Celebration of the Season of Creation #1

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community

Celebration of the Season of Creation #1

August 27, 2022

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

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81534075389?pwd=TTdGY2NxS3AzTW13ODJESkdYME9aUT09

 

Meeting ID: 815 3407 5389

Passcode: 803326

(Note -- if you have a problem with the above link, open your ZOOM app and insert the Meeting ID number and Passcode)

 

One tap mobile: 1-312-626-6799

Joan Meehan & Michael Rigdon presiding

Readers: Mary Montavon & Jack McKillip

Prayer Leaders: Jack Duffy, Ann Cooke, 

Suzanne Bires

Cheryl Brandi, IT

Liturgy adapted from Season of Creation Ecumenical Prayer Service 

by Laudato Si’ Movement and

Prayer Service developed by Congregation of Notre Dame 

members (Joan Pesce) 

🎶🎵 Burning in my soul (in honor of the burning bush)

 https://youtu.be/MGykYvgQAQI 

Welcome. Michael

Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota Florida! All are welcome to participate with us. 

We gather in the name of God, ✝️ Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of the Earth and all creatures! 

Season of Creation

https://youtu.be/WyjUTvGmliI 

Praise be to the Holy Trinity! God is sound and life, Creator of the Universe, Source of all life, whom the angels sing; wondrous Light of all mysteries known or unknown to humankind, and life that lives in all. (Hildegard of Bingen, 13th Century)

Opening 🎶 All Things Bright and Beautiful

 

  https://youtu.be/FT_oDqOEGpc

Greeting Joan, after a moment of silence.

Greetings in the name of our God who is good:
whose love endures forever.
Greetings to you, sun and moon, you stars of the southern sky: 

All: Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Sunrise and sunset, night and day:
give to our God your thanks and praise. 

Greetings to you, mountains and valleys, grassland and scree,
glacier, avalanche, mist and snow:
All: Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Greetings to you, kauri and pine, rata and kowhai, mosses and ferns, Baobab, fynbos, yellowwood and aloe: 

All: Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Greetings to you, dolphins and kahawai, sea lion and crab, coral, anemone, pipi and shrimp:
All: Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Greetings to you, rabbits and cattle, moths and dogs,
kiwi and sparrow, and tui and hawk:
Elephant, lions, rhinos, and giraffes, ostrich, sheep, cattle Scorpion and dung beetle:
All: Give to our God your thanks and praise.
Greetings to you, women and men,
Elders and children, women and men,
Diverse cultures of this rainbow land:
Typists and teachers, cleaners, and clerks,
learners, job-seekers, TV and sports’ stars,
All who care, who love and who pray,
Who laugh and learn, who rest and who play:
All: Give to our God your thanks and praise. 

(A New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa page 457, Lynn Pedersen 2016, Inspired by Ps 148 & Song of Creation) 

Psalm 19 Jack D, after a moment of silence.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands. 

Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 

All: Listen to creation tell of God, listen to God’s Word in scripture 

They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. 

All: Listen to creation tell of God, listen to God’s Word in scripture 

Thanksgiving for the Earth Ann C, after a moment of silence.

Remember the fruits of the earth, for sowing and for harvest. Remember the dew of the air.
Remember the downcoming of the rains and the waters and the rivers. Remember the plants and the blooms of every year. 

Remember the safety of humans and of animals and of me, your servant. 

For the rain, the wind of the sky, seed, plants, the fruit of the trees and also the vineyards, and for every tree in the entire world, 

All: We are grateful 

For the Holy Trinity who brings us to perfection in safety and peace, brings us up according to their measure that we may grow and prosper through your grace, who makes the face of the earth to rejoice, waters her furrows, lets her grain be abundantly multiplied and makes ready her seed-time and harvest, 

All: We give You thanks 

(Adapted from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Pre-Anaphora, and Anaphora of Basil) 

Litany of Lament and Repentance Suzanne, after silence.

God of our vibrant world, 

You have given humans the responsibility to care for each other. Indigenous people have historical, spiritual, and personal ties to these lands on which we inhabit. But many of us have failed to recognize the presence of God in these traditions, and their voices have been silenced. We are thankful to Indigenous Nations for their continuing care and presence on the Earth. We all value the resilience and strength shown through the generations and today. 

We turn to the Spirit who dismantles borders and celebrates life giving community. 

Help us make a place where everyone is welcome and we acknowledge your grace at work in the ways of one another. Together, may we learn the spiritual richness of our relationships in the web of life. 

Lord in your mercy

All: Hear our prayer.

O God of the whole of creation. 

You have created land and trees, animals and all living creatures on the earth. We are destroying the forests through poisons and logging, the voices of the birds, insects and forest dwellers are silenced 

You created the wonders of the ocean, the fish, shells, reefs, whales, waves, corals. The oceans are warming and as they drown in plastic, their voices are being stilled. 

We turn to you in sorrow and repentance. 

