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| Kathryn and Stephen baptize their son Seth, Lee Breyer and Mary Al Gagnon, Sponsors |
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| Confirmation |
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| Blessing of Seth by Community |
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| Sharing Eucharist with Seth and Community |
Part 1: Service of
Light
Blessing of the Fire
and Paschal Candle
We will gather around
the place of the new fire- in the courtyard outside the main doors of the
sanctuary. Presiders will invite each person to mention the names of
those who have gone before and who have ignited faith and love and wisdom in
her/his life. After each set of names,
the community will respond: They walk
with us!
Lee: On this most sacred night,
in which Jesus Christ passed over from this earth to a new life, the People of
God everywhere come together to watch and pray.
If we listen to the word of God and live it, and if we honor the memory
of his death and resurrection, we will have the sure hope of sharing his
victory over death and living a resurrected life with our Creator.
Lee sets the fire. When lit, the fire is blessed.
Lee: Let
us pray. O God who, through Jesus,
bestowed upon us the fire of your glory, sanctify this new fire -- and grant
that, by these paschal celebrations, we may be inflamed with new hope. Purify our minds by this Easter celebration
and bring us one day to the feast of eternal light.
Preparation of the Paschal Candle
Lee: Christ,
yesterday and today (pause) The Beginning and the End
While saying: The Alpha and Omega
(put in the first pin) - Kathryn
While saying: All
time belongs to God (put in the second pin) - Sally
While saying: And all the ages (put in the third pin) - Russ
While saying: To Jesus, be glory and power (put
in the fourth pin) - Lee
While saying: Through
all time and all places, Amen (put
in the fifth pin) - Bridget Mary
ALL: May the light of Christ
- rising in glory - dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.
(Alternate
sides – left and right – for each sentence)
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that lit the cosmos at
the beginning of time.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that is expanding
across time.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that was borne,
sheltered and passed to us by our ancestors.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that
was fanned into flame by those who ignited our lives in love and wisdom and
joy.
We Rejoice. We Remember.
The Christ - a spark that is a sacred trust
held by us to pass on to generations yet to come.
ALL: We rejoice. We remember. We celebrate. Alexander J.
Shaia
Procession
Cantor: Lumen Christi, light of Christ. (3 Xs)
All: Deo gratis. Thanks be to God!
Michael Rigdon & Cheri McDonough: Exultet
BMM: May God be with you. ALL:
And also with you.
BMM: Lift up your hearts. ALL: We lift them up to our God.
BMM: Let us give thanks to our God.
ALL: It is right to give God thanks and praise.
Part
II: Liturgy of the Word
The first Reading is the Story of
Salvation History – (adapted from the books of the
Hebrew Scriptures). – (Proclaimed by Mary Al Gagnon & Anna
Davis )
THE STORY OF SALVATION HISTORY
Mary Al: The first Reading
is the Story of Salvation History (adapted from the books of the Hebrew Scriptures by Jay Murnane)
In the beginning,
there was only chaos and a void. God breathed life into it and said, "Let there
be light." And there was light: sun and moon and stars in the heavens.
There emerged vast bodies of water filled with live creatures. Then, birds
flying across the breadth of the skies, and on the earth, reptiles and animals of
every kind, color and shape. And all had a purpose. God saw what had come to
be, and God found it very good.
God then said:
"Let us make human beings in the divine image; women and men together to
take care of all of this, and one another! When this was done, God viewed the
whole of creation, and loved it, for it was very, very good.
Anna: But human beings did not take care
of creation and each other. Human beings corrupted the good-ness of what God
had made. Rain fell, a torrential, purifying rain, covering the earth and washing
away all the corruption to which people had given birth. Only Noah, his family,
and living creatures from every species on earth floated above the flood in an
ark made of wood.
After forty days,
the rain subsided, so that the water was no longer a flood, and the ark came to
rest on high, dry ground. The people and the animals looked up into the sky and
saw something beautiful. God said: "That is my rainbow, the sign of my
presence with you and my love for you. It will forever be the sign of my relationship
with you, and your responsibility to take care of creation, and each
other."
Mary Al: From these
survivors of the flood, creation was begun all over again. Many, many years
went by and there were many gatherings of people all over the face of the earth.
