Theme: We will
always have more than enough
Welcome and Centering Prayer
Presider: We have all been created by the same Great
Mystery; we have all been shown by the example of Jesus of Nazareth how to
live; we are all supported and strengthened by the Spirit on our journeys. In
many important ways, we are all one. And at this time, we come together to share
stories of Jesus, break bread, and express gratitude for all that we have and
all that we are.
Gathering Hymn: In the Name of All That Is – Jan Novatka
(words on last page)
Opening Prayer
All: O Lover of all, in our
journeys into the heart of compassion…and that is you -- we celebrate the love that
you continually unfold for us by your being in us -- in each one
of us. Help us to recognize and honor
the “you” that is in the “me” of everyone.
You call us to see goodness and beauty
everywhere and to live in harmony with all of creation. You call us to heal the
wounds of hatred and violence, discrimination and oppression in our world. You
call us to warmly welcome everyone with whom we come in contact as your
presence among us. In communion with Jesus, our brother, and with the power of the
Spirit, we will live your love poured out each day. Amen.
Community Reconciliation, Healing,
and Transformation
Presider: Compassionate God, to you all hearts are
open, no desires unknown, and no secrets hidden. Our desire is to be continually conscious of
this in our own lives and recognize this in all we do with others.
All (with an outstretched arm):
May we reach deep within ourselves to
hear Wisdom’s many messages, to faithfully understand them, and to respond to
them with compassionate actions to our brothers and sisters. May we emulate the virtues of pardon and
peace that Jesus taught us so that we may- in turn - be more forgiving in our care
for ourselves, for one another and for our planet Earth.
May we gather strength through the Divine
Presence within us, to extend your merciful and forgiving presence that is your
gift – through us – to everyone, everywhere - with whom you share your unending
love.
We ask this in the name of all that is
Holy. Amen.
Gloria
Presider: Let us give glory to our loving Holy One.
All (Sung): Glory to God, glory, O praise God,
Alleluia. Glory to God, glory.
O praise the name of our God. (3X)
Liturgy of the Word
First
Reading: 2 Kings 4:42-44 All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm 63. Responsorial: My soul is thirsting for you, O God,
thirsting for you, my God. #781
Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 All:
Thanks be to God.
Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia
Gospel: John 6:1-15 All:
Glory to you, O God.
Homily Starter
Kathryn Shea ARCWP
You all know, it is
very rare I use all of the readings in the lectionary when I preside, and often
change them or use other readings. Well,
today is a rare exception. I used all of
the readings, and did not change one word.
Perhaps another miracle!
I actually really
love all of the readings and they gave me lots of “food for thought”. Pun intended.
There are two central themes that speak to me in these readings. The feeding of the 5000 is one of few
“miracles” recorded in all four gospels.
Each story is a bit different, so I decided to take from each one what
stood out for me.
The first is the
profound compassion of Jesus. This event
occurred shortly after Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, his
dearest friend. He wanted to go off to
be alone in his grief, but the crowds by the thousands, followed him. He could have easily chosen to send them away
so he could attend to his grief in private, but he chose not to. He chose to attend to the needs of the people
over his own needs, and we hear this time and again in the stories of Jesus. In
Mathew 14.13-21 it says, “When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had
compassion for then and cured their sick.”
Mark’s version of the story is
similar. “As he went ashore, he saw a
great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep
without a shepherd; and he began to teach them of many things.” Jesus used it as an opportunity to teach and
to heal. The definition of compassion
is, “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to
alleviate it.” May we all live the
compassion of Jesus.
A second theme is
the concept of scarcity versus abundance.
Mathew, Mark, and Luke all have
very similar versions of what transpired.
“Send them away,” the disciples tell Jesus. “Send them back home, back to their villages
so they can find food. We can’t handle
all this need.” “Send them away,” they
say. But Jesus says, “No, you give them
something to eat.” Jesus did not say, “I
will feed them.” He told the disciples
to feed them. I think there’s a really
important message here. Jesus was saying
to his disciples, “This is your work, not mine.
Don’t put this on me. This is why
you are my blessed people. Go feed my
people, physically and spiritually, and I am here to assist you.” The bread is a symbol, as we also see in the
first reading. As Jesus said a number of
times, “I am the Bread and whoever eats of this Bread, will never die.”
But, the apostles
see only scarcity and reply to Jesus, “But we only have five loaves and two
fish,” they protest. They were clearly
overwhelmed by the vast need they saw in front of them, as I’m sure many of us
also experience every day.
