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Theme: Let Us Walk Humbly with Our God
Welcome and Centering
Prayer
Presider: Oh Holy One, we are delighted to gather with
you as we share this sacred space and as we celebrate our oneness in you. In this moment in time, we anchor ourselves
in our oneness with you and one another.
We call forth and remember your forever sustaining words to “act justly,
love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God.”
We know that you are with us as we walk each day in conscious awareness
of our responsibility to bring forth your kindom of justice on Earth. This is
the day our God has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! And to this, we say,
All: AMEN.
Presider: My sisters and brothers, Spirit Sophia is
always with us.
All: Alleluia!
Gathering Hymn: “All Are Welcome” #414, vs 1,3,5
Opening Prayer
Presider: Creator God to whom all hearts are open, no
desires unknown, and from whom no secrets can be hidden, cleanse our hearts by
the inspiration of Holy Wisdom.
All: We take your Word into our minds and hearts
and we open them to new understanding.
Presider: We ask for your grace to continually
acknowledge our need to grow in goodness and caring for ourselves, for others
and for our earth.
All: We accept your love and understanding of the
frailty of our human nature.
Presider: And we join with you, Jesus, the Anointed One,
believing the strength and insight of Spirit Sophia will lead us to deeper
dedication to justice, equality and peace in our world. ALL: Amen.
Transformation
Rite
(Pause
briefly and reflect on the need to grow more in love with others and with
creation.)
Presider: We
lament there are many in our world and in this city of Sarasota who lack the
necessities of daily life. May we all learn the ways of compassion and justice,
we pray:
All: Transform us, O Holy One.
Presider: In
our hope for a better world we embrace, with humility, the challenge to learn
new perspectives because of our respect for diversity, we pray:
All: Transform us, O Holy One.
Presider: In our
hope for a better world we embrace that force within ourselves, and the force
that is beyond ourselves, that makes forgiveness possible. And so, we pray:
All: Transform us, O Holy One
GLORIA
Presider: Let us lift
our voices in praise ….
All:
Glory to the Holy One who
surrounds us, who lives within us, whose Sacred Word is shared by us in our world.
Glory to
the Spirit of Life, who offers us peace, peace in our hearts, and peace with
one another as we reach out to one another and ask for blessing.
Glory to
the Spirit of Life, who invites us to learn the lessons of our mistakes.
Glory to Jesus
who teaches us how to live the Gospels, who invites us to be healers of heart,
body and soul.
You, O Holy
One, are one with us. We have the
strength to live your gospel message, in our Church, and in our world,
We depend
upon the ever-present Spirit to be recognized by us as we journey in the
present and rejoice in the life before us.
Glory to
the Spirit of Life, Amen
Presider:
Dear Creator, as we
prepare to listen to the sacred word let us be open to the messages of humility
and how we can transform our lives embracing new understanding. We call upon the Spirit Divine as we listen
to these readings broken open and shared by all. This we ask in the name of the Holy One.
All: Amen
Liturgy
of The Word
First
Reading: Sirach 35:12 - 14, 16 - 18
For the Most High is a judge
Who does not respect
individuals or grant favors
At the expense of the poor; YHWH listens
To
the prayers of those who are exploited.
YHWH will never ignore the pleas of the
orphan
Or
the widowed, as they pour out their heart.
To be accepted, you must give of
yourself
As YHWH requires—
Then your prayer wil
reach the clouds.
The prayer of the humble pierces the
clouds.
Until it is heard, there is no comfort
for them;
Yet
they do not give up until the YHWH answers them,
Giving
the just what is theirs, and granting them justice.
These are the inspired works of the
prophet Sirach and to this we say. ALL:
Amen.
Psalm 34: Responsorial: Our God Hears the Cry of the Poor.
Second
Reading: Living
with a Radical Spirit, Sister Mary Ellen Plumb author
Imagine a world where individuals understand
that there are multiple approaches to every question.
Ask any 10 people their thoughts on the virtue
of humility and you will receive an amazing array of answers and reactions to
the inquiry.
Unless you ask a Benedictine.
For Benedictine monastics, humility is the
cornerstone of the Rule of Benedict and the foundation of our life.
The central premise of humility is that right
relationships are the foundation of justice and peace. Joan Chittister, OSB, in
her book on the virtue of humility, “Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and
Authentic Life,” sparked my imagination enough to envision a world, our world,
steeped in humility.
Imagine a world where individuals acknowledge
in real and daily ways the existence of God, whomever they believe God to be,
and uphold all paths to spirituality, even those not their own.
Imagine a world where individuals understand
that there are multiple approaches to every question, every situation, and are
open, even delighted, to learn from the wisdom of others.
Imagine a world where individuals are honest
about themselves, acknowledge their gifts and their flaws in equal measure and
actively seek to grow toward their fullest human selves.
Imagine a world where individuals hold every
good thing they have been given, including the Earth itself, with reverent care
and an open, generous hand.
Imagine a world where individuals refuse to
ridicule or diminish anyone, anytime, for any reason and intentionally
communicate as reasonable and righteous people and demand the same of others.
Imagine a world where individuals consciously
strive to become a peaceful and serene presence that leads anyone they
encounter to a sense of the sacred in life.
For the simple and humble monk, Benedict, who
lived in the sixth century, such humility was an antidote to the corrupt world
in which he lived. I hope, I dream, I imagine that humility, in this 21st
century, might do the same for our broken world.
