Theme:
“I Am the Vine, You are My Branches”
Welcome and Gathering Song:
“Canticle of the Sun” #422 (verses 2, 3, 5)
Opening Prayer
All: God of life,
wholeness and holiness, you who direct all creation to its fulfillment in
Jesus, the Christ - open our hearts to the message of the Gospel so that your
peace may rule in our hearts and your justice may guide our lives. Loving God, we pray that you impart your
wisdom to all people, especially world leaders, to care for and protect all
living things. Loving God, bless all of
us gathered here and all those of our community who are not with us today. We ask this of you, our brother Jesus, and
our sister Sophia. Amen.
Penitential Rite and Community Forgiveness
Presider:
Compassionate God, to you all hearts are open, no desires unknown, and
no secrets hidden. We ask you to send
your Spirit to us so that we may live more fully according to your will for us
and we give thanks that you have called us to be your chosen people.
All: (with an
outstretched arm): God, our Father and
Mother, help us to hear Wisdom’s messages, to faithfully understand them, and
to receive the compassion to act on them with our brothers and sisters. Compassionate God, teach us the virtues of
pardon and peace so that we may – in turn- learn to forgive our failures to
care for one another and for our trees and our entire planet Earth. We ask this of you in the names of Jesus, our
brother and of the Holy Spirit, our healer and comforter. Amen.
Glory to God
All: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all
God’s people on earth. Creator God,
heart of the universe, we thank you for the breath of the Spirit sustaining
everything that exists, everywhere in the cosmos. Through the example and teachings of Jesus
Christ, you gave us the grace to know that you are always among us – and that
we can experience you in our brothers and sisters. We give you glory and praise through Jesus
Christ, our brother, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom. Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First reading: “Ode
To Trees” by David Whalen O Haolin in ancient Celtic All:
Thanks be to God.
Psalm 89: Responsorial: “Forever
I will sing the goodness of our God.” #790
Second reading: 1 John: 3: 18-24 All: Glory and thanks to our God.
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia
Gospel: John 15: 1-12, 15-17.
Shared Homily/Community Reflection
Profession of Faith
All: We believe in God,
the Creator of the universe, whose divinity infuses all that exists, making
everything, everywhere, sacred. We
believe in Jesus, the Christ, who leads us to the fullness of
humanity. Through him, we become a new
people, called beyond the consequences of our brokenness. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom
who keeps the Christ-vision present to all those who are searching for meaning
and wholeness in their lives – and the Sustainer who heals and energizes
us when our spirits may grow weary in our journeys. We say: Amen to courage, to hope, and to
truth. We say: Amen to the partnership
and equality of all people of different genders, races, and faiths. We believe in a world of justice and peace
for everyone, everywhere, with no exceptions.
In all of this, we surely believe.
Prayers of the
Community
Presider: We are a
people of faith, believing in the power of prayer. We are always mindful of
God’s unconditional love and care for all of us. And so, we bring the needs of people -
throughout the world - to our merciful and gracious God. After
each intercession, respond:
Compassionate God, hear our prayers.
Presider: Healing God, you faithfully listen to our
prayers. We ask you to strengthen us in
our caring for one another and in our works for justice, equality, and peace in
a world without violence. As always, we
make this prayer in the names of Jesus, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit, our
Wisdom. Amen.
Offertory Procession: Song: “I Am the Vine” – John Michael
Talbot
Chorus: I am the vine and you are the branches.
Live in
me, and you will never die.
I am
the vine and my God is the keeper. Come to me.
Let the
Spirit bring you life.
Like a
tree, planted by the living waters,
To stretch its roots into the living stream.
You will show no distress, In the heat of the
drought,
But still bear fruit and live.
Chorus
Come to
me all you heavy laden.
My yoke is easy, my burden is light.
I will
raise you up on the wings of an eagle.
And to
God’s mountain will fly.
Chorus
Preparation of the
Gifts
Presider: Blessed are
you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer,
this grain that the earth has given and human hands have made. It will become
for us the bread of life.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Blessed are
you, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
this fruit of the vine that human hands have made. It will become for us our
spiritual drink.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Gathering of the
Gifted
Presider: Jesus, who
has sat at our tables, now invites us to be guests at his family table.
ALL: Nurturing God, we are united in this sacrament
by our common love of Jesus. We are in
communion with everyone, everywhere, who proclaims your mercy to all those who
are marginalized and oppressed. May we live as prophetic witnesses to the
Gospel, supported by the vision of Jesus and the wisdom of the Spirit. Amen.
Presider: God dwells
in each one of us. All:
Namaste!
Presider: Let us give
thanks to the Creator and Sustainer of all that exists.
All: With hearts full of love, we give God thanks
and praise.
Presider: Holy
Spirit, we realize your presence among us as we gather at his family table.
All: Fill us with
reverence for you, for one another, and for all your creation.
Presider: Let us lift
up our hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Holy One, living in us
and loving through us.
Eucharistic Prayer
Voice 1:
Ever present and always caring God, we do well always and everywhere to
give you thanks. In you we live and move
and have our very being. Your Spirit
dwelling in us gives us the hope of unending peace and joy with you. And so, we
sing your praise…
All: We are holy, holy, holy X3….we are whole
Voice 2: We thank you for the gift of
Jesus in history and the gift of Jesus in faith. On earth, Jesus burned with
the vision of his mission and truth. He revealed you to us through his
compassionate life well lived. Jesus showed us not only how we should live, but
also for what we might die. Through him,
you continue to breathe life into us.
