Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community
Thirty Fourth Week in Extraordinary Time
Feast of The Universal Christ
November 19,2022
Theme: Christ The Universal Manifestation of God
Presiders: Joan Meehan and Elena Garcia ARCWP
Lectors: Pat Ferkenhoff and Bob Ferkenhoff
Music Minister: Linda Lee Miller and Rick Miller
IT Team: Cheryl Brandi and Peg Bowen
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81534075389?pwd=TTdGY2NxS3AzTW13ODJESkdYME9aUT09
Meeting ID: 815 3407 5389
Passcode: 803326
(Joan) We warmly welcome you to the inclusive Catholic Community of Mary Mother of Jesus in Sarasota. All are welcome here. We invite you to pray the liturgy where it says “All.” And please sing your heart out! Everyone will be muted during the service. During the shared homily and prayers of the community, we invite you to unmute yourself to contribute, and then re-mute yourself again. Please have bread and wine or juice with you as we pray the Eucharistic Prayer.
(Elena) Today we celebrate the reality of Holy Mystery who loves us unconditionally from the original enfleshment of Christ in matter, since the Big Bang of 14 billion years ago, who loves us in the Creation of earth 4 billion years ago and who loves us in the blessing of the rise of human consciousness about 200,000 years ago.
(Joan)The readings provide information that may help those of us who still wonder about how to frame and understand the concept of the universal Christ. In the Good News, Jesus the man asks if his suffering passage to greater consciousness could be removed from his life. In teaching us how to respond to our call, Jesus surrenders his will and says, “Abba…. Your will be done.” He would rise as Jesus the Christ. We too are called to enter into a transformation that will enhance our relationship with the Universal Christ, a relationship immersed in the ever loving energy of evolution, in whom we live, move, and have our being.
Gathering Song: Canticle of the Sun
(Elena and All) We begin our joy filled celebration together in the name of the Holy One, Source of all Being, Jesus, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit Sophia, our Wisdom within. Amen.
Opening Prayer:
(Elena) O Holy One, voice in the listening heart, your gifts to us are beyond measure, and your patience without limit. We gratefully acknowledge your presence among us and within us. As we gather to celebrate Eucharist, we offer you thanks and praise for the gift of our humanity, the consciousness and freedom that allows us to know you and one another. Amen
Opening Prayer:
(Elena) O Holy One, voice in the listening heart, your gifts to us are beyond measure, and your patience without limit. We gratefully acknowledge your presence among us and within us. As we gather to celebrate Eucharist, we offer you thanks and praise for the gift of our humanity, the consciousness and freedom that allows us to know you and one another. Amen
Transformation Rite
(Joan and All) Let us pause briefly to acknowledge that as a result of living by an exclusive worldview at the exclusion and denial of other worldviews, we may possibly have deprived ourselves of attaining God’s call to oneness and close union with, and better understanding, of the Universal Christ. We ask your forgiveness, O Holy One for these and all the times we fail to manifest your presence in the world.
(Joan and All). Teach us the selflessness, trust and deep faith manifested by Jesus in today’s reading. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Sign of Peace
(Elena) It is fitting that, having asked for Divine and mutual forgiveness, we now extend an expression of Peace to each other.
(Joan and All) Let us pause briefly to acknowledge that as a result of living by an exclusive worldview at the exclusion and denial of other worldviews, we may possibly have deprived ourselves of attaining God’s call to oneness and close union with, and better understanding, of the Universal Christ. We ask your forgiveness, O Holy One for these and all the times we fail to manifest your presence in the world.
(Joan and All). Teach us the selflessness, trust and deep faith manifested by Jesus in today’s reading. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
The Sign of Peace
(Elena) It is fitting that, having asked for Divine and mutual forgiveness, we now extend an expression of Peace to each other.
(Elena and All): Grant us Your peace O Loving God, that following the example of Jesus and with the strength of the Spirit, we may be eager to spread that peace to everyone, everywhere, with no exceptions. Amen All: May the peace of our gracious and loving God be always with us.
