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| MMOJ Inclusive Catholic Community celebrates Eucharist |
Welcome
Presider: Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive
Catholic community, where all are welcome to share the Eucharist. We use inclusive language in our scripture
readings and prayers. We encourage
respectful and reading-related comments in the shared homily. Everyone will be
invited to gather around the Table to pray the Eucharist Prayer and share the
Communion. We warmly welcome everyone to
our liturgy today, especially our newcomers who will be invited to introduce themselves
at the announcement time after Communion.
Lastly, all are invited to join us for supper after the liturgy.
Presider: We come once
again to the MMOJ banquet table to bread together and to recognize and
acknowledge the compassionate presence of God who is in each and every one of
us. In doing so, may we always remember that we are all formed as one body
by our one Creator. We are all
supported by the same Spirit to a common goal, while on our own
separate journeys. We have the common mission of Jesus and the strength
of the same Spirit. We pray that we will be understanding, loving and
forgiving of each other as we make our ways to our heavenly home.
Centering/Opening
Prayer
Presider: O Blessed One, we are blest to be with you as
we share this sacred space and as we celebrate our oneness in you. You gave us the sacred command, “Do onto
others, as you would have them do unto you.”
We envision the day when everyone, everywhere, follows this and all your
other teachings made known to us through our brother Jesus. We know that we are in you and you are in us as
we live each day in conscious awareness of our responsibility to bring forth
your Kin-dom on earth. And to this, we say:
ALL: AMEN.
ALL: O Caring God, you create all that exists in
our ever-expanding universe. You have
done so out of your unending love. You call us to see the goodness and beauty
always surrounding us so that we may live in harmony with all that you have created.
You call us to live in peace with one another and to find ways to heal the
wounds of hatred and violence, discrimination and oppression that too often
surrounds us. Help us to find challenging ways of dealing with this…the methods
of understanding and the strengths for compassion and forgiveness that Jesus exhibited
during his time on this earth. We ask this
so we may live in the love to which you have called us.
Gathering
Hymn: We Are Called #617 (all verses)
Community
Reconciliation
Presider: Compassionate God, to you all hearts are
open, no desires unknown, and from whom no secrets are hidden.
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 open
ourselves to the strength of the Spirit, made available by your Divine Presence
within us, so that we may extend your merciful and forgiving grace that is your
gift – through us – to everyone, everywhere - with whom you share your unending
love. For this we pray, 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. (2X)
Liturgy
of The Word
First Reading: 1 John 3:18-24
Ps: 103 Responsorial: Our God is kind and merciful; merciful is our
God. #796
Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic ALLELUIA
Gospel: Matthew 18: 21-35
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| Kathryn Shea ARCWP proclaimed the Gospel |
Homily Starter: Lee Breyer
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| Lee Breyer: homilist |
Earlier on, when I was thinking of a theme for today’s
liturgy, I asked the Spirit for help. And
when I was at event at the local UMC, it was opened with a prayer (no
surprise). And during an “Our Father”
(they’re not as progressive as MMOJ) when I was at “give us this day, our daily bread...forgive
us our trespasses as we forgive our trespassers…”, I froze momentarily; my mind went black… and, in the stillness, come
a thought – to which all I could say was “that’s it, thanks Spirit.”
When I had to develop that, I thought I would have a
relatively easy time. After all, we’ve
heard so very many times what is in every gospel, the commandments to love God,
to love one another as God loves us, to love our neighbors, even those who are
enemies. We know that we are to pray for and bless those who curse us, and –
were that not enough, we are to do good to those who hate us and even persecute
us. We know that from his behavior and
sayings during the time of his passion and death on a cross.
But that is not the passage of the Prayer of Jesus told to
us in Matthew (6:12) and is today’s theme… but is a good background for it. The
“more to the theme’s point “is Jesus’ teachings: “Don’t judge, or you yourself will be judged.
Your judgement on others will be the judgement you receive”. “The measure that you use will be used to
measure you (Mt. 7:1-2)” or reworded as “do unto others as you would have them
do unto you,” and is more popularly known as “The Golden Rule”. Today’s gospel from Matthew is a good example
of it. At the heart of its practice is
love, the love of God, and the practice of forgiveness. Today’s gospel story is illustrative of the
“Circle of Forgiveness.”
But what if, in my setting, there is no circle, no identified
recipient of my forgiveness? Or what if it can be identified, but is not – for
whatever reason - accepting my forgiveness?…Or, what is probably more common in
our experience is not a person…but is an organization, a movement, a gathering of people with similar ideas
about a common cause, etc. that is not of our “liking...and whose
messages are “offensive” to us, evoking a similar negative response from us. What
does “forgiveness” mean to me then...especially given the messages we hear,
know and believe…but, at these times, can be very difficult to follow? Today’s message from the Prayer of Jesus can seem
to be more like a haunt than a blessing.
