Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Liturgy: 29th Sunday of Extraordinary Time- Oct. 20, 2018 Presiders: Patricia MacMillan and Bridget Mary Meehan ARCWP, Music Minister- Mindy Lou Simmons, Embrace the holy messes!

Theme: We Are Blessed and Blessings Called to Serve- Embrace the Imperfections, Chaos, and Holy Mess in Your life and in Our World

Welcome and Greeting

Presider 1: Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive Catholic Community where are all are welcome to share Eucharist. We use inclusive language in our scripture readings and prayers. You will be invited to gather around the Table to pray the Eucharistic Prayer

We warmly welcome our newcomers to our liturgy and invite you to introduce yourself at the announcement time after Communion  

 All are invited to join us for supper after liturgy.

From left to right: Bridget Mary Meehan and Patricia MacMillan co-preside at liturgy

Presider 2: In chaotic times, your Spirit moves through us as, we  discern anew, Jesus’ call to lovingly serve our sisters and brothers. Like Job, we are called to integrity of faith in the midst of suffering and evil for we believe that everything is held together by love. Today we celebrate our baptismal call of service. Like Jesus and his disciples, we are called to live the Gospel of love today as blessings in our world.

Opening Song: #628 We Are Called

Opening Prayer:

ALL: We dream of a world without sexual violence, without white supremacy, without misogyny, and, without hate. We commit ourselves to imagine, repair and transform our Church and world. We are blessings and blessed in our service.

Rite of Forgiveness and Reconciliation

Presider 1: Let us pause now to pray with one another for forgiveness. Let us extend hands and pray silently for healing and reconciliation in our lives and in our world.

Ubi Caritas, et amor, ubi caritas, deus ibi est. #482 3 times (Sing 3 times refrain only -Taize)

Gloria:

ALL: Glory to God, glory, o praise God, alleluia, Glory to God, glory, o praise the name of our God (sung 3 times)

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Job: 42: 16-17

(Catholic Comprehensive Lectionary)

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 33: 1,3; 4-5; 6-9; 20-22

(Adapted from Nan Merrill’s rendition)

 Psalm Response: All Creation is held together by love

Second Reading: Hebrews 3:12-15b

Eightfold Alleluia (Charismatic)

Gospel:  Mark 10:35-45

Homily Starter:

blessed are you who are raging.
blessed are you who are mourning.
blessed are you who feel numb.
blessed are you who feel sick. and tired. and sick and tired.
blessed are you who refuse to turn away.
blessed are you who need to turn away.
blessed are you who keep breathing deep.
blessed are you who are tending to your own needs.
blessed are you who are tending to the needs of another.
blessed are you who have been calling.
blessed are you who have been organizing.
blessed are you who have been testifying.
blessed are you who have been hearing.
blessed are you who have been resisting.
blessed are you who feel broken open beyond repair.
blessed are you who are raw beyond words.
blessed are you who are working hotlines and crisis care centers and bearing witness to the forces of violence and trauma unleashed and unloosed.
blessed are you who are marching.
blessed are you who are weeping.
blessed are you who preach and know that divinity resides in despised, abused, violated flesh.
blessed are you who know deep in your bones that you are good. and beautiful. and beloved. and sacred. and worthy. and believed. and held. and capable of healing beyond your wildest imagination.
blessed are you who remind others they are good. and beautiful. and beloved. and sacred. and worthy. and believed. an d held. and capable of healing beyond their wildest imagination.
blessed are we when we dare to dream of a world without sexual violence, without white supremacy, without misogyny, without police brutality, without anti-trans and anti-queer violence.
blessed are we when we stay tender.
blessed are we when we stay fierce.
blessed are we when we dare to imagine repair, and transformation.
blessed are we when we labor together to make it so.
- Pastor Anna Blaedel

Homily Sharing: 

We invite open, respectful, brief sharing in response to the readings and homily starter now.

Share how you/and/or our Community are blessed and blessing in service in our Church and World

Statement of Faith 

 
We believe in the Holy One, a divine mystery 
beyond all definition and rational understanding, in whose infinite love all creation exists and evolves.

We believe in Jesus, messenger of the Divine Presence,
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion, 
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's 
prophets, mystics, and saints. 
 
We believe that we are called to follow Jesus 
as a reflection of divine compassion and healing
a source of wisdom and truth, 
and an instrument of peace and healing in the world. 
 