(Elena) Let us turn to each other and with praying hands offer one another a sign of peace. NAMASTE 3x
(Elena) Let us turn to each other and with praying hands offer one another a sign of peace. NAMASTE 3x
Joyful Gloria:
(Pat) Let us All lift our voices in praise.
Glory to the Holy One who surrounds us, who lives within us, whose sacred Word is shared by us in our world and beyond.
Glory to the Spirit of Life, who offers us peace, peace in our hearts and peace with one another as we reach out and ask for blessing.
Glory to the Spirit of Life who invites us to learn the lessons of our mistakes.
Glory to Jesus who teaches us how to live the Gospels, and invites us to be healers of heart, body and soul.
You, O Holy One, are one with us. You give us the strength to live your gospel message in our world and beyond.
We depend upon your ever-present Spirit to expand our consciousness to include your ever expanding universe as we journey in the present and rejoice in the life before us.
Glory to the Spirit of Life. Amen!
(Pat) Let us All lift our voices in praise.
Glory to the Holy One who surrounds us, who lives within us, whose sacred Word is shared by us in our world and beyond.
Glory to the Spirit of Life, who offers us peace, peace in our hearts and peace with one another as we reach out and ask for blessing.
Glory to the Spirit of Life who invites us to learn the lessons of our mistakes.
Glory to Jesus who teaches us how to live the Gospels, and invites us to be healers of heart, body and soul.
You, O Holy One, are one with us. You give us the strength to live your gospel message in our world and beyond.
We depend upon your ever-present Spirit to expand our consciousness to include your ever expanding universe as we journey in the present and rejoice in the life before us.
Glory to the Spirit of Life. Amen!
Liturgy of the Word: First Reading (Bob) A reading from The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr.
Each one of us operates from an implicit worldview, a set of assumptions that are usually not conscious, and therefore are difficult to observe, much less evaluate. Your worldview is not what you look at. It is what you look out from or look through. It is thus taken for granted, largely unconscious, and in great part it determines what you see—and what you don’t see at all. I have concluded that there are four basic worldviews, though they may be expressed in many ways and are not necessarily completely separate. Some people represent the best of all of them, or combine several, somehow allowing them to cross religious, intellectual, and
ethnic boundaries. There are good things about all four of them, and none of them is completely wrong or completely right, but one of them is by far the most helpful.
Those who hold the material worldview believe that the outer, visible universe is the ultimate and “real” world. People of this worldview have given us science, engineering, medicine, and much of what we now call “civilization.”
The spiritual worldview characterizes many forms of religion and some idealistic philosophies that recognize the primacy and finality of spirit, consciousness, the invisible world behind all manifestations. This worldview is partially good too, because it maintains the reality of the spiritual world, which many materialists deny. But taken too far it can become ethereal and disembodied, disregarding ordinary human needs and denying the need for good psychology, anthropology or societal issues of peace and justice.
This is a brief sharing by Richard Rohr from his conclusions on worldviews and how they impact all of humanity in relation to The Christ of the universe.
Inspired words of Richard Rohr
Each one of us operates from an implicit worldview, a set of assumptions that are usually not conscious, and therefore are difficult to observe, much less evaluate. Your worldview is not what you look at. It is what you look out from or look through. It is thus taken for granted, largely unconscious, and in great part it determines what you see—and what you don’t see at all. I have concluded that there are four basic worldviews, though they may be expressed in many ways and are not necessarily completely separate. Some people represent the best of all of them, or combine several, somehow allowing them to cross religious, intellectual, and
ethnic boundaries. There are good things about all four of them, and none of them is completely wrong or completely right, but one of them is by far the most helpful.
Those who hold the material worldview believe that the outer, visible universe is the ultimate and “real” world. People of this worldview have given us science, engineering, medicine, and much of what we now call “civilization.”
The spiritual worldview characterizes many forms of religion and some idealistic philosophies that recognize the primacy and finality of spirit, consciousness, the invisible world behind all manifestations. This worldview is partially good too, because it maintains the reality of the spiritual world, which many materialists deny. But taken too far it can become ethereal and disembodied, disregarding ordinary human needs and denying the need for good psychology, anthropology or societal issues of peace and justice.
