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Saturday, February 13, 2021

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Liturgy, Feb.13, 2021, Feast of St. Valentine, Presiders: Kathryn Shea ARCWP and Lee Breyer , Readers: Joan Pesce and Jerry Bires , Music Minister: Linda Lee Miller

            Zoom link for video- 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85108095506?pwd=Y3IyS0xkaWZ1WGRUOXlZMm5qcE1Fdz09

ID 851- 0809-5506

Password 1066                                

                                                     

                               Theme:  “….as Jesus has loved us.”


Welcome

(Kathryn) Welcome, everyone, to this liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus in Sarasota, Florida.  We have all been shown, even educated, by the example of Jesus of Nazareth how we could live a blessed life.  We are all supported and strengthened by the same Spirit on our journeys.  In so many important ways, we are all one. And at this time, we have come together in our shared liturgies as brothers and sisters to share the stories of Jesus and to “break bread”. 

(Lee)  In using Zoom, each of us will be “muted” for much of the liturgy. That means that we will not be heard by others …but that does not have to affect our prayerful spirits.  We certainly invite everyone to pray the liturgy where the text you have says ALL, and where there is music, feel moved to sing your hearts out, you won’t bother anyone.  We ask the readers to “unmute” themselves to be heard for their spoken parts …and then, when finished, to “re-mute” themselves. After the homily, we ask those who would like to make a comment to follow the same “mute” and “unmute” procedure as the readers  to unmute when they would like to say something and then re-mute when finished.

Welcoming Song: I Am the One Within You- Sung by Linda Lee Miller


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8Fi9dK_6dY&feature=youtu.be

Opening Prayer

(Kathryn)  Oh Holy One, we are certainly blessed to be able to gather with you as we celebrate our oneness with one another and in you.  You gave us the most sacred of commands: “Do onto others, as you would have them do unto you.”  We look forward for that day when everyone actually follows your desire.  But until then we know that your Spirit supports us always as we try to live each day with a conscious awareness of our responsibility to bring forth your peaceful Kin-dom on earth.

Community Encounters

(Lee)  Compassionate God, we ask you to send your Spirit to us so that we may live more fully according to your will -- to the teachings and examples that Jesus gave us while in his bodily time on earth.  Help us to hear and understand Wisdom’s messages so that we can compassionately act on them in our encounters with others. May we remember the standard of behavior that Jesus gave us: to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. And then when we act that way, we may be truly worthy to be called your “blessed people.”

Glory to God

(Kathryn)  Loving God, heart of the universe, we thank you for the breath of the Spirit that supports us in our search for peace and blessings within ourselves, with our brothers and sisters, and with all those with whom we come in contact. We thank you for the breath of the Spirit that is always supporting us in our search to accomplish this.  

ALL: 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgn_8q1UWwk&feature=youtu.be
 

Liturgy of the Word

(Lee):  Today’s first reading is taken from the first book of the Old Testament, Genesis.  In its beginning, it describes the relationship that God made with Noah; it reveals how close they became. This passage today is from chapter 9 - verses 8 to 16  - and will be proclaimed to us by Joan P.  

(Joan P) YHWH said to Noah and his family, “I’m establishing my covenant with you and your descendants who come after you, and with every living creature that is with you. I am setting up covenant with you – it is that all persons will never again be swept away by the waters of a flood; never again will a flood destroy the earth.”

Then YHWH said again:  “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you, as well as every living person for ageless generations. From now on, I am putting my rainbow in the clouds; and when it appears there, I will see it and remember the eternal covenant that I have set up between me, you, and every last living creature on earth.  

This is the Word of God.

And we express our gratitude for it by saying:  ALL:  Thanks be to God!

(Lee ) And today’s second reading written long after Genesis describes how the people of the community in Colossae were to respect the covenant of which they were a partner, how they were to act with one another. This is what Paul wrote to them. (Colossians 3: 12-15)  It will be presented to us by Jerry.

(Jerry B)  Because you are God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with heartfelt compassion, with kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive whatever grievance you may have against one another – forgive them in the same way as God forgives you.  Above all else, put on love that binds the people together in perfect unity. Let Christ’s peace reign in your hearts since, as members of one body, you have been called to that peace.

These are the inspired words of Paul; they are directed to us since we are “God’s chosen ones.” For that, let us say “Thanks be to God”.

ALL:  Thanks be to God!