One of these was the people, Israel, and among all of God's precious people,
the Jews were very precious. During a time of famine, the Jews were invited by
the Egyptians, their neighbors, to share their land and their food. But some
centuries after this hospitality, a cruel leader in Egypt forgot the old
relationship and made the Jews into slaves.
They lived this way
for a long time, until Moses came among them and risked his safety and security
to convince the Jews that God loved them and wanted them to be free. So, they
left Egypt, filled with the Spirit of God, led by Moses and Miriam through the
desert in search of a new home where they could be free again.
During this
difficult journey, they were often disillusioned and resentful, and they
complained bitterly. Moses asked God for help, and God offered the ten commandments,
so that the people might know the simplest possible way to love God and their
fellow human beings. And from these survivors of oppression, Israel began all
over again.
Anna: But the people forgot the simple
way of God and were not always faithful, and at times they were as oppressive
to each other and to strangers as the Egyptians had been to them. They paid lip
service to God, but their hearts were very far from God, and therefore, from
justice and compassion. People of wisdom came from among them to remind them of
the rainbow of their journey to freedom, and of their promise to God about
caring for creation and each other. These were the prophets, and like Moses,
they risked everything to convince the people to come home to freedom and
responsibility, compassion and justice, faithfulness and integrity.
The prophet Isaiah
said: "God is displeased with your prayers and your liturgies because the
hands you lift in prayer are covered with blood. God wants prayer from the
heart. God wants justice for the
oppressed. God wants food for the hungry. God wants true peace!"
Mary Al: The prophet Amos
said: "Some of you have grabbed power and made your own people no better
than slaves. You have stripped people of their dignity as God's children,
buying and selling them as if they were groceries or sandals. Greed is your god
and selfishness, your liturgy!"
The prophet Micah said: "My people, you struggle blindly to know
what God wants, and you act as if you remember nothing from your history, as if
you know nothing. From the beginning of time, there has been one message from
God. What God wants is this, ONLY this: That
we live justly, that we love tenderly, that we walk with integrity in God's presence!
These are the inspired words of our prophets. ALL: Thanks
be to God.
Responsorial: Sung ‘Celtic Alleluia’ – Mindy
Lou Simmons
The Gospel according to John (20:1, 11–18) – (Proclaimed by Mary
Theresa Streck)
Response: Glory and praise to you, Jesus, the Christ.
The Good News of the
Resurrection, attributed to John
20:1,11-18
Early in the morning, on
the first day of the week, while it was still
dark, Mary of Magdala
went to the tomb and saw that the stone had
been rolled away from
the entrance.
Mary stood, crying,
outside the tomb. While weeping, she stooped
down and saw two angels
inside. They were dressed in white and
were sitting, one at the
head and one at the feet of where Jesus' body
had lain.
The angels asked Mary,
“Why are you weeping?” She answered,
“They have taken away my
Teacher, and I don't know where they
have put him.” As soon
as Mary said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there. She did not
recognize him. Jesus asked her, “Why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?”
Thinking Jesus was the
gardener, Mary said, “Sir, if you have taken
his body away, please
tell me, so I can go and get him.” Then Jesus
said to her, “Mary!” She
turned. She said to him, “Rabbouni” --
which means “Teacher.”
Jesus then told her,
“Don't hold on to me! I have not yet gone to the
Beloved. But tell my
other disciples that I am going to my Beloved
and your Beloved, my God
and your God.” Mary Magdalene then
went to the disciples
with the message, “I have seen the Teacher!”
And she told them what
he had said to her.
These are the inspired
words of John, disciple of Jesus.
Responsorial: Sung ‘Celtic Alleluia’ – Mindy Lou Simmons
Video Homily – Kathryn and Stephen
Baptismal Reflection – “Come to The Water” – sung
by Mindy Lou Simmons
https://youtu.be/uJJVrZKqKNE
https://youtu.be/uJJVrZKqKNE
Rite of Baptism and Confirmation
Christopher
Seth Winners
WELCOME
BRIDGET MARY: Welcome. It is with great joy that we, the Mary Mother of Jesus
Community, join with Kathryn and Stephen to welcome Seth to the Christian
community through the sacrament of Baptism and confirm his call to live the
message of Jesus through the sacrament of Confirmation.
BRIDGET MARY: Let us begin our ceremony with a prayer to the Source of all Life.