Please help us to care for the oceans, the land and the forest, and to recognize that it is your blessing for us. Creation is speaking to us, but their voices have been silenced by the roar of our greed 

Holy One, in your mercy 

All: Hear our prayer.

Mothering Earth, our Sister, you sustain and govern us. We have silenced the voices of your people, especially the voices of women —protectors of the Earth who have been killed by land grabbers, mining companies and oil companies. Many are the voices of our sisters who have been silenced by flooding, hurricanes and drought as the earth’s warming brings destruction. May we listen to the voices of our mothers and sisters and learn to treasure and protect the web of life. 

Holy One, in your mercy 

All: Hear our prayer.

We turn to you in sorrow and repentance. Please, Creator God, forgive us for the human activities which have overpowered the weather and caused destruction of our environment. 

Holy One, in your mercy 

All: Hear our prayer.

(Adapted from a Prayer of Lament written by members of the four Religious Orders in the Anglican Church of Melanesia. Melanesian Brotherhood, Society of St Francis, Community of the Sisters of the Church, Community of the Sisters of Melanesia) 

Opening Prayer. Mary M

Holy One, you flow through us and all of creation as an eternal river of love and creativity. As we learn more every day about how everything in this universe is inter-related, may we come to appreciate more and more about our connection with all that is. May we see you where you really are, deep within everything and everyone. Amen. 

🎵 🎶 Alle, Alle, Alleluia.

 https://youtu.be/ID5UGWcS6Ws

Reading Mary M

A reading from “You Are a Unique Part of Me I Don’t Know Yet” by Terri Kozlowski

I believe that we are all connected, and these connections to others are vital to us and our growth. From a physical perspective, the brain is wired for human associations, which enhances our social relationships. But how are we all linked scientifically?

Science’s current theory of the evolution of the Universe is the Big Bang. At its basis is the belief that everything, all that is in the Universe, was, at one time, altogether. All that is was once one concentrated mass, a singularity. Then, B-A-N-G! The Universe expanded into what it currently is.

So, at one point, we really were all connected. And more importantly, we are all created from the same origin. All the energy that existed from the Big Bang is still all the energy that exists in the Universe, because energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transformed.

As human beings, we are energy inside our bodies. We can feel that force within us. The universal power flows through each of us and everything in the Universe. That is why you are a unique part of me I may not know yet.

Homily Starter – Michael 

History. September 1st was proclaimed a day of prayer for creation for the Eastern Orthodox Church by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989. It was embraced by other major Christian European churches in 2001, and by Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015. 

Beginning in 2003 many Christian churches began celebrating the Season of Creation from September 1 to October 4, the Feast of St. Francis, known for his love of all creation.

Fortunately, I stumbled on the website and resources of the Laudato Si’ Movement at SeasonOfSharing.org as I searched for a feast or theme to celebrate today. And we’ll celebrate the conclusion of the Season of Creation on Oct 1 when we celebrate St Francis Xavier. 

I want to make three comments. First, we began our celebration with a song about fire 🔥 I mean fire 🔥 all over the screen! Fire representing the burning bush that spoke to Moses of the divine. Fire representing our strong commitment to protect creation. You won’t have to wait long for three more songs of🔥.

Secondly, today’s reading might seem a little disconnected from our theme, Listen to Creation. In truth it presents the basis for listening — our radical unity with all as the singular concentrated point that exploded—BANG—into the extended universe in which we now live and breathe. All are created from one, and we can feel the same power and energy that flows through each of us and through the entire universe. We are One! 

Finally, speaking of breathing, the refrain we will sing to the song we will now listen to before our homily sharing is: “By breath, by blood, by body, by spirit, we are all one.” Let’s listen now. And be sure to listen for the 🔥 in the last verse!

Song 🎶 By Breath

 

https://youtu.be/sUJdGNAfsBE (4:31)

Shared Homily:  All 

Profession of Faith Jack M & All

We believe in God, who creates all things,
who embraces all things, who celebrates all things,
who is present in every part of the fabric of creation.
We believe in God as the source of all life,
who baptizes this planet with living water.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the suffering one, the poor one, the malnourished one, the climate refugee, who loves and cares for this world and who suffers with it.
And we believe in Jesus Christ, the seed of life,
who came to reconcile and renew this world and everything in it. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God,
who moves with God and who moves among and with us today. We believe in everlasting life in God.
And we believe in the hope that one day
God will put an end to death and all destructive forces. 

(Gurukul Theological college, India / adapted by Keld B. Hansen 2009) 

Our Community Prayers Joan M

Loving God, even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she places her young near your altar. You are attentive to all you have made.  God, who listens to every living thing, 

All: Help us listen as you do. 

Loving God, help us provide refuge to every animal and plant with whom we live. Help us be attentive to all you have made.  God, in whom all creation subsists, 

All: Help us listen as you do. 

Loving God, when Jesus cried out and gave up his Spirit, the earth shook and the rocks split. You are known by the whole of creation that listens to you. 

God, to whom all creation responds, 

All: Help us respond to you. 