Alleluia


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIHnZn3JjcM&feature=youtu.be
 

(Kathryn)  Today’s gospel is from the book of Mark, the story that is in his chapter 8, verses 1-10.  It will be proclaimed by (Joan P)

(Joan P)   There was a time when Jesus was out with his disciples, and after a while, he found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, “This crowd is breaking my heart.  They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat.  If I send these people home hungry, they’ll faint along the way – some of them have come a very long distance.” 

One of his disciples responded, “What do you expect us to do about it?  Buy food out here in the desert?”

 Jesus asked, “How much bread do you have?”

“Seven loaves,” they said.

So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground.  After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish.  He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well.  Then the crowd ate its fill.  Seven sacks of leftover food were collected. There were well over four thousand people at the meal. 

Then Jesus sent them home. He himself went straight to the boat with his disciples and they set out for another place.

This is an inspired story of how Jesus was responsive to the needs of his listeners. And being listeners today, we can all say, ALL: Thanks be to God.

Alleluia


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIHnZn3JjcM&feature=youtu.be

Shared Homily and Community Reflections

Homily Starter: Lee Breyer

Profession of Faith

(Kathryn and ALL):  We believe in the Divine Mystery, beyond all description and understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that will ever exist in this expanding universe.

We believe in Jesus of Nazareth, the human Jesus … an enlightened soul who carried the message of God’s Word everywhere he went.  Jesus showed us how we could heal ourselves from our spiritual weaknesses. Jesus is the heart of God’s compassion.  He is the bright star in the firmament of God’s prophets, mystics, and saints.  And it is through him that we have become a new people.  We are can share an important and key teaching of his message: that we are all holy, we were born holy, and we shall be holy forever.

We believe in the Spirit, the one who inspires our innermost life.  She keeps the Holy One present to all those who are searching for meaning and wholeness in their lives.  She strengthens our call to follow Jesus as a vehicle of god’s love.  She is the one who helps each one of us reach deep within ourselves so that she can energize us when our spirits grow weary.

And we believe that God’s kin-dom is “here and now,” stretching out all around us and it is experienced by those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to share it with all those with whom we come in contact.

Prayers of the Community

(Jerry B)  With heads and hearts mindful of God’s unconditional love that is embedded in each one of us, let us all bring our needs and those here with us today.  After each intercession, let us respond: Healing God, grant us your blessing.

That those who are suffering with Covid-19, may find some degree of comfort in their suffering.  Healing God….

That those who find themselves in a quite sad state of aloneness resulting from the safety and healing processes of the virus.  Healing God…

That those who are in housing or financial difficulties find the means needed to relieve at least some of the painful results of their challenging situations.  Healing God…

That those in broken homes and families, especially those living on our borders, find physical and mental relief.  Healing God….

And for whom or what else do we pray today ……  (please make your intentions here) 

Joyful God, we know you attend to our prayers and respond with your wisdom and love.  In you, we place our faith.  ALL: Amen.

Offertory Prayer

Please lift up your bread and fruit of the vine for this short blessing, then you can put it down.

(Lee): Blessed are you, Jesus of Nazareth. It is through your goodness that we have this bread and wine and our own lives to offer.  Through this sacred meal may we gain our strength to live the new lives that we are called to in our current temporary settings. 

ALL: Blessed be God forever.

(Kathryn):  Divine Presence, we believe that you are always with us, loving in each one of us, and healing others through us.

ALL: Namaste (with a facing hands and a nod gesture)

(Lee) We are grateful for our many blessings as we are able to gather together through Zoom.

Eucharistic Prayer

(Kathryn)  Ever present and always caring, loving God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks. In you we live and move and have our very being. Your Spirit dwelling in us gives us the hope of unending peace and joy with you.  Your gift of the Sprit, who raised Jesus from the dead, is the foretaste and promise of the paschal feast of heaven.  We join together with all those who have gone before us and now live in the eternal now, as we sing…


SONG:  We are holy, holy, holy …you, I, we. 


https://youtu.be/orKBBIj5LZA

(Russ)  We thank you, God, for the gift of Jesus in history – and the gift of Jesus in faith.  You raised him up from among your people to baptize us in your Spirit.  His life was moved by his vision of your presence among us.  He burned with insight and truth, revealed you in his life well lived He showed us, through his example , not only how we should live but also for what we may die.

(Ann C)  When his time had come, Jesus suffered for what he deeply believed and taught – namely, that.it was his conviction that love is stronger than death.  And then, as a model of the depth of his belief in that for those in ages to come, he opened wide his arms and died.  The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead showed us that life is eternal and love is immortal. Jesus is with us today and he will be though the end of time.

