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Sunday, September 25, 2016

Upper Room Liturgical Celebration - Wisdom and Unity,Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community of NYS Capital Region http://www.inclusivecatholiccommunity-nycr.org/ upperroomicc@gmail.com


Kathleen Ryan, ARCWP and Lynn Kinlan led the Eucharistic celebration today at the Upper Room. They chose the theme of Wisdom and Unity. Lynn's homily starter is below followed by the reading used during the liturgy.

Welcome to our Inclusive Catholic community where all are equals and everyone is invited to participate in the homily discussion and our prayers. Each one of us is has a wisp of wisdom and we learn from each other.


Theme: Today, our theme is Wisdom and Unity. The Spirit of Wisdom is central to the act of creation; a resource used by the Divine to do no less than set the earth and heavens in place. As beloved ones from and of the Divine, each of us is invited to deploy our shares of Wisdom to continue Creation in a loving way. We do that as members of one body, sometimes troubled, but always trying to seek and move together toward greater peace and justice.

Homily Starter: Wisdom as a female spirit of ultimate value is expressed in lovely metaphors – She offers pleasant paths, roads leading to peace and she is a tree of life for those who embrace her. Most reassuringly, the first line says “When you find Wisdom” so, each of us is supposed to develop Wisdom and hold fast to her. Wisdom isn’t some spectral Holy Ghost in a trinity working above and beyond us; it isn’t for some and not others; it is the readily available result of a faithful heart. Every one of us has our own Divine Wisdom to contribute if we agree to walk the road, take the path, hug the tree and hold fast.
Our second reading asks us to clothe ourselves in a bunch of virtues (compassion, kindness, humility etc.) which seem like different names for Wisdom. But here, Paul recognizes the trial of wearing such clothes close to our skin and our hearts–we have to bear with one another and forgive all the time and not hold onto grudges. Sounds not so easy, so why should we do it?
Traditional religion says to save ourselves and reach heaven. Paul doesn’t mention sin or a someday heaven. He makes Christ’s peace our natural calling immediately. He says we can experience Divine peace as members of one unified body as long as we put on the clothes of wisdom and bind ourselves together in love. So our shared Wisdom leads us to peace and unity, sometimes troubling and challenging but always loving… and isn’t that the essence of our continuing story of creating ourselves to mirror the image of the Divine? Your thoughts?




A Reading from Proverbs  3:13 - 20

Happy are you when you find Wisdom,
when you develop discernment.
For she is more profitable than silver,
and brings yields greater even than gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you can conceivably desire
can equal her value.
She holds long life in one hand,
riches and honor in the other.
Her paths are pleasant ones,
and all her roads lead to peace.
She is a tree of life for those who embrace her,
and all who hold fast to her find happiness.
For it was through her that Yahweh laid the earth’s
foundation,
through her that the heavens were set in place.
By God’s knowledge the depths were deepened,
and clouds dropped down dew.

A Reading from Paul to the  Colossians 3:12-15

Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
Clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, with kindness.
humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another;
forgive whatever grievances you have against one another –
forgive in the same way the Holy One has forgiven you.  Above all else, put on love,
 which binds the rest together and makes them perfect.
Let Christ’s peace reign in your hearts since, as members of one body,
you have been called to that peace.

These are the inspired words of Paul, disciple of Jesus








Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community of NYS Capital Region
http://www.inclusivecatholiccommunity-nycr.org/
upperroomicc@gmail.com

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