On December 11, 10 years ago, I was ordained by Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan in Sarasota, Fla.
I felt accompanied by the Afro Community accompanied by Rev. Judy Lee, which reminded me of my services in the Afro communities of Barranquilla and Buenaventura.
I was impressed by the imposition of hands on behalf of the Community present, they made me feel that, as a Church People of God, they were the ones who gave me the authority and power to serve them as a presbyter.
The homily given for the occasion by our Bishop Bridget Mery struck me when she said that I had been called to be a prophet.
Only with the passage of time, little by little I have been assimilating what it is to be a prophet. The concept of prophet as such, I have been decontextualizing it, it is not divining the future, it is denouncing the reality of marginalization, oppression, submission to which we women have been exposed within the institutional Church of the patriarchal clerical system.
I understood that it takes courage and bravery to announce the Good News in the midst of a structure that is deaf.
This is what the Vatican is showing us in its latest reform of the Canons of December 8, 2021, in the midst of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, since the Revised Code of Canon Law 1379 comes into force, which makes us the affront of placing the ordination of a woman and the sexual abuse of a child in the same category of serious crime.
This Canon is totally misogynistic, aggressive and offensive against women. This Canon together with Canon 1024 of the same clerical patriarchal concept. Not to mention the Gratian Decree 1140 which aberrantly labels us women as not being the image of God.
It seems that the Institutional Church would like to ingratiate itself with the Mother of Jesus, since it places her high on its altars, dressed in cloth embroidered with golden threads, crowned with precious stones, earrings, ring, sandals, necklaces and golden scepter. Granting her magister honoris causa diplomas in dogmas. Trying to forget his prophetic political, social and religious manifesto proclaimed in the Magnificat: Luke 1: 46-55. The Magnificat shows us a humble woman, but not silent and submissive. She was aware of the situation of violence and oppression of the imperial power of her time.
This ignores, hides and denies Mary's identity as a simple, hard-working, suffering woman, just like our women of the countryside, of the working class neighborhoods, the migrants, ignoring the culture, customs and Judeo-Christian values of Nazareth.
Today, Mary summons us and invites us women to stand up, to sign with her, just as we have signed and have adhered our signatures to other denunciations, to sign with her, the Magnificat manifesto, and to show the world that the Movement initiated by her Son continues to advance in spite of the canonical norms and prohibitions.
46My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior; 48For he has looked upon the humiliation of his handmaid. From now on all generations will rejoice in me, 49for the Mighty One has done great works for me: his name is holy, 50and his mercy reaches to his faithful ones from generation to generation. 51He does exploits with his arm: He scatters the proud in heart, 52he lifts up the mighty from their thrones 52he lifts up the mighty from the throne and exalts the lowly, 53he fills the hungry with good things, and the rich he sends away empty. and the rich he sends away empty. 54He helps Israel, his servant, remembering mercy 55As he promised our fathers. in favor of Abraham and his descendants forever.
Celebrating my First Decade as a presbyter: I sign and renew my prophetic commitment in holy obedience to the Spirit of the Ruah=Holy Spirit, who enlightens, strengthens and accompanies me, to continue announcing the Good News to my people.
A message of counsel from a Feminist Theological Perspective…
Let’s get one thing clear, shall we? Sex is not a sin. OK? Got that? Sex was never a sin. Not in the Garden of Eden, not now, not ever. It is the reason we are all here. It is a biological necessity like food and water and the elimination of waste products. It is part of the human condition like sleeping. It is not a sin.
Sex is not even original to the human species. All organisms, from the lowest bacterium on upwards on your favorite Scala Natura must procreate for their species, if not their individual, survival.
Nor is sin transmitted through sex. Sex is not the vehicle through which sin comes into this world. We do not inherit sin from our parents like our eye color or body type. It is not attached to a gene or chromosome.
We are all conceived and born immaculate, without stain of sin on our souls. We chose to commit sin ourselves for whatever selfish reason or rationalization but it is our choice. It was not imposed upon us.
Therein lies [pun intended] your Atonement Theology. Jesus is our Savior and “Re-deemer” (as in re-deeming us as good after we were “deemed” good by our Creator in Genesis) by the example of his life, not because he had to be sacrificed to undo a genetic flaw in the human species.
Augustine, you got it wrong. It did not take God becoming human for God to restore humanity. It took a human realizing the divinity within for a human to save humanity. To show that a life, indeed any life, even one filled with oppression and suffering including torture and death on a cross, could be lived with integrity, compassion and love.
What is a sin is oppression, exploitation, manipulation, degradation, humiliation—all the “isms,” “ssions” and “ations” we human beings contrive to get our own way at some other human being’s expense. In other words, sex between two consenting adults is not a sin unless it brings about hurt to another non-consenting person. Sex becomes sinful when it is forced or imposed on anyone of any age who does not want it. It is a sin when it is welded as a tool of power to gain feelings of superiority by inflicting pain and suffering.
It really bothers me that because of you the 6th Commandment takes precedence over all others. Who cares if a president orders missiles to strike or bombs to drop, killing thousands of people? But let him have an extra-marital affair and lie about it, and it’s cause for impeachment.
I really don’t care who gets what kind of sexual service when or where. I do care who gets killed when and where. Because you had to justify abandoning your common law wife and child with some cockamamie excuse that Adam and Eve made you do it (well actually only Eve ‘cause after all, she was the one who made Adam ‘do it’)—and besides you didn’t have to be responsible for anything before your “conversion” anyway—sex is literally seen as the “mother of all sins.” Sorry, Augustine but you are a sick man in desperate need of therapy. (Maybe it was your domineering mother always nagging you to convert.)
Sure, lust is one of the seven deadly, but then so is gluttony, and you don’t go around calling fat people sinners ‘cause they overindulge’ in sweets. You recognize it as an emotional, psychological or hormonal problem and seek the appropriate solution.