This is a brief sharing by Richard Rohr from his conclusions on worldviews and how they impact all of humanity in relation to The Christ of the universe.
Inspired words of Richard Rohr
All: Let it be.
Responsorial Poem by Derek Walcott and shared by RR
(Pat)Love After Love
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror.
And each will smile at the other’s welcome,
And say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror
Sit. Feast on your life.
(Pat)Love After Love
The time will come
when, with elation,
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror.
And each will smile at the other’s welcome,
And say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was yourself.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror
Sit. Feast on your life.
(Bob)Second Reading: Also from The Universal Christ by Richard Rohr. The third and fourth worldviews shared by Richard Rohr as they relate to The Christ of the Universe.
Those holding what I call the priestly worldview are generally sophisticated, trained , and experienced people and traditions, that feel their job is to help us put matter and Spirit together. They are the holders of the law, the scriptures, and the rituals; they include gurus, ministers, therapists, and sacred communities.
In contrast to material, spiritual and priestly worldviews there is an incarnational worldview in which matter and spirit are understood to have never been separated. Matter and spirit reveal and manifest each other. This view relies more on awakening than joining, more on seeing than obeying, more on growth in consciousness and love than on clergy, experts, morality, scriptures or rituals. The code word I am using in this entire book for this worldview is simply “Christ.”
These are inspired words shared by Richard Rohr in The Universal Christ
Those holding what I call the priestly worldview are generally sophisticated, trained , and experienced people and traditions, that feel their job is to help us put matter and Spirit together. They are the holders of the law, the scriptures, and the rituals; they include gurus, ministers, therapists, and sacred communities.
In contrast to material, spiritual and priestly worldviews there is an incarnational worldview in which matter and spirit are understood to have never been separated. Matter and spirit reveal and manifest each other. This view relies more on awakening than joining, more on seeing than obeying, more on growth in consciousness and love than on clergy, experts, morality, scriptures or rituals. The code word I am using in this entire book for this worldview is simply “Christ.”
These are inspired words shared by Richard Rohr in The Universal Christ
All: Let it be So!
Alleluia:
Gospel:
(Joan) From the writings of Matthew 27:36-47
Then Jesus went to them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray…My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death.” Jesus went on a little further and fell prostrated in prayer, “Abba, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. But not what I want – what you want.”
When Jesus returned to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for even an hour? Be on guard and pray that you may not undergo trial. The spirit is willing, but the body is week.”
Withdrawing a second time, Jesus prayed, “Abba, if this cup cannot pass me by without me drinking it, your will be done!”
We affirm the Good News of Our Brother, Jesus the Christ.
(Joan) From the writings of Matthew 27:36-47
Then Jesus went to them to a place called Gethsemane and said to the disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray…My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death.” Jesus went on a little further and fell prostrated in prayer, “Abba, if it is possible, let this cup pass me by. But not what I want – what you want.”
When Jesus returned to the disciples, he found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you stay awake with me for even an hour? Be on guard and pray that you may not undergo trial. The spirit is willing, but the body is week.”
Withdrawing a second time, Jesus prayed, “Abba, if this cup cannot pass me by without me drinking it, your will be done!”
We affirm the Good News of Our Brother, Jesus the Christ.
All: Amen
Alleluia:
Homily
Statement of Faith
(Bob)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 God's Word, bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion, bright star in the firmament of God's prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that we are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of God's love, a source of God's wisdom and truth, and an instrument of God's peace in the world.
We believe that God's 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.
Prayers for the people of God
(Joan) As we prepare for the sacred meal, we pray for the needs of the people of God in our community and around the world and for the earth and all universal life sustained by God.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~Jesus, Prince of Peace, may those who govern seek to bring peace, that all may live in a fully human way.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~Jesus, Wonderful Counselor, give wisdom to those who negotiate to bring about a better quality of life to all people.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
Jesus lamb of God, help us to acknowledge our complicity in the suffering of others, and give us a renewed spirit that we may share in the mystery of redemption.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~You are the Way, The truth and the Life, awaken in us the courage to set aside our petty way, our half-truths that keep us divided from one another.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~You prayed for the coming of the reign of God, may we recognize those who differ from us as our sisters and brothers, sharing this universe You have created for us.
