Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community ““Are we all in to save our planet in the name of God’s mercy for all that lives in creation?”

September 27, 2014

Jesus our Pastor, Maureen McGill and Katy Zatsick ARCWP, co-presiders

Mindy Simmons, music minister

“What gives us dignity is not our wealth or good fortune or noble birth but a worthy and virtuous life and the dignity of our labor.” St John XXIII

left to right; Co-Presiders: Maureen McGill, ARCWP and Katy Zatsick, ARCWP

Welcome

Gathering Song: #625 “We are Called,” verses 1-3, Please sing “our God” for “the Lord” 

Co-presiders:   In the name of God, our mother and father and of Christ our liberator and of the Holy Spirit Sophia.  Amen

Opening Prayer: All

Holy Spirit, through you clouds billow, breezes blow, stones drip with trickling streams, streams that are the source of earth’s lush greening. Like wise, you are the source of human understanding; you bless with the breath of wisdom.  Thus all of our praise is yours, you who are the melody itself of praise, the joy of life, the mighty honor, the hope of those to whom you give the gifts of light Amen.  (Meditations with Hildegard of Bingen, by Gabriele Uhlein, pg 42)

 Presider: The grace of God is with you

All: and also with you.

General Absolution (raise hands in blessing) All:

God, the Father-Mother of mercies through the death and resurrection of Jesus// has reconciled the world and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins. May God give us pardon and peace// and we absolve you from your sins in the name of God// the Father-Mother, and Jesus our brother, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

All:  Glory to God in the highest and peace to all who live on earth. You ask us to minister in your name with the People of God and the earth; we worship you.  We give you thanks and praise you for the beauty that surrounds us each day.   Jesus, special Child of God, Healer God, Teacher God, you free us to live your love for the world.  Jesus you are one with the Creator; you hear our prayer.  You are united with us.  You are our faithful friend.  We are with you Jesus the Christ with the Holy Spirit.  We are God’s daughters and sons born to give glory to God our Creator.   Amen.

First Reading:  A reading from the Prophet Ezekiel 18: 25-28

The Word of God.  All:  Thanks be to God

Psalm response: #759 All: “To you God, I lift up my soul, O my God.”

Second Reading:  A reading from Philippians 2: 1-11

The word of God   All:  Thanks be to God

Gospel Acclamation:  Alleluia    (sung before and after the Gospel is read)

Gospel  A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 21: 28-32

All:  Glory to you, our God.

At the end:  The Good News of Salvation.  All:  Glory and praise to our Brother Jesus Christ.

Homily   Shared

Profession of Faith:  All:  We believe in God, creator of a world of beauty and promise, the beginning and end of life, father and mother in the love and nurture of all creation.  We believe in Jesus, the Word made flesh who became the Christ in resurrection, teacher of a new way, of faith that finds joy in trust, of hope that believes in peace, of love that risks everything for what is good and true, of commitment to losing one’s life in order to gain it.  We believe in the Holy Spirit, who empowers us for personal holiness and for works of mercy and justice., Sofia breathes within us and sends us forth on mission, who enables us to profess our belief in actions as well as in word.  We believe in one People of God, the forgiveness of all sins and healing of our wounds, the resurrection of our bodies and life everlasting in the arms of our loving God Amen (creed courtesy of Elsie McGrath RCWP, Theresa of Divine Peace , St Louis)

General Intercessions Presider:  We are people of faith.  We believe in the power of prayer. Always mindful country and so we bring the needs and concerns of people throughout the world to our gracious God. 

After each intercession the response is: God of Mercy, hear our prayer.  M

Collection: Music led by Mindy “Blessed are the Gifts” © MS.

Preparation of the Gifts (Please come around the altar)

Presider:  Blessed are you, gracious God of all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer, which earth has given and human hands have made.