Ann and ALL:  O God, let your Spirit of life, healing and wholeness come upon these pieces that were gathered from vines and the field and are with us today as we celebrate this liturgy. May she have them become for us the Body and Blood of the resurrected Christ, our brother.    Please extend an arm toward your bread and wine as we pray the Consecration together.  

(Lee)  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 he 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.

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.     

Let us proclaim this mystery of faith…

Kathryn and ALL  Jesus has died.  Christ has risen.  The cosmic Christ lives in and through us in the world today 

We believe that the Spirit of God works through us, She can and will do more than we could ever know or even imagine. The Spirit gives us the strength to be compassionate carriers of the Gospel message. Amen.                




The Prayer of Jesus

(Lee)  So let us then let us pray to God with the words Jesus taught us.  It has been, modified a bit for a more current setting by the Center of Concerns and MMOJ.  

(Russ)     Our God who is in Heaven…and in all of us here on earth, the rich and the poor, the well-satisfied and the hungry, the free and the oppressed, the leadership and the marginalized, and everyone incircles of community ad especially the excluded.  Blessed is your name, our Comforter and Sustainer.

Russ and ALL: May your kin-dom come.

(Ann C)  May your kin-dom come and your will be done…in our actions as we struggle with the complexities of this world and try to confront greed and the desires of power in ourselves, in our nation and in the entire global community.

Ann and ALL: May your kin-dom come.

(Russ)   Give us this day our daily bread…bread that we are called to share., bread that you have given us abundantly, and the bread that we are to distribute fairly, nourishing the health and welfare of all your holy family, with no exceptions.

ALL:  May your kin-dom come.

(Ann C ) Forgive us our trespasses…for those times that we have turned away from the struggles of other peoples and countries, and for those times we have thought primarily – and sometimes even only – of our own selves.

ALL:  May your kin-dom come.

(Russ)  Lead us not into temptation…the temptation to close our minds, our ears and our eyes to the unfair global systems that create ever-larger and longer-lasting gaps between the rich and the poor, the temptation to think it is just too complex and difficult to bring about more alternatives.

ALL: May your kin-dom come.

(Ann C)  Deliver us from evil…the evil of a world where violence happens even in Your name, where the wealth for a few is more important than the economic rights of all, where gates and other barriers between people are so hard to bring down for peace. 

ALL:  May your kin-dom come, O God, for Your’s is the kin-dom and the glory.  Your will shall bring about peace and justice in the blessed time to come.


Passing the Peace of Christ

Kathryn:  In Christ, we are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters to one another.  We have been given the gifts of compassion and peace.  

As members of Gods Blessed Family, let us share those gifts with one another always in our actions and now in a song

Song: Let there be peace on earth.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPH4LRASWbo&feature=share
 


Communion: as we eat the bread and wine that we consecrated

Lee: Loving God, you all us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.  We will live justly.

Kathryn: Loving God, you call us to be Your presence in the world. We will love tenderly.

Lee:  Loving God, you call us to speak truth to power. We will walk with integrity.

Kathryn:  And, in all these things, we will live with our lives.

Kathryn:  We have Jesus with us here in the Bread of Life and the cup of the new Covenant.  Let us now eat and drink the Sacred Meal.

(Please take/share Communion at this time.)

Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion

Joan P & ALL:  Let us go forth in compassion and peace, holding fast to what is good and rejoicing in the power of the Spirit. May we always be the Face of God to the world reflecting well God’s compassionate and caring presence in us to everyone we meet.

Gratitudes - Introductions – Announcements

Closing Blessing   (please extend an arm in mutual blessing

Jerry:  May our gracious God bless all of us gathered here on Zoom for our Celebration.  We ask this always in the name of our God – our Creator, in the name of Jesus – our Model, and in the name of the Holy Spirit – our Sanctifier, as we minister to one another and to all those we meet on our journeys.  Be with us as we all continue on our paths and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  This since we are the Face of God in the world.


Closing Song

Send Us Your Spirit – Linda Lee Miller




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldUy7jK7Dyk&feature=youtu.be

If you want to add an intercession to our MMOJ Community Prayer book, please send an email to katyrcwp@tampabay.rr.com

If you want to invite someone to attend our liturgy, please refer them to the day’s liturgy at MaryMotherofJesus.org      

To support our community, please send your check to:

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community

St Andrew UCC, 6908 Beneva Rd, Sarasota, FL 34238

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