Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community at Sun City Center

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sun City

Fifth Thursday of Lent- April 6, 2017



Looking at ourselves, Being Christ for Our World


"God spoke to Moses: Tell the Children of Israel: "YHWH, the "I AM" the God

of your ancestors, the God of Sarah and Abraham, of Rebecca and Isaac, of

Leah and Rachel and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my Name forever;

this is the name you are to remember for all generations." Exodus 3:15



Presider: In the name of God our Creator, and of Jesus our brother, and of

the Holy Spirit, our Liberator we begin our worship together All: Amen




Gathering Prayer All: O God, be with us during this season of Lent as we

seek to serve you more faithfully. Bless our country and our world.

Enlighten our leaders; make them instruments of your peace. Bless all in

research; reward their efforts with healing for our people and regeneration

for our environment. Let us be a time of salvation for us and of glory and

praise to you. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.




(People's Companion to the Breviary Liturgy of the

Hours with Inclusive Language p441)




Healing our souls and spirit this Lent




Presider: As we pray and fast against injustices and give alms, may we be

the face of God in our world by living Gospel compassion and justice. Jesus,

you are compassion. All: Jesus, we will live compassion and do justice.




Presider: Jesus, your death reminds us that must be willing to suffer the

consequences of living truth to power. Jesus, you walk with us in our

courage. All: Jesus, we will walk with others in their challenges and stand

against systemic injustice in our communities, nation and world.




Presider: Jesus, in your rising, you show us the path to liberation from

structures of domination, Jesus, you are liberator. All: Jesus, we will live

your vision of liberation and justice, one with your peoples, your planet

and all creation.




Presider: Let us pause now for reflection. Place your hand over your heart

and breathe in God's compassionate love for you...be aware that God

forgives, frees and heals us...Let us let go of guilt, live justly, and love

tenderly. We are the face of God in our world... (Extend hands and recite

prayer of General Absolution and prayer for healing)




All: God, Mother-Father of mercies who through the life, death and

resurrection of Jesus, have reconciled the world and sent Sofia your Holy

Spirit among us so that we might live and be Jesus in our time and place.

May we live to bring to its fruition the kindom of God on Earth. God give us

pardon and peace always; we only need to be open to God's reconciliation and

peace. We forgive ourselves for the times when we were closed to your

healing and we forgive others when they were not, as well. Amen.




First Reading: from Jean Leclercq, ("Solitude and Solidarity," P 81)




Each human being is like a mirror of every other and of the whole universe;

personality is the crossroad of the entire world. And the Logos (Jesus) who

is in God, who is God, who is the mirror in whom God...is reflected in the

oneness of their Spirit, is also the mirror of every human being. The

inspired word of Jean All: Thanks be to God.




Psalm: #105 Response All: "You are the promise of our wholeness and

holiness"




Seek the One who is Life, your strength, Walk harmoniously in Love's

Presence! Remember that you are not alone, for through Love doubt and fear

are released. All: "You are the promise of our wholeness and holiness"




O people of the earth, ever bear in mind the unity of diversity in the

Divine plan. You are the promise of our wholeness, you await our readiness

to choose Life. All: "You are the promise of our wholeness and holiness"




Your covenant of Love stands firm through all ages; You forgive us when we

stray far from Home. Help us to learn to trust You, to untangle the webs of

illusion that we have made. All: "You are the promise of our wholeness and

holiness"




Give us Wisdom and courage to release all that binds us. O Divine Presence,

as we surrender our hearts to You, teach us to be worthy of trust. All: "You

are the promise of our wholeness and holiness"

(from Nan Merrill "Psalms for Praying-an Invitation to Wholeness)




Gospel: John 51-59




Jesus said to the Jews. "The truth of the matter is, anyone who keeps my

word will never see death." They retorted, "Now we're sure you're

possessed! Sarah and Abraham are dead; the prophets are dead; yet you claim,

"Anyone who keeps my word will never know death." Surely you don't pretend

to be greater than our ancestors. Sarah and Abraham, who died! Or the

prophets, who died! Who do you make yourself out to be?"




