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| Elena Garcia and Michael Rigdon preside at Liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community on Aug. 10th |
Presiders: Elena
Garcia and Michael Rigdon
Music Minister: Mindy
Simmons
WELCOME to Mary
Mother of Jesus…………….faith and promise are repeated in the readings.
Come be beside
us. Come be around us. Come
be within us. Come be among us. 3x
OPENING PRAYER
Presider: Holy One, you challenge us to seek what eyes
cannot see and ears cannot hear. Help us to keep our eyes on Jesus, to ponder
his words, and to be serious about living his challenge of love. Open our eyes
and ears to his teachings on the importance of believing His promises and of
constant preparation for his coming.
OPENING SONG: Gather Us In #303 (All Verses)
COMMUNAL
RECONCILIATION RITE
Presider: Let us pause
now to remember the times we have not asked for forgiveness.
I am sorry. Please
forgive me. I thank you. I love you.
GLORIA: 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: Wisdom 18:6-9
These are the inspired words from the Book of Wisdom and we
affirm them by saying “AMEN”
Responsorial: Psalm
#34—(As adapted by Nan Merrill) When
the Beloved speaks it comes to pass.
Second Reading: Hebrews 11:1-2, 8-19
These are the Inspired words found in Hebrews and we affirm
them by saying “AMEN”
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION: All Sing: “Spirit of the Living God” 2x (me, us)
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God fall afresh
on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.
Gospel: A reading
from the Gospel of Luke 12:32-48
These are the inspired words from the Gospel of Luke and we
affirm them by saying “AMEN”
HOMILY BY ELENA
GARCIA ARCWP AND COMMUNITY SHARING
The
reading from the book of Wisdom starts us on a thought provoking journey to
consider the importance of taking to heart the mandates of a just and
compassionate God. In the passage from Wisdom, the “things” that would happen
that night refer to the slaughtering of all first male babies and the steadfast
offering of sacrifice by the upright, who believed God’s promises for their
salvation and the destruction of their enemies. They believed that the promises
of the Holy One would come to pass.
The
author of Hebrews did some research and was aptly able to run a thread through
the lives of Sarah and Abraham. The telling of the events and encounters
during their journey all pointed to
their profound faith and belief in the promises made to them by the Holy One.
And though they were never to experience first-hand the promised land, they
persevered because of their faith.
The
Gospel very likely conjured up memories of the messages handed down to us which
instilled fear in our hearts of the grim reaper who would come, at the end the
world.
Prepare,
stay alert, follow the rules and you
will do well. So we went to church every Sunday, stayed awake during mass and
learned our do’s and don’ts. We all know persons who live their lives here on
earth, working hard to make a living and working hard to make points for
heaven. So, what have we missed while concentrating on a journey that comes to
an end when the “the owner returns from the wedding at any time of day or night”
the end of the world for each of us? This picture appears dark and gloomy.
Now,
let’s look at this passage through a different lens if we may. I can only hope
that a positive take on this passage is what God had in mind for us rather than
the doom and gloom picture of a God as an exacting owner who is not to be trusted
and only rewards perfection. The positive concept that comes to mind is one of
a loving relationship with God. I heard it as an invitation to union with The
Holy One. When we are in love with someone we think about them all the time. Our
energy level adrenalizes us to engage in
finding ways to please that person and eagerly anticipate that moment when we
can again enjoy the presence of that person. Time with the beloved is never
long enough. Days and nights are all the same. How eagerly we respond when the
Beloved unexpectedly knocks at the door and we open it without delay. And we
mutually feast on every word and exchange of ideas, all of which are
internalized, resulting in a union of mind, heart and being. This passage
reminds me that my Beloved is never far
away, is within me, around me, above me and is always waiting for me to respond
to that invitation to union. A union that will culminate and confirm the reason
for my existence! The Holy One has spoken and encourages us to prepare for that
union. When the beloved speaks it comes to pass. So let us ask ourselves, how
do we respond to the invitation in this passage to union with our Beloved, with
fear and trepidation or with delight and positive anticipation? Take time to
meditate this week on this passage and see how you hear this message.
Questions
~How
did you hear this passage?
~How
do you keep your lamp lit?
~Do
you feel a desire to change the meaning of this passage in your life?
