GATHERING SONG AND GREETING
Woman’s Spirit
words
and music: Marvella McPartland & Lynn Fugua
sung
by: Karen Drucker
Woman’s
Spirit is beauty
Woman’s
Spirit runs deep
Woman
loves with compassion
Our
perfection is complete…
Woman’s
Spirit is graceful
Woman’s
Spirit is wise
Woman’s
Spirit is moving
Bringing
love into our lives...
Woman’s
Spirit is passion
Woman’s
Spirit is birth
Woman’s
power unfolding
To
honor life on earth.
Presider 1: We gather joyfully and
begin in the name of the Holy One, Source of all Being, Eternal Word and Holy
Spirit, Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Presider 2: O Holy One, You moved through Mary of Magdala and through us.
ALL: As we work for justice,
partnership and equality.
Presider 1: We see Your feminine face in our ancestors
and in all women.
ALL: May we open our hearts, to Your mothering
love.
Presider 2: Jesus, our brother, taught
us to see Your divine reality in women, especially in women who have been
abused and exploited.
ALL: May we stand with our sisters who are abused
and exploited.
Presider 1: We see You in men and women who have been
caring partners and companions.
ALL: May we, live a connectedness and friendship
with others.
Presider 2: May Your love heal and
empower us.
ALL: Amen.
Gloria
ALL: Glory to You, O Holy One, in the
highest, and peace, justice and equality to all people on earth. We give You thanks, and praise You for Your
glory. You are all goodness and light, and You hold us in Your heart forever.
Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: The Gospel of Mary
"Go then, preach the good news about the Realm. Do
not lay down any rule beyond what I determined for you, nor promulgate law like
the lawgiver, or else you might be dominated by it."
After the Risen One had said these things, he departed from them.
But they were distressed and wept greatly. "How are we going to go out to the rest of the world to announce the good news about the Realm of the child of true Humanity?" they said. "If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?"
Then Mary stood up. She greeted them all, addressing her brothers and sisters, "Do not weep and be distressed nor let your hearts be irresolute. For his grace will be with you all and will shelter you. Rather we should praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us true human beings."
When Mary had said these things, she turned their heart toward the Good, and they began to debate about the words of the Teacher.
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that Jesus loved you more than all other women. Tell us the words of the Teacher that you remember, the things which you know that we don't because we haven't heard them."
Mary responded, "I will teach you about what is hidden from you." And she began to speak these words to them.
She said, "I saw the Teacher in a vision and I said to him, 'Teacher, I saw you today in a vision.'
He answered me, 'How wonderful you are for not wavering at seeing me! For where the mind is, there is the treasure.'
These are the inspired words of Mary of Magdala
After the Risen One had said these things, he departed from them.
But they were distressed and wept greatly. "How are we going to go out to the rest of the world to announce the good news about the Realm of the child of true Humanity?" they said. "If they did not spare him, how will they spare us?"
Then Mary stood up. She greeted them all, addressing her brothers and sisters, "Do not weep and be distressed nor let your hearts be irresolute. For his grace will be with you all and will shelter you. Rather we should praise his greatness, for he has prepared us and made us true human beings."
When Mary had said these things, she turned their heart toward the Good, and they began to debate about the words of the Teacher.
Peter said to Mary, "Sister, we know that Jesus loved you more than all other women. Tell us the words of the Teacher that you remember, the things which you know that we don't because we haven't heard them."
Mary responded, "I will teach you about what is hidden from you." And she began to speak these words to them.
She said, "I saw the Teacher in a vision and I said to him, 'Teacher, I saw you today in a vision.'
He answered me, 'How wonderful you are for not wavering at seeing me! For where the mind is, there is the treasure.'
These are the inspired words of Mary of Magdala
All: Thanks be to God
Responsorial
Psalm: “Ube Caritas” (Taize)
Ubi
caritas et amour,
Ubi
caritas Deus ibi est.
Gospel
Acclamation: Celtic ALLELUIA! (sung)
Reader: A reading from the Gospel John 20;13-18
“Meanwhile, Mary stood weeping beside the tomb. Even as she wept, she stooped to peer inside, and there she saw two angels in dazzling robes. One was seated at the head and the other at the foot of the place where Jesus’ body had lain.
“They asked her, ‘Why are you weeping?’
“She answered them, ‘Because they have taken away my Rabbi, and I don’t know where they have put him.’
“No sooner had she said this, than she turned around and caught sight of Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. He asked her ‘why are you weeping! For whom are you looking?’
“She supposed it was the gardener, so she said, ‘Please, if you’re the one who carried him away, tell me where you’ve laid him and I will take him away.’