We know that forgiveness, even with some little degree of
changed thought, can relieve – again to some degree – the built up of
resentment, anger, mental distraction from what are more pleasant thoughts and
attitudes. But knowing that, attempting
to follow the example of Jesus in everything we do and say, and trying to not
be a “difficult” person to be around socially, does not make forgiving very
easy.
This is not a new situation for any of us….the “we should”
but “we don’t. And we all very
frequently pray “forgive us our trespassers (or debts) as we forgive our
debtors” and will do so again shortly. Our
words and our actions on this, we can admit, don’t really go together…as much
as we would like and even try.
This presents a real challenge. as was set at the beginning
of this liturgy. We try to meet this
challenge…in some way, at some times.
Would you like to share a strategy or two that you have found useful in
meeting this challenge?
Shared Homily/Community
Reflection
A challenge: forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And our response to it is….
Profession of Faith
We believe in God, the Divine Mystery, who is
beyond all description and understanding.
We believe that God, the Creator, is the very center of this expanding
universe and whose divinity is infused in everything that will ever exist,
including ourselves -- in our humble time and space.
We believe in Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ who is
the touch of God to our earthly humanity.
He carried the message of the Holy One’s word to everyone whom he met
during his time on earth, and who continues to do so to everyone now in this
day and until time is no more. Jesus
will continue spreading the Good News of God’s unconditional compassion and
mercy to us, a new creation that is called beyond the consequences of our human
brokenness and raised to a fullness of life.
We believe in the Spirit, the Breath of God
in the world, the one who inspires and strengthens us to be the instruments of compassion,
forgiveness, mercy and peace that we were created to be. She is the light of the Christ-vision present
to everyone especially those struggling in the darkness now…so that, someday,
they may experience the everlasting grace of the Loving God.
And we believe that God’s kindom is here-and-now, today,
and all the tomorrows to come. It is,
stretched out around the whole of creation for those who have heads to
understand it, eyes to see it, hearts to receive it and hands to deliver its
message to those around them.
Prayers of the
Community
Presider: We are people of faith and believe in the
power of prayer. We believe that we send
blessings to those who are suffering in their fears and who need to experience
hope; to those who are grieving and need to be comforted in their losses, to
those who are facing medical challenges and need to be granted relief and healing.
We bring the needs of these brothers and sisters throughout the world to our
gracious and comforting God. After each intercession, we respond: God of
Compassion and Mercy, to you we make these prayers, confident that you hear
them.
Presider:
That those who suffer separation from their family members and friends may find
some comfort by knowing that so many people around the world share their concerns
and efforts for peace and those of so many of their sisters and brothers in our
country as well as theirs. For this we
pray. God of Compassion and Mercy…..,
Presider: That those who are injured by statements and
actions of hatred and violence, their own or those of others, will find
understanding, forgiveness and consolation they so badly need. For this we
pray. God of Compassion and Mercy….
Presider: And for whom else or what else do we pray at
this time? (Other intentions here)
R.
Presider:
We hold these and the unspoken intentions in our hearts with us when we gather
around the Banquet Table.
Preparation
of the Gifts
Offertory
Song: Table of Plenty, #310, vs. 1,3,4
Gathering
of the Gifted
Presider: Jesus, who has often sat at our tables, now
invites all of us to join him at his.
Everyone is welcome to share in this blessed meal. (Everyone is invited to the table)
Presider:
Blessed are you, God of Creation, through your goodness we have this bread
to offer…this grain of the earth that human hands have prepared for our
use. It will become for us the bread of
life. (Hold it up.)
Presider:
Blessed are you, God of Creation, through your goodness we have this wine
to offer…this fruit of the vine that human hands have prepared for our
use. It will become our spiritual drink. (Hold
it up.)
ALL:
Blessed are we who have been called to this table of plenty by the God who
loves us and the Spirit who strengthens us on our journey. Let us show our gratitude and care for one
another in our recognition of the Divine that exists in each one of us. Namaste
3x
Presider:
And we express our joy in this blessed experience by singing our “family camp
song.”
ALL:
We are holy, holy, holy, we are whole (3x). You are…I am…We are… (Karen
Drucker)
Eucharistic
Prayer
Voice 1: Gracious
God, at this - your banquet table - we celebrate your divine love for us beyond
anything we could ever expect or certainly could never earn. It is given to us only
because of your goodness. Your divine
compassion connects all of us, those who are here today and those of our
community and families who are elsewhere, on our journeys into the heart of
your compassion and mercy.