This bread is our community striving to do your will.   It will become for us the bread of life.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

Presider:  Blessed are you, gracious God of all creation through your goodness we have this wine to offer, fruit of the vine and work of human hands. This drink is our desire to heal the earth and ourselves and to do what you ask of us.  It will become our spiritual drink.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

Presider:  Nurturing God, we are united in this sacrament by the love of Jesus Christ in communion with Mary, who proclaimed God’s power and mercy for the lowly and oppressed.  Like Mary may we live as prophetic witnesses to the Gospel.  Like Mary, may we be Christ bearers and work for the eradication of all discrimination, violence and abuse in religious communities and world.

All: Amen

Eucharistic Prayer

Presiders:  We call upon you, Holy Spirit, Sophia to bless and accept these gifts of bread and wine let them become for us Jesus.

Voice #1:  Gracious God, forever with us, we join with the angels and saints, and all who forever give you praise and glory as we celebrate the wonders of your unconditional love.  Let you Spirit come upon these gifts and make them holy.

(Please all extend your hands as we bless the bread and wine.)

All:  Before he was given up to death, a death Jesus freely accepted, he took bread and gave you thanks.  He broke the bread and gave it to the disciples and said:  “Take this, all of you and eat it; this is my body which will be given up for you.”

Pause

All:  When supper was ended, Jesus took the cup. Again he gave God thanks and praise, gave the cup to the disciples and said:  “Take this all of you, and drink it;  this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant.  It will be shed for you and for all.  Do this in memory of me.

Voice #2:  Remember gracious God, the People of God throughout the world; make us one in caring for the earth.  We join with all God’s people, with our community of believers, with priests, deacons, and all religious and with Bridget Mary our Bishop and with Francis our Pope.

Voice #3:  Remember our sisters and brothers who are poor, those suffering from injustice and inequality, those living in war torn areas, all who are experiencing sickness or loss.  Remember those who have died especially Carol Ann.  They rest in the light of your presence.  Show mercy to all of us, make us one with Mary, Mother of Jesus, with the disciples and all the holy women and men who were faithful to you throughout the ages.  We join with them giving you glory and honor through Jesus our Brother.

All:  Through Christ with Christ and in Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, loving God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Presider:  Let us say together the prayer Jesus taught us for he knew it would be difficult to work in God’s vineyard.

All:  Sung    Our Father and Mother…….

Presider:  May the peace of God be always with you.

All:  And also with you.

Sung:   Peace is flowing like a river…Love is flowing…Alleluia.

Presiders This is the Cosmic Christ, God of freedom, justice and equality, our brother Jesus in whom all creation lives and moves and has its being.  All are invited to partake of this banquet of love and to celebrate our oneness with God’s creation.

All: May we be who we are--the Body of Christ. May we be what we eat--the Body of Christ. Amen

Communion: Sung by All: We are Holy, holy, holy…, you are holy,…I am holy…we are holy…

Mindy: music after communion

Song: #344 One Love Released Vs 2, 3

Prayers of Thanksgiving (after all have returned to their seats.)

Voice 1: For the thanksgiving, give thanks this way: First, for the cup: We thank you, our Father, for the sacred vine of David your son, whose meaning you made clear to us through your son Jesus, yours ever be the splendor.

Voice 2: And for the bread fragment: We thank you, our Mother, for the life and wisdom whose meaning you made clear to us through your son Jesus, yours ever be the splendor.

Voice 3: As this fragment was scattered high on hills, but by gathering was united into one, so let your people from earth’s ends be united into your single reign, for yours are splendor and might through Jesus Christ down the ages. 

Prayers of thanksgiving and/or final reflections:

Announcements

Presider: Jesus Christ is with us in the vineyard through his Spirit Sofia

All: Jesus grants justice and equality to all peoples and creation through us.

Closing song: Peace throughout the Land led by Mindy

Blessing extend hand in prayer for each other

All: May God bless us with energy, courage, and strength to labor all our days for justice and equality in our communities and nation.  May our nurturing God bless all gathered here in the name of the Creator, in the name of Jesus Mary’s child, and in the name of the Spirit as we serve one another and care for the Earth. Amen

Presiders: Go in the peace of Jesus the Cosmic Christ who is present in all of creation. Let our service of mercy, justice and peace making begin! All: Amen, Thanks be to God.  

