Living Gospel Inclusivity and Empowerment Now
"Unity in the Church and among the Churches, dear sisters and brothers, is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust, beginning with our families and communities. If Jesus can trust us, we can certainly trust one another in his name." | Pope Leo XIV
The path to healing begins with prayer and a desire to forgive. As we grow in awareness of the Christ-Presence within us and working through us, we receive the grace to
step forward and ask for and receive forgiveness . Bridget Mary
In the past two years, the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests has made history:
Our prophetic ordination of three deacons and three priests on the Tiber River in 2024 electrified the global Church.
On June 24, 2025, Christina Moreira’s ordination as bishop became a watershed moment for women’s equality in ministry.
Now, our mission is expanding. This September, one of our priests will begin a nationwide speaking tour to share the vision and welcome new candidates to ministry.
We can’t do it without you.
Your gift—whether one-time or monthly—fuels this movement for justice, inclusion, and Spirit-led leadership in the Church. Every dollar strengthens our mission and amplifies the call: The Body of Christ is incomplete without women’s voices at the table.
Give today and stand with us in building a Church where all are welcome.
Donate securely now: arcwp.org/donate
Or mail gift to ARCWP,
5342 Clark Rd. PMB #1073
Sarasota, FL
With gratitude and hope,
Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP
Luke 12:35-40
The theme of waiting is found in all of our lessons this morning. The reading from the Book of Wisdom refers to the Israelites’ waiting for their deliverance or exodus from Egyptian bondage. The writer says to God, “Your people awaited the salvation of the just and the destruction of their foes.”
The Letter to the Hebrews talks about waiting in faith for what people hope will come to pass. For Abraham and Sarah, it was waiting for their call to a new place—a “promised land”. Before that, they had to wait a long time for the birth of their first child, Isaac.
In the Gospel lesson, Jesus tells a parable about servants who are asked to wait for the arrival of their master, who had been away for a wedding. When the master finally arrives, he serves them. What a wonderful thing to wait for!
Waiting is a common theme in our faith tradition. The season of Advent, for example, is rooted in the theme of waiting for the arrival of the Christ child. After Easter, we enter into a season of symbolically waiting for the arrival of the Holy Spirit, just as the first disciples waited for the Holy Spirit for several weeks in the upper room.
The Bible is filled with examples of how waiting—and the patience that comes with it—leads to spiritual growth and thefulfilment of God’s promises. Other than the Abraham and Sarah story, there is the Israelites 40-year wandering in the wilderness, Job waiting for God’s restoration after enduring immense suffering and loss, King David waiting many years before he could assume the throne, and, of course, Jesus waiting 30 years before he begins his public ministry.
All of these stories emphasize the importance of being patient and having faith and trust in God’s timetable. They also inspire us to ask ourselves the following question: What are we waiting for? We aren’t in the seasons of Advent or Easter, so we aren’t focused only on the arrival of the Christ child or the Holy Spirit.
I believe our waiting is about many different things. Perhaps we are all waiting for that which we feel we most need at the moment. Here are four possible things we are waiting for:
First, there are many people in our midst who are longing for God to bring justice and restoration to a broken world. We are all yearning for righteousness and peace to replace suffering, evil, and injustices. For some of us, waiting for a more just and peaceful world requires activism, being personally involved in the struggle. For others, for whom activism is not an option, the waiting at least requires prayer for a better world for all.
Second, all of us have to wait for some kind of healing in our lives. None of us get through life without scars. We all need physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual healing. All of us need freedom from unnecessary fears and comfort during hardship. Sometimes this requires waiting a very long time.
Third, many Christians are waiting for Jesus’ return, to fulfill prophecies, judge the living and the dead, and establish God’s kingdom on earth. This hope is based on several passages of scripture found throughout the Bible. But even if one doesn’t believe Jesus will someday return in a literal way, we still wait faithfully for the kingdom of God to come near to us.
Finally, Christians anticipate being resurrected and receiving glorified bodies someday. This is the promise of eternal life with God. We don’t need to wait on this as much as we need to be prepared for it.
No matter what we are waiting on, we are like the servants in Jesus parable waiting for our master to come home, so that, as the parable says, the master can serve us. This is our great hope. We base this hope on faith, with or without evidence.
In the meantime, our waiting is not a passive thing. It is active and purposeful. It is living faithfully and sharing our faith. It is studying scripture and growing spiritually. It is serving others and pursuing justice. It is staying hopeful. And yes, it is well worth the wait.
CHICAGO (WOMENSENEWS)–In many ways, Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community in San Diego is like any other U.S. Catholic parish.
