Pentecost Liturgy for Commissioning for Ministry at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community, Presiders: Bridget Mary Meehan, Alicia Bartol -Thomas, Music Minister: Mindy Lou Simmons,

Left to right Co-Presiders Bridget Mary Meehan and Alicia Bartol-Thomas

Gathering Song: The Spirit is A Moving #454

Presider 1: In the name of God, Source of All being, Jesus-Sophia, the Wisdom of God, and Holy Spirit, the Breath of Life and the Fire of Love.

Amen.

Mindy Lou Simmons, Music Minister

Opening Prayer

Presider 2: Holy One, Holy Fire, Creative Energy within us and within all, we open ourselves to a new outpouring of Your Spirit. We celebrate with burning hearts the warmth of your passionate love. We rejoice in the outpouring of your gifts everywhere as you call us to live life fully in service of our sisters and brothers and all creation.

Gloria: Glory to God by Marty Haugen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCFmY-9b3fs

Refrain:

Glory to God, in the highest (3x)

And peace to God’s people on earth.

First Reading: A reading from the prophet Joel

 (Joel 2:28)

Thus says our God: “I will pour out my own Spirit on all of humankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy; your elder folk shall dream dreams, your children shall see visions and even upon the lowliest, the poor, the woman, the forgotten man, will I pour out my spirit. I will work wonders throughout creation.”

This is the inspired word of the prophet Joel.

Responsorial: Taize Chant: Veni Sancte Spiritus

Second Reading: A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

1ACTS 2:1-11

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

These are the inspired words the disciples of Jesus.

Sequence for Pentecost

Enter, O Spirit Feminine, enter!

And from your comforting paradise

Cast your beam of brightness!

Enter, O Mother of the poor!

Enter, spring of all our keep!

Enter, within our heart do shine!

You, most noble solace know;

You, Holy Wisdom of our heart;

Pleasing tonic for us now;

In our toil, abide with us;

Grateful relief from the grind;

Comforter in our distress.

O Most blessed Light divine,

Shine within these hearts of yours,

And our inmost being fill!

If you aren’t here, we have not,

Nothing good in works or thought

Nothing free from stain of wrong.

Heal our wounds, strengthen resolve;

In our desert quench our thirst;

Our blame remove for us first;

Turn our rigid heart and will;

Melt the frozen; warm the chill;

Guide the steps that have been lost.

On the faithful, who adore

And witness you, evermore

Send your gifts of sacrament;

Give us virtue’s most gracious prize;

Look on us with forgiving eyes;

Give us joys that never end.

O gracious Mother, Let it be. 

(Sequence by Mary Eileen Collingwood, ARCWP)

Alleluia (sung)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAOxtO0bv-U

Gospel: A reading from the Gospel of John

Jn 20:19-22

On the evening of that first day of the week,
the doors were locked in the room,

where the disciples were,
for fear of the Temple Authorities,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this,

he showed them the marks of crucifixion.
The disciples were filled with joy when they saw Jesus,

who said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As Abba God sent me, so I am sending you.”

After saying this Jesus breathed on them and said,

“Receive the Holy Spirit.”

This is the inspired word of John, disciple of Jesus.

Shared Homily

Pentecost Homily Starter: A Meditation by Bridget Mary Meehan 

As you breathe in and out be aware that the Breath of God is breathing in you….

As you journey to your soul space, open ourselves to a new outpouring of the Spirit in your life and in our world…

Rejoice that God’s power and presence are within each of us just as they were in Jesus and in the disciples…

The same power and presence that was in Jesus is liberating, healing and empowering, working miracles through you in your service to your brothers and sisters…..

Like the disciples in the story of the upper room on Pentecost, we are called to trust in the power of the Spirit moving within us and within all….

Let us meditate on the inspired words of our sister, Joyce Rupp.

“Heal and proclaim…

 were the twelve afraid?

Did they wonder if they could do those things?

Compare to the quality of your ministry,

did they feel inadequate and unworthy?

What persuaded them to go? Your words?

Your friendship? Their enthusiasm?

Your deep belief that they could do it?

And you said:

 "take nothing for the journey."

What did you mean?

Trust or more than trust?

Did you perhaps imply that we can't wait

until we have all the possible things we need?

That we can't postpone "doing"

until we are positive of our talents?

That we can't hold off our commitment

until we are absolutely sure

we won't make a mistake?

I think of all the excuses and reasons

we can give for not serving and giving:

no time, no talent, no knowledge,

no energy, no assured results.

You say, "take nothing.

 Don't worry about your inadequacies.

I will provide for you.

Go! Just go! Go with my power.

Risk the road, risk the work.

Go! I will be with you.

What else do you need?"

(Joyce Rupp. From Out of the Ordinary) 

Dialogue Homily: During this time, we reflect on the power of the Spirit within us and the gifts that we bring to the Pentecost feast.  

