Mary Mother of Jesus at Sun City Center God of Mercy Who Walks With Us (Celebrated Sunday April 3, 2016) with Katy Zatsick ARCWP

Presider: In the name of God who is Love, of Christ Sophia our Wisdom and
the Holy Spirit our Liberator. All: Amen

OPENING PRAYER (adapted from Pope Francis' Prayer for the Jubilee Year of
Mercy)

All: You are the visible face of the invisible Creator, of the God who
manifests power above all by forgiveness and mercy: let the Church be your
visible face in the world, its God risen and glorified. You willed that your
People would also be clothed in weakness in order that they may feel
compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone who approaches us
feel sought after, loved and forgiven by God. Send your Spirit and
consecrate every one of us with its anointing so that the Jubilee of Mercy
may be a year of grace from our Loving God. May your People of God, with
renewed enthusiasm, bring good news to those who are poor, proclaim liberty
to captives and the oppressed, restore sight to the blind and work for
justice and peace. We ask through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Mercy,
you who live and reign with our Creator and the Holy Spirit Sophia for ever
and ever. Amen.



Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: -Words of Pope Francis:

"St Vincent of Lerins makes a comparison between the biological development
of man and the transmission from one era to another of the deposit of faith,
which grows and is strengthened with time. Here, human self understanding
changes with time, and so also human consciousness deepens. Let us think of
when slavery was accepted or the death penalty was allowed without any
problem. So we grow in the understanding of the truth. Exegetes and
theologians help the church to mature in her own judgment. Even the other
sciences and their development help the church in its growth in
understanding. There are ecclesiastical rules and precepts that were once
effective, but now they have lost value or meaning. The view of the church's
teaching as a monolith to defend without nuance or different understandings
is wrong." An inspired word of God All: Thanks be to God (Pope Francis in "A
Big Heart Open to God, A Conversation with Pope Francis" by A. Spadaro, SJ,
p 62)



Responsorial Psalm 136

Response: All: Thank you O God, for your mercy endures forever.



Praise our God, for you are good; for your mercy endures forever.

You wisdom skillfully made the heavens and continues creation.

All: Thank you O God, for your mercy endures forever.



With Mighty hand and outstretched arm, you split the Sea of Reeds,

and led Israel through the middle.

All: Thank you O God, for your mercy endures forever.



You remembered us when we were under the yoke, and saved us from oppression.

All: Thank you O God, for your mercy endures forever.



Second Reading Sonnet 98 from Shakespeare -translated

I was away from you during the spring, when splendid April in all its finery
made everything feel so young that even Saturn, the god of old age and
gloominess, laughed and leaped along with it.

But neither the songs of birds nor the sweet smell of all the various
flowers could make me feel like it was summer or inspire me to go flower
picking.

I wasn't amazed by how white the lily was, nor did I praise the deep red of
the roses. They were only sweet, only pictures of delight, drawn in
imitation of you, the archetype of spring.

It seemed like it was still winter and, with you away, I played with these
flowers as if I were playing with your reflection. An Inspired word by
William Shakespeare

All: Thanks be to God

Gospel Luke 24: 13-35 On the Road to Emmaus

Dialog Homily:

What is your image of the God of Mercy?

When has God shown compassion in your life?

For myself, your family, friends.

When have you felt the presence of God in your life?

Do you feel God's presence in nature?

Jesus walking beside/with you?

What action might I take to further God's Mercy in the lives around me?



Prayers of the Community:

Loving God we bring our prayers before you. May they be as incense offered
as worship to our Creator. We trust that you will respond with Mercy for our
needs.

Response: God of Mercy, hear our prayer.

We Believe

We believe in our God of extravagant Love who dwells within us, rejoices
with us in our blessed selves and who weeps with us in our struggles,
losses, and suffering.

We believe that we are one with all creatures great and small in a dynamic
evolving cosmos.

We believe that we are called to spiritual evolution for ourselves and as
humanity: to continue to seek knowledge, understanding and living compassion
for all life including our planet.