Too often we see
the world this way, through a lens of scarcity, a lens that fears we may not
have enough or what might be rightfully ours taken from us. Whether that’s our food, our money, our
security, our stuff, our comfort, our critical distance from those that are
suffering.
People experiencing
hunger and homelessness? Send them away.
People who are gay
and lesbian? Send them away.
People with
disabilities? Send them away.
Families on the
border? Send them away.
“We only have five
loaves and two fish. We cannot possibly do what you ask us to do.” The
lens of scarcity.
Jesus has a
different lens in which he sees; the lens of abundance. “Give them all the food we have,” he says,
never doubting there would be more than enough.
And there was one small boy who had the basket of fish and bread and
gave it to Jesus, also never doubting there would be more than enough. The innocence, faith, and generosity of one
small child, never thinking, “If I give my food away, I will go hungry.” In Mathew 18.3 Jesus says, “Assuredly, unless
you change, and become as little children, you will by no means enter the
kingdom of heaven.” Key words; “Unless
you change.”
And so the crowd
was fed, with twelve baskets of food left over.
Perhaps all of the people in the crowd, seeing what this small boy did,
also took food from their bags to share, instead of keeping it to
themselves. Perhaps that was the true
miracle. I think all too often we focus on the miracle instead of the
message. Imagine if we all shared our
bread with the world. We live in the
wealthiest country on Earth, any yet many still go hungry. And we often begrudge people their daily
bread if it comes in the form of food stamps or other shared support. The voice of scarcity, and our culture is
built on it. The reality is though, that
there is more than enough to feed all the hungry people in the world. The food exists. The personal and political will does
not. Can you imagine a world where there
is no hunger? Can you imagine a world
where all are fed? “YOU give them
something to eat”, Jesus says.
So my question for
consideration is, what more can each of us do to feed the hungry, physically
and spiritually and how did today’s readings speak to you?
Shared Homily and
Community Reflections
Profession of Faith
All:
We believe in the Divine Mystery, beyond all description and
understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that
ever will exist in the expanding universe.
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth, the
human Jesus, an enlightened soul who carried the message of God’s Word, who
brought the ability to show us how to heal ourselves and others, who is the heart
of God’s compassion. He is the bright
star in the firmament of God’s prophets, mystics, and saints. And it is through
him that we become a new people with One story of salvation. We are here to share his stories of the new
message, that we are all holy, we were
born holy, and we shall be holy forevermore.
We believe in the Spirit, the one
that inspires our innermost life. She
keeps the Anointed One present to all those who are searching for meaning and
wholeness in their lives.
She strengthens our call to follow Jesus
as a vehicle of God’s love. She is the
one who helps us reach within ourselves so that she can heal and energize us
when our spirits may grow weary in our lives.
And we believe that God’s kin-dom
is here and now, stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it,
hearts to receive it, and hands to take it to share with those around us.
Prayers of the Community
Presider: With heads
and hearts mindful of God’s unconditional love embedded in each one of us, let
us bring our needs and those of our community forward. After each intercession, we respond: We awaken to your
call. (Intentions are mentioned here.)
Presider: That those who suffer abuse, may be healed
and empowered, we pray.
R. All:
We awaken to your call.
Presider: That those bound by hatred, hostility, and
violence will be set free, we pray. R.
Presider: That the sick may be healed, especially (mention names), we pray. R.
Presider: That those who have gone ahead of us and
dwell forever in their heavenly home, we pray. R.
Presider: And for whom else do we pray at this
time? Other Intentions followed by R.
Presider: We
hold these and all our unspoken intentions in our hearts and take them with us when
we will gather around the Banquet Table.
Offertory Song: God of the Hungry #624 – all verses
Presider: Blessed are you, Jesus of Nazareth, through
your goodness we have this bread and this wine and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal may we remember how
to live the new story.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Presider: Divine Presence, we believe that you are
always with us, loving in each of us and healing others through us.
All: Namaste (with a nod…3x)
Presider: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up in tender love, open to
serve.
Presider: Let us give thanks for all that we have.
All:
It is our joy to be grateful for our many blessings as we gather at our family
table.
(so… let us all “gather
at our family table”…)
Eucharistic Prayer
Voice 1: Gracious Wisdom, you embrace us with your extravagant
affection in both our blessedness and times of weakness. You are always with us and live in us, and we
in you. In this festive meal, your
Spirit is poured out to each of us gathered in this circle of your disciples to
share your gift of shalom, our peace. And we break out in joy as we sing our “family
camp song.”
