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| 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.
Gathering
Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEaVhVDPA3A
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