The May 15th issue of Roman Catholic Women Priests Canada's online magazine, The Review at rcwpcanada.altervista.orgfeatures the following original and linked articles:
Laudato Si' oratorio is 'a call to action through music'
The Persistence of Misogyny
Blessing Same-Sex Couples
Reflection on the “Great Conjunction”
Priesthood Reimagined: Roman Catholic Women Priests
WOMEN MUST ASK THE QUESTION OF POWER
Her name was Violet Diamond; she was both a flower and a jewel!
Eleven stumbling blocks placed by the Curia, and what Francis must do to restore the Church to Vatican II teachings
St. Basil's Parish, Ottawa, presenting a webinar on Zoom featuring Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ
Typo Tracker
Reflections on the Sunday Readings by Susan Roll
Francis Comic
Internal and Related Links
Readership Statistics
Comments to the RCWP Canada editor form
RCWP Canada Bishop's Message: The Mothering Love of Godde
Comments to the Editor
Lakota Catholic tradition gives new meaning to the rosary
Zoom link for video- 4:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time
ID 851- 0809-5506
Passcode 1066
Welcome:
Welcome to our Zoom liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive Catholic Community, where all are welcome. A special welcome to our newcomers, visitors or family members of our regular participants.We hope you will share a little bit about yourself during announcements.
We invite you to pray the whole or any part of the Liturgy with us in the comfort of your home.All worshipers will be muted during the liturgy, this helps keep background noise at a minimum.When you are asked to share or have a specific prayer or reading remember to unmute yourself and then re-mute.Your reflections and prayers are always welcome at the appropriate times.During the shared homily we ask you to follow the same procedure of unmuting and re-mute when done.Please have bread and wine/juice in front of you as we pray our Eucharistic prayer.
Let us begin now with our gathering song Ancient Mother
The suffering being experienced by the people of the world is greater than ever before in our lifetimes. We commit ourselves to let our voices be heard, to serve in ways we can with our effort to eliminate poverty and to work for change in our government
ALL: Transform us O Holy One
The disturbances and chaos existing in our country today keeps us all on edge.Peaceful protests are interrupted needlessly.Racism and white supremacy infiltrate all our structures.We commit ourselves to be strength for one another, to let go of fear and to keep our focus on the Divine Presence within in us and within everyone around us. “All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”
ALL. Transform us O Holy One
Our leaders of government are called to serve the needs of all living in America, to work out their personal differences and meet the needs of all those within our borders.We commit ourselves to challenge our leaders to be responsible and do their duties and stop selfish bickering.
All:Transform us O Holy One
GLORIA
Joan M
Glory to the Spirit of Life, to the Holy One who surrounds us, who lives within us, whose Sacred Word is shared by us.
Glory to the Spirit of Life, who offers us peace; peace in our hearts, peace in our thoughts, peace with one another.
Glory to the Spirit of Life, who cares for the health workers, postal workers, store clerks, garbage collectors and all those who serve our special needs in numerous ways.
Glory to the Spirit of Life, who sent Jesus who teaches us how to live the Gospels, who brings hope and healing to all those in need.
O Holy One, you are one with us. We are strong in our faith and will live life in hope and faithfulness to you, to be Church committed to the message of the Gospels
We depend upon the ever-present Spirit to walk with us as we journey in the present and rejoice in the life before us.
Glory to the Spirit of Life
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading:Kevin
The Letter to the Ephesians1: 15 – 19
Blessed is the God of Jesus, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing, in the Anointed One.For God chose us in Christ before the creation of the universe so that we might be holy and blameless in his sight, living in the spirit of love.
Ever since I heard of the faith in Jesus which prevails among you, and the love in all Christ’s people, I have never omitted giving thanks to God on your behalf, whenever I make mention of you in prayer.My prayer is that the God of Jesus, the glorious God, may inspire you with wisdom and true insight through a fuller knowledge of Sacred Spirit, true Wisdom: And that your minds may be enlightened, that you may realize the hope given by God’s call, the wealth of the glory of the Holy One heritage among his people, and the extraordinary greatness of the power which he is able to exercise in being Present to us who trust inin the message given to hisfollowers which is passed on also to all of us.
