Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community - April 15 - Liturgy for Peace

Kathleen Ryan, ARCWP, and Joan Chesterfield, ARCWP, led the Upper Room liturgy with the theme of Peace. Kathie's homily reflection is printed below the readings.

Peace Meditation by Joan Chesterfield

Let us begin by centering ourselves as we offer peace to each other.

Close your eyes.

Breathe in slowly.

Breathe out slowly.

Breathe in slowly.

Breathe out slowly.

Let all stress and tension fall away and remember that the peace of Holy One is within you.

Open your heart to this peace. 

Send peace from your heart to the person on your left. 

Send peace from your heart to the person on your right. 

Send peace to all in our community.

Send peace to all in our country, in our world. 

Feel the peace of the Holy One returning to you.

Amen.    

Opening Song: You Are Mine by David Haas
https://youtu.be/Sgm9lkTNQmc

A reading from Peace is Every Step  by Thich Nhat Hanh

Twenty-Four Brand-New Hours Every morning, when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We don’t have to travel far away to enjoy the blue sky. We don’t have to leave our city or even our neighborhood to enjoy the eyes of a beautiful child. Even the air we breathe can be a source of joy. We can smile, breathe, walk, and eat our meals in a way that allows us to be in touch with the abundance of happiness that is available. We are very good at preparing to live, but not very good at living. We know how to sacrifice ten years for a diploma, and we are willing to work very hard to get a job, a car, a house, and so on. But we have difficulty remembering that we are alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment, the only moment there is for us to be alive. Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity.  We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.

These are the inspired words of Thich Nhat Hanh a disciple of the Holy One.  The community affirms these words by saying AMEN!

A reading from the Gospel of Luke

The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the breaking the bread.” While they were still speaking about this Jesus actually stood in their midst  and said to them,
"Peace be with you."

But they were startled and terrified
and thought that they were seeing a ghost.
Then he said to them, "Why are you troubled?
And why do questions arise in your hearts?
Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.
Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones
as you can see I have."
And as he said this,
he showed them his hands and his feet.
While they were still incredulous for joy and were amazed,
he asked them, "Have you anything here to eat?"
They gave him a piece of baked fish; 
he took it and ate it in front of them.

He said to them,
"These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about me in the law of Moses
and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled."
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.

These are the inspired words of Luke, a disciple of Jesus.  The community affirms these words by saying AMEN!


Kathie Ryan's homily reflection:

The opening verse of this gospel today is really the ending of another

well- known gospel story: The Road to Emmaus. “The two disciples recounted what had taken place on the way, and how Jesus was made known to them in the “breaking of the bread.” As the story goes Cleopas and his wife encountered Jesus on the way. Jesus opened their minds to the scriptures and then finally they recognized him “in the breaking of the bread.”

In today’s gospel we find Jesus’ followers rattled and afraid. They are feeling lost and disconnected from Jesus. and then as they are still talking about their experience Jesus is present: “Peace be with You”. The disciples are confused and incredulous just like the couple on the Road to Emmaus. Once again Jesus sits and eats with them and opens their minds to the scriptures. Opening their minds is the aha moment. They begin to see Jesus differently. They begin to see how Jesus life and death is meaningful. There is excitement, hope and peace.

The experience of Cleopas and his wife along with the experience of the disciples in the Upper Room is really our experience too. There are many times when you and I are filled with excitement, hope and peace when we are aware of presence, when we have those aha moments and our minds are open. The next question or step is what will be do with our aha moments. How does the experience of Jesus change us. How will we take our excitement, hope and peace into our community? Thich Nhant Hanh says we have 24 brand new hours to live. What a precious gift! What will we do with that gift today?

Communion Song: You Can Relax Now by Shaina Noll
https://youtu.be/llNlV1KDVUE

Prayer after Communion by Joyce Rupp

Let us pray:  Divine Peace-Bringer, take what is jagged in my relationships and transform it with your grace. I will do my best to bid farewell to whatever keeps me from inner peace. Help me bring your enduring harmony into every part of my existence. I open the door of my heart to you.

Closing song: Salaam Aleikum 

https://youtu.be/z20w2GZ6dsE