Shared reflections

Statement of Faith

All: We believe in one God, a divine mystery

beyond all definition and rational understanding,

the heart of all that has ever existed,

that exists now, or that ever will exist.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of God's Word,

bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion,

bright star in the firmament of God's

prophets, mystics, and saints.

We believe that we are called to follow Jesus

as a vehicle of God's love,

a source of God's wisdom and truth,

and an instrument of God's peace in the world.

We believe that God's kin-dom is here and now,

stretched out all around us for those

with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it,

and hands to make it happen.

Intercessions

Commissioning

Presider: We now celebrate our commissioning, a celebration of the gifts of the Spirit in the community of faith. We will use the symbols of stoles and anointing with chrism as a reminder of our baptismal call to live the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit in ministry to all.

As a stole is placed on each person the following is prayed:  Receive this stole as a symbol of your call to ministry.

As each person’s hands are anointed the following is prayed: Like Jesus, you are anointed to live the Gospel.  

(music played softly during this time:

Presentation of the bread and wine

Presider: Blessed are you, 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: My sisters and brothers, these gifts give glory to the Holy One.

All: O Holy One, You dwell in all of us, and you accept our gifts and our worship that we offer in service to our faith community. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

Presider: The Holy One, Shekinah, Source of all life, is with you.

All: And also with you.

Presider: We lift up our hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Holy One, the Love of our Hearts.

Presider: We give thanks and praise to our compassionate God.

All: It is right to give the Holy One thanks and praise.

Voice 1: O Divine Flame of Love, your glowing embers dance in our hearts. Your passionate presence kindles our souls. You purify us with the searing truth that ignites our spirits. As the glowing embers of a fire penetrate the cold around us, so your tenderness sets our hearts aglow. We celebrate your nearness this day as we remember your Pentecost miracles.

Voice 2: The wind of your life has blown across our world in the gentle breezes and thunder storms of your vision in your prophets and visionaries among us. We praise and exalt you forever with grateful hearts as we sing:

Holy Holy Holy  - Karen Drucker

We are Holy, Holy, Holy…

You are Holy, Holy, Holy,…

Spirit divine, Come to me 


Feeling love, Healing me .



Open my heart, Allow me to see,

Beauty & love, Lives in me.

Voice 3: Passionate God, you kindle your fire of enthusiasm within us. You speak to us with assurance and excitement and reveal to us the infinite, boundless, depths of your love for us.

Voice 4: You awaken us to your promises to be always present in our lives, no matter what the obstacles or setbacks we experience. You consume us with such a hunger and thirst for justice that our words and actions inflame others to become signs of your justice. You give us eyes to see human need, hearts to care for our sisters and brothers and hands and feet to lighten others burdens.

Invocation of the Holy Spirit (extend you hand in blessing)

All: You bless us O Holy One 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.

Presider: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions. He reminded them of what he taught them and bent down and washed their feet. Jesus returned to his place at the table, lifted the Passover bread and spoke the blessing, and then broke the break with these words,

All: Take and Eat, this is my very self.

Presider: Jesus then raised high the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine with these words:

All: Take and drink of the covenant made new again through my life for you and for everyone. Whenever you do this, you remember me.

Presider: Let us proclaim the mystery of wonder in our midst:

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.

Voice 5:  As we celebrate the memory of Jesus, we remember our political and religious leaders, especially Pope Francis, and our Bishop, Bridget Mary. We remember the communion of saints and all who have inspired and loved us.

(pause to mention names). 

Voice 6: May our hearts be merry as we dream new dreams and see new visions. May we recognize Christ present in every person everywhere. May we, like Jesus, become Spirit Fire, as we fan the flames of love over the entire cosmos,

Presiders hold Bread and wine.

All: For it is through living as Jesus lived,

That we awaken to your Spirit within,

Moving us to glorify you,

O Holy One,

At this time and all ways.

All: Great Amen

Prayer of Jesus

Presider: Let us join hands, and pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us.

Sign of Peace

Prayer for the Breaking of the Bread

Presider: 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)

Presider: Let us pray our communion prayer together.

All:  What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.

Presider: Our Eucharistic celebration is all-inclusive. You are a spark of the Divine and nothing can separate you from God’s love. All are welcome to receive at this friendship table.

Communion Song:

Thanksgiving and Announcements

Final Blessing

Presiders: God’s Spirit strengthens us to carry out our ministry faithfully.

God’s Spirit calls us to heal and reconcile 

God’s Spirit guides us in our work for justice and peace for all.

God’s Spirit enlivens us in prophetic and liberating obedience.

All: Together, we are one in Christ, loving and serving as God’s holy people.

Recessional: We are Marching in the Light of God  (South African Chant)

(We are dancing, singing, loving)

Bridget Mary Meehan

Mary Theresa Streck and Jay Murnane

Association of Roman Catholic Woman Priests

                 http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/          

www.arcwp.org,

www.marymotherofjesus.org