The point is not to point a finger with a holier than thou attitude because you don’t and others do.
It wouldn’t matter to me one iota if Mary were or were not a virgin or if Jesus himself, did or did not engage in sexual activity. What matters is his life, his words, his example!
I would be very happy if Jesus had brothers and sisters and/or a spouse and children. Do you really think his divinity is dependent upon his sexuality or the lack thereof? Again, see a therapist, pleeeeze!
While we’re on the subject of things deadly; what about pride? Now there’s one that you yourself have had a lot of trouble with, not to mention most of the bishops I know. I don’t hear any talk of burning in hell for that one.
And didn’t Paul condemn not lust but greed (all right the pursuit of money which really is the same thing) as the “root of all evil”? Still no outcries of sin here when less than 1% of the world’s population owns over 50% of the world’s wealth and economically enslaves and politically oppresses the rest of us.
As I recall, Jesus overturned the tables of the money-gougers. Prostitutes he partied with. OK, he partied with tax collectors as well but I think he knew they were just pawns of the state even if they did skim off the top for themselves.
He told the woman caught in adultery to “sin no more” but he did not stone nor condemn her. How many people throughout the centuries have been stoned and condemned because of your teachings?
What does matter to me is that killings and massacres of our brothers and sisters and the destruction of our precious home continue to be justified and even glorified on a global scale while an individual act of love is seen as wrong. Doesn’t make any sense at all: unless, that is, if it’s a matter of control. If you control the most intimate part of peoples’ lives then I guess you can control them completely.
But Jesus isn’t about control. He is about love and compassion. Two virtues, dear Augustine, you might want to become more acquainted with. Another would be taking responsibility for your own actions and NOT blaming our first parents.
You justify war and call sex obscene when truly it is the opposite. And don’t tell me times have changed since you were around. Battles were just as bloody then and just as destructive relatively speaking only on a smaller scale. Collateral damage was relatively just as great only then it was called “spoils” entitling rape, pillage and slavery. Well, I call you bloody bonkers! Or maybe you were on state’s payroll to sanctify its carnage. In which case, I would have another name for you.
So let’s stop equating sex with evil and start recognizing it for what it is, a simple need. And like any need—food, drink, sleep—it can be abused, over indulged; or diverted or postponed. But it cannot be ignored. It has to be accepted, even embraced as part of the human condition, and not used to divide those who don’t from those who do, nor elevate one over the other.
You did get one major thing right, though, dear Augustine. And that was when you told us that we are the “Body of Christ” and by our Baptism and Confirmation we are anointed, “alteri Christi,” other Christs. This profound insight should make us realize our potential for goodness, love and service, not the sin and degradation you fear so much.See, Augustine, I think we will be judged on how many times we have shown compassion and love in our lives, not how many times we have had sex. Following the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes will, in my humble opinion, keep us a lot closer to Jesus than staying out of bedrooms. Maybe it’s different strokes for different folks, but I still think you need serious therapy.
Future Church sponsored a thought-provoking lecture on Zoom by Jill Peterfeso Ph.D on Women Erased: WomanPriest, Tradition and Transgression on Dec. 7th.Below you will find a link to the video as well as other links that were mentioned during the conversation.
On Dec. 8, 2021, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Revised Code of Canon Law 1379, which places the ordination of a woman and the sexual abuse of a child in the same grave crime category, goes into effect.
It is ironic that the Vatican hierarchy chose this feast day of Mary for this misogynist law to become official.
As we reflect on toxic misogyny in the updated Canon 1379, and the edicts that preceded it, one can conclude that Vatican officials are making every effort to stop our movement. Perhaps they realize that change is already here. The Holy Spirit and legions of Roman Catholics are calling women to the priesthood and embracing inclusivity and equality now. There is no stopping the spring . Women priests are here to stay! (ARCWP Statement in Response to Canon 1379) https://arcwp.org/there-is-no-stopping-the-spring-women-priests-are-here-to-stay/
Although the image of Mary attired in chasuble, stole and pallium of a priest reflects medieval concepts rooted in a fall/redemption theology, the belief in the priesthood of Mary were held by priests and bishops up to the 20th century.
Unlike the hierarchical condemnation of women's ordination in Canon 1379 based on the ridiculous sexist argument that women cannot be priests because they do not bear a physical
resemblance to Jesus, the medieval mind had no problem with fantastical stories of the priesthood of Mary. Perhaps, this was because they were familiar with the papal bulls, episcopal letters and archaeological evidence of women in sacred orders in early Christian communities.
With the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement, we have come full circle. Today women priests are celebrating sacraments in inclusive communities and in a variety of social justice ministries in grassroots, empowering communities and interfaith networks.
The bottom line is that women priests are here to stay no matter what punishment the Vatican dishes out. And a new day of hope is here for gender equality in the Catholic Church! So, let's celebrate the priesthood of Mary and the international Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement as a holy shakeup of the liberating Spirit in our times!
The idea of Mary as Priest seems to have been around since the 4th century and is wonderfully illustrated in striking mages of Mary dressed in priest’s vestments – some dating from as early as the 6th century. Here is a brief taster…
540AD Mosaic in the Basilica of Parenzo, Croatia
The image to the left from 6th century Croatia, shows Mary visiting Elizabeth during their pregnancies. Both women are wearing what look to be chasubles with the pallium visible beneath, denoting the highest priestly honor, worn only by the Pope or Bishop as a privilege. It has been said that Mary baptized and confirmed John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth. Jean-Jacques Olier, contemporary of St Vincent de Paul in the 17th Century, says of the Visitation to Elizabeth, “The Blessed Virgin, as Bishop in the Church, sanctified the son of the high priest Zachariah. She sanctified St. John and through the imposition of her power, using her right as Mother of God and spouse of the Father, she imprinted the Holy Spirit on St. John”.