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One, 
the life that is our innermost life, 
the breath moving in our being, 
the depth living in each of us. 
 
We believe that the Divine 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 make it happen. 

General Intercessions:

Presider 1: As we prepare for the sacred meal, we pray for the needs of the people of God in our community and around the world.

Our response is: Holy One, you hear our prayers.

Please share your spontaneous prayers.

Presider 2: We give thanks for all whom we held in the circle of grace and will continue to pray for and use our talents to serve our sisters and brothers with joyful hearts in the coming weeks. Amen.

PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS

(Lifting up the Bread and Wine)

Presider1: Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer.

Presider 2 : Through this sacred meal may we become your new creation as we respond to your call to use our gifts in loving service to our sisters and brothers.

ALL: Blessed be God forever.
(All are welcome to join us around the table)

Liturgy of the Eucharist
Presider 1: God is with you.

ALL: And also with you. 

Presider 2: Lift up your hearts.

ALL: We lift them up to God. 

All: : O God of open tables, we come with loving hearts to the altar of the world to generously serve our sisters and brothers in need. We give thanks for the rich diversity of talents we have in this community. We rejoice in this circle of grace as we remember the angels and saints and all who have gone before us. Joined with all creation, we lift up our hearts and sing:

We are holy, holy, holy by Karen Drucker 

Voice 1:   We thank you for Jesus, our brother, who called us to turn away from the idols of power and domination to transform oppression. He lifted up the vulnerable, and revealed your abundant tenderness toward those who are sick and suffering, lonely and grieving, marginalized and excluded.

Voice 2: We celebrate our call to reflect the One Who Embraces All with love in our relationships and actions each day.

(Extend hands in blessing toward bread and wine for Invocation of the Holy Spirit)

All: Now, as we share the bread of life and lift the cup of joy, we pray come Holy Spirit deepen your Presence within us and in these gifts of bread and wine. 

All: On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the Seder supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet, so that they would re-member him.

Presider 1:  (lifts bread as community prays the following:)

All: When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the Passover bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying: 

Take and eat of the Bread of Life 

Given to strengthen you  

Whenever you remember me like this  

I am among you. (pause) 

Presider 2  (lifts the cup as community prays the following: )

All: Jesus then raised a cup of blessing, spoke the grace saying: 

Take and drink of the covenant 

Made new again through my life in you. 

Whenever you remember me like this, 

I am among you.  (pause)

All: Let us share this bread and cup, 

and welcome everyone to the Banquet as we live the gospel of loving service to our sisters and brothers especially those who are suffering from any form of domination or oppression.

Voice 3: We are called to do everything Jesus did, to be the living presence of a love that does justice, of a compassion that heals and liberates, of a joy that generates laughter, of a light that illumines right choices and confronts the darkness of every injustice and inequity.

All: So, we trust you to continue to share with us your own spirit, the Spirit that filled Jesus, for it is through his life and teaching, his loving and healing all honor and glory is yours, O Holy One, forever and ever. All sing: Amen.

Presider 1: Let us pray as Jesus taught us:

All: Sing -Prayer of Jesus:-Our Father and Mother

Sign of Peace: Let us hold hands sing “Peace is flowing like a River” as we pray for peace and justice to spread through our world.

Prayer for the Breaking of Bread

Presider 2:  Please join in the prayer for the breaking of the bread:

(Presiders break the bread) All:   O God of Courage,You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.  We will live justly. O God of Compassion, You call us to be Your presence in the world.  We will love tenderly.
O God of Truth, You call us to speak truth to power.  We will walk with integrity in your presence.  (Presiders hold up bread and wine)

Presider 1: "This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Through it we are nourished and we nourish each other. All are welcome to the Feast.

All: What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.

Meditation Song:  Mindy Lou Simmons

Prayers of Gratitude, Introductions and Announcements

Blessing

Presider 2:  Let us raise our hands in blessing pray together:

All: May we, like Job, live lives of integrity and faith through tribulations and chaotic times. May we walk with an awareness of our call to encourage one another as companions on the journey, knowing that we are the “hands and feet “of Jesus, blessed and  blessings each day.  All: Amen.

Closing Song: #581- Companions on the Journey vs, 1,2,4

(This liturgy was adapted from a liturgy written by Bridget Mary Meehan and Mary Theresa Streck)