O Holy One, from the
beginning of time you have loved your creation and have always been with us.
May Seth continue to grow in his understanding of your infinite love as he
learns the meaning of faith through service. May he come to appreciate his
responsible place as co-creator of his life in You. Amen.
(pause)
BAPTISMAL RITE
Reception of Seth
BRIDGET MARY: I invite Seth to come forward with his parents, Kathryn and Stephen
and the community representatives, Mary Al and Lee Breyer.
BRIDGET MARY: (to Seth) Seth, what do you ask of this Christian Community?
Seth: I ask to be baptized.
BRIDGET MARY: By asking for baptism within the Christian community, you are
promising to live justly, to love tenderly and to walk with integrity for all
to see and celebrate. You are promising to learn about Jesus, your brother by
name, and his message of love. Do you
promise to do this to the best of your ability?
Seth: Yes.
BRIDGET MARY: (to the community
representatives) Mary Al and
Lee, do you, on behalf of this
community, promise to support Kathryn and Stephen as they teach Seth about the
Source of All Life and about Jesus, our brother?
Mary Al and
Lee: We will.
Baptism and
Confirmation Rite
BRIDGET MARY: In our ritual today, we use many sacramental symbols and signs. We
begin the baptismal rite with a blessing of the water and the oil.
Kathryn: O Holy One, Source of all that is, we experience your grace through
sacramental signs, which tell us of your unseen presence.
Stephen: At the dawn of creation, Your Spirit breathed on the waters making
them the wellspring of all holiness.
Mary Al: The water of the Red Sea, through which our ancestors traveled, is a
symbol of our liberation from all that holds us captive. In the waters of the
Jordan River, our brother Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John, and anointed
with your Spirit.
Lee: After the resurrection, the disciples of Jesus celebrated baptism in
water and the Spirit with those who answered Your call to holiness.
Kathryn: From age to age, oil has been used to anoint your priests, prophets,
leaders and visionaries.
BRIDGET MARY: (to all present) Please extend your hands in blessing the water and oil .
O Holy One, you call us to
be co-creators of a world filled with blessing and abundance. As co-creators
with you, we bless this water and oil as a symbol of your grace filled presence
in our community. (pause)
Baptismal
Promises
BRIDGET MARY: In this part of the ritual, Seth proclaims his baptismal promises as
the community renews their baptismal promises. Please respond, “I do,” to each
of the following:
Do you promise to see what
is good for your sisters and brothers everywhere, rejecting injustice and
inequity, living with the freedom and responsibility of children of God?
All: I do.
BRIDGET MARY: Do you promise to work for the realization of God’s vision of harmony
and right relations among all peoples, rejecting the idols of money, property,
color, sex and position?
All: I do.
BRIDGET MARY: Do you promise to seek peace
and live in peace in one human family, rejecting prejudice and half-heartedness
in every form, and all barriers to unity?
All: I do.
BRIDGET MARY: Do you promise to cherish
the universe, and this precious planet, working creatively to renew and
safeguard the elemental sacraments of air, earth, water and fire?
All: I do.
BRIDGET MARY: Do you believe in the Holy
One, the Source of all life, in Jesus, our brother who loved and lived among us
so that all might live with abundant fullness; in the breath of the Holy One’s
center, the Spirit who continues the work of forgiveness and reconciliation,
birthing and blessing, challenge and hope, so that together we can continue the
work of creation?
All: I do.
BRIDGET MARY: Seth, please come to the baptismal font with Kathryn, Stephen, Mary
Al and Lee.
Pouring of
Water
BRIDGET MARY: (as Kathryn and Stephen pour
water over Seth’s head)
We baptize
you, Seth
- in the name of our God who is the Source of all life,
- in the name of our God revealed in Jesus, our brother, and in our own
humanity,
- in the name of our God whose Spirit invites and inspires us as
co-creators. Amen.
Anointing with
Oil
BRIDGET MARY: (as Kathryn and Stephen
anoint Seth’s forehead)
Seth, you are a child of
God. We anoint you with this oil in recognition that human life is sacred, that
you are sacred.
Presentation of Stole
BRIDGET
MARY: (as Mary Al
places stole on Seth) Seth, we present you with this stole. May it remind you that, like
Jesus your brother, you carry in the depths of your being the Spirit of Life
and Love itself.