The Annunciation: Mary’s Ordination?
The image on the right is from 12th century Germany. Our Lady is dressed in chasuble and stole as the Angel Gabriel speaks and the Holy Spirit descends.
There exists the belief that the Annunciation acted as Mary’s ordination. There is also a belief that through her ‘yes’, Mary made Christ present in the world, in her womb – as the priest makes Christ present in the words of consecration. In an address by Bishop Nazlian, at Lourdes in 1914 said “ A priest has the power to mystically produce the body of the Lord giving that body its sacramental form . . . . I allow myself to say that Mary is the first to say Mass, by agreeing to the Incarnation and so preparing the victim.”
A mirror image of Mary presenting Christ at his birth, foreshadowed in the Presentation in the Temple, is the death of Christ; Mary portrayed presenting her child Jesus to the world on the Cross as the ultimate sacrifice. And again, when his body is taken down from the Cross. Mary fulfills the role of the sacrificial priest; she offers up the sacrifice of her Son, her own flesh and blood to be the Bread of Life and she presents this to the world, as at Jesus’ birth, at Jesus’ death; Mary can say better than any priest, “This is my body, this is my blood.”
This image of Mary as High Priest, a famous mosaic from Ravenna in the 11th century. Mary is dressed in chasuble, wearing the pallium, her arms raised in gesture of the High Priest. It can be said of Mary at the Cross that she, through Christ and in union with God has offered the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world. “Mary was the minister of the Incarnation: that explains everything. She had as little the right to come down from Calvary as a priest would have to leave the altar while the sacrifice of Mass is going on. She had to preside over the completion, as she had presided over its beginning” (Faber)
A Deeper Understanding of the Immaculate Conception as Original Blessing for All Creation
Contemporary theologians, like Matthew Fox and many others, have written extensively about the need to replace fall/redemption theology with an understanding of all creation as original blessing. From the first moment of existence, all beings are reflections of the Creator on earth.
Like Mary, each of us comes into this life as an original blessing, and this feast is a reminder that of the divine presence that is within us, around us, and with us, in the midst of our sufferings and struggles to do good, and overcome wrong.
So today, let's celebrate, Mary, our companion on the journey, who reminds us that we are beloved images of the Holy One, called to be part of the world's healing each day.
My Response: If the bishops and Pope Francis listened to the people, the ban against contraception would be lifted, Catholics in second-marriages without annulments would be invited to receive Communion and women priests and married priests would be serving inclusive, egalitarian, empowered communities of faith. The hierarchical structure of Roman Catholicism must be transformed into a circular model of a discipleship of equals in which the celebration of the sacraments and decision-making is the work of the people, not the ordained alone.
(RNS) — "Everybody likes Pope Francis. Except, it seems, U.S. Catholic bishops. On the other hand, no one seems to like the bishops — they damaged their own credibility with their 2002 “Dallas Charter” on clerical sex abuse, which sanctioned only priests and deacons but left bishops alone. It was former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, known then, as now, for his own predatory acts, who suggested eliminating bishops from the document. Once again, today, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops seems bereft of common sense. Forget the worldwide Synod on Synodality, a listening exercise ordered by Francis, who wants to hear from Catholics and non-Catholics alike about how the church can move forward in the current century. Many American bishops are content to ignore it: Only half of the U.S. bishops have even named someone to run the synod project in their dioceses. That is, half of the U.S. bishops are not interested in what the people of God think. At its fall meeting last month, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops approved a $28 million budget for a “Eucharistic Congress” in Indianapolis in the middle of July 2024. There is no published USCCB synod budget. But it is about more than just the money. The Eucharistic Congress is about what priests and bishops control: the sacraments. Yet the church belongs to its people. Everybody knows that only a priest or bishop can preside at Mass, but the word “liturgy” literally means “people’s work.” And this is the heart of the tension between the USCCB and Francis: whether the Eucharist belongs to the priest or to the people. Eight years ago, Francis wrote that access to Communion is not a “prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.” The USCCB’s focus is on what they can do. The pope’s focus is on what the people can do. The USCCB seems to want to close doors. The pope wants to open them. .."
The Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa celebrations converge at this time of year in an annual relational dance. Each one is a festival of light and first fruits. A deeper examination of the biblical texts for today, the Second Sunday of Advent, also reveals more about who we are and what is our purpose.
Kwanzaa, originally thought to be a Black alternative to a “White Christmas,” has developed as a celebration of the first fruits of African American culture, history, art, and music. Maulana Karenga created Kwanzaa after the 1960s Watts Rebellion in Los Angeles. He wrote: “The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose and direction.” Today we might add to his explanation — this is why “Black Lives Matter.”
The larger context for the fantastic miracle story of Hanukkah, which, is not mentioned anywhere in the Torah, is also about culture and identity. Simon Shama called it the “Hasmonean liberation festival.” It commemorated breaking away from the tyrannical clutch of the Seleucids, a Macedonian Greek [Hellenist] oligarchy.
The Hasmoneans, the ruling and ruthless dynasty of Judea up to 64 BCE, saw themselves as both a religious and military power. They were known for colonizing every nation they conquered. (Think of how many Christian missionaries later in history repressed indigenous cultures even while teaching them about Jesus Christ.)
According to Shama, the Hasmoneans saw themselves as the “appointed guardians of Torah Judaism against Hellenistic contaminations … [and] invented Hanukkah” presumably as a festival to keep the story of victory over enemies in the collective memories of Jews.[1]
According to free-lance author Bari Weiss, “Contained in this story [of Hanukkah] are the themes that have run through Jewish history. The tension between universalism and particularism. The battle between assimilation and self-assertion.” Weiss’s commentary could be applied to tensions currently experienced in Christianity as well as in other religious institutions and nation states.