Parishioners read from the lectionary at Sunday Mass. They operate committees for peace and justice, religious education and hospitality. Since the congregation started celebrating Mass in 2005, they have had nine first communions, three baptisms and one wedding.
Today someone will light the first of the Advent wreath’s four candles, with a new one lit each Sunday until Christmas, reminding the faithful that a light still shines in darkness.
But Mary Magdalene is not just another Catholic parish. The spiritual leader is Pastor Jane Via, making it one of only a handful of full-fledged parishes with a woman ordained in the Roman Catholic tradition in the pulpit.
Mary Magdalene falls outside the traditional Catholic hierarchy and operates independently, openly flouting doctrine by allowing women in leadership positions.
The parish marks its second anniversary today, the first Sunday of Advent. It is the beginning of the church’s liturgical calendar, traditionally a time of waiting, as Catholics anticipate Christ’s entrance into the world in human form at Christmas.
But some in the Catholic Church are tired of waiting. They have stopped hoping conservative bishops and cardinals will fashion a church that mirrors their ideal of "a discipleship of equals," and they are acting to meet their spiritual needs without the blessing of Rome.
They are moving forward with the ordination of women and married men with the creation of communities that welcome Catholic outcasts such as gays, women’s rights advocates and the divorced, with the liturgical use of gender-inclusive language and with an open interfaith dialogue.
"It’s happening now," said Bridget Mary Meehan, an ordained Catholic priest who divides her time between faith communities in Falls Church, Va., and Sarasota, Fla. "We’re not asking permission anymore."
So at Mary Magdalene–as in a growing number of Catholic communities across the United States and Europe–the first Sunday of Advent signifies more than a new year. It is a new day.
There are approximately 300 to 400 small, liberal "house churches" in the United States and approximately 100 parishes, said Kathleen Kautzer, a professor at Regis College in Weston, Mass., who is researching a book titled "The Underground Church."
House churches contain a handful of members and meet in someone’s home for prayer and Holy Communion, the central Catholic sacrament. In many communities, women play a priestly role during the sacrament. However, breakaway Catholics are quick to point out that no one person "presides" over the sacrament. The bread and wine are consecrated by the community as a whole. The institutional church espouses the same theology, but many feel that fact is forgotten because there’s only one person at the altar leading the congregation, and that person is always male.
The parishes have larger congregations and either own or rent their worship spaces.
The most famous of these is Spiritus Christi, a regular Catholic parish in Rochester, N.Y., that broke from its diocese–a group of parishes in one region led, spiritually and administratively, by a bishop–in 1998 when the bishop fired several popular church leaders who allowed women at the altar, blessed gay unions and gave communion to non-Catholics.
Since then the community has chosen to ordain Mary Ramerman in 2001 and to have her lead the congregation. Today the parish continues in its mission to reach out to the poor and to include all people. With numerous outreach ministries and approximately a thousand people at Mass each week, it is thriving.
These groups are best understood as parallel institutions, a sort of "government in exile" for Catholics who might otherwise leave the church entirely, Kautzer said.
They attract Catholics who still identify with the faith’s rituals but feel alienated from the institutional church. Most accept women and married men as priests and are involved in social justice issues. Their prayers contain both female and male images of God because, as theologian Mary Daly, author of the groundbreaking feminist book "Beyond God the Father," said, "If God is male, then male is God."
House churches, because they’re only advertised by word of mouth, typically do not attract the church hierarchy’s attention. But the parishes do.
Via, pastor of Mary Magdalene, had a "professional, courteous" meeting with her bishop in August 2006 where they parsed canon law. And the congregation occasionally contends with protesters outside the Methodist church where they celebrate Mass.
Detractors carry signs saying "Blasphemy!" and "Jesus called Peter not Paula," and videotape those entering and leaving the church. Via suspects they forward the tapes to Rome. However, Methodist sympathizers have taken to standing on the church steps to ensure the protesters do not disrupt services.
The Catholics who attend house churches and non-diocesan parishes tend to see themselves more as restorers than radicals.
Archaeological evidence supports the idea that women served as priests in the early church, Meehan said. A mosaic in the catacomb of St. Priscilla in Rome shows Mary, mother of Jesus, in bishop’s robes. The Bible includes references to woman-run house churches in Rome, Corinth and Ephesus.
The drive to force women from the priesthood didn’t begin until Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire in A.D. 313. Until then, Christians practiced their religion in private residences because of fear of persecution. When legitimization moved it to the public sphere, men took over.
"This is a great throwback," said Jack Duffy, who attends church at Bridget Mary Meehan’s winter home in Florida. "This is what you might call ‘that old-time religion.’"