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’
“She turned to him and said, ‘Rabboni!’—which means ‘Teacher.’
“Jesus then said, ‘Don’t hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to Abba God. Rather, go to the sisters and brothers and tell them ‘I’m ascending to my Abba and to your Abba, my God and your God!’
“Then Mary went to the disciples. ‘I have seen the Teacher!’ she announced. Then she reported what he had said to her” (Jn 20:13–18)
HOMILY Starter:
The good news is that like Mary of
Magdala, we are not afraid! The spirit of Wisdom Sophia is moving through us as
we live the Gospel of justice, partnership and equality in our inclusive
communities and ministries. We are in the process of healing a centuries old
misogyny as we ordain women to minister in inclusive communities in the Roman
Catholic Church today!
Profession
of Faith
ALL: We believe in the Holy One who loves
passionately, embraces all and forgives everything.
We believe in Jesus who accompanies
us on our journey and shows the way to the fullness of life.
We believe in the Divine Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia,
who energizes us as co-creators of caring
communities that challenge oppression, exploitation and injustice.
We believe that we are radiant
images of God called to live fully, love tenderly, and serve generously.
We believe in the communion of
saints, our heavenly friends, who support us on life’s journey.
We believe in the partnership and
equality of women and men in our church and world.
We believe that we are one in the
Heart of God.
GENERAL
INTERCESSIONS
Presider 1: Aware that the Holy
One, like a fierce mother bear, who protects her Young, is a defender of the
oppressed and pursuer of justice, we now bring the women and men in our lives,
in our church and world, before You.
Response:
Holy One, You hear our prayer.
Presider 2: For those who have
been abused, we pray for empowerment. R.
Presider 1: For those who have
confronted their abusers, we pray for courage.
R.
Presider 2: For those who have
been sexually exploited, we pray for healing.
R.
Presider 1: For the men and
women who have been caring friends and partners, we pray for their continued
growth and well being. R.
Presider 2: For all those who
need our prayers. Please share your intentions now.
Presider 1: In Your name we can
do all things by the power of Your Spirit working in us.
ALL: Amen
PREPARATION OF
THE GIFTS
Presider 2: Blessed are You, O
Holy One, through Your divine providence we have this bread to offer, it will
become for us the Bread of Life.
ALL: Blessed are You forever.
Presider 1: Blessed are You, O
Holy One, through Your divine providence we have this wine to offer, it will
become our spiritual drink.
ALL: Blessed are You forever.
Presider 2: Nurturing One, we
are united in this sacrament by the love of Jesus in communion with all who
proclaim the liberating power of Woman-Spirit in our midst.
ALL: Amen.
Presider 1: O Heart of
Love, You dwell in us,
ALL: And we dwell in You.
Presider 2: O Pursuer of
Justice, we life up our hearts,
ALL: In service to our sisters and brothers.
Presider 1: We thank You,
Source of All,
All: All the days of our lives.
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER
Voice 1: O Holy One, You love
through us as we reach out to our sisters and brothers who are abused and
exploited. Your Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is rising up in our
work for justice. With thankful hearts in the company of the angels and saints,
we praise You, Spirit of Healing and Wholeness.
ALL: Holy, Holy, Holy Source of
strength and light. All creation is full of Your glory. Hosanna in the
highest. Blessed are all who come in Your
name. Hosanna in the highest.
Voice 2: You are holy indeed,
O Nurturing One. You are the Heart of Love. You affirm our bodies as holy and our stories as sacred.
Presider 2: Please
extend Your hands in blessing.
ALL: You pour out Your spirit anew
upon this bread and wine and upon us as we become more deeply the Christ
Presence in our world
On
the night before he died, Jesus came to table with the women and men he
loved. Jesus took bread blessed and broke
it, saying, “Take, eat, this is my body. Do this in memory of me.”
(pause)
After
supper, Jesus poured a cup of wine and shared it with his friends, saying, “This
is the cup of the covenant of my love. As often as You drink of it, remember
me.”
Presider 1: Let us proclaim the
mystery of faith:
ALL: Christ has died in all those abused and exploited.
Christ is rising in all those working for justice,
equality and partnership.
Christ comes each day in our work for a renewed
humanity.
Voice 3: In memory of Jesus, who showed us the path to empowerment,
we give thanks for the loving relationships that helped us grow more aware of
our goodness, strength, and passion. We give thanks for Your
Enfolding Presence as we advocate for survivors of violence and abuse and accompany them on their journey to healing
and wholeness. Sharing this sacred
banquet of love, we are filled with courage to live compassionate lives in our
communities.