The Hanukkah story, John the Baptizer’s announcement of the Coming One in today’s gospel (Luke 3:1-6), and the eventual emergence of Christianity — are linked. The Christmas festival (the 25th of December is also without a biblical backup), is truly a celebration of light and first fruits.
We recall that the 4th century date of the nativity was established to counter secular celebrations during the winter solstice. That year (336 CE) officially marked the birthing of the promised One into history, a commemoration that continues to stimulate the religious imagination, the stringing of lights, as well as the secular holiday industry.
Luke wrote this gospel after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, long before Jesus’ assigned birthday. Luke’s purpose was to depict John the Baptizer as the precursor not only of the Coming One but also of a new way of amalgamating differing cultural groups.
Some scholarship suggests Luke was sympathetic to Jews before he became a Christian. He urged his Greek speaking readers of today’s gospel to adhere to Jewish customs. Remember the Hasmoneans aimed to protect Jewish culture from the Greeks. Luke’s vision was for a “pluralistic community of Jews and Gentiles, Romans and non-romans in the common people of God.” [2]
In the mid-50s CE, and much earlier than Luke’s writings, Paul wrote in his letter to the Galatians (3:26-28) “There are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus.” Biblical scholar Richard B. Hays wrote that this letter to the Galatians reflects a critical moment in defining the identity and purpose of the Christian movement.
This biblical quote is not so much a call to a singular Christian culture or global religious practice but a summons to all people of different creeds, races, and ethnic groups to learn to work within a common ground. The three holiday festivals mentioned here remind us how all humans want to maintain a purpose in life that reinforces their identities, teachings, values.
The Hasmoneans wanted to guard Jewish identity against other super powers. Christians sought to strengthen an emerging Jesus cult against heretical movements. Blacks and people of color want to retain their unique identities and not be subjugated to White power and privilege.
While he was in prison Paul urged the Philippians (1:4-6, 8-11) to focus on things that really matter especially in the face of personal and communal setbacks. He summoned his audience to become partners with God in achieving peace on earth. He believed that the gospel message would advance against all odds.
Christians can heed this advice by striving to advance values shared by different cultures to counter the tensions that Bari Weiss described in her commentary on the origins of Hanukkah as “the pull between fundamentalism and secularism.” Weiss is raising “the complicated question of how far the bonds of peoplehood can strain before they break.”
During the season of Advent Christians frequently see John the Baptizer as an unusual desert-dweller who calls us to repent from evil ways. Make crooked roads straight. Level the insurmountable hills. Fill in the potholes. Was he preaching to corrupt leaders or the peasants who were victims of corruption? To “repent” means having a change of heart — an inner transformation that will bear fruit and cast light on others.
Urging diverse groups to share a vision for justice and peace seems to be an unlikely objective in a world ruptured by cultural clashes and societal problems. Will those of us who come from different classes, myriad religious traditions, and varying political postures be willing to have a change of heart, to eliminate unwavering and divisive agendas?
The Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa festivals of light and first fruits are three celebrations that remind us we can do just that if we are willing to take some risks.
KATHRYN:Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community where everyone is invited to participate in our services.Still “once again,” we gather in this “zoom room,” our current sanctuary, to share the compassionate presence of God with - and within - each of us in this liturgy. Now, in these difficult times, it is more important than ever for us to gather with each other to support one another as companions on our earthly journeys.Each of us has a separate earthly path to our common heavenly home, led there by Jesus, the guide of each of us in our individual ways.
LEE:We invite you to pray the liturgy, although our style of doing that is somewhat different than what many of us might be accustomed to from their personal experiences in possibly a variety of houses of prayer.Here, at Mary Mother of Jesus, everyone will be muted (audio off) during the liturgy and are encouraged to pray in all the places where there is a word:ALL.The presiders and the readers will be unmuted (able to be heard) when they are speaking to each of us.During the shared homily, we ask you to unmute yourself (put your audio on) when you contribute your comment and then, when finished, please mute yourself (put the audio off) so that the next person, your brother or sister, can be heard by everyone just as you were.Also, please have your bread and wine or juice near you so that you can easily consecrate them for your Communion later in the liturgy.
KATHRYN & ALL:Now let us take a few minutes to collect ourselves as we prepare to focus our minds and hearts on our oneness.We are brought together through our love: our love for Heavenly Ones, our love for one another, our love for ourselves and our love for our planet.And let us begin this liturgy by expressing this love through song.
KATHRYN & ALL:In our journeys into the heart of compassion… and that is God…we celebrate the love that is continually unfolded for us by the Divine One being in us, in each one of us.Help us to recognize and honor the “you” that is in “the me” of everyone; of myself and of all my brothers and sisters, without exception.
Community Reconciliation, Healing and Transformation
CHERYL & ALL:Compassionate and understanding God, we pray that we may reach deep within ourselves to hear Wisdom’s many messages, to faithfully understand them and to respond to them in our actions with our brothers and sisters.May we emulate the virtues of love, pardon and peace that Jesus taught us so that we may – in turn – be more forgiving in our care for ourselves, for one another and for our planet earth. May we gather strength through your Divine Presence within us so that we may continually share that increasing and unending love that you have for us with everyone we meet.
Profession of Faith
KATHRYN & ALL:We believe in God, the divine mystery that is beyond all possible understanding.God is the creator and heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that will ever exist in this continually evolving cosmos and beyond.
We believe in Jesus, the messenger of the Divine Word, the bringer of healing and the heart of compassion. Jesus is the Risen One who defied death and, through his victory over it, showed us that death is only a horizon, a limit to our sight on earth, but an entrance to everlasting peace and joy with his family, the whole of creation.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of our innermost life.The Spirit is the indescribable cloud that moves us in our deepest being. She is the vision that supports and strengthens us in our very soul.
And we certainly believe that the Divine kin-dom -- the coming of which we plead for in the Prayer of Jesus -- is here with us now.It is stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to “take it in” for our deepest understanding.