Jesus answered, if I glorify myself, that glory comes to nothing, but the

One who glorifies me is Abba God, of whom you say, "This is our God." You

haven't come to know God, but I do, and if I were to say, "I don't know

God," I would be a liar, like you! But I do know God and I faithfully keep

God's word. Your ancestors Sarah and Abraham rejoiced to think that they

would see my day---and they did see it, and were glad."




Then the authorities objected, "You're not yet fifty years old, and you say

you've seen Sarah and Abraham?" Jesus answered them, "The truth of the

matter is, before Sarah and Abraham ever were, I AM." At this they picked up

stones to throw at Jesus. But he hid himself and slipped out the Temple.

This is the Good News of our Brother Jesus. All: Glory and Praise to you our

Brother Jesus the Christ.




Shared Homily




Jesus promises eternal life for those who keep his word. How do I find

Jesus' words most life-giving? How do I mirror God's love for all in my

daily life especially this Lent? What does Jesus mean when he says, "The

truth of the matter is, before Sarah and Abraham ever were, I AM?" What do

you believe happens after death? What part of my life brings glory to God?




Profession of Faith All: We believe in I AM who calls us to be the

compassion of God in our world. We believe in Jesus, whose death and

resurrection reveals that God's liberating love overcomes all oppression

including death and evil. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of

Wisdom Sophia, who energizes and guides us to live Gospel equality in

inclusive communities where all are welcome everywhere in our nation and

world. We believe in the communion of saints our heavenly friends who

inspire us to live holy lives. We believe in the love that does justice and

heals our world. Amen




Prayers of the Community




Presider: That you may free us of the doubts of who you are and may we trust

in your Love for our world and each of us, we pray. Response: I AM of all

ages, hear us!




Presider: That we may live compassion and mutuality, letting go of all

selfishness and self-interest we pray. Response: I AM of all ages, hear us!




Presider: That we will do all we can to save all life on earth, we pray.

Response: I AM of all ages, hear us!




Presider: That the sick may be healed, especially Mary Prouty, Tish Rawles

ARCWP, Bob Murray MMOJ-Sarasota (mention names), we pray. Response: I AM of

all ages, hear us!




Presider: For what else shall we pray?




Presider: O Holy One, we walk in faith that nothing is impossible and we can

care for others. May we ask for others, seek justice for others, knock on

doors for others in need through the power of your Spirit Sophia working in

us to heal each other and the world. All: Amen




PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS




Presider: Blessed are you, O God, Seeker of all. This bread is your MMOJ

community seeking for and knocking on the door to your Presence asking to be

the living mirror of your Compassion throughout our country. Through your

divine providence, we have this bread to offer, it will become for us the

Bread of Life. ALL: Blessed be God forever.




Presider: Blessed are you, O God, Creator of all. This wine is our asking

and seeking to be in solidarity and justice makers for all those who suffer

in our country and our planet. Through your divine providence, we have this

wine to offer, it will become our spiritual drink.




ALL: Blessed be God forever.




Presider: Divine Presence, we are united in this sacrament by the love of

our Brother Jesus Christ in communion with all who seek to be the

Compassionate presence of God in our world ALL: Amen.




All: Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have this

bread and this wine, the whole of creation, and our own lives to offer.

Through this sacred meal may we become your new creation. Amen.




Presider: God is with us, loving and healing through us. All: Namaste




Presider: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up in tender love, open to

serve.




Presider: Let us give thanks to our God. All: It is our joy to give God

thanks and praise.