Voice 2: We
thank you for the gift of Jesus of Nazareth in history – and the gift of Jesus
the Christ in faith. You chose him from
among all your people to baptize us in your Spirit. His life was moved by his consuming vision of
your presence in every step in his earthly mission. He revealed you to us through his
compassionate life well-lived. And he
showed us, through his teachings and examples, not only how we should live, but
also for what we might suffer and possibly, even die. Through him and your Spirit, you breathe life
into us so that we may be witnesses to his gospel messages.
Voice 3. When
his time on earth had come to an end, 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.
Then, in providing an example of this wisdom for everyone in all the
ages to come, he willingly “paid the price” for his message…he opened wide his
arms and died. Then the Spirit raised
Jesus from the dead, to demonstrate - to us, through him - that life is eternal
and that love is immortal. That same
Spirit that lived in Jesus - at that time - will be resurrected in each one of
us - in our time. The Jesus of history
and faith is with us today, just 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 that I have taught you. This
is the new and everlasting covenant. (pause)
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 that I have taught you. This is the
new and everlasting covenant.
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 faith.
ALL: Jesus has died.
Christ is risen. The cosmic Christ lives
through us in the world today.
Voice 5: Loving
God, we know that you bless all of us, your church, everywhere we are in the
world. Help us grow in our love and caring for Francis, our Pope, Bridget Mary,
our Bishop, and everyone with whom we come in contact - especially those who
live on the margins of church and society.
They are all our brothers and sisters.
We remember also the Communion of Saints - all those, living with us now
and those who have already gone to their eternal home. We remember, especially, those who touched
our lives and left their footprints on our hearts, among these are….. (mention names here….)
ALL: We believe that
the Spirit who moved through Jesus, will move through us as well. She can - and will - do more than we could
ever think possible…or even imagine. She can give us the strength to be
compassionate, forgiving and peaceful carriers of the gospel message. So, in our acknowledgement and gratitude for
that, let us sing our appreciation: Amen
(3x)
The
Prayer of Jesus
Presider: Let
us, with hands still joined, raise our voices and sing the Prayer Jesus
taught us:
ALL: (sing) Our Father and Mother, who are in heaven, blessed is your
name….…….
The Blessing of Peace
Presider: Jesus, we know that you,
who have given us the gifts of compassion, forgiveness and peace, are with us
now – in each one of us – as we join hands in a circle of love and sing our wishful
prayer…. “Let there be peace on earth.” (#526)
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 in our efforts 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, compassion and healing everywhere in your
name. We will love tenderly.
Presider: Loving God
All: you call us to speak truth
to power. We will do so, walking humbly
with you.
Presider: This is Jesus, who calls us to share our
bread and wine on the altar of the world. All of us are invited to do that now in this
blessed space…and at this sacred banquet of love. We do so acknowledging that .. ALL: we are
the Body of Christ. This is the good
news of the gospel.
All: When we share
in this meal in which we have always been worthy and celebrate today, we commit
to live your teachings, loving Jesus, and to broadcast your stories that make the
Spirit rise up in us and empower us to proclaim the kin-dom of God to this
world. This is the good news of
salvation.
Presider: Then 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 peace of God in the
world.”
Pre-Communion
Prayer
Presider: As we come to share the richness of this
sacred table…ALL: O God we cannot
forget the poverty of so many of our brothers and sisters, our families and
neighbors.
Presider: We cannot eat this bread and forget those
who are hungry. ALL: O God, your world is one world and we are just
stewards of its nourishment for all your people everywhere.
Presider: We
cannot drink this wine and forget those who are thirsty. ALL: O God, this earth
and its people cry out for environmental justice.
ALL: We cannot listen to
your words of peace and not grieve for the world at war’s doors.
Communion
Music: Instrumental
Post-Communion
Reflection/Meditation: “If Not Now” by
Carrie Newcomer
Prayer
of Thanksgiving after Communion
Presider: Holy One, may this Eucharist in which we
shared Jesus’ healing love today, deepen our oneness with you and with one
another in all our tomorrows. May wonder and thanksgiving fill us with
knowledge and understanding as we experience the infusion of your compassion,
forgiveness and peace., ALL:
Amen.
Introductions/Gratitudes/Announcements
Community
Blessing
ALL: Caring God, we
pray that this Eucharist in which we always share Christ’s healing love deepens
our oneness with you and our unity with one another. May the wonder and
thanksgiving of this blessed meal fill us with a deeper knowledge,
understanding and experience of your love and compassion for each one of us. Be with us as we continue on our paths and
follow in the footsteps of Jesus – bless and strengthen us to be your face to
the world.
Commissioning
Presiders: May we all go from here in the peace that
Jesus gave us, caring love for one another.
Let our service continue in all we say and do! All: Thanks be to God; let it be so.
Closing Song: Take the Word of God With You #382 (all
verses)
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