Glory to God
JIM B:So now let us give glory to our loving Holy One in song.
Joyful Gloria: Linda Lee Miller and graphics by Rick Miller
Today’s readings are both from the New Testament, both focused about Jesus’ teaching about love.The first one is a selected part of John’s writing about that topic, and will be proclaimed to us by Cheryl Brandi.It is recorded as chapter 15 and verses 9 to 17.
Cheryl:And one day, Jesus said to his disciples:As my Abba has loved me, so I have loved you.Live on in my love.
And you will live on in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I live on in Abba God’s love because I have kept God’s commandments.
I tell you all this so that my joy may be yours, and that your joy may be complete.This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. You all are my friends if you do what I command you. I call you “friends” because I have shared with you everything that I have learned from Abba God. Whatever you ask of Abba God in my name, God will give that to you.
This is the commandment that I give you: love one another.
This is the good news of Jesus to his friends, and that includes us.
To that we say: Alleluia.
The second reading is proclaimed to us by Jim Brandi.It is a selection from John’s first of his three letters in his attempt to clarify the relationship of two intricately related topics, namely God and love. This piece is chapter 4, verses 7-10.
Jim:My friends, let us love one another…because love is of God.Everyone who loves God is begotten of God and knows God well.And those of you do not love God has known nothing of God…for GOD IS LOVE.
God’s love was revealed to us in this way: God sent the Only Begotten One into the world so that we, friends might have faith through the Anointed One.
Love, then, consists in this:It is not that We have God… but that God has loved us.
And this is the Good News that John has brought to us. And to that we say:Thanks be to God.
The Shared Homily and Community Reflection:Lee Breyer
Prayers of the Community
KATHRYN:We are a people of faith; we believe in the power of prayer.We are mindful of God’s unconditional love and care for each one of us. And now we bring the needs of the people to our merciful and gracious Creator.After each intercession, let us respond:
R:Compassionate God, we know bless our petitions.
We pray that we all may live with understanding and compassion with all those whom God has created, letting go of any and all patterns of domination, we pray…R.
We pray that the sick may be healed, especially those friends and family members of the persons in our communities, we pray…R.
We pray that those whose situations or conditions will soon bring them to their heavenly homes so that they will be with you and leave behind on earth a loving sense of peace with those whom they cared, we pray…R.
And for whom else shall we pray? …R (after each response)
O Holy One we walk in faith that nothing is impossible to you and that we can care for others in need through the power of your Spirit working in us. Amen.
Preparation of our Gifts
JIM B:Blessed are we, O God, and it is through your goodness that we have bread and wine and that we have brought it for our worship today.It will become for us the Body and Blood of Jesus. And we know that, through our Sacred Meals, Jesus will be with us always, loving us and others through us.We are your Blessed People, and now, in our recognition and thanksgiving of that, we will sing it in a love tune with each other.
KATHRYN & ALL:Creator God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus, your Son and our brother, in history and faith.On earth, He was driven by the vision of his mission. He revealed you to us - and to all the people of the planet - by a compassionate life that he so well lived.He instructed us, by his teaching, not only how we should live – but he also showed us, by his example, for what we might even die. When his time on earth was fulfilled, He opened wide his arms in a symbol of love in his embrace of all creation... and He died on a cross.
He showed everyone that love is stronger than death…his life on earth demonstrated that for all times to come.To illustrate that, the Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead and showed us that life is truly eternal and that love is immortal.His action at that time and for all ages – was the foretaste and promise of the paschal feast that awaits for all of us too.
O God, let your Spirit of life, healing and wholeness come upon the simple gifts that were once gathered from the fields but are now being used by us in this holy liturgy today. May this bread and wine, fruit of the field, become for us today to be the Body and Blood of Jesus.
LEE:We remember the blessing and grace that Jesus gave us as he gathered with his friends on the night before he died – and when he shared his last Passover with them.It was at that meal that he took bread, gave thanks to you, and then shared it with his friends 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.
(Short pause)
In the same way, Jesus took a 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.
[Lee, Kathryn, Jim and Cheryl and ALL.]Jesus has died.Christ has risen.The Cosmic Christ lives in us and through us in the world today.
We believe that the Spirit of God is at work in and among us and can do more than we could ever ask or even imagine.
(Receive the Body and Blood of Christ that you have consecrated)
The Prayer of Jesus (modified adaptation of Center of Concern)
CHERYL & ALL: Let us pray the Prayer of Jesus…
Our God who is in Heaven and in all of us here on earth, the hungry, the oppressed, and the excluded…. holy is your name.
May your kindom come among us with your love, compassion and peace.
May your reign come and your will be done….done in our choice to struggle with the complexities of this world and to confront greed and the desire for power in ourselves.
JIM B & ALL:Give us this day our daily bread …. bread that we are called to share, bread that you have given us abundantly and that we should distribute fairly, ensuring security for all.
Forgive us our trespasses…. times we may have turned away from the struggles of other peoples and countries, and those times we have thought only of our own security.
Lead us not into temptation…. the temptation to close our minds, ears, and eyes to the unfair global systems that create larger and larger gaps between the rich and the poor. Lead us away from the temptation to think it is too difficult to bring about more just alternatives.
Deliver us from evil…. the evil of a world where violence happens in Your name, where wealth for a few is more important than economic rights for all, and where gates and barriers between people are so very hard to bring down.
May your kindom come among us with your love, compassion and peace.
And truly, may your kindom come…. for Yours is the kindom, the power and the glory forever and ever.AMEN.
The Sign of Love and Peace
KATHRYN:This is the Cheyenne Prayer for Peace (with a one word addition), brought to us two weeks ago.It prays for an extended and inclusive action for love and peace that cannot be exhausted. Let us extend a hand in our blessing of one another as we pray with – and for – each person.
