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Thursday, August 19, 2021

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Liturgy, 21st Week in Extra-Ordinary Time , August 21, 2021, Presiders: Lee Breyer and Mary Al Gagnon, Readers: Joan Meehan and Mary Montavon

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

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85108095506       

ID 851- 0809-5506, Passcode 1066

Dial 1-929-436-2866 

Meeting ID: 851 0809 5506

Password: 1066

        

    Theme:  MLK Jr had a dream; I had a dream…and you…?


MARY AL:  Welcome everyone who came to celebrate today’s liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community.  Here all are welcome, those who have been with us for quite a while and those who may be new here today.

We invite everyone to pray the liturgy.  As we start today, everyone will be muted (silenced) except for the presiders and the readers so that they can be heard by the community.  Everyone else in invited to “pray out loud” – whether in word or song – in the parts marked ALL.  Although many of us may have difficulty hearing everyone else all the time, we know that Jesus does hear us.  And please have some bread and wine or juice nearby as we pray our Eucharistic Prayer, preparing for the Consecration and our Communion. 

Let us take a few minutes not to collect ourselves as we focus our minds and hearts on our celebration of the liturgy we are sharing with one another.  And then we will open our ceremony this afternoon with a song.

Opening Song: Joan Baez sings We shall overcome 

August 1963 at March on Washington DC, where MLK gave his famous I have a dream speech 



https://youtu.be/7akuOFp-ET8


Gathering Prayer

LEE and ALL:  God of all life, you who have created the universe and directed everything in its to fulfillment in Jesus, the Christ, do open our minds to the Message of the Gospel and surely our hearts to its content so that the peace and compassion of Jesus may guide our lives. Loving God, bless all of us on this liturgy here today on Zoom.  Renew the lifestyles that give forms to our lives and demonstrations of our understandings of the teachings of Jesus.  We especially ask for the grace of Jesus and the strength of the Spirit on those who look to them in their times of need.  Amen.

Penitential Rite and Community Forgiveness


MARY AL:  Loving God, we do not fully open our hearts to receive your Spirit within us.

MARY AL and ALL:  Help us to open ourselves to Her message so that we may truly be your voice among your people.

MARY AL:  Christ Jesus, we do not really trust enough in your promise that you would send your Spirit so that we would faithfully reflect your image on earth. 

MARY AL and ALL:  Help us to grow in our understanding and confidence that your word actually does bring peace to those who love you, obey your word and live your message.

MARY AL: Holy Spirit, pour out your healing grace and supporting strength on us that we may be true evidence of your grace on all God’s people.

MARY AL and ALL:  Help us to respond to your presence in us and bring that blessing to all of us in your Blessed Family.


LEE and ALL:      (Please outstretch an arm for this prayer.)           God, the Father and Mother of mercy, we are grateful that, through Jesus’ live, death, and resurrection, you bonded the whole world to yourself.  You sent the Holy Spirit among us to give us both the wisdom to love you and the strength to love one another.  Loving God, may we – following your example – act on your teachings and promises always, and do so with no exceptions. Amen.


Glory to God

Song: Joyful Gloria 


https://youtu.be/Ex6v8rIKCTE


The Liturgy of the Word


LEE:  Today’s first reading takes us back in history.  It is from the First Book of Samuel that was written in approximately 1000 B.C.  In those days, writings were less descriptive about how people should live than they were illustrative of how people did live.  And the text we are using today is a translation by Eugene Robinson, The Message, so it has a touch of his style.  This is what JOAN MEEHAN will proclaim to us from Samuel, chapter 2 and verses 10 to 14.


JOAN M:  Nothing and no one is holy like God; no rock mountain is like our God.  Don’t dare talk pretentiously – not a single word of boasting, ever.  For God always knows what is going on.  God takes measure of everything that happens.  Nothing happens in a cloud, and that would be unknown to God.

God brings death and God brings life; God brings down to the grave and raises up to the heavens.  God brings poverty and God brings wealth; God lowers everything and God also lifts it up. God puts poor people back on their feet again; and God rekindles burned-out lives with fresh hope, restoring dignity and respect to their lives.  All is known to God; nothing is unknown.

And on hearing this message about God, the community says:

Thanks be to God.

Song: Alle, Alle, Alleluia 



https://youtu.be/gIHnZn3JjcM

LEE:  Our Gospel today is a selection from the Book of John, chapter 6 and verses 24 to 29, and 35.  It will be proclaimed to us by Mary Montavon.

Mary M.  When the people saw that neither Jesus nor the disciples were at the water’s edge where they were, they got into their boats and crossed to Capernaum…looking for them.  Then when they found Jesus on the other side of the shore, they said: “Rabbi, when did you get over here?” Jesus said to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you – the truth of the matter is this.  You are not looking for me because you have seen signs, but because you have eaten your fill of the loaves of bread.  You should not be working for perishable food, but rather for life-giving food that lasts for all eternity. That is what the Son of Man will give you.” 

So they then asked Jesus: “what must we do to perform these works?”  Jesus answered: “This is the work of God --- to believe in the one whom God has sent. I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

------------------------------

This is the holy message of Jesus that John has passed on to us.  And in gratitude for this we say:  AMEN, AMEN…thanks be to God.