Lighting
Candle
BRIDGET MARY: (as Lee lights Seth’s candle
from Paschal candle) Seth, may this candle
remind you of Jesus, who opened peoples’ minds and hearts to see the “light” of
God’s presence within them.
CONFIRMATION RITE
Laying on of Hands
BRIDGET MARY: (Bishop, parents and community representatives lay hand on Seth.) Seth, we lay our hands on your head to confirm that you are and have
always been the Face of God to all you meet.
Continue to follow your brother Jesus with love and compassion.
BRIDGET MARY: Seth, what
special name have you chosen to remind you that you are the Face of God?
Seth: Theo,
which means Child of God
BRIDGET MARY: (as anointing
Seth) Seth, be
sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit. We confirm your desire to be like
Jesus, your brother by name. We commission you to teach others about Jesus and
his commandment to love God and to love one another Peace be with you.
Seth: And also with you.
Blessing of
Seth
BRIDGET
MARY: Please stand and extend
your hands in blessing for Seth
Mary Al: May the Spirit of Air inspire you to see the world through fresh,
open eyes, to be a soulful visionary, and to lend optimism and hope to all you
encounter.
Lee: May the Spirit of Fire
transform all you touch with Light, and grant you courage and protection as you
go forth in your Divine Life Mission.
Kathryn: May the Spirit of Water bring you purity in body, mind, and spirit to
nurture you as you nurture others, to support your inner knowing and intuition
as you navigate the seen and unseen worlds.
Stephen: May the Spirit of Earth grant you wisdom as you seek Divine Truth,
Integrity of thought and action, and fortify you with the strength you need to
shine your Divine Light in the physical world as only you can.
BRIDGET MARY: And May you always remember, the Source of All lives as a Divine
Spark within you to inspire, renew, and uplift you and all that you meet along
your journey. Amen.
(blessing adapted from Sofia’s blessing written by
Mary Anne Nolan)
Presentation
of Seth to Community
BRIDGET MARY: It is with great joy that we welcome Christopher Seth Theo Winners to
the Christian Community.
Part
V: Liturgy of the Eucharist
Offertory Song:
“Down to the River to Pray” – Allison Krauss
https://youtu.be/zSif77IVQdY
https://youtu.be/zSif77IVQdY
Preparation of the
Gifts
BMM: (raise the bread and the wine): Ever gentle God, as co-creators of our
planet, we offer you these gifts of bread, wine and our lives. May we celebrate our oneness with all creatures,
large and small, in your earthly family.
We ask this of you through Jesus, our brother, and Sophia, our
wisdom. ALL: Amen
Sally: Pray that we become more aware of our oneness in the
Cosmic Christ through the grace of the Risen Jesus.
(Please join us around
the altar)
ALL: We are gathered as a community to celebrate
the gift of life pulsating in the glories of Nature everywhere.
Eucharistic Prayer
Janet: Holy One, You
stirred the waters of creation, and you dwell in us.
ALL: And in every living being.
Mary T: Lift up your hearts.
ALL: We lift them up to our Creator in whom all
are one.
Lee: Let us give
thanks for the Breath of life in all forms throughout the Universe.
ALL: It is right to give glory to God, present
everywhere and in everything, with thanks and praise.
ALL (sing): We are holy (3x); You are holy (3x); I am
holy (3x); We are holy (3x). (Karen
Drucker.)
https://youtu.be/nyVAyQi_wdg
https://youtu.be/nyVAyQi_wdg
ALL: Holy One, we bring you these gifts that they
may become the Christ Presence. Fill us
with reverence for all creatures, great and small.
ALL: (extend
arms): On the night before Jesus died, while
at supper with his friends, he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread
and gave it to them saying: Take this
all of you, and eat. Do this in memory
of me. (Pause)
In the same way,
Jesus took the cup of wine. He said the
blessing, gave the cup to his friends and said:
Take this all of you and drink.
Do this in memory of me.
Elena: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith.
ALL: This bread is you; this bread is me. We are one body in communion with all
creation.
Voice 1:
Christ of the Cosmos, we thank you that our bodies are made of stardust
and that every place we turn, you are present, loving us. You invite us to join the dance of creation in
a mystical celebration of our oneness with all living things in your divine love.