ALL: May Shekinah guide us.
(Bob)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 God's Word, bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion, bright star in the firmament of God's prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that we are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of God's love, a source of God's wisdom and truth, and an instrument of God's peace in the world.
We believe that God's 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.
Prayers for the people of God
(Joan) As we prepare for the sacred meal, we pray for the needs of the people of God in our community and around the world and for the earth and all universal life sustained by God.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~Jesus, Prince of Peace, may those who govern seek to bring peace, that all may live in a fully human way.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~Jesus, Wonderful Counselor, give wisdom to those who negotiate to bring about a better quality of life to all people.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
Jesus lamb of God, help us to acknowledge our complicity in the suffering of others, and give us a renewed spirit that we may share in the mystery of redemption.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~You are the Way, The truth and the Life, awaken in us the courage to set aside our petty way, our half-truths that keep us divided from one another.
All: May Shekinah guide us.
~You prayed for the coming of the reign of God, may we recognize those who differ from us as our sisters and brothers, sharing this universe You have created for us.
ALL: May Shekinah guide us.
Preparation of the Gifts
Offertory Song: What Shall I Give
Offertory Song: What Shall I Give
(Bob) Blessed are you, God of all Creation, Earth and the Universe. This bread is your community of Mary Mother of Jesus, offering our spiritual evolution into the heart of Christ. May this bread become spiritual nourishment for our journey.
All: Praise and glory to our Creator, Shekinah, and Jesus the Christ forever.
(Pat) Blessed are you, God of all Creation, Earth and the Universe. This wine is our desire to make co-creator choices in our own lives and for humanity. May we grow in faith, hope and love by following the way of Jesus Christ, our wise elder brother.
All: Praise and glory to our Creator, Shekinah, and Jesus the Christ forever.
All: Praise and glory to our Creator, Shekinah, and Jesus the Christ forever.
Eucharistic Prayer
(Bob) Holy Mystery, you stirred the waters of creation and you dwell in us.
All: and in every living being and earth itself.
(Bob) Holy Mystery, you stirred the waters of creation and you dwell in us.
All: and in every living being and earth itself.
(Bob) Let us lift up our hearts.
All: We lift up our hearts to our Creator in whom past, present, future and All that exists are One.
All: We lift up our hearts to our Creator in whom past, present, future and All that exists are One.
(Extend hands in blessing over bread and wine for Invocation of the Holy Spirit.)
(Elena and All): Come Sophia Wisdom Holy Spirit and settle on this bread and wine. Fill them with the holiness and wholeness of our brother Jesus our Universal Christ who is calling us to justice, peace, equality and dignity for all. We give thanks and praise this day. Amen.
(Elena and All): Come Sophia Wisdom Holy Spirit and settle on this bread and wine. Fill them with the holiness and wholeness of our brother Jesus our Universal Christ who is calling us to justice, peace, equality and dignity for all. We give thanks and praise this day. Amen.
(Joan and All) On the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his friend and washed their feet so that they would follow his example in service of human consciousness and evolution into Jesus the Christ.
(Joan and All) When he returned to his place at the table he spoke the blessing, broke the bread and shared it with them saying, “Take and eat of the bread of life. Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.”
(Elena and All) Jesus then raised the cup of blessing, spoke the grace saying, “Take a drink of the covenant made new again through my life in each of you and in your community. Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.”
(Elena and All) Jesus, who was with God in the beginning of the creation of the heavens and earth, is with us now in this bread. The Spirit of whom the prophets spoke in history, is with us now in this cup. Let us proclaim the mystery of faith - Christ dies, Christ rises, Christ comes again and again and again.
Great Amen by Linda Lee Miller
The Abba Prayer
(Pat and All) Eternal Spirit, Earth maker, Pain bearer, Life giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven –
The hallowing of your name echoes through the universe.
