Liturgy at the Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community, Albany, NY
February 5, 2017
Presiders: Marge Milanese and Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP.
Welcome to our inclusive catholic community. On this fifth day of February we begin a new month in ordinary time. Our theme today is Afire with Divine Presence. As we begin, "let us be ever mindful that the day begins with the sun and ends with the moon and stars, and what we do in between is our gift to the world." (Reyna Craig)
February 5, 2017
Presiders: Marge Milanese and Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP.
Welcome to our inclusive catholic community. On this fifth day of February we begin a new month in ordinary time. Our theme today is Afire with Divine Presence. As we begin, "let us be ever mindful that the day begins with the sun and ends with the moon and stars, and what we do in between is our gift to the world." (Reyna Craig)
Opening Song: Imagine by John Lennon
Opening Prayer: We gather as a community committed to the
creative power of Love, the human expression and the Spirit of that Love
dwelling in each of us. As
we prepare to celebrate this glorious mystery of the Divine Presence within us and
our gathering, we open our minds and hearts to hear your Word. We ask for the
grace to continually acknowledge our need to grow in goodness and caring for
ourselves and for others. And joining with Jesus, we believe the strength and
insight of the Holy One will lead us to deeper dedication to justice, equality
and peace in our world.
First Reading:
Share your bread with the
hungry,
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Holy One shall be your rear guard.
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
shelter the oppressed and the homeless;
clothe the naked when you see them,
and do not turn your back on your own.
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the Holy One shall be your rear guard.
If you remove from your midst
oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;
if you bestow your bread on the hungry
and satisfy the afflicted;
then light shall rise for you in the darkness,
and the gloom shall become for you like midday.
Second Reading:
A Reading from Psalm 112 - Interpreted by Nan Merrill
Praises be to
you, O Gracious One!
Blessed are those
who reverence the Holy One,
who delight in
Love Consciousness!
For they dwell
with the Beloved,
and their
children will learn of peace and justice.
Abundance and
wholeness will be their heritage,
and truth will be
their banner.
Light penetrates
the darkness for those
who face their
fears;
love stands by
them with mercy and forgiveness.
It goes well for those who are loving and kind,
It goes well for those who are loving and kind,
who live their
days with justice and integrity.
They become
co-creators with the Divine One;
they bless the
world with their presence.
In times of
trouble, they know not fear;
their hearts are
firm,
trusting in your
loving Companion Presence.
Yes their hearts
are steady, they are not afraid,
even their
enemies are blessed by their love.
They are generous
and give freely;
the needy are
offered shelter and food;
justice and mercy
make their home there;
and their
righteousness endures forever.
The unloving are
witness to this;
Who knows when
the Seed
will find a
fertile heart?
The fruits of
those who know love
are blessing to
all!
These are the
inspired words of our ancestors as interpreted by Nan Merrill. And to these
inspired words we say, Amen.
Light from
Light - A reading based on the
Gospel of Matthew
Written by
Archbishop Oscar Romero
A Christian
community is evangelized in order to evangelize.
A light is lit in
order to give light.
A candle is not
lit to be put under a bushel, said Christ.
It is lit and put
up on high in order to give light.
That is what a
true community is like.
Community is a
group of men and women who have found the truth in Christ and in his gospel,
and who follow
the truth
and join together
to follow it more strongly.
It is not just an
individual conversion,
but a community
conversion.
It is a family
that believes, a group that accepts God.
In the group,
each one finds that the brother or sister is a source of strength,
and that in
moments of weakness they help one another,
and by loving one
another and believing,
they give light
and example.
The preacher no
longer needs to preach,
for there are
Christians who preach by their own lives.
I said once and I
repeat today
that if,
unhappily, someday they silence our radio
and don't let us
write a newspaper,
each of you who
believe must become a microphone,
a radio station,
a loudspeaker,
not to talk, but
to call forth faith.
I am not afraid
that our faith may depend only on the archbishops preaching;
I don't think I'm
that important.
I believe that
this message,
which is only a
humble echo of God's word,
enters your
hearts,
not because it is
mine,
but because it comes from God.
These are the inspired words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, prophet, visionary and saint.
These are the inspired words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, prophet, visionary and saint.
BLESSING
Enlivened by the Spirit of Hope rooted in Love “Someday, after
mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God
the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world,
we will have discovered fire." (Teilhard de Chardin)
May the light of your
soul guide you.
May the light of your soul bless the work
you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart
May you see in what you do, the beauty of
your own soul.
May the sacredness of
your work bring healing, light, and renewal to those who work with you and to
those who see and receive your work.
May your work never weary you. May it
release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration, and excitement. May you be present in what you do.
May dawn find you awake and alert,
approaching your new day with dreams, possibilities, and promises. May evening find you gracious and
fulfilled.
May you go into the night blessed,
sheltered, and protected.
May your soul calm, console, and renew you.
(from Anam Cara by
John O’Donohue)
May the fire of God's love ignite our
hearts in love; may the passion of Jesus radiate through us; may the Spirit of
truth and justice burn within us forever.
All: Amen.
1 comment:
Beautifully done
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