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| Lee Breyer and Kathryn Shea ARCWP Presiders at First Sunday of Liturgy, Nov. 30, 2019 |
Welcome
Presider. Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive
Catholic Community where everyone is welcome to share in our celebration of the
Eucharist. We use inclusive language in
our scripture readings and prayers. We
also welcome your respectful comments when the entire community can share the
homily. Everyone is invited to gather around the Table to pray the Eucharistic
Prayer and the Communion. We warmly
welcome our newcomers to the liturgy and will invite you to introduce
yourselves, if you wish, at the announcement time that follows the
Communion. Then everyone is invited to
join us for supper at a local restaurant after the liturgy.
Presider: Today we begin a new Liturgical Cycle, one that fittingly
begins with Advent, the period of our four-week preparation for the celebration
of Jesus’ birth on earth. Today, the first day of that solemn time, we will light
a candle that will brighten the dimness around it. And then we will light one of the four in a
wreath of candles around it, focusing our attention to the solemn purpose of
the waiting time until Christmas. But
first, let us take a few minutes
to collect our minds, hearts and spirits.
The Blessing of the Wreath and The
Lighting of the Advent Candles
Dim the sanctuary light
(as is done during the “private” prayer time)
Creator God, we
pray that the richness of your blessing will rest on this Advent wreath,
ourselves and our community as we prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth
among us, on this earth. This wreath is a symbol of your never-ending care for
us
Light the larger
central candle
We ask you to
bless this central candle; may it be a constant reminder of your gift of Jesus,
your beloved Son, as a light that will always shine in the darkness of our
lives with his mission reflecting you.
Light the first smaller
candle
With the
lighting of this first candle, may we renew within ourselves our efforts to
prepare ourselves this Christmas to be the lights in the world that Jesus was
born to be -- as our model and example.
Then after the first candle
is lighted (a closing piece)
May the flame
of Christ’s presence in each one of us grow increasingly brighter so that, with
this Christmas, we may reflect a fresh and ever-greening presence of the God of
Light in everything we do and say, with everyone we meet every day. We pray
that the richness of God’s blessing may rest on this Advent wreath, ourselves
and our communities, as we await the celebration of Christmas. We ask this in
the name of God, our creator – Jesus, our brother – and Sophia, our wisdom and
strength. Amen.
Now return the lights
of the sanctuary to their usual brightness.
Opening Song: Sing Our Earth and
Skies, #553, verses 1, 3, 5
Gathering/Opening Prayer
Presider: Nurturing God, in your goodness, you blessed all of
creation…made all of it sacred in your everlasting care. We are grateful that you graced our planet Earth with your presence in
the Incarnate Jesus of Nazareth. We
believe that you, through him, are a part of our very being.
All: He was, through his life, his teachings and
example, committed to show us how to live as fully as you would have us do
so. Through him, you had the experiences
of joy and sorrow, success and failure, effort and exhaustion, all the events
and challenges that we encounter in our lives – and the very things that we ask
you for your support and strength through your Spirit. What we ask of you now,
Loving God, is to bless all of us gathered here today - and those of our community
who are not with us now. Open our minds
and hearts to the messages of the gospel of Jesus, today and always. Amen.
Penitential Rite and
Community Forgiveness
(We will pause briefly to reflect on our
ever-growing ability to show more understanding and love with our brothers and
sisters, as well as with all of creation.)
Presider:
Creator God, to you all hearts are open, no desires are unknown, and no secrets
are hidden.
All: We ask your help that we may better
understand Sophia’s messages to each one of us so that we can be truly faithful
to them - and then that we may spread her graceful concern, compassion and care
among all your people - wherever we meet them.
Presider:
Jesus, grant us the courage we will need to spread your example of universal
love.
All: Help us to grow in our
understanding, confidence and strength in our living and sharing your messages
that bring the grace of peace to everyone of us here today and to everyone that
we meet.
Presider:
Loving God, we ask you to pour out your healing mercy to us here today - and especially on those who are in so many
difficult settings and in so many dangerous places where forgiveness and compassion
are so badly needed.
All: We know that you understand the
frailties of our human nature. Grant us
that - despite our weaknesses - we may increasingly develop our ability to
extend the forgiveness that you grant us with all our brothers and sisters,
wherever they are.