Let us know love and peace….
For as long as the moon shall rise.
For as long as the rivers shall flow.
For as long as the sun shall shine,
For as long as the grass shall grow.
Let us know love and peace…and let us live it.
IntroductionsAnnouncementsThanksgivings
Closing Statement and Blessing
LEE:May we experience the blessings of love and peace on our journeys as we dream new dreams, see new horizons, and maybe even visit new places.We know that Jesus challenges us to look into our hearts, to examine the ways we are neighbors to one another, to overcome our prejudices, to stretch our generosity to - and with - one another…in short, to see God present in our everyday loving and living and be responsive to our creator.We believe that we are the Face of God in society, may we get the grace to be the Heart of God inourselves.
LEE, KATHRYN, ALL:And we know God hears our prayers; may we make intelligent readings of God’s responses. For this, we pray.
Let it be so!
Closing Song:
They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love - Lydia Walker
Mary, Mother of Jesus Catholic Community's Easter Vigil- March 22, 2008 in House Church
These photos provide a glimpse of the joyful celebration of our Easter Vigil on March 22, 2008.
Over 30 people gathered in our House Church including members of Duffy and Gumbleton family. My Dad, Jack Meehan led the music with his saxophone with a lively version of Jesus Christ is risen today.
Our homily was a dialogue with many of the community offering insights. I I asked the community to share what they wanted to "go and tell "this Easter. Several shared that they felt that they felt hopeful that they are members of our House Church community where they experience the Spirit moving us forward together to live Christ's Easter message. They had lots to share that they would "go and tell". One family shared they would be going to Rome in the coming weeks and they would "go and tell "of their experience of a woman priest there too!
Mary, Mother of Jesus House Church Retreat and Liturgy on Dec. 6, 2008 (Carol Ann and Lee Breyer on couch, Margaret Smith in purple, Dad in blue with sax)
On Sat. Dec. 6th, 2008, members of Mary, Mother of Jesus community,(some of our snowbirds are not in Fl. yet) met for prayer, reflection and discernment. Our prayer and sharing led us to conclude that our ministry in the local church in Sarasota/Venice is to reflect God's love embracing all by living this vision of inclusivity and compassionate care and outreach to our sisters and brothers. We are called to "shepherd"-- to give comfort to God's people now.
We consecrated ourselves to be the hands and feet of Christ in our local communities. One of our prayers is that our brothers, priests, religious and bishops, will embrace Jesus vision of justice for women in the church and work for a renewed priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church as an inclusive, renewed discipleship of equals.
Tomorrow, Dec. 8th is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mary, Mother of Jesus is the role model of our local Sarasota House Church Catholic Community. Our work for justice, equality and a renewed priestly ministry in the Roman Catholic Church is rooted in the prophetic vision of Jesus which is echoed in Mary's prayer for justice, equality and empowerment. Mary’s prayer, the Magnificat, reflects the prophetic vision of Jesus who rejects domination and injustice and calls us to mutual service and empowerment. Mary prays to the Holy One who has done great things for her and portrays God as the liberator of the marginalized and oppressed. “God raises up the lowly and puts down the mighty from their thrones.” As we know, women continue to be the oppressed of the oppressed in our world to this day.
In praying the Magnificat, we stand with Mary, the simple teenaged, pregnant, but unmarried woman of faith, in her clairvoyant perception of God's relationship with us, through the strong language of her prayer. In this prayer, Mary is a symbol of strength, comfort, and power for the disinherited and powerless of the world. She is companion, champion, and change-agent for the righteous poor, who will triumph over oppression and experience the justice promised to them by God. (Praying with Women of the Bible, p.105)
Jesus, Mary's child, called women and men to be disciples. "With Jesus went the Twelve, as well as some women he had healed of evil spirits and sicknesses; Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out seven demons; Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, Suzanna; and many others who were contributing to the support of Jesus and the Twelve with their own funds. " (Luke 8:2-3)
It is obvious from the archaeological evidence that the early Christian community upheld Mary, Mother of Jesus, as mentor of women leaders and office holders in the early church. In St. Priscilla’s catacomb, there is a beautiful frescoe of Mary, dressed in bishops’ robes and seated on a bishop’s chair, present at the ordination of a woman priest. Mary is also depicted in a group portrait with Episcopa Theodora in a mural in St. Praxedis Church in Rome.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, may we live your prophetic call as witnesses to justice, equality, mutual service and empowerment.
Jack Duffy's Letter to Editor Published in Sarasota Herald Tribune January 2009
Jack Duffy (navy blue) seated next to Helen, his wife at Mary, Mother of Jesus liturgy
Bishop Frank : It has been brought to my attention that you purportedly reside in the Diocese of Venice in Florida and may attempt to be " ordained " to the ministerial priesthood here within this Diocese on January 22 , 2012 . This is a most grave and serious matter of consequence for your soul.
Bishop Bridget Mary: Under all circumstances, the church teaches that one must follow one’s conscience. So how can serving God as a woman priest cause a problem for one’s soul? I wish our male bishops would be as concerned about the thousands of victims of sexual abuse as they appear to be about the souls of women priests!
Bishop Frank : The Catholic Church has always taught that the Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women.
Bishop Bridget Mary: Jesus set the example by calling women and men to be his disciples. Witness his relationship with Mary and Martha and Mary of Magdala for example. He did not ordain anyone. Ordination was developed much later, in the early centuries of the church. According to historians, such as Gary Macy, The Hidden History of Women’s Ordination, women were ordained for twelve hundred years before the patriarchy abandoned the practice.
Bishop Frank: The Church shares this teaching with our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters. The ministerial priesthood is a gift from God, not something that someone " earns, " " deserves " or has a "right " to, due to advanced education, devoted service in the Church, or simply because of one's own personal desire. The reasons for this include : the example recorded in sacred Scripture of Christ choosing His Apostles ; the constant practice of the Church, which imitated Christ in choosing only men ; and the Church's living teaching authority.
