Opening Prayer:
If you would enter into the
wilderness,
do not begin without a blessing.
Do not leave without hearing who you
are: Beloved, named by the One
who has traveled this path before you.
Do not go without letting it echo in
your ears, and if you find it is hard to let it
into your heart, do not despair.
That is what this journey is for.
I cannot promise this blessing will
free you
from danger, from fear, from hunger or
thirst,
from the scorching of sun or the fall
of the night.
But I can tell you that on this path
There will be help, there will be
rest.
You will know the graces that come to
our aid
Bearing comfort and strength
The ones that come alongside to lean
toward our ear
And with curious insistence whisper
our name:
Beloved
Beloved
Beloved
(Beloved is Where We Begin by Jan
Richardson)
Opening Song: Jerusalem My
Destiny by Rory Cooney
First Reading: In the Center of Your
Soul by James Kavanaugh
There is quiet water
In the center of your soul.
Where a son or daughter
Can be taught what no one knows.
There’s a fragrant garden
In the center of your soul
Where the weak can harden
And a narrow mind can grow.
There’s a rolling river
In the center of your soul
An eternal giver
With a rich and endless flow.
There’s a land of muses
In the center of your soul
Where the rich are constrained
And the poor are free to travel
So remain with me, then
To pursue another goal
And to find your freedom
In the center of your soul
These are the words of James
Kavanaugh, a disciple of Jesus and the community affirms them by saying: Amen.
Gospel Acclamation:
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me.
Melt me, mold me
Fill me, use me
Spirit of the Living God
Fall fresh on me
Gospel Reading from Luke:
Jesus returned from the Jordan filled with the
Holy Spirit, and she led him into the desert for forty days, where he was
tempted by the Devil. Jesus ate nothing during that time, at the end of which
he was famished.
The devil said to Jesus, “If you are
God’s Own, command this stone to turn into bread.” Jesus answered, “Scripture
has it, ‘We don’t live on bread alone.’”
Then the Devil took Jesus up higher
and showed him all the nations in the world in a single instant. The Devil
said, “I’ll give you all the power and the glory of these nations; the power
has been given to me and I can give it to whomever I wish. Prostrate yourself
in homage before me, and it will all be yours.”
In reply, Jesus said, Scripture has
it, ‘You will worship the Most High God; God alone will you adore.’”
Then the Devil led Jesus to Jerusalem,
set him up on the parapet of the Temple and said, “If you are God’s Own, throw
yourself down from here, for Scripture has it,
‘God will tell the angels to take care
of you;
With their hands they’ll support you,
That you may never stumble on a
stone.’”
Jesus said to the Devil in reply, “It
also says, “Do not put God to the test.’”
When the Devil had finished all this
tempting, Jesus was left alone. The Devil awaited another opportunity.
These are the words of the Gospel of
Luke and the community affirms them by saying: Amen.
Homily refection by Lynn Kinlan,
inspired by discussion with Tim Perry-Coon
Once we remove the focus of atoning
for sins or a sacrificial giving up something from Lent, we can rescue the
season as a gentle and lovely one of opportunity and invitation.
When Tim and I got together to discuss
the readings and plan we thought of Lent as a fresh slate, a possible new
beginning – like New Year’s but without the pressure. We are imagining these 6
weeks between now and Holy Week as a chance to peer outside our usual habits
and triggers that worry and bother us in our lives and to be willing to be
transformed, altered in our relationships, perhaps in the way we treat
ourselves, in how we balance our priorities in busy lives. The phrase from last
Sunday about ‘action alignment’ also comes to mind.
Our Gospel for this first Lenten
Sunday has Jesus moved by the Spirit to retreat into the desert following his
baptism and before he begins to become well known in his public ministry. His cousin John the Baptist has just been
imprisoned and Jesus must have on his mind how to balance being filled with the
Spirit and dealing with the danger and the fame that lie ahead for him.
He’s thinking about the best use of
his talents and how they might be wrongly used or misinterpreted. After all,
one can do the right things for the wrong reasons. Luke uses the devil as a
foil which Tim and I prefer to think of as a metaphorical device rather than a
red Lucifer with a pitchfork… the devil represents all the temptations,
personal, political, prideworthy that can beset any of us when we are not at
our best. Jesus really feels like our brother in this story.
He gets the best of his demons by
quoting from the Moses sermons in Deuteronomy and on his prayerful intimacy
with God. Of course, he is not really alone in the desert even after the devil
figure leaves. He is filled with the Spirit and a sustaining faith in the never
ceasing love of the Holy One. He is willing to seize the chance at being
transformed by spending time away to pray and reflect.