Voice 4: Holy One, we
remember all people throughout the world, as we grow in love, together with
Francis our pope and our community leaders.
We remember our brothers and sisters who have suffered abuse and
rejection by our church. We hold them in our hearts.
Voice 5: We remember all the companions who have gone before
us: Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary of
Magdala, Junia and Andronicus, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa
Parks, Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford, and all holy women and men who have witnessed
for justice throughout the ages. Like Jesus, their courage inspires us to
confront all forms of discrimination and work for equality. For it is…
ALL: through living as Jesus lived,
and loving as he loved,
that we awaken to Your Spirit
empowering us to work for justice. AMEN
COMMUNION RITE
The
Prayer of Jesus
Presider 2: Let us pray
as Jesus taught us.
All: O Holy One, who is within, around and among
us,
We celebrate Your many
names.
Your Wisdom come.
Your will be done, unfolding from the depths within
us,
Each day You give us all we
need;
You remind us of our limits,
and we let go.
You support us in our power, and we act with courage.
For
You are the dwelling place within us,
the empowerment around us,
and the celebration among us, now and forever. Amen
(Prayer of Jesus by Miriam Therese Winter)
Sign
of Peace
Presider 1: Jesus said to his
disciples, “My peace I leave You. My
peace I give You.”
The peace of the Holy One is also with You.
Let
us offer each other a sign of peace.
Song for Peace
May the Christ Light Shine in You
By Kathy Sherman
May the Christ light shine in you.
May the Christ light shine in me.
Then together we will shine with
God's love to the world.
Litany
for the Breaking of the Bread
ALL: Holy One, You call us to speak
truth to power; we will do so.
Holy
One, You call us to live the Gospel of
healing and justice; we will do so.
Holy
One, You call us to be Your presence in the world; we will do so.
Presider 2: This is the
bread of life and the cup of blessing. Blessed are we who are called to the
table.
ALL: We are the Body of Christ.
Communion
Communion
Meditation Song: Beauty of the Dancer
By Sara Thomsen
You
see the beauty of the dancer
You
hear the beauty of the song
You
feel the beauty all around you
You
wonder whether you belong.
You
are where you belong!
You
are the beauty of the dancer
You
are the beauty of the song
You
are the beauty all around you
You’re
standing right where you belong
You’re
standing right where you belong!
all
above you
all
below you
all
around you
all
within you
Beauty
all above you
Beauty
all below you
Beauty
all around you
Beauty
all within you
(Repeat)
You
see the beauty of the dancer
You
hear the beauty of the song
You
feel the beauty all around you
You
wonder whether you belong
You
are the beauty of the dancer
You
are the beauty of the song
You
are the beauty all around you
You’re
standing right where you belong!
(Repeat)
You
are beauty
You
are beauty
All
above you
All
below you
All
around you
All
within you
You
are beauty
You
are beauty
Beauty
all above you
Beauty
all below you
Beauty
all around you
Beauty
all within you
(Repeat)
CONCLUDING RITE
Presider 1: The Holy One is
with You.
ALL: and also with You.
Blessing
Presider 2: Please extend You hands as
we pray our final blessing:
ALL: The encompassing of the Holy One is on us,
The
encompassing of the Divine Presence,
The
encompassing of the Christ of love,
The
encompassing of the Spirit of Grace,
let
us go forth from this Banquet, aware always that human rights are equal rights
and that we are all the beloved of God. ALL:
Amen.
(Adapted from Alexander Carmichael’s Carmina
Gadelica)
Dismissal
Presider 1: We go forth with
the energy of Christ to heal and transform our church and world. Let the service for justice and equality
continue!
ALL: We give grateful thanks and may we be a
blessing in our time.
CONCLUDING
HYMN
Woman’s Spirit
words
and music: Marvella McPartland & Lynn Fugua
sung
by: Karen Drucker
Woman’s
Spirit is beauty
Woman’s
Spirit runs deep
Woman
loves with compassion
Our
perfection is complete…
Woman’s
Spirit is graceful
Woman’s
Spirit is wise
Woman’s
Spirit is moving
Bringing
love into our lives...
Woman’s
Spirit is passion
Woman’s
Spirit is birth
Woman’s
power unfolding
To
honor life on earth.
Liturgy by Dr. Bridget Mary Meehan
and Dr. Mary Theresa Streck
Association of Roman Catholic Woman
Priests
Contact
Information:
Bridget
Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com
Text:
1-703-505-0004
Bridget
Mary’s Blog
Association of Roman Catholic Women
Priests
People’s Catholic Seminary
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