Eucharistic Prayer




Voice: Life-giving Love, You have called us to be midwives of grace, radiant

reflections of your holy presence on earth. United with You, we are one with

all beings in the community of creation as we celebrate the new life

occurring in our expanding cosmos. And so we join the angels and saints as

we sing:




All: We are holy, holy, holy. You are holy,... I am holy,... We are

holy...(3 times -Karen Drucker)




Voice: Gracious God, you set the banquet table and invite all to the feast

that celebrates your boundless love in the universe. As mystics and

prophets, we are the hands of I AM, lifting up those who suffer, the

vulnerable and excluded in our world today. We especially thank you, Holy

One, for Jesus, the Compassion of God, who came to show us a new vision of

community where every person is loved and all relate with mutual respect. As

midwives of grace we welcome all God's family into the Circle of Life at

Your Banquet of Love.




Voice: Jesus threatened the religious and political leaders of his time and

so they put him to death. Like Jesus, the holy ones throughout the ages

have been executed for their prophetic witness by the oppressive systems

they challenged. As God's beloved, we speak truth to power and work for

justice and equality, no matter what the cost.




(Please extend hands as we recite the consecration together)




All: May your Spirit, present in these humble gifts, fill us with a new

outpouring of love that makes us more deeply one Body in the Cosmic Christ

living the fullness of your compassion.




All: On the night before he was betrayed, Jesus gathered with his friends

including us for a meal. He took bread, broke it and said; Take this all of

you. This is my body. Every time you eat it, remember me.




All: In the same way after supper, Jesus took the cup, and raising it with

love beyond all telling, he gave thanks and shared the cup with those at

table and said to us: Take this all of you and drink from it. This is the

cup of my life blood, the making of a new and everlasting covenant. Every

time you drink of it, remember me.




Presider: Jesus, who was with God "in the beginning of the creation of the

heavens and the earth," is with us now in this bread. Jesus' Spirit, of whom

the prophets spoke in history, is with us now in this cup. Let us proclaim

this mystery of faith. All: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ lives

in us and through us in the world today.




Voice: And so, liberating God, the I AM of all creation, we hold our

religious ministers and political leaders in the light of Christ Sophia,

Holy Wisdom. We pray for our pope and bishops, the young and the elders,

and all God's holy people. We remember Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary Magdala,

Peter, Paul, Junia, our patron saints and all the saints and angels who hold

us with loving prayer each day. We remember our loved ones and all those

who have died, that they may experience the fullness of life in the embrace

of our compassionate God.




ALL: Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, all praise and glory are yours,

Loving God. Amen.




The Prayer of Jesus All: Our Father and Mother who is in heaven, blessed is

your name....




The Sign of Peace; Presider: God, we ask you to grant us Your peace and

unity beyond all words and imagination can express. Join hands in a circle

of love and sing Peace...Love...Joy is flowing like a river...




Litany at the Breaking of the Bread




All: Loving God, You ask us to live mercy, we will do so. Loving God, You

seek for us to live justice, we will do so. Loving God, You ask us to live

equality, we will do so.




Presider: 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

at this sacred banquet of love.




All: Jesus our I AM, we are worthy to receive you and to be your compassion

in our world. Let us share the Body of Christ with the Body of Christ. Amen.







Prayers of Thanksgiving




All: Life-giving God, Jesus showed the way to overcome all oppression

through his death and resurrection. Through the power of the liberating

Spirit at work within us, and our world, we will comfort the afflicted and

afflict the comfortable by living as the Compassion of God and the Gospel

values of justice, peace and equality in our lives and communities. Amen




Community Prayers of Gratitude




Concluding Rite Presider: Our God is with you. All: and also with you.










Closing Blessing (Everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing.)




ALL: May our gracious God, bless us all gathered here, in the name of God

our Loving Creator, in the name of Jesus our Healer and in the name of Sofia

Holy Spirit our Sanctifier as we care and minister to one another and all

those we meet with love. Be with us as we continue on our path and follow in

the footsteps of Jesus for we are the face of God in our world. Amen.




Closing Prayer Presiders: May we all go in the peace of Christ who

continues to seek us in relationship with him as Beloved brothers and

sisters. Let our service continue! ALL: Thanks be to God.



Adapted from a liturgy by Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP

<http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/> http://bridgetmarys.blogspot.com/

<http://www.arcwp.org/> www.arcwp.org