Bishop Bridget Mary: This is a complete re-write of the Gospels! The Risen Christ appeared first to Mary of Magdala and called her to be the apostle to the apostles (John 20:17). Paul affirmed Junia as an apostle, who was his mentor and teacher in Romans 16. Note (Luke 10:42) Jesus' words to Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus, as she sat at Jesus' feet listening to what he said(as disciples do)"Mary has chosen what is better,and it will not be taken away from her." Bishop Frank, neither you nor church tradition since the 12th century are powerful enough to take away what Jesus has clearly given to Mary and countless women disciples like Judith Beaumont-"it will not be taken away from her".
Bishop Frank: In calling only men as His Apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner . Throughout His earthly ministry, Our Lord also emphasized the dignity a n d the vocation of women , and in so doing , did not conform to the prevailing customs, traditions , and legislation of the time. Still , among His twelve Apostles , Jesus Christ did not include any women. This fact withstands any so-called "scholarship" to the contrary. Sacred Scripture further reveals that Jesus did include the participation of women in His public ministry in ways that shows a differentiation of roles between men and women . Together both worked to build up the unity of the Church, avoiding divisiveness . Specific to the role of women, the Church gives thanks for the feminine "genius", appearing in the course of history, in the midst of all peoples and nations, and for the charisms of the Holy Spirit on women's manifestations of faith, hope and love .
Bishop Bridget Mary: Luke 8 affirms that women were not only among Jesus disciples, but that there were many of them and they were leaders in supporting his ministry. Jesus was a radical feminist in his vision of a “discipleship of equals”. He had a theological conversation with the Samaritan woman, who became the first evangelist to bring her whole village to him. Martha’s profession of faith parallel’s Peter’s and her table ministry indicated that women presided at Eucharist in house churches in early Christianity. Jesus never spoke of feminine “genius", he treated women as equals to men, a reality lost on our present hierarchy, who try to wax eloquent about women’s second class citizenship in their own church by use of lofty phrases like you, Bishop Frank, used above. Roman Catholic Women Priests are the "Rosa Parks" of the Catholic Church. We will no longer settle for sitting in the back of the Catholic bus. Sexism, like racism is a sin and always wrong.
Bishop Frank: Through the Sacrament of Baptism, all Christians , both men and women , share equally in the " common priesthood of believers . " Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders , priests also share in the " ministerial priesthood " of Christ , the High Priest . However, no individual has the "right" to be ordained to the ministerial priesthood. Ordination to the ministerial priesthood must be conferred by a validly ordained bishop on a baptized man. A candidate must receive the authorization of the Church, which has the authority and responsibility to determine if a true call to the priesthood exists for the said candidate.
Bishop Bridget Mary : Jesus did not see himself as a “High Priest”. He came among us to transform our lives and world so that the kindom of God would be manifest through our witness to justice, inclusion and compassion. He showed us that those who are leaders/ ministers must serve our sisters and brothers in the washing of the feet ritual at the Last Supper. Jesus challenged the religious leaders of his time for their abuse of spiritual power and hypocrisy. Judith Beaumont's Ordination will be conferred by a validly ordained bishop as we (our bishops) clearly stand in the line of apostolic succession through the male bishop in standing with the pope who ordained the first women bishops.
Bishop Frank: Below is a 1995 responsum, issued by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger [now Pope Benedict XVI] , then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith , in response to the to the question of , "whether the teaching that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women , which is presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis to be held definitively, is to be understood as belonging to the deposit of faith , '
Bishop Bridget Mary: This is the ultimate cop-out. Of course, the church has authority to ordain women. It did so for twelve hundred years. There are thousands of ordained women in church history. The institutional church can no longer discriminate against women and blame God for it.
Bishop Frank: Responsum : In the affirmative. This teaching requires definitive assent , since, founded on the written Word of God , and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church , it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (cf Second Vatican Council , Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium 25 , 2). Thus, in the present circumstances , the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren (cf Lk 22:32) , has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always , everywhere , and by all , as belonging to the deposit of the faith .
Bishop Bridget Mary : The Catholic faithful, including the world’s theologians, many priests, some bishops, did not affirm this teaching. Therefore, it is not infallible teaching because it does not reflect the faith of the believing community, the entire, universal church. It does not reflect the "sensus fidelium".
Bishop Frank : Further, as you may know, on May 30, 2008 The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the general decree , "On the Delict of Attempted Sacred Ordination of a Woman . " The decree affirms that , "he who shall have attempted to confer holy orders on a woman , as well as the woman who may have attempted to receive Holy Orders , incurs in a latae sententiae excommunication," that is, an automatic excommunication. Further, reconciliation for this excommunication must come through the Holy See in Rome .
Bishop Bridget Mary: We do not fear excommunication. Actually, we are walking in the footsteps of giants such as St. Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake for following her conscience. Pope Benedict canonized two excommunicated nuns: Mother Theodore Guerin from the United States and Mother Mary MacKillop from Australia, thereby making excommunication a possible fast track to canonization! One day a future pope, perhaps, a woman, will probably say, according to the common and constant tradition of the church, taught by the apostles and lived through the history of the church for many centuries, we ordain women deacons, priests and bishops.
Bishop Frank: As your Bishop , I urge you , to refrain from participating in what will be an invalid attempt at "ordination ." This opportunity is taken to inform you that, should you proceed with this action , you would in fact, separate yourself from the Catholic Church, by your own free choice .
Bishop Bridget Mary: Nothing can separate us from God, nothing can cancel our baptism, nothing or no one can stop us from living the fullness of Christ’s love in a more open, just and inclusive Catholic Church. We are faithful women living Christ’s call to serve those in need and on the margins offering the church the gift of a renewed priestly ministry in a Christ-centered, inclusive Catholic Church.