All: (extend an arm)
Loving God, the Father and Mother of mercy, through Jesus’ life, death and
resurrection, he bonded the world and all creation to you. He sent the Spirit among us to give us the
strength and compassion to love one another as She does with us. Loving God, help us understand the virtues of
pardon and peace so that we may - in turn - learn to forgive each other for our
failures to care for one another and for our planet Earth. We ask this of you, our healer and comforter. Amen.
Glory to God
Presider: Let
us give glory in song to our loving Holy One.
(Sung) Glory to God, Glory, O praise God,
alleluia. Glory to God, glory, O praise
the name of our God. (3x)
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Jeremiah 33: 14 -16 All: Amen; thanks be to God.
Psalm 85. Responsorial: My God, Let Us See Your Kindness (#780)
Second
Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:12 - 4:2 All: Amen; thanks be to God.
Gospel
Acclamation: Alleluia (Celtic version)
Gospel: 1 John 2: 2 - 3, and 7 - 8 All: Amen; thanks be to God.
Homily
Starter: Lee Breyer
Today is a rich day for the liturgy. In the first reading, from the book of
Jeremiah, YHWH promised that, when the time came, a branch from the line of
David would come to us and bring justice and integrity to us. Seven centuries later, that promise was
fulfilled in the person of Jesus. And
now, in Advent, we prepare for the celebration of Jesus among us. And among our preparation pieces are the
symbols of the wholeness of life that Jesus brings us, the wreath, and the
acknowledgement, in the center of all the candles, that he is the True Light of
our lives, the gift of God, to show us- through one of us – how we are to live the love of
God That is how to follow God’s
commandment to love one another as God has loved us. John put it pretty directly, firmly, and
clearly, “if God loves us so much, we must have the same love for one another.”
And in a short time after Advent, we will be preparing for
the coming of the New Year. And in doing
that, it is customary to reflect on the past year and ask plans for the coming one. That usually contains resolutions for how we
can “do better” in so many ways, about so many things for the year. And, maybe for some of us, how we might be
able to do that before a month is past.
Here, with the two major days before us, I wonder if we put
as much thought and efforts, about our loving actions, in the preparation of
Christ’s birth on Christmas that we may do for our activities for our social
plans on New Year’s Day.
What kinds of observations, comments or plans would you
have about these two preparations, in your experience?
Shared Homily/Community
Reflections and Responses
Profession of Faith
All:
We believe in God, the Creator of an unfinished world in an
ever-evolving cosmos. We believe in God
whose divinity infuses all that exists and, through that, makes everything in
the universe sacred. We believe in Jesus,
the Christ, who is our love, our hope, our peace and our light. Through his incarnation, we are a new people, one
called beyond the consequences of our brokenness. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Breath
of Wisdom who keeps the Christ-vision present to all those who are
searching for meaning and wholeness in their lives. She is the Holy Sustainer who heals and
energizes us when our strengths grow weary in our journeys. We also believe that God’s kindom is
here with us now and will always be there for those with eyes to recognize it,
minds to understand it, and hearts and hands to make it known to their brothers
and sisters wherever they may be. We say “amen” to the partnership and equality
of all people, regardless of gender, race, and beliefs. We say “amen” to a world of peace and justice
for everyone, everywhere, with no exceptions.
In all of this, we do surely believe.
Prayers of the
Community
Presider: We are a people of faith who deeply believe
in the power of prayer. We are mindful of God’s unconditional love and care for
each of God’s family. And so, in our
prayers, we bring the needs of our brothers and sisters to our merciful and
gracious Healing One.
After each intercession, respond: Compassionate
God, we know you bless our petitions.
Presider: We
pray for those broken families, torn apart…suffering in their separation…
unsure of their futures. Compassionate
God, we know you bless our petitions.
Presider: For what other concerns do we pray … (other intentions are mentioned here….)
Presider: Holy God, we ask you to strengthen us in our
concerns and care for one another, here and throughout the world. We ask you to
bless our efforts for justice and equality so that, with our sisters and
brothers, we may promote cultures of peace and nonviolence in the world. As we always do, we make these prayers to
you, O God, in the names of Jesus, our Brother, and the Holy Spirit, our
Wisdom. Amen.