Emma Watson's Speech on Feminism at UN: "He for She Campaign"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iFl4qhBsE
A Passionate Speech for Gender Equality

Reflection from Heart of Compassion Memorial Ministries ARCWP Windsor, Ontario

WHEN GRIEF OPENS THE DOORS TO THE SACRED, we come to the thinning seasons, summer to Autumn and then to Winter when eternity enters our awareness  keenly. We diminish somewhat within the great spaces of our universe while parts of our planet enter a dying and resting time, a fallow time to prepare, without apology, for the renewals of Spring. 

 Our dying, at any time of the year, is like this. It is as if we could see through to and reach into eternity as our bodies surrender to their necessities and then weaken towards the moment of our last breath. We are held and embraced by spaciousness beyond ourselves. It is a time  we are, perhaps, slowly coming to know though yes, this could happen in a flash with no prolonged  preparation. We could  be taken  as if by lightning, a sudden blizzard, a flood of something we can’t  name.

They said, “She loved greatly and always. For this she was dearly loved.”

They said, “We were always together, 3 sisters a year apart in age, and now the very fabric of ourselves is torn.”

She said. “I built a dream home deep in nature and we have immersed ourselves in tis joy.”

She said, “It is yours now. Your are dearly loved here.”

He said, ‘She loved us dearly here and she was dearly loved. Three years and then

our living, our loving place became the place of her dying. I was with her always

in the ravaging of her cancer.”

They said, “Every day she sat before her windows. She observed her world for hours

 and often, we observed with her. Everything became quiet. We were deeply loved.”

We said. “Their grief is profound. It feels impenetrable .Let us hold it as our mothering God holds it. We ask our God to hold their grief in the infinity of her compassionate embrace.

And then?  Art expression and poetry came to us.

A Woman

sits before her living

room window.

Long and wide

the window reflects

vistas of green

against a cloudless sky

where  eagle and hawk

drift in easeful flight.

Their motionless wings

reflect on the wall behind her,

while the wall casts out shapes

that hang in the trees.

Inside out, outside in

she is drawn

towards the great

universe that has come

to meet her.

She receives everything

given. She gives all

she has ever received.

She greets the immense

surrounding space

she has sought

all her life. The reality

of surround space

is an embrace,

she now knows

is a gift

of loving presence.

A woman sits

before her

back-yard window.

Long and wide,

the window reflects

stands of  White Spruce,

Trembling Aspen.

Closer to her garden, to her patio,

she sees her flourishing

Dogwood, her Shining Willow.

Closer yet comes her cherished

Wilderness Rose, her Mountain Holly.

The window brings in myriad colors,

From her vegetable garden

protected by Firethorn, Blackthorn,

and her Fuchsia colored Gooseberry.

The window casts a vision of Paradise

on the wall behind her

while the wall returns images

of stained glass vases, golden spheres,

crystal gems that hang from the ceiling.

They fill the trees and the sky

as far as she can see.

On the surface of the glassed in patio door

she sees how thin she has become.

A yellow color dots her nose

as if it had been kissed by a buttercup.

She sees that the yellow pervades her face

and neck. She sees that her hands are becoming

almost Autumn orange and brown

just like the markings on the leaves

drying a bit at the edges

of her cherished trees.

Every day she sits here,

her favorite quilt

wrapping her knees and her feet.

She needs this warmth now

in the thinning,

deepening season.

Questions arise within her

She accepts them while

allowing them to  quietly

find their place. Now she enters

the inner sanctuary of her heart.

Outside in, inside out,

the vast universe

claims her further than

she has ever been.

This is not a strange place.

She sees she is again

in a vast surrounding space

so organically lus

she cannot resist

its seductions.

 All her life she attended

her beautiful world,

the one given and the one she created.

She knows she is entering it now.

Her fulfillment is at hand.

She will be home always

where home has always been, inside and out,

outside and in, there is no difference.

The reality of surround

Space  an embrace,

a kiss of peace, a welcome

she now knows

is a gift

of loving presence.

Composed by Michele Birch-Conery

August 11, 2014.