Song:  Alle, Alle, Alleluia 



https://youtu.be/gIHnZn3JjcM


Homily Starter and Community Sharing

Lee Breyer


Communal Statement of Faith

LEE and ALL:  We believe in God, the Creator of the universe whose divinity infuses all that exists.  We believe in Jesus the Christ, who leads us to the fullness of humanity.  Through Him, we have become a new people called beyond the consequences of our brokenness.  We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom who keeps the Christ-vision present to all those who are searching for meaning and wholeness in their lives.  And we believe that God’s kindom is here now for every one of us who has eyes to see it, hearts to receive it and hands to make it known to all those we encounter wherever we may be.  And we say: Amen to courage, to hope, and to truth.  We believe in a world of justice and peace for everyone regardless of different genders, races and faiths, everywhere, with no exceptions. In all of this, we do surely believe.


Preparation of our Communion Gifts


JOAN M and ALL:  Blessed are you, God of all creation. Through your goodness, each one of us has bread to offer in this sacred meal, this grain that the earth has given and human hands have made.  It will become for us our Bread of Life.  Blessed be God for all the love that has been given to each one of us. 


Mary M and ALL: Blessed are you, God of all creation.  Through your goodness, each one of us has fruit of the vine to offer in this sacred meal, that earth has given and human hands have prepared.  It will become for us our Spiritual Drink.  Blessed be God for all the graces that have been given to each one of us.


Eucharistic Prayer

MARY AL and ALL:  Loving God, you embrace us with your extravagant affection in our times of both blessedness and weakness.  You are always with us…you live in us and we live in you.  May we reflect your compassionate care in everything we do and say with everyone we meet today.  And moved by the Spirit, each one of us will sing our shared blessing:

Song:  Holy, Holy, Holy (Karen Drucker) 



https://youtu.be/orKBBIj5LZA


LEE and ALL: Creator God, we thank you for the gift of Jesus of Nazareth in history – and the gift of Jesus the Christ in faith. You brought him from among all your people to baptize us in your Spirit.  His life was moved by his consuming vision of your presence both in himself and in his earthly mission.  He revealed you to us through his compassionate life well lived. And he showed us, through his teaching and example, not only how we should live, but also for what we may suffer and even die…as he did. Through him and your Spirit, you breathe life into us so that we may be witnesses to his gospel messages. 


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.  And then, in providing an example of his wisdom for all people in every age to come, he opened wide his arms and died on a cross.  The Spirit that lived in Jesus resurrected him to a new life, a promise that he made to all of us too.  Jesus is with us today as he will be through the end of time.

(Outstretch an arm as we pray the Consecration together.)

We remember the gift that Jesus gave us 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.

(Take a short pause here)

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.

MARY AL and ALL: 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…Jesus has died…Christ is risen…the Cosmic Christ lives in us - and through us – in the world today.


JOAN M and ALL:  Heavenly God, we know that you bless your church and family throughout the world.  We, your people, ask for your grace so that we may continually grow in our love and caring for Francis our Pope, Bridget Mary our Bishop and for 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.  And they are members of your Blessed Family and our Communion of Saints.  We remember also all those, living and dead, who touched our lives and left their footprints on our hearts.  We remember especially…..   (mention names here if you wish)

Song:  The Great Amen 



https://youtu.be/Dy76fpfkNsg

Mary M and ALL:  We believe that the Spirit of God is at work in and through us and She will do more than we could ever ask or even imagine. The Spirit gives us the wisdom and strength that we will be compassionate carriers of the Gospel Messages.  So let us pray: we believe that it is through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, Creator God, forever and ever.  Amen.


The Spreading of the Sign of Peace

LEE:  Jesus met with his disciples who were in an upper room, having enclosed themselves from a larger population for their own perceived protection. It was there that Jesus met with them, blessing them with the courage and support they would need to continue their mission.  This is what Jesus said to them: “My peace I leave you; my peace I give you.”  This is what Jesus has been saying – in so many words – to us as well as we follow our gospel missions.  Let us now extend a sign of peace to one another in whatever space we happen to be.  And let us do that with closed hands, bowed to one another, and saying “Namaste, Namaste, Namaste.”


The Breaking of the Bread

And we can raise up our bread and cup, as we prepare for our Communion…

MARY AL:  This is the Bread of Life and the Cup of Blessing.  Blessed are we who are called to Christ’s table.  As we share communion, we become communion, both love’s nourishment and love’s challenges.  

MARY AL and ALL:  And, as we do so we pray:

Holy One, you call us to speak truth to power; we will do so.

Holy One, you call us to live the Gospel of healing and justice,  we will do so.

Holy One, you call us to be Your presence in the world; we will do so. 


Communion interlude, Linda Lee Miller 



https://youtu.be/PeqOalKGsVE


MARY AL:                          Introductions

As I said at the Welcoming of this liturgy, “all are welcome, those who have been with us for a while and those who may be new today.” Do we have anyone who may be new to us today or who haven’t been  with us very often …. if so would they like to introduce themselves at this time?”

Statements of Thanksgivings

And some of us may have been blessed by some events or dreams that they would like to share with us their feelings of thanksgiving.

Announcements

And this is an opportunity for anyone would like to share some “news” with us….


Closing Community Blessing

LEE and ALL:  May we bless one another with whom we shared this liturgy…and do so in the names of God our Creator, Jesus our Liberator, and the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier as we care and minister to one another in love, and as we continue on our paths following in the footsteps of Jesus…for we are the Face of God to the world.   Amen.


Song: We shall overcome, Joan Baez 



https://youtu.be/nM39QUiAsoM

If you would like to add your intercession to our MMOJ Community Prayers book,

Please send an email to jmeehan515@aol.com

If you would like to invite another person to attend our liturgy please refer them to www.marymotherofJesus.org where the day’s liturgy is found. Zoom instructions are also included there.

Please support our community, send your check to:

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community

% St Andrews UCC, 6908 Beneva Rd., Sarasota, FL 34328 


 

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