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Saturday, May 19, 2018

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Liturgy: Pentecost 2018, Presiders: Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, and Patricia McMillan, Music Minister Mindy Lou Simmons






El Greco, Pentecost


Presider 1: Welcome everyone to our Pentecost liturgy celebrating Spirit Presence moving through us in our beautiful diverse gifts and through creation in its splendid beauty as we serve one another in mutual care as the face of God in our world.


Let Your Light Shine In Us by Kathy Sherman

Let your light shine in us, (repeat 3 times)
And we will be one and the kindom will come
We will be one and the kindom will come.
Let your heart beat in us (repeat3 times
And we will be love for the world
We will be one and the kindom will come.
Let your joy sing in us (repeat 3 times)
And we will be hope for the world.
We will be one and the kindom will come.
Let your peace live in us (repeat 3 times)
And we will be one for the world
We will be one and the kindom will come.
Let your light shine in us (repeat 3 times)
And we will be light for the world
We will be one and the kindom will come.
Presider: We begin in the name of Infinite Love, Source of all Being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit. Amen

Penitential Rite:
Presider 2: Let us pause now to offer forgiveness and pray for healing of all that keeps us from loving one another.
(Sing) Spirit of the Living God fall afresh on us, melt us, mold us, fill us, use us. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.

Sing Gloria: Glory to God, glory, o praise God alleluia, glory to God, glory, O praise the name of our God.

Opening prayer
Presider1: We rejoice because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Spirit of God dwelling within us. On this Pentecost, we celebrate the outpouring of your Spirit in our diverse ministries as we serve our sisters and brothers each day in our world. Alleluia.

First Reading:  Acts 2:1-11


Responsorial: Psalm 104-
Response: Veni-Sancte Spiritus

Bless the Radiant One, O my soul
O Heart of my Heart, you are so great!
You are clothed with justice and mercy
Arrayed in light as your fine attire
Response: Veni Sancte Spiritus

O you who know all hearts,
How manifold are your works
In wisdom you have created them all,
The earth is filled with your creatures.
Response: Veni Sancte Spiritus

The glory of the Radiant One endures forever,
for the works of love are sure.
You are ever present to us,
Even as the earth trembles,
Even as the mountains spew forth
Ashes and smoke.
Response: Veni Sancte Spiritus

May our meditation reflect Your glory.
For we rejoice and are glad in you.
Praise the Creator of the Universe!
Bless the Heart of our hearts.
As we light the flame of love everywhere we go.
Amen, Alleluia (Adapted from Psalms for Praying by Nan Merrill)
Response: Veni Sancte Spiritus

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12 :3-13
Alleluia (eightfold)
Gospel: John 15:26-27 16:12-15



Homily Starter: Pentecost
Pentecost is one of my favorite feasts in the church’s year. I love the images of tongues of fire and a big wind blowing, a large, diverse crowd where everyone listens and understands at the same time. Now that is some explosion of grace!

“And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.” Yet, the large crowd who heard the message understood them.  

Originally, Pentecost celebrated an ancient feast of spring harvest when the Israelites gave thanks for the first fruits of their crops as they recalled God’s giving of the Torah and their Covenant renewal. (Exodus 23:14-17)

“The Acts story itself evokes the driving wind of creation, that again visited those first broken and frightened Christians,” writes Deb Organ,  “carrying on its heels the impossible reality of God’s Spirit inaugurating a whole new order of existence.  It was amazing! Fire and wind brought a word that came from beyond the fear, beyond the gaps that separated those ancient people.  Many of them could listen to one another for the first time.” (Catholic Women Preach, Pentecost, Deb Organ, May 20, 201),
Yet today there are so many divisions that separate us from one another along every line racial, gender, political national, international etc.  In the interest of full disclosure, there is one station that express views that I disagree with that I do not watch! (Surprise, surprise, I bet you can guess!)
PRAYER Experience:
As we contemplate the meaning of Pentecost in our lives, let us take a few minutes of prayerful reflection before our shared homily.

Let us begin by getting in touch with our breath and the Spirit that dwells within each of us... 
Like Jesus, you are the face of God. Give thanks for gifts of the Spirit that you have been given to build community and bless others…
Now, open your heart to ways you may be called to stretch further than you are comfortable with to promote deeper understanding in your relationships and world…

Shared Homily:


Share a gift of the Spirit that you are grateful for as you live your call to be the face of God in our world.
How can we move beyond what separates us to deeper understanding and a greater inclusivity, diversity and unity in our relationships and work for justice and equality in our church and world?

Statement of Faith 
All: We believe in one God, a divine mystery beyond all definition and rational understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that ever will exist. 
We believe in Jesus, messenger of God’s Word, bringer of God’s healing, heart of God’s compassion, bright star in the firmament of God’s prophets, mystics, and saints. 
We believe that we are called to follow the Holy Spirit who comes with Her call to Holiness, our source of God’s wisdom and truth, and an instrument of God’s peace in the world. 
We believe that God’s kindom is here and now, stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and willing minds and hands to make the kindom present in our time and place. May we become joyful saints in our times. Amen

Intercessions:
Presider 2: At Pentecost we give thanks for your gifts so we live our call as mystics, prophets and celebrators of sacramental life.  
Response: Holy Spirit, you fill our souls and our minds each day.
Presider 1: For what else should we pray? (Community prayers) 
Presider 2: Healing God, you faithfully accompany us as we reach out in love to those who need prayer, those we say aloud and those we hold in our hearts.  As always, we make our prayer in the names of Jesus the Christ, and  Spirit Sophia, our Wisdom.  Amen.