Memorial Service presided

by Michele Birch-Conery, Priest

and Barbara Billey, Deacon

Gay Teens Suicide in Colombia Confronts Catholics Worldwide

http://newwaysministryblog.wordpress.com/2014/09/26/gay-teens-suicide-in-colombia-confronts-catholics-worldwide/?utm_content=buffere243d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

"Group Seeks Inquiry of Bishop Dewane" Sarasota Herald Tribune

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/2014140929813

By Michael Scott Davidson

VENICE - "The local chapter of a national Catholic organization is asking Pope Francis to issue an investigation of Bishop Frank Dewane, the leader of the Diocese of Venice.

The Southwest Florida chapter of Call to Action has authored a letter and online petition that accuse Dewane of violating Canon Law, terminating at least two dozen employees without good reason and creating an environment of intimidation among subordinates.

The Venice Diocese, which represents 240,000 Catholics in 10 Florida counties, including Sarasota and Manatee, issued a stern response.

A statement from the diocese denied the accusations and discredited Call to Action as an excommunicated organization seeking to advance its own agenda.

The petition “simply reiterates the sweeping, unfounded, general accusations from several months ago by a few anonymous priests,” the Diocese's statement reads.

Those accusations were made in a letter sent to papal authorities from at least 10 priests and pastors in January. Those priests and pastors have not come forward.

"The letter alleged there was a lack of financial transparency in Dewane's office and that the bishop “repeatedly ruled those under his authority with intimidation, the use of fear, shaming, bullying and other non-Christian behaviors.”

Dewane has been the spiritual leader of the Catholic Church in Southwest Florida since he became bishop of the Venice Diocese in 2007.

As of Thursday, Call to Action's online petition for an investigation had around 1,400 signatures..."

Bridget Mary's Response:

In this article, CTA Leader Michael Rigdon recommends that an investigation of Bishop Dewane be conducted in response to the priests' accusations.  I agree. 

Homily for Holy Spirit Catholic Community, 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Sept. 28th by Rev. Beverly Bingle, RCWP

The scholars of the Jesus Seminar

are divided on this story of the two sons. .
The 42% of the scholars
who doubted that the story went back to Jesus
noted that it is only told by Matthew
and reflects his typical theme and style.
The 58% who voted that Jesus said this,
or something very much like it,
reasoned that it is typical of Jesus
to pose difficult social problems,
and that this story reveals a dilemma
over the honor and shame
that would have been immediately obvious to a Galilean.
____________________________________
The cultural background is instructive.
Galileans viewed family honor very seriously.
Both of the sons in this story honor the father and the family,
the one for saying yes to his father
and the other for doing what his father wanted.
Conversely, and much more seriously for the family,
both of them bring shame to their father and family—
the one by saying no to his father
and the other by failing to do what his father wanted.
Jesus’ listeners say
that the one who ends up doing the honorable thing
is better than the one who starts out honorably
but ends up shaming the family.
But for those Galileans, there would be no really correct answer—
both sons shame the family, in different ways.
____________________________________________
So it’s a tricky question that Jesus asks.
His Galilean listeners would know that the honorable thing to do
is to say yes and then do it.
And that’s the key for us, too:
to act with honor—with justice and mercy—all the time.
____________________________________________
There’s an amazing woman I’ve known
over my years here in Toledo who consistently,
like it’s part of her DNA, is an honorable person.
Let’s call her Gretchen (not her real name).
She is thoughtful and intelligent, a teacher, a wife, a mother,
and in all of that complex life
she seems to know intuitively what is right and just
and she seems to do it automatically.
Her children, adults now, would ask hard questions,
and Gretchen would answer them
with the moral, responsible, loving thing.
I saw her on a parish committee that raised a tough issue,
and she had that same gut response:
moral, responsible, loving.
She amazes me!
I’ve tried to figure out how she does that,
and I think she has developed a Jesus attitude.
It’s what Paul is telling the Philippians in our second reading:
Your attitude must be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

No competition, no conceit;
Gretchen values others and thinks of their interests first.
She has made a decision about the kind of person she wants to be,
and she has practiced it
to the point that her actions speak an admirable sermon
to everyone around her.

