Zoom Link
https://zoom.us/j/92883649200?
Meeting ID: 928 8364 9200
Theme: “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for."
Welcome and Gathering
Lee: Welcome to our Zoom liturgy at Mary Mother of Jesus, an inclusive Catholic Community where all are welcome.
-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.
-Please have bread and wine/juice nearby as we pray our Eucharistic prayer.
-Our theme today is, “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
Whoever you are,
Wherever you are,
Just as you are,
You are welcome at this table. (Integral Christianity by Paul Smith)
Let us now take a few minutes to collect ourselves as we prepare to focus our minds and our hearts on our knowledge that we are all one, brought together at this time to transform ourselves and our world through love; love for our Holy One, love for our neighbors, love for ourselves, and love for our planet. Let us begin our liturgy by expressing this love through song.
Gathering Song: The new Cherokee morning song: “I am of the Great Spirit” https://youtu.be/YhcgX1VHsgk |
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Opening Prayer
Kathryn: Oh, Great Spirit, Whose voice I hear in the wind and sand whose breath gives life to all the world.
Hear me! I need your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty, and make my eyes ever hold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things you have made and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Help me remain calm and strong in the face of all that comes towards me.
Help me find compassion without empathy overwhelming me.
Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes.
So when life fades, as the fading sunset, my spirit may come to you without shame. (adapted)
- Translated by Lakota Sioux Chief Yellow Lark in 1887
A Joyful Gloria: Linda Lee Miller and graphics by Rick Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lA5I0nODZI
Liturgy of the Word
Joan P. First Reading: The Hopi Elders Speak: We Are the Ones We've Been Waiting For
You have been telling the people that this is the Eleventh Hour.
Now you must go back and tell the people that this is The Hour.
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your Truth.
Create your community. Be good to each other. And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast. It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid. They will try to hold on to the shore. They will feel they are being torn apart, and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination. The elders say we must let go of the shore, push off into the middle of the river, keep our eyes open, and our heads above the water. See who is in there with you and celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally. Least of all, ourselves. For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we've been waiting for.
These are the inspired words of The Elders Oraibi, Arizona Hopi Nation and we affirm them by saying, ALL: Amen.
Alle, Alle, Alleluia: Linda Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID5UGWcS6Ws
Joan M: Gospel Reading: Gospel – Mark 10:46-52
As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging.
On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me.”
And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, “Son of David, have pity on me.”
Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you.”
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.
Jesus said to him in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.”
Jesus told him, “Go your way; your faith has saved you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
These are the inspired words of the Gospel writer, Mark, and we affirm them by saying, All: Amen.
Alle, Alle, Alleluia: Linda Lee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID5UGWcS6Ws
Homily Starter – Kathryn Shea
I felt compelled this week to present a liturgy honoring our Indigenous Peoples, having just returned from an eleven day pilgrimage to Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We had planned to attend the ordination of Anne Tropeano in Albuquerque on Saturday, October 16 and then decided to have a fun and spiritual week in Santa Fe. I’m still basking in the holiness of all we saw and touched. Bridget Mary, Mary Theresa, Joan, and I walked on the same sacred ground as our ancestors before us. We touched many of the same trees, rocks, and earth as our ancestors. There is clearly a reverence that is palpable wherever you go. We decided to travel to two sacred places in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday, October 11th, Bandelier National Monument and Chimayo, a small adobe church in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is known for its holy dirt that is said to have healing properties. This spiritual place is sometimes referred to as the Lourdes of North America, as both places attract those who are seeking healing of body and soul.
Bandelier’s human history extends back for over 10,000 years when nomadic hunters/gathers followed migrating wildlife across the mesas and canyons. By 1150 CE Ancestral Pueblo people began to build more permanent settlements within the rocks, referred to as cliff dwellings. I am fascinated by the cliff dwellings. I had seen them in a different location when I first visited Santa Fe in 2008. The fortitude it took too dig their dwellings into volcanic rock is unimaginable. Some of these dwellings had numerous rooms, looking more like a small city. Longhouse is the main cliff dwelling in Bandelier and at one point in history was four stories high. Hundreds of ancient petroglyphs and pictographs adorn the walls of the cliffs, both inside and out.
We spent quite a bit of time at this sacred site. We prayed for all of you, all of ARCWP and the Upper Room, for our families and friends, and for our world. And then we made our way to Chimayo.
Again we prayed in the beautiful, small adobe chapel, with its stunning stained glass windows and statues. We then wondered to a small room off to the side known as the “pocito” (well) to discover the holy dirt. The dirt is considered holy because in this spot the crucifix of Our Lord of Esquipuipulas was found by Bernardo Abeyta in 1810. Since then thousands of pilgrims and visitors have come to El Santuario de Chimayo searching for spiritual, emotional and physical healing. After we filled our bags with the holy dirt and were about to leave, we saw several women sitting on a bench by the door and one reached out and asked if she could tell us her story. We were of course intrigued. She told us that when she was twelve years old, a horse had fallen on her and smashed her pelvis and nearly amputated her right foot, which she said was dangling. The doctors reconnected it with staples and rods, but feared they would need to amputate. Her parents brought her to the chapel and placed the holy dirt over all the areas of her injuries. Today she is totally healed, she is 62, and her name is Grace. They told her she would never be able to have children due to her pelvic injuries. Grace has three children and seven grandchildren. This was her first visit back to the holy dirt since the miracle of her healing took place. The conversation between us was very emotional; emotional for her because she was retelling her story of trauma and of healing and emotional for us because we were standing in the very place this miracle took place. What are the odds we would have encountered each other?
