Bridget Mary's Blog: MMOJ Inclusive Liturgy- April 18th, 2020, Second Sunday of Easter, Presiders: Lee Breyer and Kathryn Shea ARCWP, Linda Lee Miller

Theme: The Gift of Doubt

Welcome and Gathering

Presider 1: Welcome to our Zoom liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive Catholic Community, where all are welcome. At these difficult times, it is now more important than ever to gather together to support one another as “companions on this journey”, a journey of the unknown. For “wherever two or more of you are gathered in my Name, there is love.”

Presider 2: We invite you to pray the liturgy and respond where it says, All. All participants will be muted during the liturgy except for the presiders and readers. During the shared homily we ask you to raise your hand if you would like to contribute. Please have bread and wine/juice in front of you as we pray our Eucharistic prayer.

Let us begin now with our gathering song:

Gathering Song: “One Pair of Hands” by Elvis Presley

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjT-r2wUo8o

Opening Prayer

All: God of life, wholeness and holiness, you who direct all creation to its fulfillment in Jesus, the Cosmic Christ – help us to open our hearts to the message of the Gospel so that your peace may rule in our hearts and your justice may guide our lives. Loving God, we pray that all world leaders, especially, acknowledge and practice the wisdom that you have given everyone so that we can all live together in the peace of Jesus and that we all can care for and protect our planet Earth and one another.

Presider 1: We rejoice in Your presence within, around, and among us. We pray for those who are sick and suffering, for all of those not able to be with us today, and for all health care workers and care givers. With you, we rise up in love to bring new life to our world!

Communal Reconcilation Rite

Presider 2: We pause now to remember the times we have not born fruit in loving service to others. Recall one missed opportunity, one broken or damaged relationship. Now imagine this person or situation in the light of healing love as we ask for forgiveness.

(Pause briefly. Then Extend arm over community)

All: Please forgive me, I am sorry, I love you, I thank you.

Glory

Presider 1: Let us give glory to our God ….

All (Sung): 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 Acts: 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Holy One added to their number those who were being saved.

Teachings from the Acts of the Apostles.

All: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 118: Responsorial: Give thanks to our God who is good, whose love is everlasting.

Let the house of Israel say it,/ “Your love is everlasting!”

Let the house of Aaron say it,/”Your love is everlasting!”

Let the house of our Holy One say it,/”Your love is everlasting!”

R: Give thanks to Our God, who is good, whose love is everlasting.

It was the stone rejected by the builders/that proved to be the keystone;

This is Our Holy One’s doing,/and it is wonderful to see.

R: Give thanks to Our God, who is good, whose love is everlasting.

Second reading: 1 Peter 1:3-9

Praised be the Abba God of Jesus the Christ who has given us great mercy and a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. An inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, is awaiting you, who are protected by the power of the Holy One through faith for an awakening ready to be revealed in time.

There is cause for rejoicing here. You may for a time, have to suffer the distress of many trials. But this is so that your faith, which is more precious than gold, may by its genuineness lead to praise, glory and honor that, though perishable, is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the awakening of your souls.

From the teachings of the apostle, Peter.

All: Glory and thanks to our God.

Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia

Gospel: John 20: 19-31

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Temple authorities. Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Having said this, Jesus showed them his hands and his side.

Then the disciples were filled with joy when they saw Jesus, who said to them again, "Peace be with you. As Abba God has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen Jesus!”

Thomas’ answer was, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."

Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe."

Thomas answered him, "My Master and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."

Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Only Begotten, so that by believing you may have life in his name.

This is the good news according to John.

Second Sunday of Easter

April 18, 2020

Homily Starter: By Kathryn Shea, ARCWP

Theme: The Gift of Doubt

I have, for a very long time in my life, had difficulty with this Gospel of the “doubting Thomas”. I’ve always thought Thomas got a bad wrap of sorts, because he wanted some sort of proof that Jesus resurrected and reappeared to the disciples. But, why is doubting a bad thing? Doubt keeps our minds open. I think we should always question what we hear/see to see if/where Truth lies, and if it resonates with us. A part of the global crisis we are in today is because blind followers do not question or doubt our government and church leaders. And if we don’t follow their directives, orders, beliefs, we are called “radicals, socialist, heretics, etc.” Jesus was accused of being a radical, a socialist, a heretic, make no mistake about that. So, I feel very confident in saying: We stand in great company. Yes, Thomas wanted some verification of proof that indeed it was Jesus visiting the apostles. And I say, good for him!

So, this Gospel is really all about doubting vs believing. I do not think doubting and believing are opposites. I think you can both doubt and believe. We, as a society, just tend to make everything black or white, right or wrong, real vs. unreal. But, what if there is room for both?

Many biblical scholars think that John’s Gospel was written at least 100 years after Mathew, Mark, and Luke, and at about the same time as the writing of Thomas’ Gospels. In my thinking, which is continually evolving, the author of John’s Gospel might have been a bit threatened or jealous of the author of Thomas’ Gospel and might have seized an opportunity to throw Thomas under the bus as the “doubting Thomas”.

Biblical Scholar Elaine Pagels (Pay-gels) believes that John’s gospel was written in the heat of controversy, to defend certain views of Jesus and to oppose others. What John opposed includes what the Gospel of Thomas teaches—that God’s light shines not only in Jesus but, potentially at least, in everyone. Thomas’s gospel encourages the hearer not so much to believe in Jesus, as John requires, as to seek to know God through one’s own, divinely given capacity, since all are created in the image of God. And the Gospel of John won the debate and was included in the official canon of the New Testament. Thomas’ Gospel was discarded.

Who is correct? Maybe the church and civic society would have evolved very differently if the Gospel of Thomas had been added to the official canon.

The bottom line for me is… it’s okay and good to doubt, to have differing opinions, to ask questions, to verify, to think through, to research, to find what is my truth and resonates in my heart. So, call me “doubting Kathryn”, but I applaud Thomas and appreciate doubting. What about all of you? How do you view doubt?

Shared Homily/Community Reflection

Profession of Faith

All: We believe in the Sacred Mystery that is beyond all definition and understanding. The creator and heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that will exist in this ever-expanding universe.

We believe in Jesus of Nazareth, the human Jesus, the Divine Presence of God on earth, who carried the message of God’s Word and who, through the example of his life, showed us how we could heal ourselves and others. He is the heart of God’s boundless compassion. It is through him that we have become a new people. We are here in this place and this time to share his message among ourselves and to others…the truth that we are all holy, that we were born holy, and that we shall be holy forevermore.

We believe in the Spirit, the breath of God in the cosmos who inspires our innermost life. She brings the Divine Presence to all those who are searching for meaning and wholeness in their lives. And She is the one who helps us reach deeply within ourselves so that we can use the graces that will bring us healing and energy when our spirit may grow weary.

And we believe that God’s kin-dom is here and now, stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it, minds to understand it, hearts to receive it, and hands to make it known to everyone.

We say: Amen to courage, to hope, and to truth. We say: Amen to the partnership and equality of all people of different genders, races, and faiths. We believe in a world of justice and peace for everyone, everywhere, with no exceptions. In all of this, we surely believe.

Prayers of and for the Community

Presider 1: Aware that the Holy One is present within us and works through us, we bring to the table our intentions