Bishop Frank: With this in mind, for the good of your immortal soul , I exhort you to choose not to participate i n this attempted " ordination . "
Bishop Bridget Mary: Our souls are in God’s hands. We answer the call in prophetic obedience. We walk in faith and love, trusting in Christ and with Holy Wisdom, Sophia’s guidance, as we serve our beloved faith communities. Each week Catholics affirm women priests as they celebrate inclusive liturgies in Florida and in more and more places in the U.S. and abroad with our 124 ordained priests and deacons.
+ Frank Dewane Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida
+Bridget Mary Meehan Bishop, Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests (USA and South America)
Deacon Judy Beaumont's Response to Bishop Frank Dewane's Letter December 26, 2011 Dear Bishop Dewane: I have received your letter regarding my ordination on January 21, 2011. I understand that you are fulfilling your obligation as Bishop and I take your words seriously. However, I must reply that as I have tried throughout my life to answer the call of the Gospel to serve God’s people, I must again answer this new call to sacramental ministry with the poor and otherwise marginalized persons in our midst. Members of the Catholic community here including the people of the Good Shepherd Inclusive Catholic Community and the Bishop of the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests have affirmed my call, in fact, they also have called me forth to serve.
While a Benedictine sister, I served as theology teacher, sacristan, trainer of altar boys and member of liturgy committees. I never thought of myself as being called to the existing all-male clergy. However in recent years, it has become clear to me that I am called by God to take on the sacramental ministry with our people. Four of the formerly homeless persons from our ministry presented me to Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan for my ordination to the diaconate.
I am convinced that in spite of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis women are being called by God to ministerial priesthood. In prophetic obedience we must answer and my answer is “Yes”. Surveys of Catholic faithful have reported that the majority are in favor of the ordination of women. Recognition of a woman’s call to ordination by the Vatican probably won’t happen in my lifetime nor in yours, but I do believe it will happen.
As a member of the Pontifical Peace and Justice Commission and attendee at the Bejing Conference on Women, you must be aware of the many injustices suffered by women worldwide. What a difference it will make for all women in our world when the Roman Catholic Church recognizes that God calls women as well as men to ministerial priesthood. What a blessing for the Church and our world it will be. Thank you for your concern. Oremus pro invicem. Sincerely yours in Christ, Deacon Judith Beaumont
BISHOP DEWANE'S Letter: December 1, 2011 Dear Ms. Beaumont: Greetings in Christ! It has been brought to my attention that you purportedly reside in the Diocese of Venice in Florida and may attempt to be "ordained" to the ministerial priesthood here within this Diocese on January 22, 2012. This is a most grave and serious matter of consequence for your soul.
The Catholic Church has always taught that the Church has no authority to confer priestly ordination on women. The Church shares this teaching with our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters. The ministerial priesthood is a gift from God, not something that someone "earns," "deserves" or has a "right" to, due to advanced education, devoted service in the Church, or simply because of one's own personal desire. The reasons for this include: the example recorded in sacred Scripture of Christ choosing His Apostles; the constant practice of the Church, which imitated Christ in choosing only men; and the Church's living teaching authority. In calling only men as His Apostles, Christ acted in a completely free and sovereign manner. Throughout His earthly ministry, Our Lord also emphasized the dignity and the vocation of women, and in so doing, did not conform to the prevailing customs, traditions, and legislation of the time. Still, among His twelve Apostles, Jesus
Christ did not include any women. This fact withstands any so-called "scholarship" to the contrary. Sacred Scripture further reveals that Jesus did include the participation of women in His public ministry in ways that shows a differentiation of roles between men and women. Together both worked to build up the unity of the Church, avoiding divisiveness. Specific to the role of women, the Church gives thanks for the feminine "genius", appearing in the course of history, in the midst of all peoples and nations, and for the charisms of the Holy Spirit on women's manifestations of faith, hope and love. Through the Sacrament of Baptism, all Christians, both men and women, share equally in the "common priesthood of believers." Through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, priests also share in the "ministerial priesthood" of Christ, the High Priest. However, no individual has the "right" to be ordained to the ministerial priesthood. Ordination to the ministerial priesthood must be conferred by a validly ordained bishop on a baptized man. A candidate must receive the authorization of the Church, which has the authority and responsibility to determine if a true call to the priesthood exists for the said candidate.
Below is a 1995 responsum, issued by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger [now Pope Benedict XVI], then Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, in response to the to the question of, "whether the teaching that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women, which is presented in the Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis to be held definitively, is to be understood as belonging to the deposit of faith,' The answer follows: Responsum: In the affirmative. This teaching requires definitive assent, since, founded on the written Word of God, and from the beginning constantly preserved and applied in the Tradition of the Church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal Magisterium (cf Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium 25, 2). Thus, in the present circumstances, the Roman Pontiff, exercising his proper office of confirming the brethren (cf Lk 22:32), has handed on this same teaching by a formal declaration, explicitly stating what is to be held always, everywhere, and by all, as belonging to the deposit of the faith. Further, as you may know, on May 30, 2008 The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued the general decree, "On the Delict of Attempted Sacred Ordination of a Woman." The decree affirms that, "he who shall have attempted to confer holy orders on a woman, as well as the woman who may have attempted to receive Holy Orders, incurs in a latae sententiae excommunication," that is, an automatic excommunication. Futher, reconciliation for this excommunication must come through the Holy See in Rome. As your Bishop, I urge you, to refrain from participating in what will be an invalid attempt at "ordination." This opportunity is taken to inform you that, should you proceed with this action, you would in fact, separate yourself from the Catholic Church, by your own free choice. With this in mind, for the good of your immortal soul, I exhort you to choose not to participate in this attempted "ordination." + Frank Dewane Bishop 0f the e Diocese of Venice in Florida
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