Our first reading is by former priest
James Kavanaugh who became an author and poet and wrote a seminal bestselling
book in 1967 called “A Modern Priest looks at his outdated church”. In the heady days after Vatican II it sold
millions of copies. Publishers wanted more of the same critique but James felt
moved to writing (less lucrative) poetry.
Our first reading is one of his oldies and
goodies. He describes the center of the soul as a place of personal freedom,
quiet water, growth and understanding. I suspect Jesus connected to the center
of his soul in the desert and it is such a connection that we can hope and plan
for in these weeks leading to Easter joy. All we need is the willingness and
the space and time….
What did you hear? What will you do
and what will it cost you?
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Presider: Please join in praying our
Eucharistic Prayer:
ALL:
O Divine Fire of Love, glowing embers dance in our hearts. Our souls are
purified by the searing truth that ignites our spirits and by the fire that
penetrates the cold around us, setting our hearts aglow with tenderness.
How often have we felt tender love
that is without limits or boundaries! How often have we been consumed with
delight by love in a human touch! How
often have we been embraced through Earth's beauty, a part of the beloved
creation that surrounds us! We are energized to work for justice and peace in
our world and we raise our voices with grateful hearts as we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy by Karen Drucker
https://youtu.be/J3r-3TFB6wI
ALL:
Holy Mystery, may we listen with assurance and excitement as the
infinite, boundless, depths of love are revealed within and among us. May we
awaken to the promise that we are always, no matter what the obstacles or
setbacks we experience, embraced with love and compassion. May we be consumed
with such a hunger and thirst for justice that our words and actions inflame
others to become signs of justice. May we have eyes to see human need, hearts
to care for our sisters and brothers and hands and feet to lighten others'
burdens.
We are thankful for Jesus, and his
strong, but gentle presence, whose message blesses and transform our lives. He
showed us how to live as your new creation.
Presider 1: (lifts bread as community
prays the following:)
All: On the night before Jesus died,
he gave us a special gift of love divine. He took bread, broke it and shared it
with friends who gathered around the table 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
to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
All: As we celebrate this memory of
Jesus, let us experience, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, in the
sharing of the bread and the cup of blessing, the divine presence in our midst.
May we become Spirit-Fire, as we fan
the flames of love over the entire cosmos.
May all of our families and friends,
the young and old, the sick and dying and all those in need experience nurturing
love this day.
May all creation dance and become one
heart, one mind, one spirit with everything. May we touch the earth with
reverent awe and live in harmony with all creatures. May we turn away from all
efforts to dominate anyone or anything. May we see the divine presence shining
in the stars and in the sun. May we embrace the universe's treasures and
celebrate life's simple pleasures each day. May love kindle our friendship with
all life, as we dwell as one with all of creation.
Presider 2: Let us pray together the
prayer of Jesus:
ALL:
O Holy One, who is within, we celebrate your many names. Your wisdom
come.
Your will be done, unfolding from the
depths within us. Each day you give us all
that we need. You remind us of our
limits, and we let go. You support us in our
power, and we act with courage. For
you are the dwelling place within us, the
empowerment around us, and the
celebration among us, now and forever. Amen.
The Prayer of Jesus as interpreted by
Miriam Therese Winter
Presider 1: Please join in the prayer
for the breaking of the bread: (Presiders break the bread)
ALL: O Holy One, we are called to live the
Gospel of peace and justice. We will live justly.
We are called to be presence of Love
in the world. We will love tenderly
We are called to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
We are called to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity in your presence.
Presider 2: This is the Bread of Life and the Cup of
Blessing, through it we are nourished and we nourish each other.
ALL:
What we have heard with our ears, we will live our lives; as we share
communion we will become communion, both love’s nourishment and love’s
challenge.
Presider 1: Our Eucharistic
celebration is all-inclusive. You are a spark of the Divine and nothing can
separate you from Divine love. All are welcome to receive at
this table. Please pass the bread and the cup with the
words “You are a Spark of the Divine.
Communion Meditation: Deep
Within by David Haas
Presider 2: Holy One, we are thankful
for this holy meal which reminds us of the need to willingly give of ourselves
completely. Our hearts are fueled with divine energy. May we share the love we
have experienced with all of creation and may we live always as instruments of
faithful love. Amen.
Final Blessing:
Presider 1: Please extend your hands
in blessing.
ALL:
May the Fire of Love ignite our hearts and radiate through us; may the
Spirit of truth and justice burn within us forever. Amen.
Closing Song: Be Light for Our Eyes by
David Haas
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