Loving God, help us hear and know you just as the earth and rocks do. Help us to learn from the way in which we see creation to recognize your glorious beauty.  God, to whom all creation responds, 

All: Help us respond to you. 

Loving God, you are present in your creation and seek to heal her wounds. You can be found walking in the garden. Open our eyes to see you, the gardener. 

God, who is present with your creation, 

All: Help us be present too. 

Loving God, we often abandon your creation and cause its wounds. Help us to follow in your footsteps and learn to walk in the garden like you. 

God, who is present with your creation, 

All: Help us be present too. 

Loving God, who hears every voice, knows each cry of injustice, and is attentive to the suffering of the earth: teach us to listen. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may listen to the world you have created and not close ourselves off from it. Reveal to us the ways in which we have failed to hear your voice in how we treat the earth.  God, who listens to every living thing, 

All: Help us listen as you do. Amen 

Offering Jack D 

(Have bread and wine/juice on your table)

O Holy One, we bring you our gifts from creation, bread 🥖of the grain 🌾 and wine 🍷 of the grapes 🍇. We recognize that they are holy in you their creator. And we know that they will make us holy, one with you and one with each other. 

Eucharistic Prayer

🎶🎵 Soul on Fire By Third Day 

(stop at 3:15) 

https://youtu.be/i7lv9oMjv_0 

Ann C & All. We commit ourselves to live the ministry of the Gospel as we speak clearly with respect and love, as we challenge the contradictions within our society, especially during these times of division and fear. We remind ourselves daily to remain faithful in our words and actions to our commitment to nonviolence. We are called to the inner life, our spiritual life, to be open to the new beginnings in our lives. We walk with Jesus seeking wisdom and peace.

(Hold your hand over bread and wine) 

Michael & All. Jesus, we remember the last meal you had with your followers. We call upon Sacred Spirit, ever and always with us, to bring blessing on this bread and wine as they are made sacred through our faith in the presence of Christ with us. 

During Jesus’s life on earth, he lived and died loving the poor, healing the sick and challenging the injustices within society. Because of his ministry, Jesus was feared by the authorities of his day, and they sought out ways to bring him to his death.

Suzanne & All. On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.  

All lift 🥖 and pray:

Jack M & All. When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying: 

Take and eat, this is my very self.

 

Pause, then lift the 🍷 and pray:

Joan & All. Jesus took the cup, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying: Take and drink. This is the new covenant. Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.  (pause)

Mary M & All.  What we have heard with our ears, 

we will live with our lives.  

As we share communion, 

we will become communion 

both love's nourishment and love's challenge.

Suzanne & All. Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice. We listen to the groaning of creation, remembering that we are bearers of light and hope. We are Christ alive today.

We now share the bread and wine, saying,

 “Our gifts of creation make us One”

🎶 Communion Song What Shall I Give by Sara Thomsen

https://youtu.be/UUTs9qa5h3g (stop @2:38)  

Joan. We pray our common prayer that Christ taught us: 

All: Eternal Spirit, Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver,
Source of all that is and that shall be,
Father and Mother of us all, 

Loving God, in whom is heaven:
The hallowing of your name echoes through the universe!
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world!
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings!
May your beloved community of peace and freedom sustain our hope and come on earth. 

With the bread we need for today, feed us.
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us.
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us.
From trials too great to endure, spare us.
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.
For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, now and forever. Amen. 

(Adapted from The New Zealand Book of Prayer | He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa. This version of the Lord’s prayer was influenced by Maori theologians) 

A Prayer for Our Earth (Pope Francis in Laudato Si’) Ann C

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe

And in the smallest of your creatures.

You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,

that we may protect life and beauty.

Fill us with peace, that we may live

as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,

help us to rescue the abandoned and

forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the

world and not prey on it,

that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain

At the expense of the poor and the earth.

Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,

to be filled with awe and contemplation,

to recognize that we are profoundly united

with every creature as we journey towards your

infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.

Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle

for justice, love and peace.  All: Amen

Sharing of Peace Jack D

If we are in Christ, we are becoming a new creation. 

We see God around us. We see God within us. 

We give thanks to our Creator. 

Let us show the caring nature you have instilled within us by greeting each other as a sign of God’s peace, love, forgiveness and grace. The peace of our Creator be with us in all things. 

All: Namaste 🙏🏿 Namaste 🙏🏼 Namaste 🙏🏻

(adapted from Celebrating Creation: Honoring Indigenous People, Kelly Sherman-Conroy, ELCA) 

Thanksgiving. Introductions. Announcements. Michael

Final Blessing  Suzanne & All

May God who established the dance of creation, 

Who marveled at the lilies of the field,
Who transforms chaos to order,
Lead us to protect creation, 

To listen to the voice of all creatures 

That reflect God’s glory. 

(adapted from the CTBI Eco-Congregation Programme) 

Final 🎵 Blessed Unrest 

 https://youtu.be/pLAZ9q6JDj0 

(Stop at 4:20)

________________________________

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