Worship at a house church is generally an intimate, inclusive experience. Often the celebration is led by the person hosting the Mass at their home and is as likely to be a woman as a man. In other instances members find female or married priests and invite them to the gathering to celebrate.
At Meehan’s home worshippers might bring trays of corned beef and cabbage to share after the service. Instead of a priest delivering a prepared speech about the day’s Bible readings, church members share how the texts relate to their lives. The approach fosters close relationships among members and transforms the patriarchal liturgy into a discipleship of equals, Meehan said.
"Our focus is being the new model and living the new model of Gospel equality in grassroots communities," she said. "And then we figure, once people see that, and it continues to grow and flourish, we will have changed the church from the people, from the grassroots."
Claire Bushey is a freelance journalist based in Chicago. Visit her Web site athttp://www.clairebushey.com.
Mary Magdalene Apostle Catholic Community:
http://www.mmacc.org/
Spiritus Christi:
http://www.spirituschristi.org/
Mary Daly, feminist theologian:
http://www.marydaly.net/
"Courageous Love and Mystical Wisdom: Walking with St. Teresa of Avila"
This liturgy celebrates St. Teresa of Avila as a contemplative mystic, fearless reformer and spiritual guide whose life invites us into a deeper relationship with God and a bolder commitment to justice.
Welcome and Gathering
Welcome to our Zoom liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive Catholic Community where all are welcome.
Please have bread and wine/juice nearby as we pray our Eucharistic prayer.
Opening Song: Courageous Women by Jan Novotka, Video by MT Streck
Rite of Transformation
Andrea S: We pause now to remember the times we have been consumed with worry in caring for self and others. Take a moment to recall one missed opportunity.
(Pause briefly and extend your hand over your heart)
ALL: As we let go and let God, we open our hearts to Infinite Love embracing and healing us. Let it be so, Yes, Alleluia!
A Joyful Gloria: Linda Lee Miller and graphics by Rick Miller
Opening Prayer
Bridget M:
God of Fire and Friend of the Soul,
you breathed courage into Teresa of Avila,
a woman of strength, laughter, and mystical insight.
Open our hearts as you opened hers—
to silence that speaks,
to prayer that burns,
to a love that reforms what is broken
and lifts up what is holy.
May her spirit walk with us as we gather.
All: Amen
Liturgy of the Word
Bob F: First Reading: A reading from Praying with Visionary Women by Bridget Mary Meehan
In her best-known writing, Interior Castle, Teresa used the image of a castle to describe the seven “dwelling places” or stages of prayer. According to Teresa, the first three “dwelling places” show us how to let go of distractions, and how to encounter the Holy One in meditation, spiritual reading and good works. The fourth dwelling place is like a bridge between the natural and supernatural, where we can “center” in the divine presence. The fifth is the prayer of union, in which the soul experiences life in Christ. The sixth is one of purification and transformation in preparation for total oneness with the divine. The seventh is complete communion with divine love.
An Excerpt from The Interior Castle by Teresa of Avila:
“Perhaps we don’t know what love is. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that this is true, sad but true. Love doesn’t exist-as we like to think- in the degree to which we are happy. No, love exists in the strength of our determination to try to please God in everything that we do, each and every day. The important thing is not to think much but to love much. So, start doing whatever most stirs you to love.”
These are the inspired words of Teresa of Avila, We affirm these words by saying AMEN
Responsorial Psalm: Healer of my Soul – John Michael Talbot
Second Reading: Pat F:
Today’s second reading for us is from Praying with Visionary Women by Bridget Mary Meehan
St. Teresa of Avila born on March 28, 1515 in Castile, Spain. Teresa was the apple of her father’s eye and a confidant of her mother. She wrote: “I was the most loved of my father.” At the age of eleven, she experienced a heart-breaking loss when her mother died. She described her sorrow: “when I realized what I had lost, I ran to the statue of Our Lady and begged her to be my mother.”
As an adolescent, Teresa was quite beautiful, charming and often in love. She went out regularly with young suitors without her father’s knowledge or permission. Teresa lied to her father about a man she hoped would marry her. Teresa recalled that her integrity was damaged when she was no longer a virgin. She wrote; “they put me in a convent in the neighborhood where they took care of girls like me, only not so evil in their ways.”
Nineteen months later, Teresa became ill and was diagnosed with heart problems and rheumatoid arthritis. At that time, her father took her home. She began reading writings of St. Jerome and grew to fear if she did not enter the convent, she was destined for hell!
