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| left to right Bridget Mary Meehan and Anna Davis, Co-Presiders |
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| Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Lee Breyer, front pew, Mary Al and brother Fred in second pew |
Liturgy: Being the Compassion of God
GATHERING SONG AND GREETING
“We Are Called” #628
Presider: In the name of God, our Creator and of Jesus our brother and of the Holy Spirit, our wisdom.
ALL: Amen.
Presider: We gather at the table to share the compassionate presence of God, aware that “we are called to act with justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with God.
ALL: The love of God loves through us as we comfort the troubled and confront injustices in the most practical and immediate ways.
PENITENTIAL RITE
Presider: O God, may we see your face in all who are demonized so that the bullying and hate will stop. ALL: May we open our hearts, like Mary, to God’s mothering love, affirming fullness of life for all.
Presider: Jesus the Christ, may we see the divine reality in victims, especially in all who suffer violence, and discrimination..
ALL: May we, like Mary, champion the oppressed and protect the abused.
Presider: O Wisdom Sophia, may we see your face in people who are hungry and homeless, anxious and stressed.
ALL: May we, like Jesus, care for those in need.
Presider: God of love we ask our sisters and brothers to forgive our failures to serve them in works of mercy and justice. May we be your ongoing caring presence in the world.
ALL: Amen.
ALL: Glory to God, glory, O praise God alleluia, glory to God, glory, O praise the name of our God, 3x (sung)
Presider: Loving God, we give thanks for your infinite love and tender compassion always at work in our world. We cry out today for justice for all who are impoverished and marginalized. May we work for their liberation and do all we can to advance their well-being. ALL: Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Isaiah 8:23, 9;3
Responsorial Psalm:
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:10,13,17 Gospel Acclamation: ALLELUIA! (sung)
Reader: A reading from the Gospel according to Matt4:12-23 Glory to you, O God.
Reader: The good news of Jesus, the Christ!
ALL: Glory and praise to you, Jesus the Christ!
HOMILY by Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP,
On January 15th, Mary D. Meehan died in Ireland after a three year struggle with cancer. I visited with Mary and John, her husband, who is my first cousin, and with their wonderful family in their home in Portlaoise in August. Mary told me that she was grateful for the prayers of our Mary Mother of Jesus Catholic Community. “I need all the prayers I can get.” she said with a smile.
Mary’s positive attitude during the many months of chemo therapy, profound faith and outreach to others with cancer were an inspiration to all. Mary didn’t wear a wig. She collected for raffles in the neighborhood, and spoke openly about her struggles with cancer. During a recent phone conversation, John shared that they were deeply touched by the loving support of their family and neighbors.
“Upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom, a light has shone,” Isaiah wrote in our first reading. Suffering put Mary, her family and neighbors, and all of us in the company of angels. God comes to us in the hard times, weeps with us in our losses, and comforts us through the kindness and courage of those around us., “
In our recent bitter election division and discontent have jarred our nation and world. So too, Christians in the early church experienced painful divisions. Paul’s advice is relevant today: focus on Christ who shows us how to live in peace, seek justice, and love one another, respectful of our differences.
In the Gospel, we meet Jesus proclaiming “Change your hearts and minds for the kingdom. kindom of heaven is at hand.” Diarmuid O’ Murchu, an Irish priest and author states that the meaning of “kingdom” in Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, is “Companionship of Empowerment. He writes: “It is not good enough to look up at the Cross and plead to God for mercy; rather the Cross must inspire us to look beyond it and unite our efforts in ridding our world of every Cross that imperial domination has invented, and help recreate our world in justice, peace and non-violent hope for a better future.” (O Murchu, Christianity’s Dangerous Memory, pp. 152-153)
Today we celebrate a powerful example of communities around the world confronting injustices and witnessing for the empowerment of women and for all who are marginalized.
Some of us participated in the Women’s March in Sarasota, thousands of others travelled to Washington DC, and many others gathered in towns and cities elsewhere. We marched in solidarity and proclaimed “women’s rights are human rights.”
I will share a prayer by a Benedictine Sister Ruth Fox about what it means to witness for justice, compassion, equality and peace today.
“May God bless you with discontent with easy answers, half truths, superficial relationships, so that you will live from deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, abuse, and exploitation of people, so that you will work for justice, equality, and peace.
May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation and war, so that you will reach out your hand to comfort them and to change their pain to joy.
May God bless you with the foolishness to think you can make a difference in this world, so that you will do the things which others tell you cannot be done.
If you have the courage to accept these blessings, then God will also bless you
with happiness—because you will know that you have made life better for others.
inner peace—because you will have worked to secure an outer peace for others.
laughter—because our heart will be light.
faithful friends—because they will recognize your worth as a person.
These blessings are yours—not for the asking, but for the giving—from One who wants to be your companion, our God, who lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.” Sister Ruth Fox, OSB, Sacred Heart Monastery, Richardton, ND
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Let us take a moment of silence and then as our communal response to this prayer, Mindy Lou will lead us in singing
"Spirit Moves."
Spirit Moves
Jan Novotka
I stand strong
In truth
As the fire and winds draw near
I stand tall as I am
For the giving and the rising
Of all.