Voice 2: Risen
Christ, we remember that it was you who said:
“Anything I have done in the name of the Creator, you can do too…and
even more.” So we remember all those in
our world who are working for environmental healing, human rights and justice
for all.
Voice 3:
Christ of the Cosmos, we remember Mary, mother of Jesus, faithful
disciple, and we remember St. Francis
who sang canticles to brother sun and sister moon. May we praise you in union with them and live
your compassion now.
All Presiders:
Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in unity with the Holy Spirit,
all glory, honor and praise to you, loving God, forever and ever. ALL:
(sung): Amen (5x)
ALL (sung): Our
Father and Mother, who are in heaven….
Sign of Peace
Lee: Risen Jesus, you said to your disciples, “My
peace I leave you, my peace I give you.”
Look on the faith of all those gathered here.
ALL: Grant us your peace. Help us to spread your peace throughout the
world, always and everywhere, no exceptions.
Amen
Elena:
May the peace of God be always with us, and we will start by offering a sign of
that peace among ourselves by holding hands and singing…
Peace hymn: “Peace is Flowing Like a River”
Litany for the
Breaking of the Bread
ALL: Christ of the
Cosmos, may we live our oneness with you and all creation…may we work for the
healing of the earth…may we celebrate justice rising up in a global communion
everywhere. Amen.
Communion
Sally: This is the
Cosmic Christ in whom all creation lives and moves and has its being. All are invited to share in this banquet of
love and celebrate our oneness with all living beings on the planet.
ALL: We are the Body of Christ.
ALL (sing): You are the face of God; I hold you in my
heart. You are my family; you are the face
of God. (Chant by Karen Drucker)
Communion Song: Instrumental
Post- Communion Meditation: “Joy Overflowing” – Daniel Nahmod (sung by Mindy Lou) https://youtu.be/eNHsX4vwqoc
Prayer after
Communion
Mary T: Lover of the Universe, fill us with awe at your
extravagant love flowing through us. May
we immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature speaking to us each day. We ask this through our brother Jesus, in
union with the Holy Spirit. ALL:
Amen.
Concluding Rite
Seth, Kathryn & Stephen: The Risen Christ is with
us. ALL:
and loves through us.
ALL: Christ has come back as spring comes
back out of the ground, renewing the earth with life, to be a continual
renewing of life in our hearts, that we may continually renew one another’s
life in his love, that we may be his Resurrection in the world. We are the resurrection, always on going,
always giving back Christ’s life to the world.
Caryll Houselander, The Risen Christ.
Closing Community Blessing
All (with arms
extended): The blessing of God is upon
us as we go in the peace of the Cosmic Christ to live justice! Thanks be to God.
Seth, Kathryn & Stephen:
Let us go forth in peace and share the good news: The Risen Jesus is
with us today and for all time.
ALL: Thanks be to
God. Let it be so!
Closing hymn: Witness
https://youtu.be/sxGArDtJDaA
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https://youtu.be/sxGArDtJDaA
Witness
Words and Music by Daniel Nahmod
This day is a witness
To my sacred purpose
To all I was meant to be
This day is a witness
To my sacred purpose
To all I am meant to be
(Chorus)
Letting it go
Letting it flow
Letting it go where it will go
Letting the power of Your presence
show the way
Letting it in, letting You know
I’m letting you lead that I might
follow
Being a witness to Your presence
every day
This soul is a witness
To my holy purpose
To all that I’m born to be
This soul is a witness
To my holy purpose
To all that I’m born to be
(Chorus)
This life is a witness
To my rightful purpose
To all that I’ve come to be
This life is a witness
To my rightful purpose
To all that I’ve come to be
I will bear witness to your love
I will bear witness to your love
I will bear witness to your love for
all my life
I will bear witness to your love
I will bear witness to your love
I will bear witness to your love for
all my life
Stephen and I want to extend our deepest appreciation to
Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP and
Mary Theresa Streck ARCWP for writing this beautiful
liturgy and baptism and confirmation rite.
We are also very grateful to Mary Al Gagnon and Lee Breyer
for representing our MMOJ Godfamily in this beautiful moment in Seth Theo’s
life,
And we are grateful to our family and friends who have
supported us over all these years and who continue to support us,
And we are grateful to God for placing this child of God
with our family. We are all so blessed
because he is here.
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