All: We are holy, holy, holy (3x), we are
whole. You are…I am… We are (Karen Drucker)
Voice 2:
Gracious God, you
have set the banquet table and have invited all of us to the feast of unending
delight. Here we celebrate your divine love beyond what words can describe. Your divine compassion connects us to the
young and the old, the least and the last, to everyone, everywhere, on our
journey into the heart of your mercy.
Voice 3:
We thank you, Holy Mystery, for the gift of Jesus of Nazareth in history
–and the gift of Jesus in faith. You brought him from among your people to
baptize us in your Spirit. His life was
moved by his vision of your presence in himself and in his mission, and he
recognized you in everyone he met. He
showed us, through his example, not only how we should live, but also for what
was worth dying.
Voice 4:
And when his time on earth had come, to a close, Jesus – aware of and
accepting his destiny – gave up his life for the values that he deeply
believed, lived and taught…his conviction that love is stronger than
death. And then, in providing an example
of this wisdom for all people in the ages to come, he opened wide his arms…and
died. And the Spirit that lived in Jesus
is resurrected in all of us who decide to live the new story. Jesus is with us today as he will be through
the end of time.
All:
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. When you do this, remember
me, and all I have taught you. (pause a moment, then continue….)
All: 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. When you
do this, remember me, and all I have taught you.
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 our faith.
All:
The Anointed One lives in us and through us in the world today.
Voice 5:
God, we know that you bless your church throughout the world. We, your people, desire to grow in our love
and caring for Francis, our Pope, Bridget Mary, our Bishop, and with everyone we
come in contact, especially those who live on the margins of church and
society. They are all our brothers and sisters
and are reflections of your presence within all your people. We remember also 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:
We believe that the Spirit of God is at work in and among us and will do
more than we can ever ask or imagine.
Amen. (sung, x times)
The Prayer of Jesus
All (sing): Our Father and Mother, who are in
heaven, blessed is your name…...
The Sign of Peace
Presider: God, we know that you give us peace and unity
beyond what any words can express. You
are here with us as we join hands in a circle of love and sing our prayer: “Let there be peace on earth.” (#532)
Litany at the Breaking
of the 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 calls us to open doors
that are closed and share our bread and wine on the altar of the world. All are
invited to eat and drink at this sacred banquet of love.
All:
When we share in this meal, we, whom you created as worthy, commit to
live your teachings, dear Jesus, and to tell your stories that allow Spirit to
rise up within us and empowers us to bring the kin-dom of God to this world. This is the good news of salvation.
Presider: Let us share and spread this good news! ALL: Amen. (As we share this sacred meal, we say to one another with the passing
of the bread, You are the
love of God in the world.”
When we share the wine we say, “You are the Face of God in the world.”)
Communion Music: Instrumental
Post Communion
Meditation Hymn: Until All Are Fed -
Bryan Field McFarland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLwmYIzkb78&feature=youtu.be
Prayer of Thanksgiving
after Communion
Presider: Holy One, may this
Eucharist in which we share Jesus’s healing love, deepen our oneness with you
and with one another. May we share our
bountiful blessings, knowing that God who embraces us always, always gives us
all more than we need. May we be
grateful daily for all of our many blessings.
And may wonder and thanksgiving fill us with knowledge and understanding
as we experience the infusion of your love and compassion in us, your sacred
people. We join in unity in this prayer
with Mary, and our brother, Jesus.
All:
Amen
Closing Prayer
All:
May we give and receive abundant love.
May our belief in love enrich and sustain
us.
May we find wonder and miracle in the
ordinariness of life.
May we experience joy in the Light
burning within us.
May we know true peace in our minds and
in our hearts. (Michael
Morwood; Prayers for Progressive Christians)
Closing Community Blessing
All (extend an arm in mutual blessing): We come together at this special time, moved
by a light within us and within all people.
We believe that this light, this love within is the light of the Great
Mystery. It is the light we name God,
Love, Creator, Infinite Spirit, Breath of God.
We, as a sacred community, bless one another, and all of our sisters and
brothers, who are called to this Light. May
our Loving God be with us as we continue on our paths and follow in the
footsteps of Jesus -for we are the face of God to the world. Amen.
Closing Song: More Than
Enough – Daniel Nahmod
Commissioning
Presiders: May we go forth
and spread the message of abundance, love and compassion to the world. May we be the light in the world for others. Let
this be our mission…and let our service continue!
All: Thanks be to God; let it be so.