These are the inspired words attributed to Paul and the community affirms them by saying:
All:SO BE IT!
Psalm:Cheryl and Bob 139:1-6, 13-18
O my Beloved.You have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up'
You discern my innermost thoughts.
You find me on the journey and guide my steps.
You know my strengths and my weaknesses.
Even before words rise up in prayer,
Lo, You have already heard my heart call.
You encompass me with love where'er I go
and your strength is my shield.
Such sensitivity is too wonderful for me, boundless gratitude is my soul's response.
O that You would vanquish my fears,
Beloved. O that ignorance and suffering
would depart from me – My ego separates me from true
abandonment, to surrendering myself into your Hands!
Yet are these not the very thorns that focus my thoughts upon You?
Will I always need reminders to turn my face to You?
I yearn to come to You in love, to learn of your mercy and wisdom!
Once upon a time a child of happiness danced upon the land, knew friendship with the earth and celebrated life with her love of solitude and simple things.
She grew into a young woman, whose vision of self was clouded, clothed with the complexities of insecurity and the necessity of leaving the hallowed womb of the quiet earth.
She walked into cities of strangers, straining her inner eye to catch the slightest hint of the beauty that had energized her younger days when she played upon the earth.
Days stretched into months and then years went by. She slowly changed by going deeper, deeper, into her Center. Never understanding, why the desire to go deeper was there but always knowing there was no other choice than to follow at all costs.Darkness often loomed up large against her searching journey. Risk and Truth became her companions.
She met Compassion and then Wisdom came to greet her. So close, at times, were these companions that she wept for their intensity and her unworthiness. Still, they walked with her, and everywhere she went, her companions reached out and blessed the people of her life.
She could only kneel in gratitude, offering her heart of praise to the Divine Companion who had faithfully kept the kindling of loveburning in her heart.
A reading from the prophetess Joyce Rupp and the community affirms it by saying:
When the Blessed One came to the followers, he greeted them all, saying, “Peace be with you!Bear my peace within yourselves.Go then and proclaim the good news of the realm.Do not lay down any rules beyond what I determined for you.Nor give law like the law givers, lest you be confined by it.”When he said this, he departed.
But they were pained.They wept greatly, saying, “How shall we go to the nations and proclaim the good news of the Child of Humanity?If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?”
Then Mary stood up.She greeted them all, and said to her brothers and sisters, “Do not weep and be pained, nor doubt, for all his grace will be with you.But rather let us praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us Humans.”When Mary had said this, she turned their hearts to the Good, and they began to discuss the words of the Savior.(Excerpt from the Gospel of Mary Magdala)
These are the prophetic words of Mary Magdalaand we affirm them by saying:
Response: SO BE IT
Homily Starter: Bridget Mary -Farewell tribute to Katy
We believe in our Creator who has not forgotten us and is ever and always present with us.
We believe in Jesus, the Word incarnate, who journeyed on the earth, blessing the sick, making whole the broken, healing many, instilling faith in his followers so that they insure his legacy till the end of time.
We believe in Christ, the everlasting Presence in our world in our universe.
We believe in the Spirit of Life, the breath of wisdom Sophia, who stays present and real to us during this great human struggle we face today.
We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends who walk with us in love as we continue our life journey.
We believe in the partnership and equality of women and men in our Church and our world. Here we live our prophetic call of Gospel equality.
General Intercessions
Jack and Ann
We pray that the Holy One renew in our hearts our commitment to journey always in faith and hope as we reach out and support, comfort and love those closest to us.Let us pray together for all the needs of the citizens of the earth.
We bring to our table those persons who are protesting the injustices levied on our African/American brothers and sister.We pray that their pain and suffering will finally be heard.
We bring to our table the families who have lost loved ones because of Covid 19.
We bring to our table hearts full of hope and deep appreciation for all the gifts that Katy has brought to us and to the table of the world.
We bring to the table Katy, who has been committed to peace and justice her whole ministerial life that she may continue to live the dreams she holds in her heart as she serves the poor and continues to speak for justice and peace.
We bring to our table all those who are sick, who gain strength through our faithfulness in remembering them in prayer …name your loved ones…
We pray for all those we love who are healing from cancer. We pray especially for Dianne, Mary Kay, Sally and Bridget Mary.