And there’s a man I know, also here in Toledo,
who has that same bedrock sense of morality about him.
Let’s call him Paul.
He works in a service business,
and he is generous without limit.
No matter how little he has, Paul gives it away.
When he sees someone in need,
he pays them for tasks that he could do himself
or that he really doesn’t need to have done,
like picking up trash along the street where he lives.
He is just as generous with his time—
so he’s late for appointments
because he gives his full attention to the person he’s with
and forgets what time it is.
I saw him loan out his car without a second thought.
When a family at the parish got evicted,
Paul slept on his brother’s couch
so the family could stay in his house for free
until they got back on their feet.
__________________________________________
Both Gretchen and Paul do, as Ezekiel tells us,
what is right and just,
and they are alive with joy and purpose.
___________________________________________________
Why did Jesus wait until he was 30
before he started his public ministry?
I suspect that, like all of us, he was learning.
He was watching and thinking and praying and, in the process,
he was learning to understand God’s way of justice and mercy,
and practicing ways to do what is right.
And he grew alive with joy and purpose
and went about doing good.
Jesus embodied the Spirit of God, and it showed.
____________________________________________
I like to call Paul and Gretchen “practicing” Catholics.
They practice justice and mercy until it becomes part of them,
until they act in tune with the Spirit of God.
In the phrases of our tradition,
they have become the Body of Christ.
_______________________________________
That’s our call, too.
We try to practice justice,
to act with honor and truth,
to do what is right.
Like the two sons in today’s Gospel,
we don’t always hit the mark:
sometimes we don’t do what we say we will,
and other times we say we won’t do the right thing
but end up doing it in the end.
Then, once in a while, we actually manage
both to talk the talk
and walk the walk.
It’s a beautiful thing to behold.
Thanks to Gretchen and Paul,
and thanks to each of you for showing me how it’s done!

--
Holy Spirit Catholic Community
at 3535 Executive Parkway (Unity of Toledo)
Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.
Sundays at 5:30 p.m.
www.holyspirittoledo.org

Rev. Dr. Bev Bingle, Pastor
419-727-1774

Visit to Luisne Spirituality Center in Kilcoole and Glendalough, County Wicklow,, Ireland

Luisne Center: "The first blush of light before dawn breaks"
The Centre offers a wide variety of courses to heal and nourish Body, Mind and Spirit and help strengthen meaning and purpose in life.  The Sisters of the Holy Faith, an Irish Order minister here.

Provides Individual therapies, workshops and events for spiritual growth, healing and empowerment. www.luisnew.ie

Miriam, Bridget Mary, Ann and Barbara

 

 

Photos below are of Glendalough not far from Lusine, Kilcoole

 

 

 

WE ARE CHURCH IRELAND: Conversation with Bridget Mary Meehan at Rialto, Dublin, Ireland

 

We Are Church Ireland viewed Documentary Film:

"Pink Smoke Over the Vatican"

Bridget Mary Meehan shared reflections on growth of the international women priests' movement and specifically about the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests.

www.arcwp.org

Bridget Mary Meehan and Brendan Butler, Chair of We Are Church Ireland

 

Bridget Mary Meehan sharing with WE ARE CHURCH Ireland Gathering

 

 

 

Maureen Mulvaney and Soline Batenel

Bridget Mary Meehan , Erin Hanna and Kate Conmy

 

 

Ann Byrne and Gemma McKenna

 

Erin Hanna of WOC

Tony Mac Carthaigh,  Leader and Community Activist

Visit to St. Andrew 's Community Center in Rialto, Dublin City Center, Ireland

Community Activists from Rialto, Dublin Center  who work with youth, the elderly, and services for drug rehabilitation

ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL, HOLY ROSARY CHURCH, MURROE, AND GLENSTALL ABBEY, ADARE, LIMERICK, IRELAND

ST MARY'S CATHEDRAL (BELOW)

HOLY ROSARY CHURCH, MURROE (BELOW)

GLENSTAL ABBEY (BELOW)

ADARE MANOR (BELOW)