Offertory Procession
and Song: Table of Plenty #310 all
verses
Gathering of the Gifted
Presider:
Blessed are you, God of Creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to
offer…this grain of the earth that human hands have prepared for our use. It will become for us the bread of life. All:
Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Blessed
are you, God of Creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer…this
fruit of the vine that human hands have prepared for our use. It will become for us our spiritual drink. All:
Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Jesus, who has often sat at our tables, now
invites all of us to join him at his.
And all of us,
the family of God, are welcome at his table; please join us now.
Presider (when everyone is around the altar): Blessed are we who have been called to this
table of plenty by the God who loves and lives in us and the Sustainer who
supports and cares for us. Let us show
our gratitude to them - and our care for one another - as we express our
recognition of the Divine Spirit that is in each of us. All:
Namaste (3x)
Eucharistic
Prayer
Voice 1:
Gracious God, you have set this banquet table and have invited all of us
to the feast of unending delight. Here
we celebrate your divine love beyond what words can ever describe. Your divine compassion connects us to the
young and the old, the first and the last, the highest and the lowest…to
everyone, everywhere.
Voice 2:
Ever living and ever-loving God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks. In you we live and move
and have our very being. In gratitude
for your everlasting presence in us, we join with the large community of saints
who have gone before us and who now live with you in the eternal now, as we
sing with thankful praise….
All:
Holy, Holy, Holy God, God of power, God of light. Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed are all who come in the name of our
God. Hosanna in the highest.
Voice 3:
We thank you for the gift of Jesus in history - and the gift of Jesus in
faith. Through him, you breathe life into us.
His life on earth was moved by his vision of your presence in everyone
he met, everywhere he went. You raised him up from among your people to baptize
us in your Spirit. Jesus reflected your being in everything he said and did in
his life well lived. And he showed us,
by his many spoken messages and lived examples, not only how we should live,
but also for what we might even die, as did he, in the service of the gospel
message.
Voice 4:
And when his time on earth had come to an end, Jesus - aware of and
accepting his destiny – suffered much for the values that he deeply believed,
lived and taught…his conviction that love is stronger than death. And then, providing an example of this
insight for the understanding of those in ages to come - he “paid the price” - he
opened wide his arms and died. Then the Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead,
showed us - in his resurrection - that life is eternal and that love is
immortal. Jesus is with us today as he
will be through the end of time. The Spirit that blest Jesus is a foretaste of
the pascal feast of heaven that awaits each one of us as well.
All:
O God, let your Spirit of life, healing and wholeness come upon these
humble pieces that we gathered from your fields and placed on your table – this
simple wheat and wine. May She make them
holy so that they become for us the Body and Blood of Jesus, our brother.
All (with
an outstretched arm, we pray the consecration together.): We remember the gift that
Jesus gave us on the night before he died.
He gathered with his friends to share a final Passover meal. And it was at that supper that Jesus took
bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to them saying: take this
all of you and eat it. This bread is
you; this bread is me. We are one body,
the presence of God in the world. When
you do this, remember me - and all that I have taught you. This is the new and
everlasting covenant. [Pause]
In the same way, Jesus
took the cup of wine, said the blessing and, gave it to his friends saying:
take this all of you and drink it. This
wine is you; this wine is me. We are one
blood, the presence of God in the world.
When you do this, remember me - and all that I have taught you. This is
the new and everlasting covenant.
Presider: Jesus
who was with God “in the very beginning of the creation of the heavens and the
earth” is with us now in this bread.
The Spirit whom the prophets spoke of in history is with us now
in this cup. Let us proclaim this
mystery of faith.
All: Jesus has died.
Christ is risen. The cosmic Christ lives through us in the world today.
Voice 5: Ever living God, in memory of Jesus’ life,
death and resurrection, we are blessed by your gift of this life-giving bread
and this saving cup. May all who will share
this sacred meal be brought together in unity by the Holy Spirit. And may that Spirit, the Divine Presence that
moved so freely in Jesus’ life, bless us by her manifestation in ours as well.
Voice 6:
God, remember all of us, your Sacred People throughout the world, and
grace us that we may continually grow in love and caring, mercy and compassion,
and peace and justice. Bless Francis,
our Pope, Bridget Mary, our Bishop, and the whole of your family wherever they
may be - especially those who live on the margins of church and society. We remember in prayer the entire Communion of
Saints, both those who are with us now on this earth and those who have gone
ahead of us to their everlasting homes.
We remember with overflowing gratitude those blessed people who have
touched our lives and left footprints on our hearts. We remember especially …(pause as names are mentioned).
Presider: And so we say… All:
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ, through the power of the Spirit,
all glory and honor are yours, Creator God, forever and ever (singing)
Amen.
All (holding hands): Our Father and Mother, who are in heaven,
blessed is your name…..
Presider: God, we have just prayed that your kindom “may
come” among us -- we believe that
it is “with
us now,” even though in widely unrecognized ways. Grant that we may open our heads to
acknowledge its current presence and our hearts to make it known in its
continued evolution in time and place.
And may we use our hands to serve one another while waiting for its
fulfillment in that blessed time.
The Sharing of Peace
Presider:
Jesus, you said to your disciples, “My peace I leave you; my peace I give
you.” Look on the faith of those
gathered here today and…
All: …. grant us your peace. May we follow the example that you have given
us - and with the strength of the Spirit – be witnesses of that peace in
our parts of the world, to everyone we meet, and everywhere we
travel, with no exceptions. Amen.
Presider: May the peace of God be always with us, and
let us extend that peace to one another as we join hands in a circle of love
and sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth” #532.
Litany for the Breaking
of the Bread
Presider: Loving God…. All: you call us to Spirit-filled service and to live the Gospel of
peace and justice. We will live justly.
Presider: Loving God…. All: you call us to be your presence in the world and to be bearers
of understanding and compassion, forgiveness and healing everywhere in your
name. We will love tenderly.
Presider: Loving God… .All: you call us to speak truth to power. We will walk humbly with you.
Presider: This is Jesus, Emmanuel, who liberates,
heals, and transforms us and our world.
All are invited to partake of this sacred banquet of love.
All:
We are the Body of Christ.
Pre-Communion Prayer
Presider:, As
we come to share the richness of this sacred table … All:
O God, we cannot forget the poverty of so many of our brothers and sisters, our
families and neighbors.
Presider: We
cannot eat this bread and forget those who are hungry… All: O God, your world is one world and we
are but stewards of its nourishment for all your people.
Presider: We cannot drink this wine and forget those
who suffer from thirst…All: O God, this
very earth and its people cry out for environmental justice everywhere.
All:
We cannot listen to words of peace and not grieve for a world at war’s
doors.
Communion
Hymn: Instrumental
Post
Communion Meditation: Instrumental (Here I Am, God)
Prayer
of Thanksgiving after Communion
Presider: Loving God, may this Eucharist in which we
share Christ’s healing love deepen our
oneness with
you and with one another. May we
reflect, like Mary, your liberating love for all. We are grateful for all the saints who gave
so much of themselves in living the messages of the beatitudes and serving as
examples of God’s love and compassion in our world. May we emulate them in all that we do. We ask this in the name of our model, Jesus
the Christ. All:
Amen.
Introductions,
Gratitudes, Announcements
Closing
Community Blessing
All:
May our hearts be glad on our journey as we dream new dreams, see new
visions, and create a new heaven and
earth.
May we live and work for
understanding and compassion, justice and non-violence in our hearts and in
those of everyone we meet.
May we learn to bless and
honor and hold in reverence all creation, the earth, and one another.
May our loving and
liberating God fill us with radiant joy and deep peace… and bless us always
with the strength to serve the sick and the stranger.
Closing
Community Commissioning
Presiders:
As we leave this sacred place in the peace of Christ, let us be the people that
God created us to be; let us be the light in the world that Jesus, by his
example was in his time, and calls us to be always. Let us birth Christ anew in our world
today…and in all the tomorrows of the future.
All: Thanks be to God. Let it be so!
Closing Community Hymn: This Little Light Of
Mine
This
Little Light of mine, I’m
gonna let it shine 3 X Let it shine,
let it shine, let it shine.
Hide it under a bushel? NO! I’m gonna
let it shine, 3X Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
This little light of mine, I’m gonna let
it shine 3 X Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.
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