Katy:We are blessed by the Holy One in a multitude of ways.
We have bread made from human hands, and wine made from harvested grapes. These are gifts of the earth, and together they will become our spiritual food and drink.
All:Blessed is the Holy One
With this bread and wine, we pledge ourselves to the teachings of Jesus as revealed in the Gospels. We accept our call to be present to all persons in our world. We are committed to the teachings and the ministry of Jesus.
All: The Holy One is praised forever.
With open hands let us pray:
Eucharistic Prayer
Holy One, we remember the life and ministry of Jesus. We are called to live our lives according to Gospel, always following the attitude and commitment Jesus manifested with the goal of being true followers of Jesus.We look to the strength of our personal spiritual and prayerful reflections to come to know what it means to us to embrace the full meaning of the Christian life.
In solidarity with Jesus, and with all the faithful women and men who have gone before us, we lift up our hearts and sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy. Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy
We celebrate, the wonder and beauty of the gift of life, as we recognize the sufferings and joys of being human. We look with hope toward the building of a future rich in diversity with love and understanding as our heritage, marked by our strength and courage to make all things new.
Jesus, as our teacher,you spoke in such ways that hundreds listened to you. You took time to go apart from the chaos in your life and to pray alone. You were not naive. You knew what the end result would be for challenging the powers who sought to destroy the message of our God of Love.
Janet:We, too, are called to speak clearly with respect and love, as we challenge the numerous injustices our world faces today. We are called to the inner life, our spiritual life, to go apart and pray.
(Hold your hand over bread and wine)
Jesus, we celebrate the last meal you had with your followers. We call upon Sacred Spirit, ever and always with us, to bring blessing on this bread and wine as they are made sacred through our faith in the presence of Christ with us.We remember you, Jesus, as you asked to be remembered through the blessing and breaking bread. And sharing the cup of wine, Yes, we remember you.
During Jesus’s life on earth, he lived and died loving the poor, healing the sick and challenging the injustices within society. Because of his ministry, Jesus was feared by the authorities of his day, and they sought out ways to bring him to his death.
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 your bread and pray)
Sally: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 your cup and pray)
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.
What we have heard with our ears,
we will live with our lives.
As we share communion,
we will become communion
both love's nourishment and love's challenge.
Everyone consumes the bread and wine at this time
“Receive the bread of life.Drink from the cup of the New Covenant”
Communion Reflection:Be Still and Know by Shania Knoll - Shortened
Michael:Sacred Spirit, we remember Mary, the Mother of Humanity, who birthed Jesus into our world. We rejoice that the Universal Christ remains always and ever present within and around us. We remember all those who have transitioned from life on earth to complete union with the Sacred Presence: Mary of Nazareth and all great saints, prophets and martyrs.
Elena:We remember our sister priests, strong extraordinary women: Adele, Judy, Tish, Joan and Michele.We remember John O’Callaghan, beloved husband of Dena.Both John and Dena served as priests at Mary Mother of Jesus.We remember, too, family members and friends. We remember all those whose lives have been lost to Covid, to war, to racism and all other “isms” that exist in our world. And we remember those you wish to be remembered
… Share the names of your loved ones in silence…
All are beloved who have blessed our lives and whose memory continues to inspire us, we remember you.
And we respond together:
All: Amen
Lee:Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
O Holy One, who is 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 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
(Miriam Therese Winter)
Blessing
May the Greatest Love by Kathy Sherman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVC4ec97IUc
Bridget Mary:Let us raise our hands and bless our dear Katy:
May you continue to seek truth boldly and love deeply.
May you embrace the mystery in your journey, making justice a lived reality
bringing peace, joy and hope to all those you encounter.
May you honor your personal need for deep prayer and reflection while in the midst of suffering.May you be a beacon of light to those you are called to serve.
We hold you in our hearts, dear Katy. We are grateful for all you have done for us here at MMOJ.
May we all continue to be people of faith that our life choices will be a blessing in our times and hope to others.
All:SO BE IT
INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Bridget Mary:Sacred Spirit, Sophia carry us forth as we leave this place and continue to be aware of your Presence within us.Let it be so!