When she pleaded to be allowed to enter the convent, her father initially refused but later changed his mind. Teresa explained leaving home was a devastating experience: I can remember completely what it was like, and in sober truth, I don’t think that the pain will be more when I die, than when I walked out of my father’s house, for I felt as if my bones were being pulled apart.”
After entering the convent of the Incarnation in Avila in 1536, at the age of twenty, Teresa continued to care for her beloved father until his death. She wrote: “When I saw coming to the end of his life, it seemed my soul was being wrenched from me, for I loved him dearly.”
When Teresa was forty years old, Teresa saw an image of Jesus in agony that changed her life. “The vision of Christ left on me an impression of his most extraordinary beauty, and the impression remains today, one time is sufficient to make this imprint.”
From that time on, Teresa grew closer to Christ and developed a way of practicing the presence of God, which Teresa described as an intimate sharing between friends. (Autobiography 8:5)
These are the sacred words of St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church. And we respond to them by saying: Amen!
Bob F: Gospel
Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
"Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
'O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity --
greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.'
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
'O God, be merciful to me a sinner.'
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for whoever exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
These are the sacred words of the evangelist known as Luke.
ALL: LET IT BE SO!
Homily: St. Teresa of Avila, Mystic and Reformer
By Bridget Mary
Beloved community, today we remember and celebrate a towering figure in our Christian story—a woman who was as grounded as she was visionary, as practical as she was mystical: St. Teresa of Avila.
Teresa was no ethereal, otherworldly saint. She was fiercely alive. Passionate. Determined. Earthy. She laughed, she struggled, she spoke truth to power, and she poured her life out for God and for her sisters. She lived from the depths of her soul, and in doing so, she teaches us what it means to live with courage, compassion, and holy desire.
Though she was a cloistered Carmelite, Teresa was no passive contemplative. In the final twenty years of her life, she traversed the breadth of Spain, founding 17 new convents and reforming her religious order from within—a bold and dangerous mission in a Church and world where women’s voices were often suppressed. But Teresa knew something the powers couldn’t touch: that true authority comes not from titles or thrones, but from intimacy with the living God.
And Teresa loved life. She made time for laughter and friendship, and she understood that what matters most is not our accomplishments, but the love with which we live. As she once wrote, “What value God places on our loving and keeping peace with one another! The good Jesus places it before anything else.”
Like all mystics, Teresa had her moments of raw honesty with God. When her wagon got stuck in the mud during a river crossing and her supplies floated away, she heard the divine voice say: “This is how I treat my friends.” To which she replied, “No wonder you have so few!” That boldness, that intimacy, that holy humor—that’s the Teresa who invites us to speak freely with God.
Yet her freedom came at a cost. In an age of suspicion and repression, Teresa’s visions and raptures brought her under the scrutiny of the Inquisition. Had she been found guilty of heresy, she could have faced torture or even death. Her interior life—her direct experience of God—was seen as a threat to the male-dominated Church hierarchy. As Joan Chittister notes, the Inquisition may have feared Teresa not only for her spirituality but for her reform agenda, her Jewish ancestry, and her refusal to be silenced. She was too bold, too independent, too alive.
But thanks be to God, her voice was preserved—and it sings to us across the centuries. Her "Bookmark Prayer" remains a lighthouse in our storms, a mantra of trust, a gentle call to release our fears and return to the still center where God dwells.
This is the gift of Teresa: she reminds us that holiness is not perfection—it is friendship with God. It is the long, often messy journey of inner transformation. It is the willingness to let go of control, to walk with God in love, and to rise—again and again—in hope.
We, too, are called to be reformers and mystics in our time. We, too, are invited to speak our truth, love deeply, challenge systems that exclude, and root our lives in the presence of God. Teresa walks with us still, companioning us into courage and communion.
Let us now pray her beautiful prayer together, with hearts open to the Spirit who makes all things new:
All:
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything is changing;
God alone is changeless.
Patience attains the goal.
Who has God lacks nothing.
God alone fills all our needs.
Amen.
Community Sharing
Communal Statement of Faith
Pat F: 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 in the Holy Spirit,
The life of God that is our innermost life,
The breath of God moving in our being,
The depth of God living in each of us.
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 of and for the Community
Bob F: We now bring our prayer intentions to the Table. With Teresa of Avila and all the saints, we pray:
Response: All: God of love, walk with us.
For mystics, prophets, and all who listen deeply to the Spirit…
For the devastated families of all the undocumented who are imprisoned and awaiting deportation
For the people of Israel and Palestine, Ukraine and Russia, India and Pakistan and the Sudan that they may live in peace
For world leaders that they may put children and the needs of people who are suffering in the world above guns, power, and greed
For those silenced or scrutinized for speaking truth from the margins…
For reformers working for justice in the Church and the world…
For the intentions in our MMOJ prayer book (Joan shares)
For what else shall we pray?