Imagine with me. Choose any image I’ve offered
and carry it around with you for a week, intentionally working to make it real.
Add images of your own. Imagine with me and we, together, can shout with
integrity: Welcome to the heart of God!
Reflections is a column by religious leaders in
the region. Sister Mary Ellen Plumb is a member of the Benedictine Sisters of
Erie, 6101 East Lake Road, Harborcreek Township, and is on the staff of
Monasteries of the Heart.
Gospel Acclamation: CELTIC ALLELUIA! (sung)
Gospel
Reading: A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 18: 9 – 14
Jesus spoke this parable
addressed to those who believed in their own self-righteousness while holding
everyone else in contempt: “Two people went up to the Temple to pray; one was a
Pharisee, the other a tax collector. The
Pharisee stood and prayed like this: ‘I give you thanks, O God, that I am not
like others – greedy, crooked. Adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I pay tithes on everything I earn.’ “The other one, however, kept a distance, not
even daring to look up to heaven. In
real humility, all the tax collector said was, ‘O God, be merciful to me, a
sinner.’ Believe me, the tax collector
went home form the Temple right with God, where the Pharisee did not. For those who exalt themselves will be
humbled, while those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Gospel Acclamation: CELTIC ALLELUIA! (sung)
Shared Homily/Community
Reflection
Affirmation of Faith
All: We
believe in our Creator who nurtures the earth and who resides in our expanding
universe.
We believe in Jesus, the Word incarnate, who journeyed on the
earth, instilling faith in his followers so that they may continue the work He
began.
We believe in the Spirit of Life, the breath of wisdom Sophia, who
fills us with the breath of Life,
We believe God through us supports our friends and families and
all whom we journey with in this life.
We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends who
walk with us in love as we continue our life journey.
We believe in our prophetic call to speak truth to power and live
Gospel teachings. Amen.
Prayers of the
Community
Presider: We pray that the Holy One renew in
our hearts our commitment to journey as Jesus did and speak truth to power as
he gave his life to the cause of justice in his lifetime on the earth. Let us share our concerns for justice and
peace and the need of the poor and destitute in our country and in our world.
After each intercession,
the response is: We Awaken to your call.
Presider:
We
pray that all who are suffering at the hands of our Nation’s unjust policies
know that we stand in solidarity with them and send them our love.
Response..
Presider: For what else do we pray?
Presider: Healing God, we know
you attend to our prayers and respond with what is best for all. In you, we place our faith. ALL: Amen.
Preparation
of the Gifts
Offertory
Song: “Companions on the Journey” #581,
vs. 1,2,3
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 “gather at our family table”…)
Eucharistic Prayer
Presider: We celebrate and
remember the great works that were done in the presence of the first
believers. We remember that they had
many doubts concerning the ability of Jesus to heal, to make whole a broken
heart, to speak with authority on the readings of the Scriptures.
(raise the bread and the wine):
Ever present Sacred Spirit, you who hold us in your loving hands, we
offer these gifts of bread and wine as we celebrate life. They are made sacred through our faith. We
call upon the Sacred Spirit to awaken in us the sharing of bread and wine
remembering Jesus walked on our earth inviting us to follow his example. We ask
this in the name of Jesus our brother.
All: Amen
Presider: Loving God, we
sing this song of praise:
All: We are holy, holy, holy (3x), we are whole. You are…I
am… We are (Karen Drucker Holy, Holy, Holy by Karen Drucker
(Please
extend hands over our gifts as we say together)
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 friend 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 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: We believe that the Spirit of God is at work
in and among us and can do more than we can ask or imagine. Amen. (sung, x
times)
The
Prayer of Jesus
Presider: Let
us join hands and raise our voices as we say the Prayer Jesus taught us:
All: (sung) Our Father and Mother…….
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 who have always been 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 peace of God in the world.”
Communion
Music: Instrumental
Post-Communion
Meditation and Reflection – Linda Lee Miller
Prayer
of Thanksgiving after Communion
Presider: May wonder and thanksgiving fill us, may
compassion fully fill our beings, that we may heal the numbness that continues because
of our society’s injustices. May you know that we are eternally grateful for
our many blessings. ALL: Amen.
Introductions/Gratitudes/Announcements
Closing Prayer
All: May our hearts
be glad on our journeys as we dream new dreams and see new visions.
May we live and work for mercy, peace and justice, in our hearts
for ourselves and our brothers and sisters…whoever they are and wherever they
are.
May we learn to bless, honor and hold in reverence one
another and the planet Earth.
May we continually strive to be the faith of a mustard
seed, so we can move mountains that are barriers to justice and equality.
And may we be the face of God to the world, reflecting a
compassionate and caring presence in us to everyone we meet.
Closing
Community Blessing
(Everyone
please extend your hands in mutual blessing.)
ALL: May our gracious God, bless us all gathered here,
in the name of God our Creator, in the name of Jesus our brother, and in the
name of the Spirit Sophia, as we care and minister to one another, and all
those we meet, in love. We know that you
are with us as we continue on our path and follow in the footsteps of Jesus, for
we ARE your face oh God, to the world.
Amen.
Commissioning
Presiders:
May we all go in the peace that Jesus gave us, caring for one another,
as we walk humbly with our God. Let our
service continue!
All: Thanks be to God; let it be so.
Closing Song: Go Make a Difference #500, all verses