~What
steps would you take to work on union with your God
STATEMENT OF FAITH Taken from “The Friends in Faith” and shared by Joan
Meehan
ALL: Gathered together as people of
faith, we profess our belief in a God who is larger than we can name, unable to
be contained, yet present in each one of us. We have come to know this God in
the living of our lives, and in the holiness of the earth we share. ~We believe
in a God revealed in all peoples—all genders, religions, and orientations. We
embrace a compassionate God, who champions justice and mercy, and is always
faithful when we call. Our God gives and forgives, patiently loving without
conditions. ~We gratefully believe in a God who feels our deepest struggles,
and celebrates our greatest joys. A God who both dances with us in celebration,
and holds us when we cry. This God is not “other” to us, but shares our breath
in every moment, and promises we are never alone.~ We believe in a God who
believes in us- believes that we are precious and incredible gifts, worthy to
claim image and likeness to the divine. We hold fast to our God who journeys
with us, who continually calls us to choose the shape of our days through the
choices we make. This God accepts us as we are, and shares each hope we have
for our becoming. This is the God in whom we believe, our Creator, our Mother
and Father who became human in Jesus, our brother. Our God is the Spirit of
Life, the voice that continues to speak love, and asks us to answer. In this
God we choose to believe. AMEN
PRAYERS OF THE COMMUNITY
Each petition begins with: “I bring to the table……
Our response is “Holy
One, let us walk in your light”
Presider: For what shall we pray?
Presider: We bring to the table all of these concerns and
all those that we hold in the silence of our hearts. AMEN
PRESENTATION OF GIFTS and OFFERTORY SONG: ‘Faith Is” (From
“I’m Going Home” By Mindy Simmons)
PRESENTATION OF GIFTS:
Presider: Blessed are you O Holy One……….. service to our
sisters and brothers.
All: Blessed are you forever.
.
LITURGY OF THE
EUCHARIST
Presider: God who blesses the world through you, is with
us. All: And with all of creation.
Presider: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them up to our
God.
Presider: Let us give thanks to our loving God. All: It is our joy to give thanks and praise!
Presider: In the power of the Spirit, ………..We join them in
singing the ancient hymn of praise.
All: We are Holy,
Holy, Holy (you, I, we) (by Karen
Drucker)
All: 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 that all honor and
glory is yours, O Holy One, forever and ever.
All sing: Amen! (Danish, i.e., a-men, a-men,
a-a-a-a-men!
All: Holy One, you
transform these gifts of bread, wine, and our lives, with boundless grace that
nourishes and sustains us on our journey.
Presider: On the night Jesus reclined…………………..with these
words:
All: Take and eat, this is my very self.
Presider: Jesus then…………………………………………… with these words:
All: Take and Drink
of the covenant made anew through my life for you and for everyone. Whenever
you do this you remember me.
All: Christ dies,
Christ rises, Christ comes again and again and again.
Voice: Jesus who walks with us on the path to 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: As we celebrate the memory of Jesus, we remember our
prophetic leader. We remember the communion of saints who have inspired and
loved us and all who have gone before us leaving their foot prints on our
hearts.(Names………..)
All: For it is
through living as Jesus lived that we awaken to your Spirit loving through us
to promote justice and equality in our service to our sisters and brothers.
Prayer of Jesus: “Our Father and Mother…”
SIGN OF PEACE
“May God’s peace be with you”
PRAYER FOR THE
BREAKING OF THE BREAD
~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.
Presider: This is the bread………………………………………………………….. we
nourish each other.
Chant before
Communion: “Sanctuary”
All Chant: God prepare
me to be your sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true. With thanksgiving, I’ll
be a living, sanctuary for you. 3x
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.
Presider: Please pass the bread with the words “You are the
Body of Christ”. Please dip the bread in the cup with the words: “You are the
Face of God”.
COMMUNION MUSIC:
INSTRUMENTAL
After Communion
--Meditation Song: “I am the One Within You” (Karen
Drucker)
PRAYERS OF GRATITUDE,
INTRODUCTIONS, ANNOUNCEMENTS
COMMUNAL BLESSING
~May you be blessed
with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths, and superficial
relationships.
~May you seek truth
boldly and love within your heart.
~May you continue to
be the face of the Holy One to all you meet.
~May you hold
steadfastly to your faith and belief that when the Beloved speaks, it comes to
pass.
Presider: As we
close this liturgy……………………………………… now and in eternity. AMEN
Closing Song: “We Are Marching in the Light of God”
We are marching in the Light of God 4x
We are marching, marching
we are marching AHA
We are marching in the Light Of God
We are marching, marching we are marching AHA
We are marching in the Light of God.
We are living in the Love of God 4x
We are living, living we are living AHA
We are living in the Love of God
We are living, living we are living AHA
We are living in the Love of God
We are moving in the Power of God 4x
We are moving , moving we are moving AHA
We are moving in the Power of God
We are moving, moving we are moving AHA
We are moving in the Power of God.
Repeat verse 1 and end by repeating
We are marching, marching we are marching AHA
We are marching in the light of God -----(Twice)
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