Voice 3: (Place your hand on the shoulder of the person to your right) Compassionate
God, let your Holy Spirit rest upon us, your people, converting us from the
patterns of the world, until we conform to the shape of him whose food we now
share.
All: O God, let your Spirit of life, healing and wholeness come upon these gifts that we gathered from
the fields and placed on his table -- this simple wheat and wine. May she have them become for us the Body and
Blood of Jesus, our brother.
(With an
outstretched arm as we pray the consecration together. We remember the gift that Jesus gave us on
the night before he died. He gathered
with his friends to share a final Passover meal. And it was at that supper that Jesus took
bread, said the blessing and shared it with them saying: take this, all of you,
and eat it. This bread is you; this
bread is me. We are one body, the
presence of God in the world. Do this in
memory of me. [Pause]
In the same way, Jesus
took a cup of wine, said the blessing and gave it to his friends saying: take
this, all of you, and drink it. This
wine is you; this wine is me. We are one
blood, the presence of God in the world.
Do this in memory of 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.
The 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 4:
In memory of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, we offer you, God,
this life-giving bread and this saving cup.
May all who share this sacred meal be brought together in unity by the
Holy Spirit. And may that Spirit, that
Wisdom, that moved in Jesus move freely in our lives as well.
Voice 5: God, remember your church throughout the
world, help us grow in love, together with Francis, our Pope, Bridget Mary, our
Bishop, and all your people everywhere - especially those who live on the
margins of church and society. Remember also all those, living and dead, who
touched our lives and left their footprints on our hearts. We remember especially….(mention names, if you would like to).
All: Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Creator God,
forever and ever. Amen (sung).
All: Our Father and
Mother ……..Amen.
All: Lord God, we have prayed that your kindom may
come among us. Open our ears to hear it,
our hands to serve it, and our hearts to hold it. Amen.
The Sign of Peace
Presider: Jesus, you said to your disciples, “My peace I
leave with you; my peace I give to you.”
Look on the faith of those gathered here and ….
All: … grant us your
peace. O God, following the example of
Jesus and with the strength of the Spirit, help us spread that peace throughout
the world, to everyone, everywhere, no exceptions. Amen.
Presider: May the peace of God be always with us, as we join
hands and sing, “Peace is Flowing Like a River”
Litany for the
Breaking of Bread
Presider: Loving God…All:
you call us to Spirit-filled service and to live the Gospel of non-violence for
peace and justice. We will live justly.
Presider: Loving God…All:
you call us to be your presence in the world and to be bearers of forgiveness
and understanding, healing and compassion everywhere in your name. We will love tenderly.
Presider: Loving God...All:
you call us to speak truth to power. We
will walk humbly with you.
Presider: This is
Jesus, who liberates, heals, and transforms us and our world. All are invited to partake of this sacred
banquet of love. All: We are the Body of Christ.
Communion:
Instrumental
After Communion Reflection Song: “If Only I Could Make You Mine” – Daniel Nahmod- sung by Mindy Lou Simmons
Prayer of
Thanksgiving After Communion
Presider: Oh Holy
One, may this Eucharist in which we always share Christ’s healing love deepen
our oneness with you and our unity with one another. May we work for the healing of our Earth and
protect our forests from devastation.
May we be your strong branches that spreads your love and compassion to
all we meet. We ask this in the name of
Jesus, the Christ, and the Spirit, our Wisdom.
All: Amen.
Community Prayers of Gratitude and Announcements
Closing Community
Blessing
Presider: O God of Compassion, Jesus showed us how to love one another
and heal our hearts. Through the power
of your liberating Spirit at work within us, we will give and receive
forgiveness, live joyously, and work for healing, justice and equality for our
earth and for all your holy people. As
Jesus gave to us his peace, may we spread his peace to all peoples of the
earth, everywhere; no exceptions. And
may we work for justice for all, for all of our lives. ALL: Amen
All: (with an
outstretched arm in blessing) May we realize
Emmanuel, God-in-us, and give generous expression to this wonderful gift that
we all share. May our nurturing God
bless us all gathered here and all those in our communities. We ask this in the name of the Creator, in
the name of Mary’s child, and in the Name of our Wisdom as we minister to one
another and to our Earth as the People of God.
Amen.
Presiders: As we all go
in the peace of Christ, let our service continue in all that we do!
ALL: Thanks be to
God. Let it be so! Alleluja!
Concluding
Hymn: “All You Works of God” – Marty Haugen
Chorus: All you works of God, Every
mountain, star and tree,
Bless the One who shapes your
beauty, Who has caused you all to be.
One great song of love and grace, Ever
ancient, ever new.
Raise your voices, all you works of
God.
Verse 1 Sun and moon, Bless your Maker!
Stars of heaven: Chant your praise!
Showers and dew: Raise up your
joyful song!
Chorus
Verse 2 Wind of God: Bless your Maker!
Cold and winter: Chant your praise!
Snow storms and ice: Raise up your joyful
song!
Chorus
Verse 3 Night and day: Bless your Maker!
Light and darkness: Chant your
praise!
Lightnings and clouds: Raise up your
joyful song!
Chorus
Verse 4 Wells and springs: Bless
your Maker!
Seas and rivers: Chant your praise!
Whales in the deep: Raise up your
joyful song!
Chorus
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