Bob:
Gracious One, receive our prayers and guide us on the path of love and transformation. Amen.
Offertory
Presentation of the bread and wine
Presider: Bridget Mary
God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal we become your new creation.
Presider : Andrea S
O Holy One, You dwell in all of us, and you accept our gifts that we offer in service to our faith community. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
Preface:
Prayer Leader: Pat
The Holy One is with you.
Prayer Leader Bob and All:
And also with you.
Prayer Leader: Pat
We lift up our hearts.
Prayer Leader: Bob and All
We lift them up to the Holy One, the Love of our Hearts.
Prayer Leader: Pat
We give thanks and praise to our compassionate God.
Prayer Leader Bob and All:
It is right to give the Holy One thanks and praise.
Prayer Leader: Pat
We join with the angels and saints as we sing this joyful song of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy…
Presider: Andrea S
Rooted in Teresa’s unwavering trust in Divine Love and her tireless passion for renewal, we too are called—to listen with open hearts, to speak truth with boldness, and to live with holy courage. Through prayer, laughter, and sacred action, we help shape a Church that is contemplative, inclusive, and vibrant with the Spirit.
During his life on earth, Jesus stood with the marginalized, healed the broken, and challenged the systems of injustice that oppressed the people. Because of his radical love, he was feared by the authorities—and ultimately crucified. Yet his Spirit lives on. His embrace of all people continues through our prophetic witness and loving service. We are the hands and feet of Christ in our world today—called to embody the compassion, courage, and justice of Jesus- in every act of love.
Invocation of the Holy Spirit (extend you hands in blessing)
Presider and All: Bridget Mary
You bless us O Sacred Spirit and you enliven all that exists. You transform these gifts of bread and wine, and our lives, by boundless grace that nourish and sustains us on our journey.
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)
When Jesus 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)
Preside and All: Andrea S:
(All lift your cup and pray)
Then Jesus 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)
Presider: Andrea S
Let us proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace, remembering that we are bearers of light and hope.
All: Christ of the Cosmos you are the spark of love in whom we believe; the Wisdom of Sophia in whom we trust; and the desire for justice that consumes us.
Presider: Bridget Mary
Sacred Spirit, we remember Mary, 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 Teresa of Avila and all the great saints, prophets and martyrs.
Presider: Andrea S
We remember all the members of our MMOJ Community, our family members and friends who have transitioned into New Life. We give thanks for all those who have blessed our lives and whose memory continues to inspire us.
… (Pause and remember the names of your loved ones in silence…)
Prayer Leader: Bridget Mary
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 our religious and political leaders, comfort and love those closest to us, those who live in our country and all the people of the earth.
And we respond together by singing the Great Amen.
Communion Rite:
Prayer Leader: Pat F
Prayer of Jesus:
Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Pat and All:
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)
Prayer Leader Bob F
Sign of Peace:
Let us offer one another a sign of peace.
Namaste! Namaste! Namaste
Prayer for the Breaking of the Bread
Presider: Pat F:
Please join in praying the prayer for the breaking of the bread:
All: Loving God, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.
We will live justly.
Loving God, You call us to be Your presence in the world.
We will love tenderly.
Loving God, You call us to speak truth to power.
We will walk with integrity.
(Presiders hold up bread and wine) Let us share the bread and cup as we say to each other: You are the Body of Christ
Communion: St. Teresa’s Prayer by John Michael Talbot
Prayer After Communion: Presider: Andrea S:
Ever-living God,
you lit a fire in the heart of Teresa of Avila,
and it has not gone out.
May we burn with that same flame—
a love bold enough to challenge injustice,
a peace deep enough to silence fear,
a joy strong enough to carry us through the muddy roads of life.
Keep us faithful, keep us humble, keep us free. Amen.
May it be so. Amen
Presider Bridget Mary: Introductions, Prayers of Thanksgiving and Announcements
Final Blessing:
Presider: Andrea S
We together raise our hands as we bless one another.
All: May the wisdom of Teresa guide us
May the courage of the mystics fill our bones.
May the joy of the Spirit lift our hearts.
And may the God of Love bless us and keep us—
in our prayers, in our dreams, and in our every step.
Amen.
Closing Song; We Go Forth by Jan Novotka – shortened video
Liturgy created by Bridget Mary Meehan with permission given to share with communities of faith.
Website: marymotherofjesus.net
