By Alice Iaquinta, RCWP
The People of God, 600 strong, assembled for an inclusive Saturday morning mass at the Call to Action conference in Milwaukee, WI on Nov. 6. The liturgy, hosted by the Midwest Region of Roman Catholic Womenpriests this year, reflected the Conference theme of “Prophets for all Generations,” in the readings, the prayers and the music. Alice Iaquinta, West Bend, WI (Mary of Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles Catholic Church, Milwaukee, WI and Jesus Our Shepherd, Nenno, WI) presided and Kathy Redig, Winona, MN (All are One Roman Catholic Church, Winona) was the homilist.
The assembly gathered, declaring in song that “Top of Form
My heart shall sing of the day you bring. Let the fires of your justice burn. Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near, and the world is about to turn!” (“Canticle of the Turning” by Rory Cooney) The entire worshipping community together offered the opening prayer, the prayer after communion and the dismissal prayer.
The themes in the readings: In the first reading, Micha, in 6:8 tells us on how prophets of all generations, are to live, “Only to do the right and love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
SECOND READING: We are reminded that as ministers today we are prophets for a future not our own by Bishop Ken Untener of Saginaw MI, who composed the reading for a homily given by Cardinal John Dearden at a celebration in 1979 for departed priests. Later, as a reflection on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bishop Romero, Bishop Untener included in his daily reflection book, a passage titled, "The mystery of the Romero Prayer." The mystery is that the words of the prayer are attributed to Oscar Romero, but they were never spoken by him. Oscar A. Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, El Salvador, was assassinated thirty years ago, on March 24, 1980, while celebrating Mass. Martyrdom was the cost of preaching a prophetic gospel, of being close to his people, of denouncing the injustice in his country and of supporting the development of popular and mass organizations. All three of these men are prophets for all ages.
The author of the Gospel of Luke (4:14-30) tells us that prophets never gain acceptance in their hometowns, …….or, we might add, in our own church.
After the readings and the homily, The Commercium, (or the Exchange, in English,) was reclaimed, named and explained and to the CTA community.
The Commercium was used in the earliest years of the Christian church. Nothing is new or added to the mass. We are simply reclaiming the earliest worship form of the Christian church which focused first on the Word, then the Commercium and concluded with Eucharist.
After we have heard God speak to us in the Scriptures, we begin the Commercium or the exchange, where as a community, we respond to God. We profess our faith, offer our petition prayers, and present our gifts of bread and wine, as well as our talents and our treasure, offering them all back to God, from whom they came, blessing all the gifts and God as we do so. Then, we pray the opening of the Eucharistic prayer together.
Thus, the Commercium is a reclaiming of the role of the people in their expression of the creed, their prayers of the faithful, their presentation of the gifts and their blessing prayer over the gifts. This truly was the work of the people - the true meaning of liturgy.
As the cultic priesthood grew, the role of the people during the liturgy got appropriated by the priest and the laity was squeezed out. These are all the same familiar parts of the mass, but made clear as the central role of the People in the worship sequence:
We listen to God in the Word;
We give back to God what God has given us and that we have transformed from grapes and wheat to wine and bread in the Commercium;
We receive again those same gifts transformed by God into the redemptive body of Christ in Eucharist, so that we will become one in Christ.
The offertory song reaffirmed that “We will run and not grow weary, for our God will be our strength, and we will fly like the eagle, we will rise again,” as prophets in this age. (David Haas)
Together, the community prayed the dismissal prayer, “With hearts full of love and joy, we thank you for the Eucharist we have shared. May it give us, your pilgrim people, the strength and courage to be faithful prophetic witnesses to your goodness and your desire for peace in our world. Amen.”
The entire assembly led by the excellent music ministers (from WI, SD, IN, IA, and MN,) answered the Summons to follow Jesus no matter the cost. The musicans and vocalists helped the entire community to pray twice!! We praise God for their gifts and their generosity of time and talent.
Second Reading: Prayer of Oscar Romero [Rev. Mary Kay Kusner]
It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith.No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness.No program accomplishes the church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way,an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.We may never see the end results, but that is the differencebetween the master builder and the worker.We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.We are prophets of a future not our own. This is what we are about.We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted,knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development.We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberationin realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. Amen.
Gospel: Luke 4:14-30 [Rev. Linda Wilcox]
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and his reputation spread throughout the region. He was teaching in the Galilean synagogues, and all were loud in their praise.
Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. Entering the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was his habit, Jesus stood up to do the reading. When the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed him, he unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: “The Spirit of our God is upon me: because the Most High has anointed me to bring Good News
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