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world,
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom, sustain our hope and come to earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In the times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trial too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen
(Elena) Please join in praying the Litany for the Breaking of the Bread.
(Elena and All): Holy one, you call us to speak truth to power.
We will walk with integrity in your presence.
Holy one, you call us to live the Gospel of healing and justice. We will live justly.
You call us to be your presence in the world. We will love tenderly.
(Pat and All) Eternal Spirit, Earth maker, Pain bearer, Life giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all,
Loving God, in whom is heaven –
The hallowing of your name echoes through the universe.
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world,
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings.
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom, sustain our hope and come to earth.
With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In the times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trial too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen
(Elena) Please join in praying the Litany for the Breaking of the Bread.
(Elena and All): Holy one, you call us to speak truth to power.
We will walk with integrity in your presence.
Holy one, you call us to live the Gospel of healing and justice. We will live justly.
You call us to be your presence in the world. We will love tenderly.
(Joan) This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Through it we are nourished and we nourish each other. All are welcome to the Feast.
(Joan and All): 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 to grow in consciousness and evolution in Jesus the Christ.
(Joan and All): 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 to grow in consciousness and evolution in Jesus the Christ.
(Joan) Take and share communion with the words “(I am) or (You are) love for the world.”
Take and share the cup with the words “(I am) or (You are) hope for the world.”
Take and share the cup with the words “(I am) or (You are) hope for the world.”
Communion Song: I am the One within You
Prayer After Communion
(Elena and All) Loving God, may this Eucharist in which we share Christ’s healing love deepen our oneness with you and with one another. May wonder and thanksgiving fill us with knowledge, understanding and experience of your love and compassion for us, your sacred people. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ.
(Elena and All) Loving God, may this Eucharist in which we share Christ’s healing love deepen our oneness with you and with one another. May wonder and thanksgiving fill us with knowledge, understanding and experience of your love and compassion for us, your sacred people. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ.
Prayers of Gratitude, Introductions and Announcements
Closing Community Blessing
(Everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing.)
(Joan and All): May our hearts be glad on our journeys as we dream new dreams and see new visions.
May we live and work for mercy, peace and justice, in our hearts for ourselves and our brothers and sisters…whoever they are and wherever they are.
May we learn to bless, honor and hold in reverence one another and thus grow in gratitude and humility.
May we continually strive to be the faith of a mustard seed, so we can move mountains that are barriers to justice and equality.
And may we be the face of God to the world, reflecting a compassionate and caring presence in us to everyone we meet.
And finally, as we go forth from this sacred space, let us purposefully look with new eyes and hearts to recognize our call, to Spiritual growth and evolving consciousness. Thanks be to God. Let it be so!
(Joan and All): May our hearts be glad on our journeys as we dream new dreams and see new visions.
May we live and work for mercy, peace and justice, in our hearts for ourselves and our brothers and sisters…whoever they are and wherever they are.
May we learn to bless, honor and hold in reverence one another and thus grow in gratitude and humility.
May we continually strive to be the faith of a mustard seed, so we can move mountains that are barriers to justice and equality.
And may we be the face of God to the world, reflecting a compassionate and caring presence in us to everyone we meet.
And finally, as we go forth from this sacred space, let us purposefully look with new eyes and hearts to recognize our call, to Spiritual growth and evolving consciousness. Thanks be to God. Let it be so!
Commissioning
(Elena) Full of Christ’s peace, let us go out in haste to share the Good News of the Divine Presence dwelling within. Remember, that as the face of Christ to the world we are absolute existence and a field of infinite possibilities. Let our service continue with grateful and humble hearts.
(Elena) Full of Christ’s peace, let us go out in haste to share the Good News of the Divine Presence dwelling within. Remember, that as the face of Christ to the world we are absolute existence and a field of infinite possibilities. Let our service continue with grateful and humble hearts.
All: Amen and Alleluia !!!
Closing Song: Dance then Wherever You may Be
https://youtu.be/G_20yKI5Z9w
________________________
If you want to add an intercession to our MMOJ Community Prayer book, please send an email to jmeehan515@aol.com
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Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community
St Andrew UCC, 6908 Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34238