Commissioning – Community Anointing with Chrism 
Presider 1: We now celebrate our commissioning, a celebration of the gifts of the Spirit in our community of faith. We will use the symbol of anointing with chrism as a reminder of our baptismal call to live the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit in ministry to all. 

All: We bless this oil as a reminder that Jesus was anointed by a holy woman before he died and rose again.  After his resurrection Sophia, Holy Spirit came upon his followers at Pentecost.  As a community of faith, we bless this oil so each of us may be anointed to follow our unique call to be the face of God in our world. Amen

Presider 2: As each person’s hands are anointed the following is prayed: 
Like Jesus, you are the loving face of God in our world.
Song: (You are the face of God by Karen Drucke)r https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPT7687_yko





Liturgy of the Eucharist
Offertory: Presentation of the bread and wine 
Presider 1: Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have this bread to offer. It will become the Bread of Life. Through this sacred meal we become your holy ones, the Body of Christ in our world. .
All:  Blessed be God forever.

Presider 2:  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 and nourish us in our loving service of our sisters and brothers. All:  Blessed be God forever. 




Presider 1: My sisters and brothers, these gifts give glory to the Holy One. All: Sophia Holy Spirit we remember your coming to us at baptism and confirmation and remember your presence especially each Pentecost. You dwell in each of us, all of us and all creation. You accept our gifts that we offer in service to our faith community so all may become one in love. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.

 Preface:
Voice 1: O Divine Flame of Love, your glowing embers dance in our hearts. Your passionate presence kindles our souls. You purify us with the searing truth that ignites our spirits. As the glowing embers of a fire penetrate the cold around us, so your tenderness sets our hearts aglow. We celebrate your nearness this day as we remember your Pentecost miracles. 

Voice 2: The wind of your life has blown across our world in the gentle breezes and thunder storms of your vision in your prophets and visionaries among us. We praise and exalt you forever with grateful hearts as we sing: 

Holy, Holy, Holy – Karen Drucker

We are Holy, Holy, Holy, we are whole; You are Holy, Holy, Holy, you are whole. I am Holy, Holy, Holy, I am whole.  We are Holy, Holy, Holy, we are whole.

Eucharistic Prayer:
Voice 3: Passionate God, you kindle your fire of enthusiasm for our mission within us. You speak to us with assurance and excitement and reveal to us the infinite, boundless, depths of your love for us.

Voice 4: You awaken us to your promises to be always present in our lives, no matter what the obstacles or setbacks we experience. Your Spirit fills us with such a hunger and thirst for holiness that our words and actions encourage others to become living signs of your love working for justice. You give us eyes to see human needs, hearts to care for our sisters and brothers and hands and feet to lighten others burdens.  In this way we walk our unique path to holiness and wholeness. 

 Invocation of the Holy Spirit (extend you hand in blessing)
All: You bless us O Holy One and you enliven all that exists. You transform these gifts of bread and wine, and our lives, by boundless grace that nourish and sustains us on our journey of our mission to be the face of God in our world.

Presider 2: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions. He reminded them of what he taught them and bent down and washed their feet. Jesus returned to his place at the table, lifted the Passover bread and spoke the blessing, and then broke the break with these words,

 All: Take and eat, this is my very self. 

Presider 1: Jesus then raised high the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered them the wine with these words: 

All: Take and drink of the covenant made new again through my life for you and for everyone. Whenever you do this, you remember me. 

Presider 2: Let us proclaim the mystery of wonder in our midst: 

All: Jesus who walks with us on the path of holiness, you are the spark of love in whom we believe; the Wisdom of Sophia in whom we trust; and the desire for justice that consumes us. 

Voice 5: As we celebrate the memory of Jesus, we remember our political and religious leaders, especially Pope Francis, and our Bishop Bridget Mary. We remember the communion of saints who have gone before us and all who have inspired and loved us. 
(pause to mention names).  

Voice 6: May our hearts be joyful as we dream new dreams and see new visions on our path to holiness. May we recognize Christ present in every person we encounter. May we, like Jesus, become Spirit Fire, as we fan the flames of love in our families, communities, country and all over the world.  

(Co-Presiders hold up bread and wine.)
All: For it is through living as Jesus lived that we find our mission, that we awaken to your Spirit within moving us to glorify you through lives of holiness. Today at this time and in this place and always.  Amen

Communion Rite:
Prayer of Jesus
Presider 1: Let us join hands and pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us. “Our Father and Mother…” 

Sign of Peace  
Presider 2: Let us hold hands and sing “Peace is flowing like a river…, Joy is flowing…Alleluia. 

Prayer for the Breaking of the Bread 
Presider 1: Please join in praying the prayer for the breaking of the bread: 

All: Loving God, You call us to be the face of God in our world.
We will do so.    
Loving God, you call us to use our gifts to build inclusive communities.
We will do so.
 Loving God, you call us to speak truth to power.
We will do so.
 (Co-Presiders hold up bread and wine)
 
Presider 2: Our Eucharistic celebration is all-inclusive. We are a spark of the Divine and God’s love fills our hearts. 
All: We are the Body and Blood of Christ for the world. 

Communion Hymn/Meditation: You Have Anointed Me (Dameans) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Um-qpu2xco (Mindy Lou Simmons)
Prayer After Communion: Spontaneous Thanksgiving
Introductions and Announcements

Final Blessing (all extend their hands in blessing)
All:
May Spirit Energy ignite us to be a flame of love in our world.
May Spirit Love reconcile and heal all divisions.
May Spirit Peace enliven us in prophetic obedience.
Together, we are one in Christ, loving and serving God’s holy people.
Amen Alleluia.

Recessional: We are marching in the Light of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqNdoExJido

Liturgy adapted from Bridget Mary Meehan, ARCWP and Mary Theresa Streck ARCWP