So, I’ve returned home with a sense of wonder and profound gratitude and also with a sense of profound responsibility. Responsibility to protect the cultures of the Indigenous Peoples and responsibility to protect our precious Earth. We owe it to them, to ourselves, and to our children.
When I tried to put all of this together, our amazing spiritual pilgrimage, the ordination of a holy woman into ARCWP, today’s Reading and Gospel, I just land on two words: “Be ready!” Be ready for miracles. Be ready for unexpected journeys and encounters. Be ready to discover the “You” that you’ve been waiting for. And, be ready to be awed by the grace of our Holy One.
Community Sharing
Communal Statement of Faith
Lee: We believe in the Great Spirit, a divine mystery beyond all definition and rational understanding, the heart of all that has ever existed, that exists now, or that ever will exist.
We believe in Jesus, messenger of God's Word, bringer of God's healing, heart of God's compassion, bright star in the firmament of God's prophets, mystics, and saints.
We believe that we are called to follow Jesus as a vehicle of God's love, a source of God's wisdom and truth, and an instrument of God's peace in the world.
We believe that God's kin-dom is here and now, stretched out all around us for those with eyes to see it, hearts to receive it, and hands to make it happen.
Prayers of and for the Community
Joan P: We now bring our prayer intentions to the Table.
Our response is: ALL: Great Spirit, we know you respond to our prayers.
We pray for our MMOJ intentions on our community prayer list. (Joan shares)
Our response is: All: Great Spirit, we know you respond to our prayers.
For what else should we pray?
Our response is: ALL: Great Spirit, we know you respond to our prayers.
Kathryn: Holy Mystery may we respond to the needs of our sisters and brothers in loving prayer and solidarity. Amen
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Lee: Gracious Wisdom, you embrace us with your extravagant affection in our times of both blessedness and weakness. You are always with us…you living in us and we, living in you. As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, our call to protect all children, and our call to tear down the walls of hatred in its many forms. In this festive meal, your Spirit is poured out on each of us, your anointed disciples, gathered together in this time and place. We also ask that your Spirit be spread to those of our community who are not with us today.
Let us rejoice as we sing:
All: Holy, Holy, Holy Linda Lee Miller
(adapted from Holy, Holy, Holy by Karen Drucker)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orKBBIj5LZA
Joan M: We thank you for the gift of Jesus of Nazareth in history -- and the gift of Jesus in faith. On earth, his life burned with the vision of his mission on earth. Through the example of his life – his teachings and actions - he showed us not only how we should live, but also what was worth even dying for.
Kathryn and All: When his time on earth had come to an end, Jesus – aware of and accepting his destiny – gave us 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 this wisdom for all people in ages to come, he opened wide his arms…and died. And the spirit that lived in Jesus resurrected him to a new life, a promise made to all of us too who live the new story. Jesus is with us today and he will be through the end of time.
(With an outstretched arm, we pray the consecration together. 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.
[short pause]
Lee: 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.
Joan P: 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.
Joan M: Jesus has died. Christ is risen. The Divine Presence lives in us and through us in the world today.
Lee: God, we know that you bless your church throughout the world. We, your people, ask for your grace 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 our children, members of your Blessed Family. 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 would like to..)
Kathryn: We believe that the Spirit of God is at work in and among us and will do more than we could ever ask or imagine. 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.
Great Amen: Linda Lee Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy76fpfkNsg
The Prayer of Jesus
Joan P: Let us pray as Jesus taught us.
O Holy One, you are within, around, and among us.
We celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come, your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us. Each day you give us all we need. You remind us of our limits, and we let go. You support us in your power, and we act with courage. For you are the dwelling place within us, the empowerment around us, and the celebration among us, now and forever. Amen Adapted, Miriam Therese Winter, MMS
Sign of Peace:
Kathryn: Jesus said to his disciples, “My peace I leave you. My peace I give you.” Let us now extend a sign of peace to one another as we say this Cheyenne Prayer for Peace.
Let us know peace.
For as long as the moon shall rise,
For as long as the rivers shall flow,
For as long as the sun shall shine,
For as long as the grass shall grow,
Let us know peace.
Lee: Please join in praying the Litany for the Breaking of the Bread:
Lee and All: 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.
Joan P: This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Blessed are we who are called to Christ’s table. What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives. As we share communion, we become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.
Please receive/share Eucharist now, saying: “You are the bread of life.” And “You are the cup of compassion.”
Communion Song: Amazing Grace sung in Cherokee and English by Misty Rose
https://youtu.be/7319EGJw3Gg
Prayer of Thanksgiving after Communion:
Lee: Great and Holy Mystery, known and unknown, we thank you for the blessing of this day. We thank you for the blessings of this place: for its great beauty, for the power and the majesty of the land and the waters. And we thank you especially for the people who live here, for our friends, our families, and our neighbors. Inspire us and sustain us so that we steadfastly will strive for everything that is true, everything that is honorable, everything that is pure, everything that is pleasing, everything that is commendable, for all things excellent and worthy of praise in your sight. Help us to think on your Word and keep on doing all that we have learned and received from Jesus, our brother.
(Adapted from “Prayers for Indigenous People and Communities” by the United Church of Canada)
All: Amen
Community Prayers of Gratitude and Announcements
Community Blessing
Kathryn: Please raise your hands in blessing: And together with our arms extended to one another we say an Apache Blessing:
May the sun bring you new energy by day,
may the moon softly restore you by night,
may the rain wash away your worries,
may the breeze blow new strength into your being,
may you walk gently through the world and
know it’s beauty all the days of your life.
ALL: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
Closing Song: Ly O Lay Ale Loya (Circle Dance) ~
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UglUjiJifA
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