We believe in Jesus, whose life, death and resurrection, shows us how to
live fully and joyfully and to serve others especially those outcast and
heavily burdened.

We believe in Sophia Spirit of God who works through us for justice and
peace and to overcome oppression of all kinds whether based on culture,
language, faith, gender, sexual orientation, race or class.

We believe that we are called to live in mutual respect as disciples and
equals in inclusive communities of empowerment.

We believe we are forgiven, healed and made whole in the Heart of Divine
Mercy.

We believe we are united forever with all who have gone before us in the
Communion of Saints. Amen Alleluia!

Offering of our Gifts

Offertory:

Co-Presider: Blessed are you, 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 faith community seeking knowledge, consciousness and
living God's compassion. May we individually and as a community live your
vision of peace and healing for all. This will become for us the bread of
life.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

Co-Presider: Blessed are you, 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 be your mercy for all our brothers and sisters and
for all life on your earth. This wine and juice will become our spiritual
drink.

All:  Blessed be God forever.

My sisters and brothers let us pray together that our gifts may be
acceptable to God our Creator and Love.

All:  May God accept these gifts from our hands, for the praise and glory of
God's name, for the compassion and the knowledge of all the People of God.

Co-Presider:  Ever gentle God, We give you thanks for the blessing of
worshiping you as a community. Accept our gifts and our worship.  By
offering ourselves may we be filled with your Spirit Sophia Source of Mercy
and grace for all Creation. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our brother.
Amen.



Eucharistic Prayer "Mass for the Kindom" from sheet.



The Prayer given to us by Jesus

Presider: Jesus knew that it would be difficult for us to live a live of
God's Mercy and compassion. So Jesus taught us his prayer.

"Our father and mother..."

Sign of Peace

Presider: Jesus lived and died in a time of oppression and war under the
Roman empire. After Jesus rose from the dead, he greeted his followers with
"Peace/shalom be with you." Knowing that we his disciples today should
follow his example in our time and place let us share a sign of peace with
ourselves and the world. (Join hands and sing a sign of peace "Peace is
flowing like a river...Love...Alleluia.)

Prayer before Communion

Co-Presiders; Loving God, as we come to share the richness of your table, we
cannot forget the poverty of so many of our brothers and sisters.



Men: We cannot eat this bread and forget those who are hungry. O God of
Love, your world is one world and we are stewards of its nourishment for
your people.



Women: We cannot drink this wine and forget those who are thirsty. O Loving
God the very earth and its people cry out for environmental justice.



All: We cannot listen to your words of peace and not grieve for the world at
war and the destruction of life on your planet.



Litany for the breaking of the bread

All: Loving God, you call us to live mercy, we will do so.

Loving God, You call us to live justice, we will do so.

Loving God, You call us to live equality, we will do so.



Presiders: This is Jesus, who calls us to open doors that are closed and to
share our bread on the altar of the world. All are invited to eat and drink
of this sacred banquet of Love.



All: Jesus we are worthy to receive you and to be your compassion and mercy
for the world. We are the Body of Christ.



Presider: Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ. All: Amen



Prayer after Communion

All: God of Mercy, we have renewed our union with you. We have made more
real your presence in our lives. You have given yourself to us unreservedly.
You have thrown in your lot with us. We know that with you as are brother,
there is nothing good we cannot do. We have, through this sacred meal
together, re-established Love as the measure of all things in our lives.
Amen



Concluding rite:

Presider: Our God of Mercy is with you.

All: and also with you.



Blessings: (everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing.)

May you go forth refreshed and re-animated from our time together in worship
to show all humanity the love and trust you have in everyone and to bring
them the Good news. May the God of Abraham and Sarah and Sophia Holy Wisdom
walk with you on your journey into the Heart of Mercy. Amen.



Presider: Go in the Peace and Mercy of Christ. Let our service continue.

All: Thanks be to God Alleluia.





Adapted from Liturgy for Year of Mercy

Bridget Mary Meehan

Association of Roman Catholic Woman Priests

http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/