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ENTRANCE HYMN: Here I Am Lord.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
FIRST READING: Micah 5:1-4
The Lord says this:
You, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
the least of the clans of Judah,
out of you will be born for me
the one who is to rule over Israel;
his origin goes back to the distant past, to the days of old.
The Lord is therefore going to abandon them
till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.
Then the remnant of his brothers will come back to the sons of Israel.
He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord,
with the majesty of the name of his God.
They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power
to the ends of the land.
He himself will be peace.
Responsorial Psalm: Be not Afraid (Sung)
SECOND READING: Hebrews 10:5-10
This is what Christ said, on coming into the world:
You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation, prepared a body for me.
You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin; then I said,
just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,
'God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.'
Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.
Gospel Acclamation Lk 1: 38
Alleluia, alleluia!
'I am the handmaid of the Lord,'
'let what you have said be done to me.'
Alleluia!
GOSPEL - HOMILY
A sad occasion like this today is an occasion to reminisce and to allow the mind to linger on moments from the past. Memories flood back of experiences of being loved, cared for, and encouraged. This is a time when gratitude for a loving wife, mother and grandmother and sisters wells up in your hearts for a ‘job well done’. It is a time of awakening to an appreciation of the gifts and blessings received. It is only in hindsight that the gift becomes clear. Life is lived going forwards but understood looking backwards.
Theresa made you and shaped you. She lived for you all.
She is with you in the way you walk and talk, in the things you enjoy and the things you fear, in the things you’re good at and the things you couldn’t do well in a fit; she’s with you in the way you think, in the very way you blink your eyes or move your hands, your every tick and mannerism. She is part of you and will always remain so.
Home we all know is where the heart is and today the heart is not at home. The heart has gone to a different place. For it is true that today, home us joined to heaven in a more profound way.
Theresa, whom we have loved, has gone before us to our eternal home. And it is our home too. Theresa has now gone around the corner from you and in different ways she has shown us some of the goodness that God puts into people. It was largely through her that God has been good to you. So we give thanks to God for her life and it is with confidence that we pray to the same God to give her eternal rest.
To her family, Theresa was a rock – a model wife, mother and grandmother.
She was born in Legoniel in Belfast on 25th November 1939. She had one old brother Charlie, 3 younger brothers Francie, Joe, Walter and 2 younger sisters Marie and Kathleen. With her parents Mary Catherine and Patrick Francis, she would have ‘holidayed’ in Gilford. Theresa had a long history of illness, starting with her first heart operation at the age of 14 and this was followed by many more. She was a member of the Legion of Mary, the W. and the Tullylish T.L.C. group. Theresa was married to Paddy for 52 years and was so grateful to see her grandson Stephen get married to Kirsty in September last.
(Personal thoughts from her family and friends)
(Jackie) She loved her trips to Knock with Theresa McEntee and all the girls. Theresa was my godmother and was the best you could have, never missing to send a birthday card, sending lovely Christmas presents. She was a lovely godmother and will be greatly missed.
Bridie - Paddy’s sister: Theresa was my best friend since I was 14. We worked together in Douglas and Green’s as smoothers and got sunburned together, riding our bikes to Greencastle. I was bridesmaid at their wedding and have been best friends and sister-in-law ever since. We miss her very much
Theresa’s always looked after her sisters – making their dresses, knitting their clothes, making sure that her mother didn’t spoil them. Theresa even now looked after her sisters making sure Kathleen got collected from work – she has to walk now!
Theresa was a shop-a-holic (but she didn’t tell Paddy!), she enjoyed girlie- shopping trips and she always bought the best of quality, while we all poked around the sales.
We remember a lovely person, a lady who was a treasure to you all. Letting go of her today is not going to be easy, for Theresa was a great lover of family, people and life itself. Thank you to all who cared for her and love her in life Now her earthly life is over. As Theresa has died, now a part of you dies as well. You are filled with sorrow because her death leaves a gap that no-one else can fill adequately. When we remember her today we cannot help recalling the things she said and the way she said them, the things she did and her way of doing them, but sadness is tinged with hope and expectation. We pray that she is with the Lord and we look forward to the day when we will be reunited with her. Christ’s resurrection assures us that if we follow him, we will rise again It is only with death that life really makes sense – it’s our leap into eternity – it is God calling us home to be with him forever. At a time like this, we come face to face with our own mortality.
Today then, we bid farewell to Theresa. Despite your sense of loss, you will face the future with courage and hope, knowing that is what Theresa would want you to do. We comfort one another in the sure confidence that, for Theresa, life has changed, not ended. We also derive comfort from the conviction that she is at peace with God after her long life.
But if we are sad today, there is also much to be thankful for. We are grateful for the life she did have, grateful for all the joy she brought into our lives. For you, her loving family, there’s the comfort of knowing that you were able to show Theresa throughout her life how much you all loved her and appreciated her. You knew that time was precious in recent times. All that you could have done for her, you did. There are no regrets. In the words of the singer Garth Brooks, there are “unanswered prayers”.
It is only to God we can turn at this time to try and find some meaning, some consolation; some hope in the situation we find ourselves in. Prayer will bring us through this time.
It was Theresa’s personality, her warm –hearted character that drew such a deep and open response from those who knew her. You can remember her and only that she’s gone or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can try and close your mind, be empty and turn your back, or you can do what Theresa would want; smile, open your eyes, love and move on. May her noble soul be at God’s right hand.
On behalf of the priests of Moyraverty parish, Fathers Murray, Mooney and Maginn – a parish she worked very hard for over the years and all of us gathered here today, we just want to say how sorry we are for your great loss – her loving husband Paddy, son Martin, grandson Stephen, sisters Marie and Kathleen, brother Walter, nephews, nieces and the entire family circle, you are all in our prayers. May her gentle soul rest in peace.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Response: Lord, graciously hear us
Priest: Let us pray to God, to whom each of us is important and precious, because we are his sons and daughters.
1. We thank you for Theresa, a loving wife, mother and grandmother.
May they know your support and comfort in their loss, secure in the knowledge that Theresa is with you, Lord and at peace.
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us..
2. We thank you for the dedicated people who cared for Theresa: the doctors, nurses, carers and all those who touched her life in such a tender and special way.
Bless all those in the caring profession who care for life at its weakest moments. Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.
3. We pray for all who mourn for Theresa, especially her husband Paddy, her son Martin, her grandson Stephen and all those who loved and cared for her. May God give them strength and healing in the days ahead.
4. We pray for our departed relatives and friends. We remember in a special way Theresa’s parents Mary Catherine and Charles and her brothers Charlie, Francie and John. May they and all who have died in the peace of Christ be reunited with Theresa, surrounded by your everlasting love.
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us.
5. We now have an opportunity to make our own prayer. (Pause)
Lord, hear us. Lord, graciously hear us..
Priest: Lord, may you support us all day long, till the shadows lengthen and evening falls, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done; then in your mercy, Lord, grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at last. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen
Offertory Hymn: In bread we bring you Lord
The gifts are now brought to the altar.
Communion Hymn: I watch the sunrise
FINAL COMMENDATION
Final Hymn: Lady of Knock
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