Refrain
And the
Spirit moves through me
Spirit moves in me
Spirit moves through me
Spirit moves in me
Spirit moves freely
Spirit moves
Spirit moves freely
Spirit moves
I stand strong
In truth
As the fire and winds draw near
I stand tall as I am
For the giving and rising
Of all.
Refrain
And the
Spirit moves through us
Spirit moves in us
Spirit moves through us
Spirit moves in us
Spirit moves freely
Spirit moves
Spirit moves freely
Spirit moves
Dialogue Homily
Profession of Faith: ALL: We believe in God who is creator and nurturer of all. We believe in Jesus, the Christ, who is our love, our hope, and our light. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia, who energizes and guides us to build caring communities and to challenge exploitation and injustices. We believe that God loves us passionately and forgives us everything. We believe that God calls us to be the saving presence of the Holy One in the world . We believe that we are called to love those in need in the most practical ways. We believe that all are one in the Heart of God. We believe in the communion of saints our heavenly friends, who support us on life’s journey. Here we dwell in loving relationships. Here we live our prophetic call of Gospel compassion.
GENERAL INTERCESSIONS
Presider: Aware that God, like a fierce mother bear, who protects her young, is a defender of the oppressed and pursuer of justice, we now bring the needs of the suffering, in our church and world, before you. Response: Loving God, you hear our prayer.
Presider: For those who have been rejected and demonized, we pray for acceptance and fullness of life. R. Presider: For the hungry and homeless, we pray for food and shelter. R. Presider: For those who experience loneliness, we pray for caring friends. Other intentions
R. Presider O Holy One, we walk in faith that nothing is impossible and we can care for others in need through the power of your Spirit working in us. ALL: Amen
PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS
Presider: Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all. Through your divine providence we have this bread to offer, it will become for us the Bread of Life. ALL: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all. Through your divine providence we have this wine to offer, it will become our spiritual drink.
ALL: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Divine Presence, we are united in this sacrament by the love of Jesus Christ in communion with all who live as the saving presence of God in our world ALL: Amen.
(Join us around the table)
Presider: God dwells in you. ALL: And also works through you. Presider: Lift up your hearts and love deeply ALL: We lift them up to God. Presider: Let us give thanks to the Creator of all. ALL: It is our joy to give God thanks and praise.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Voice 1: Holy One, it is right that we give you thanks and praise at this table of boundless compassion. Your empowering presence is revealed in the friendship meals where Jesus dined with tax collectors, lepers, sinners, and women. All are accepted, loved and forgiven. In joyful thanksgiving for your extravagant affection to all of us, we join with the angels and saints in an unending hymn of praise:
ALL: (sing) We are holy, holy, holy (Music by Karen Drucker)
Voice 2: Jesus taught his disciples how to love with a compassionate heart. Healing Spirit, we trust that your love flows through us as we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and imprisoned, and assist the dying.
ALL: As we come together in memory, Jesus we pray that Your Spirit will come upon these gifts of bread and wine and upon us, that we may become the body and blood of Christ blessed, broken and shared. (pause as bread is lifted)
ALL: We remember how, on the night before he died, Jesus was at table with those he loved. He took bread and blessed you, God of all creation. He broke the bread shared it with his friends and said, “Take this, all of you and eat. This is my body. Do this in memory of me. “(pause as wine is lifted)
Presider: Then Jesus took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine:
ALL: “Take this all of you and drink. Do this in memory of me.”
MEMORIAL ACCLAMATION
ALL: The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we comfort the troubled.
The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we counsel the confused.
The Body of Christ is blessed, broken and shared every time we advocate for justice.
Voice 3: Heart of Love, we celebrate this feast in memory of Jesus, our brother, who reminds us that we are the face of God, through whom the Spirit redeems injustice by caring for our sisters and brothers in our world today.
Voice: Creator of the Universe, your love flows through all beings to heal our earth. As we work for environmental healing, your sacred energy transforms the cosmic Body of Christ.
Voice 4: Energizing Spirit, we are one with the cloud of witnesses who have lived your works of mercy during their lives. As we serve human needs with generous hearts, we are channels of your tender compassion.
ALL: Through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, All glory and honor is yours, loving God forever and ever.
Great Amen.
We pray with Jesus: Our Father and Mother….
Sign of Peace: Peace is flowing like a river by Carey Laundry
LITANY OF THE BREAKING OF BREAD
Presider: Loving God, we will serve the least and the last in our world, ALL: Namaste
Presider: Loving God, we will care for our sisters and brothers who need our help. ALL: Namaste
Presider: Loving God, we will advocate for non-violence and a more just world.
All: Namaste
COMMUNION
Presider: There is room at the table for everyone. Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ.
Communion Song
Blessing Song
ALL: May the blessing of peace be upon you.
May peace be all you know.
May the blessing of peace be upon you.
May it follow wherever you go.
Shalom, salaam, shaanti, pacem May peace prevail on earth 2x
(continue with joy, love, light) © Jan Phillips 2012
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Presider: Nourished at this open table where all are welcome, may we live the saving presence of God by doing works of mercy.. Go, now and live the Gospel of Jesus!!
FINAL BLESSING
We love, bless and serve one another in the name of God, our Creator, Jesus our brother, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom.
Go in peace to serve the world. Thanks be to Go.
Recessional: We shall overcome
Bridget Mary Meehan, www.arcwp.org
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