family friend.  Mary was already present. This first miracle of Jesus deserves many days of meditation:

• Jesus' first miracle happens at the request of His Mother…
• A wedding of a man and woman in holy matrimony is the scene of the first miracle. This is no chance encounter. The gift of self in love is an expression of Creator God's eternal love for us….
• Commitment be it wedded, religious life, Baptismal, is a sign of God's Presence. We saw this today in Paul's imprisonment in Caesarea, in Mary's trust when Jesus did not seem to respond to her request that He come to assist their friend in their embarrassment of no more wine…..
• The joy of the wedding feast of family and friends is an image of heaven, the New Jerusalem, 

Where God's love replaces love for completion, jealousy, envy…

Where brotherhood builds the Kingdom of God…
Where Love reflects God's Presence in us, among us……

• Jesus turns water into wine!

Later, Jesus will turn wine into His Blood!...

Lord, this day, take my heart and turn it entirely to Your Love…..

Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary:

1. Agony of Our Lord in the Garden

2. Jesus is Scourged at the Pilar

3. Crowning with thorns

4. Carrying the Cross

5. Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus