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Saturday, November 28, 2020

Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community - First Sunday of Advent 2020 - Presiders: Denise Hackert-Stoner, ARCWP, Joan Chesterfield, ARCWP, Mary Theresa Streck, ARCWP



November 29, 2020 First Sunday of Advent 

 

Denise:  Welcome and Theme:  

Welcome to our liturgy this morning as we begin our celebration of Advent.  As a young person I understood Advent to be a season of waiting, of expectation; and that was confusing to me. Was I awaiting the birth of Jesus who had already been born?  Was I waiting for some time in the future when Jesus might return?  Was I to feel penitence?  Joy?  Anticipation?  Fear?  For me, Advent was a season without real focus.  It seemed ill-defined.  So I finally decided to simply look at the word.  Advent, from the Latin adventus, means “arrival.”  Arrival, not waiting.  How that simple shift in word meaning helped me to reframe the season!  The Divine Presence, or as Richard Rohr calls it, the Universal Christ, saturates the universe and everything in it, here and now.  We are all pregnant with it.  And just as Mary, mother of Jesus bore incarnate divinity, so do we.  It is within us, as it was within Mary, and as it was within her son.  It arrives, with every breath we take.


So our theme for this first Sunday of Advent is not so much about waiting, but rather living in the hope that we carry our own spark of divinity to fulfillment, and deliver it in love and wholeness into the kin-dom of our world.  So let us light our first candle surrounded by this great love that lives within us now and forever.  Everyone is invited to light their first candle during the following blessing:


Joan:  Lighting of Advent Candles:


We light this first candle and remember the Holy One who created light and life out of darkness by loving.  The dark shadow of space leans over us and we are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.  

And so we respond: Let us kindle the light of hope!


LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

Readings:

Denise:  First Reading and Opening Song:    Today our first reading is also our opening song.  Written by Craig Minowa of Cloud Cult, the piece is There’s So Much Energy In Us.

https://youtu.be/o0bhERhPYZQ


Denise:  This is the inspired work of Craig Minowa, a seeker and finder of truth.  Let the community affirm his words and music with….Amen.


Second Reading  Jim

The Light Within

Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continually return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life. It is a dynamic center, a creative Life that presses to birth within us. It is a Light Within that illumines the face of God and casts new shadows and new glories upon the human face. It is a seed stirring to life if we do not choke it. It is the Shekinah of the soul, the Presence in the midst. Here is the Slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened, to become the soul we clothe in earthly form and action. And Christ is within us all.

These are the inspired words of Thomas Kelly, Quaker mystic.  Let the community affirm them with…..Amen.


Alleluia


Gospel:  Sandi - Mark 13:33-37  (Inclusive Bible)

“Be constantly on the watch!  Stay awake!  You do not know when the appointed time will come.

It is like people traveling abroad.  They leave their home and put the workers in charge, each with a certain task, and those who watch at the front gate are ordered to stay on the alert.  So stay alert!  You do not know when the owner of the house is coming, whether at dusk, at midnight, when the cock crows or at early dawn.  Do not let the owner come suddenly and catch you asleep.  What I say to you, I say to all:  stay alert!”


Homily Starter  - Denise

We are dreamers.  We aspire.  We imagine.  Among all our fellow creatures we alone, as far as we know, allow ourselves to live in that space between what is, and what is hoped for.  And in that space we unfurl the ribbon of light that is the Divine in us, becoming co-creators, partners in shaping reality.  

It is in that space that we meet the Holy One; not in some far-off place, some mythical other world, but right here, within ourselves and in communion with the rest of creation.  Right here we find the power of our own potential, our own energy.

In our first reading, Craig Minowa describes a million-year dream.  The dream is a search for something hoped for.  An energy, a light, something other, something outside, far away.  In the end, the searchers find that energy, and it is surprisingly close at hand.  It is within themselves, in their own world, in their own loving relationships that the long-hoped for light is recognized, having been there all along.  Thomas Kelly reminds us that we each shelter a Light Within, which is like a seed waiting to spring to life, the Christ within us all.  In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us to stay alert right where we are, at our posts.  For it is right here, in the midst of living our own lives, that we meet the Holy One.  This, right here, is the place of dream and hope and awareness where our beloved is revealed as the one clothed in our own flesh.  

What a thought!  That the creative power of the Divine, the Light of the world, the source of all energy, is found here, within our own selves, our own communities.  This Advent, let’s give ourselves permission to be in that space of dreams, that place where the Divine light unfurls, that place where hope lives.  Let’s not be practical, let’s not develop plans.  Martin Luther King’s most famous speech is not called “I have a Plan.”  It is called “I Have a Dream” because the dream, the hope, came first.  So let us dream this Advent Season.  Let us hope.  Let us sit with our own power, the power that comes from the Holy One, and let the Divine Light nurture our dream, allowing it to spring up within us like an incarnation.  Who knows what our dreams will give birth to?  

We hope that you will share your thoughts about today’s readings, about your dreams, and about the light within you.  Your wisdom is sacred, and we value it.


Shared Reflections


Mary Theresa:  We thank you for sharing your wisdom this morning.  The shared wisdom of our community is our greatest treasure.  We now invite you to join in our Statement of Faith.

 

Mary Theresa:  Statement of Faith   

 
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery 
beyond all definition and rational understanding, 
the heart of all that has ever existed, 
that exists now, or that ever will exist. 
 
We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Word, 
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion, 
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's 
prophets, mystics, and saints. 
 
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus 
as a vehicle of divine love, 
a source of wisdom and truth, 
and an instrument of peace in the world. 
 
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One, 
the life that is our innermost life, 
the breath moving in our being, 
the depth living in each of us. 
 
We believe that the Divine kin-dom is here and now, 
stretched out all around us for those 
with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, 
and hands to make it happen. 

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST 


Joan:  As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. As bearers of LIGHT and HOPE, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Intentions are read.


Joan concludes with: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen. 

 

Joan: With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:

(written by Jay Murnane) 

 

Joan: Source of All That Is, we seek you in this season, when the earth is resting and preparing for new life. Like the earth, we long for new life and hopeful beginnings. This is the time of the pregnant woman, filled with life and hope powerful enough to topple structures of oppression.  This is the time of her song of fidelity and celebration. 

 

During this gentle season of Advent, we recognize that you have made us capable of bringing forth justice, like a rising sun. One with all who have gone before us, we sing a song of praise: 

 

We are Holy, Holy, Holy (Karen Drucker) 

https://youtu.be/kl7vmiZ1YuI


Denise:  We thank you for those in times past who believed the good news, and lived what they believed. 

 

Blessed is Isaiah and every visionary who insisted on a better future that would break through the deception, disaster and broken promises of the age in which they lived. 

 

Blessed is John, in the stark desert of careful focus, inviting the people to be born again in your love.  

 

Blessed is Miriam, who believed the words of Isaiah and opened herself up to the unbelievable. 

 

And blessed is her child Jesus, who felt the sorrows of humankind in his soul, and responded with deep and tender compassion. 


Mary Theresa:  Please extend your hands in blessing.


Mary Theresa: We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world. 


Mary Theresa: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends.  He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet. 

 

All lift plates and pray the following:


When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying: 

Take and eat, this is my very self.

 (pause) 

 

All lift the cup and pray the following:


Joan:  Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:

Take and drink.

Whenever you remember me like this,

I am among you.

(pause) 


Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace, remembering that we are bearers of light and hope.

(All consume bread and cup together)


Communion Song/Meditation:  Come Be In My Heart, Sara Thomsen https://youtu.be/gwxldz6oH2w




Denise: We give thanks for our tradition, which is a living history of your love for all creation. We join ourselves with that tradition, as the visionaries and healers and peacemakers of our own time in history. 

 

We celebrate the many creative traditions which guide and form us and we are grateful that there are many paths to wisdom and life. 

 

Each Advent we make a place in our prayer for all those who are oppressed and marginalized in so many places throughout this earth, and right here among us. 

 

We are grateful for the gift of your Spirit, always drawing beauty and balance out of chaos.  And like Jesus…

 

Standing where he stood,  

and for what he stood,  

and with whom he stood, 

we are united in your Spirit, 

and worship you with our lives,  

 

All: Amen.  


Joan: Let us pray as Jesus taught us: 


Holy One, you are within, around and among us.  
We celebrate your many names. 
Your wisdom come; your will be done, 
unfolding from the depths within us. 
Each day you give us all that we need. 
You remind us of our limits and we let go. 
You support us in our power, and we act with courage. 
For you are the dwelling place within us, 
the empowerment around us, 
and the celebration among us,  
now and forever, Amen.  

Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter 

    

BLESSING 


Mary Theresa: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.


May the Divine Light nurture our dreams.  

May we unfurl the ribbon of light that is the Divine in us.  

May our light shine for all to see, and may we be a blessing in our time!

 

All: AMEN 

 

Closing Song  God Beyond All Names, Bernadette Farrell  https://youtu.be/8K6i08rFlh4


Friday, November 27, 2020

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community , First Sunday of Advent November 28, 2020 , Co-Presiders: Cheryl Brandi and Elena Garcia, ARCWP, Music Minister: Linda Lee Miller


Zoom link for video and audio: Sat. Nov. 28, 2020, 4 PM Eastern Standard Time

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86240868327?pwd=ZWNhdHRudTlFSjVBRlF5QVo5L3VGZz09

Meeting ID: 862 4086 8327

Password: 1066


Theme: HOPE

(Let’s begin with a moment of silence)

Welcome: (Cheryl) We warmly welcome you to our inclusive Catholic community, Mary Mother of Jesus in Sarasota, Florida. All are welcome here. We invite you to pray the liturgy where it says: All. And please sing your heart out while muted! Everyone will be muted during the service. We ask all our readers to “unmute” for their reading and then “re-mute” again. All are welcome to share as inspired after the homily starter - unmute yourself and remember to re-mute yourself after your sharing. Please have bread and wine or juice with you as we pray our Eucharistic Prayer 


Advent Candle Lighting Prayer

Cheryl: Like our ancestors, we honor the cycles and the seasons that remind us of the ever-changing flow of life of which we are a part. Ritual acts give life meaning – they honor and acknowledge the unseen web of Life that connects us all. 

Cheryl and All: Hope, like a seed buried deep within the earth; hidden, covered by layers of disappointment, struggle and pain; buried yet stretching, growing and becoming. Hope, like a seed becoming new life. We light a candle for hope. 


Elena (Please light your first Advent candle at the end of this passage.)

We light this first candle and remember the Holy One, our Mother, who created light and life out of darkness by loving.  The dark shadow of space leans over us and we are mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred also lengthens its shadow over our small planet Earth.  (Pause while we light our candles)


Elena and All: Loving God, as we begin our Advent pilgrimage, grant us the courage to hope.

Hope for your presence.     

Hope for your peace.       

Hope for your promise. 

Let us kindle the light of hope!  Amen


OPENING PRAYER

Cheryl: Nurturing God, you became human in Jesus and showed us how to live life to the fullest. You know what it means to laugh and cry, walk and talk, love and be loved. You also know what it feels like to be rejected and marginalized. We know that your mothering presence is always with us. May we, like Mary, live in hope and expectation of your coming and may we recognize your presence within all creation in everything we say and do.  ALL: Amen


Opening Song: (Elena) "O Holy Darkness Loving Womb” This song symbolizes darkness as creative bounty and beauty, and connects darkness to the Sacred Feminine, empowering us to end injustice and heal the wounds of Earth. It contributes to racial justice by changing the traditional symbolism of darkness as evil or ominous, to darkness as creative bounty and beauty, affirming the sacred value of people of color through these positive images. Imaging darkness/blackness as sacred lays a foundation for affirming that "BLACK LIVES MATTER."


O Holy Darkness Living Womb


https://youtu.be/DtdgFRxsIuU

"O Holy Darkness, loving Womb, who nurtures and creates,
sustain us through the longest night with dreams of open gates.
We move inside to mystery that in our center dwells,
where streams of richest beauty flow from sacred, living wells.

Creative Darkness, closest Friend, you whisper in the night;
you calm our fears as unknown paths surprise us with new sight.
We marvel at your bounty, your gifts so full and free,
unfolding as you waken us to new reality.

O Holy Night of deepest bliss, we celebrate your power;
infuse us with your energy that brings our seeds to flower.
The voice out of the darkness excites our warmest zeal
to bring together dark and light, true holiness reveal.

O come to us, Sophia; your image, black and fair,
stirs us to end injustice and the wounds of earth repair.
The treasures of your darkness and riches of your grace
inspire us to fulfill our call, our sacredness embrace."

Words © Jann Aldredge-Clanton, from Inclusive Hymns for Liberating Christians (Eakin Press, 2006).


ALL: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth. O loving God, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. O Jesus, holy child of our loving God, you fill us with joy in your presence. You who are with our God, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are Messiah. You alone are the Most High, Jesus The Christ; with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God. Amen.




Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: (Maryal)  Still I Will Rise”  by Maya Angelou


You may write me down in history 

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trot me in the very dirt 

But still like dust, I’ll rise


Does my sassiness upset you?   

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil well 

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,  

With the certainty of tides, 

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise. 


Did you want to see me broken?   

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling like teardrops.   

Weakened by my soulful cries.

  

Does my haughtiness offend you?  

 Don’t you take it awful hard

‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines 

Diggin in my own back yard.


You may shoot me with your words, 

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness  

But still, like air, I’ll rise.


Does my sexiness upset you?  

Does it come as a surprise? 

That I dance like I’ve got diamonds at the meeting of my thighs?


Out of the huts of history’s shame               

I RISE

Up from the past that’s rooted in pain         

I RISE

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide

Welling and swelling I bear the tide

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear       

I RISE 

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear     

I RISE

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I RISE    I RISE    I RISE 


These are inspired words of Maya Angelou            Response: AMEN


Psalm 80    Response: Restore us O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love 

  “Psalms for Praying – An Invitation to Wholeness” by Nan C. Merrill


~Joan:  Eternal Listener, give heed to your people,

You, who are our Guide and our Light! You who dwell amidst the angels,

shine forth into the heart of all nations!

Enliven your people with compassion that peace and justice might flourish

Joan and All:  Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love!

~Joan: Gentle Teacher, help us to turn to you in prayer,

fasting from our negative thoughts.

In your steadfast Love, You weep with our tears, tears that rise from fear, doubt, and illusion.

You uphold us when we feel the string of pride, when our anxiety threatens to paralyze us.

Joan and All:  Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love!

~Joan: You companion us through the wilderness, through the shadows created by fear,

You plant your Seed into each heart. You uproot the weeds of our sin, You cultivate the soil of our goodness. Truly, in You, we become like a tiny acorn, holding the secret of a mighty oak.

Joan and All: Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love. 

~Joan: You nourish us with the food of Love, with streams of the Living Water.

Be our strength as we break down walls that separate and divide;

let not fear pluck away the gifts we would share.

Roll away the stones that become obstacles to growth, to producing a bountiful harvest.

Joan and All:  Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love!

~Joan: Receive our gratitude, O Heart of all hearts!

Look upon us and see what Love can do; rejoice in the new birth that You create!

Be glad that your Seed has found fertile soil.

How much more the return of one healthy plant than ten thousand useless weeds!

Joan and All:  Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love.

~Joan: May those who have borne the fruit of love radiate your Spirit into the world!

May we always walk and co-create with You; receive the gratitude of our hearts,

as we share in the Great Plan!

Joan and All:  Restore us, O Holy One; let your face shine upon us, teach us to love!


Second Reading: (Joan) Excerpt from a meditation by Richard Rohr (April 17,2020)

Pain is physical or emotional discomfort, but suffering often comes from our resistance to that pain. The soul must walk through such suffering to go higher, further, deeper, or longer. 

Necessary suffering allows us to grow, but “in secret” (Mark 4:26–29), which is an amazingly common concept, both in the teachings of Jesus and of many of the mystics. Such growth must largely be hidden because God alone can see it and steer it for our good. If we try too hard to understand it, we will stop the process or steer it in the wrong direction.

The virtue of hope, with great irony, is the fruit of a learned capacity to suffer wisely, calmly, and generously. The ego demands successes to survive; the soul needs only meaning to thrive. Somehow hope provides its own kind of meaning, in a most mysterious way.

The Gospel gives our suffering both personal and cosmic meaning by connecting our pain to the pain of others and, finally, by connecting us to the very pain of God. Did you ever think of God as suffering? Most people don’t—but Jesus came to change all of that.

A life of inner union, a contemplative life, is practicing for heaven now. God allows us to bring “on earth what is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10) every time we can allow, receive, and forgive the conflicts of the moment. Such acceptance allows us to sit in some degree of contentment—despite all the warring evidence.

God alone, it seems to me, can hold together all the seeming opposites and contradictions of life. In and with God, we can do the same. But we are not the Doer. 

These are the inspired words of Richard Rohr and our response is:     AMEN                            

Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia 🎶 


https://youtu.be/gIHnZn3JjcM


Gospel: (Cheryl)  Mark 4:26-34  

Jesus had just finished talking to his followers about the merits of being a giver rather than a receiver. He went on to tell a story that went like this: “God’s kingdom is like a seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets about it. The seed sprouts and grows---he has no idea how it happened. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps-----harvest time!

How can we picture God’s kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It’s like an acorn. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge oak tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it.

With many stories like these he presented his message to them, fitting the stories to their experience and maturity. He was never without a story when he spoke.  When he was alone with his disciples, he went over everything, sorting out the tangles, untying the knots. 


These inspired words are attributed to Mark, the Evangelist and we respond to it by exclaiming: 

Glory and praise to you Jesus the Christ


Homily Starter (Elena) 

Dialogue (Please unmute yourself to share and re-mute when finished.)                                              What  did you hear in today’s readings?


Profession of Faith: (Elena) and 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 us and guides us to build caring communities and to challenge injustices. We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends, who support us on life’s journey. We believe in the partnership and equality of women and men in our church and in the world. We believe that all are one in the community of creation. We believe that God calls us to live fully, love tenderly, and serve generously. Amen


GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Cheryl:  As we prepare for our sacred meal, we bring before The Holy One our cares and concerns as we pray:  

Cheryl and All:  Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole, loving God.


Cheryl: Into our troubles and weaknesses, 

Into the barren places of our souls,             Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…..

Cheryl: Into the war torn and the refugee,

Into those who live in conflict,                      Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…..

Cheryl: Into the homeless  the unemployed, and the underemployed

Into those who feel abandoned,                   Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…..

Cheryl: Into the sick and the disabled, Into those with chronic and life threatening conditions.

                                                                            Cheryl and All: Come down, come in….

Cheryl: Into the poor and the starving,

Into those who are oppressed or abused,      Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…..

Cheryl: Into the lives of loved ones,

Into those from whom we are estranged,      Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…..

Cheryl: Into our joys and celebrations,

Into our work and our achievements,             Cheryl and All : Come down, come in…..

Cheryl:  Into the lives of those recorded in our community petition book, (Katy)

And for whom or what else shall we pray?    Cheryl and All: Come down, come in……


Cheryl:  Into the hearts of so many we hold in the silence of our hearts.                                          Cheryl and All: Come down, come in…….


Cheryl: O Christ we long for your coming. Hasten that day when those who seek you in every nation will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south and sit at table in Your Kindom. Hasten the day when your Kindom will come in all its glory and suffering and pain and sickness and oppression and death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a great multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy and love together in your kindom.         All: AMEN

~ written by Christine Sine on Godspace for the 1st Sun of Advent


PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

Elena: Blessed are you, God of all life. Through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal may we become your new creation.  

All:  Blessed be God forever.

Elena: God is with you.  All: And also with you. 

Elena: Let us lift up our hearts.  All: We lift them up to God.

Elena: Let us give thanks and praise to our God.


CALLED TO WORSHIP (BEGINNING OF ADVENT)


Jim B: In the midst of the end-of-year weariness, as we gather here we declare our intention to live as if the greatest gift in the world were about to be placed into our hands, 

and as if the Giver has understood our deepest needs, our most heartfelt prayers.


Judy: Like Mary, may we be surprised by our calling; like Simeon and Anna, may the years increase our faith; like sleepy shift workers on a hillside, may our eyes be opened;

like Joseph may we listen to our dreams; for this season requires our creative imagination.


Kevin: There is a Presence in our world that asks to be seen, who will stay awake?

There is one coming to our world that seeks a welcome, who will offer hospitality?

Even now Jesus the Christ is moving towards us.

(written by Ann Siddall, posted on the Stillpoint Spirituality Centre and Faith Community)


EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Jim B: Mothering God, you brought forth all creation from your Life-Giving Womb. O Love of the Ages, we praise you and leap for joy in your presence. Holy One of ancient Israel, you revealed yourself in Mary’s womb, in a shining star, in humble shepherds, in a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. You embrace us with infinite love in every situation and relationship. You dwell in the depths of our hearts. 


Judy: We invite you this day to deepen our awareness of your boundless love as we gather around the table of abundant life. With grateful hearts, we proclaim your praise. 


All: Holy, Holy, Holy, Creator of heaven and earth. All beings are pregnant with your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed are you who dwell in all things. Hosanna in the highest.


Kevin: Praise to you all-giving God, born of Mary. You are the body and blood of woman. We glorify you, nurturing God for the dawning of the sacred promise of God’s Anointed, fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.


Kirsten: We celebrate the birth of Jesus Our newborn Emmanuel, who came to give us the

fullness of life. During this holy season, we share the bread of freedom and lift the cup of salvation. 


(Please raise hands toward bread and wine for the Invocation of the Holy Spirit)

Elena and All: Come Holy Spirit deepen your Presence within us and in these gifts of bread and wine, that they may become the body of Christ.


Elena and All: As Jesus gave birth to the New Covenant, he took the bread and shared it with all who were present saying:  Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body.   

Then Jesus took a cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to all those who were present saying: Take this all of you and drink of the covenant, made new again through my life in you. Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.

Elena: Let us now eat and drink mindful that The Holy One is present in each one of us. Thus we proclaim the sacred presence of our nurturing God. 


Communion Meditation Song:     “I Am The One Within YOU” Jan Phillips sung by Linda Lee


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Fi9dK_6dY&feature=youtu.be


Elena: God of new beginnings, thank you for nourishing us in your sacrament. May your tender presence continue to open our hearts to the daily miracles of life that surround us each day, through Emmanuel, God-with-us.  All: AMEN

All: Christ, by your life, death and rising, you have blessed us with abundance that will never end. God of all people, you call us “beloved.” Give us courage to accept your faith in us and to live your compassion in the world. You infuse us with Sophia, Holy Wisdom, to serve you in the last and the least.


Harvey: As we wait with joyful hearts for the fulfillment of your loving presence in our lives, we remember, the prophets, martyrs and saints who have gone before us: Deborah, Isaiah, Mary of Magdala, Peter, Martha, Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford, Maura Clark, Jean Donovan. In the same way we remember all our MMOJ and ARCWP sisters and brothers and all our beloved dead in the great cloud of witnesses who blessed our world and continue to inspire us by their lives.


Mary M: God of our dreams, may we give birth to the Word Made Flesh in us every day. May we give birth to the church of our dreams and hopes. May we give birth to a deep reverence for earth and live in harmony with all creatures on the earth. 


Elena:  Let us All pray the  prayer of Jesus                                                                                                 O Holy One, you are within, around, and among us.

We celebrate your many names. 

Your wisdom come, your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us.

Each day you give us all we need. 

You remind us of our limits, and we let go. 

You support us in your power, and we act with courage. 

For you are the dwelling place within us, the empowerment around us,

And the celebration among us, now and forever. Amen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQtTF3lWTc8&feature=youtu.be (Adapted, Miriam Therese Winter, MMS)



INTRODUCTIONS, GRATITUDES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 


CONCLUDING RITE


BLESSING

Elena: Our God is with you.   All: and also with you.

 (Everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing)

All: May our loving God fill us with radiant joy. May our liberating God fill us with deep peace, and may our compassionate God bless us always with strength to serve the broken and excluded. Amen


Cheryl and Elena: As we leave here in the peace of Christ and the joy of God, let us be the joyful and compassionate people that God created us to be. And let our service continue!

All: Thanks be to God. Let it be so!


CLOSING SONG: Hills of the North Rejoice (Brotherhood of Hope)


www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdBwGNp64jQ

Hills of the North rejoice, 

river and mountain-Spring,

hark to the advent voice;

valley and lowland, sing.

Christ comes in righteousness and love,

He brings salvation from above.


Isles of the Southern seas,

Sing to the listening earth, 

Carry on every breeze

Hope of a world’s new birth;

In Christ shall all be made anew,

His word is sure, his promise true.


Lands of the East arise, 

He is your brightest morn,

greet him with joyous eyes,

praise shall his path adorn;

your seers have longed to know their God;

to you he comes, the final word.


Shores of the utmost West,

Lands of the setting sun,

Welcome the heavenly guest

In whom the dawn has come;

He brings a never-ending light

Who triumphed o’er our darkest night.

Shout as you journey home,

Songs be in every mouth,

lo, from the North they come,

from East and West and South;

in Jesus all shall find their rest,

in him the universe be blest.



If you want to invite someone to attend our liturgy, please refer them to the day’s liturgy and zoom instructions at MaryMotherofJesus.org      


If you want to add a petition to our MMOJ book of community prayers, please send an email to KatyRCWP@tampabay.rr.com or call 813-938-5750.


To support our community, please send your check to:

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community

St Andrew UCC, 6908 Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34238