As Ireland’s Church Retreats, the Cult of a Female Saint Thrives, New York Times, Holy Wells and Shrines Still Popular

St. Brigid's Well in Kildare

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/11/world/europe/ireland-church-female-saint-brigid.html?fbclid=IwAR22Mf7h9DaWuAPMsbvXTSTIDc8gW0oZX9iV2Xbp9zAvOzlHF84VH89EW3M

When I visited St, Brigid’s holy well in Kildare  I joined pilgrims from Spain in a prayer ritual. St. Brigid was associated with the goddess Brid.  She was a powerful leader in a double monastery of women and men in Kildare . According to legend, she was ordained a bishop.

“The cult of Saint Brigid, with its emphasis on nature and healing, and its shift away from the patriarchal faith of traditional Catholicism in Ireland, is attracting people from around the world.”

KILDARE, Ireland — Around the year 480, as legend has it, a freed slave named Brigid founded a convent under an oak in the east of Ireland. To feed her followers, she asked the King of Leinster, who ruled the area, for a grant of land.

When the pagan king refused, she asked him to give her as much land as her cloak would cover. Thinking she was joking, he agreed. But when Brigid threw her cloak on the ground, it spread across 5,000 acres — creating the Curragh plains, which still stretch beside the religious settlement she founded at Kildare (from the Irish Cill Dara, “church of the oak”).

"A millennium and a half later, a renewed cult of Saint Brigid is thriving in Kildare, even at a time when the Roman Catholic church is in retreat in Ireland, weakened by clerical sex abuse scandals, growing secularism and — Catholic feminists say — by its refusal, despite a collapse in the numbers of its all-male priesthood, to give equal status to women.

Much of the revitalized interest is the result of the Brigidines’ emphasis on nature, ecology and healing, and their shift away from the patriarchal faith of traditional Irish Catholicism."

Posted by Bridget Mary Meehan at 9:41 PM 

W

A pilgrim washing her feet while praying at St. Brigid’s Well on St. Brigid’s Day, Feb. 1, on the outskirts of Kildare, Ireland.Credit...Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times

By Ed O’Loughlin

Published March 11, 2022Updated March 14, 2022

KILDARE, Ireland — Around the year 480, as legend has it, a freed slave named Brigid founded a convent under an oak in the east of Ireland. To feed her followers, she asked the King of Leinster, who ruled the area, for a grant of land.

When the pagan king refused, she asked him to give her as much land as her cloak would cover. Thinking she was joking, he agreed. But when Brigid threw her cloak on the ground, it spread across 5,000 acres — creating the Curragh plains, which still stretch beside the religious settlement she founded at Kildare (from the Irish Cill Dara, “church of the oak”).

A millennium and a half later, a renewed cult of Saint Brigid is thriving in Kildare, even at a time when the Roman Catholic church is in retreat in Ireland, weakened by clerical sex abuse scandals, growing secularism and — Catholic feminists say — by its refusal, despite a collapse in the numbers of its all-male priesthood, to give equal status to women.

Much of the revitalized interest is the result of the Brigidines’ emphasis on nature, ecology and healing, and their shift away from the patriarchal faith of traditional Irish Catholicism.

Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community - Second Sunday in Lent, 2022 - Presiders: Mary Theresa Streck and Dave DeBonis

Beatitudes by Hyatt Moore 
https://www.hyattmoore.com/store/The_Beatitudes 

Theme: The Cost of Discipleship

Welcome: (Mary Theresa) Welcome to our liturgy for the second Sunday in Lent. Today our theme is The Cost of Discipleship. In the first reading and in the Gospel, we will listen to two stories that have been the stories of the courageous women and men throughout history who saw with the eyes of their hearts, embraced their destiny, and dreamed the impossible dream even when it cost them their lives.  

Opening Prayer: (Dave) This morning we ask the Divine to help us to see our mission, as Jesus did, to be in the world but not of the world. To release us from our fear so that we can engage fully and passionately with the world, calling out injustice and working to bring the fullness of life to all.

Opening Song: Jerusalem My Destiny 

https://youtu.be/mG6thyHErVc

Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: (Jean) A reading from Women in the Bible and Christian Tradition by Bridget Mary Meehan

Before returning to El Salvador, Maryknoll Sister Jean Donovan visited her parents, met her friend, Doug, and attended a friend's wedding in Ireland. Throughout this period, Doug, Father Crowley, and others tried to persuade Jean not to return to El Salvador. When she visited the Maryknoll Center in Ossining, her friends and colleagues there offered the same advice: Don't return. Yet Jean insisted that she had to return to El Salvador, because she had promised the children that she would come back to them.

Before leaving, Jean prayed for several hours in the Maryknoll chapel, emerging with a renewed sense of tranquility. Before returning to El Salvador, Jean vacationed with her parents in Florida. "God straightened the whole thing out for me," she shared with her parents. She hoped that God would protect her from being tortured, but she was willing to give her life.

Her mother described her daughter during their visit: "She was the old Jeannie-happy." When Jean returned to El Salvador, she was peaceful and enthusiastic about her mission work."

In the weeks before her death, Jean and the others busied them selves with providing transportation and supplies for the refugee center at Chalatenango. Although they knew they were in danger and that there had been death threats, they believed that being U.S. citizens would protect them from danger. On the afternoon of December 2, Jean and Dorothy Kazel drove to the airport to pick up their colleagues, Maura Clarke and Ita Ford, who were returning from a conference in Nicaragua. By the time the four women left the airport, it was already dark for the five-mile drive home. They did not make it home-and were never heard from again. On December 4, their bodies were discovered in a shallow ditch.

Jean's friend and confidant, Father Crowley, reflected on the meaning of Jean Donovan's life in an article published in U.S Catholic: "Underneath her happy, casual, nonchalant personality was a serious, committed person with a deep religious conviction, which explained her madness. I mean, by any standards of the 20th century, going down to Salvador and risking your life is a form of madness. But she knew what she was doing, and it fitted totally into her life's meaning, which was a commitment, I think to her Christianity."

(pause)

With open hearts, we affirm these words by saying, Amen.

Second Reading: (Ann) Transfiguration by Dave DeBonis

I have not seen a burning bush or heard a voice from above.

I have not seen an enveloping cloud or white light

But I have seen the face of God in a newborn child and a dying parent.

God’s face was there in the eyes of desperation in a man who had no home and equally there in his broken gratitude.

I have seen the face of the Divine in a child’s smile and in her tears.

God’s face was there in a warm embrace and a broken heart.

 

In all those moments that left me moved beyond words, moments that

stirred something inside me, moments that I could not explain but I knew were real and true, there was the face of God.

She was there in the beauty and the suffering, the strength and vulnerability, the clarity and the mystery.

 

I do not need a burning bush or voice from above.

I do not need an enveloping cloud or white light.

God is here if only I will see.

(pause)

With open hearts, we affirm these words by saying, Amen.

Response: Spirt of the Living God

https://youtu.be/R3967aJi6UU 

Gospel: (Joan C) A reading from the Gospel of Luke 

(Lk 9:28b-36)

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up the mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Teacher, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.

While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.

These are the words of the Gospel writer known as Luke, and we affirm them by saying, Amen.

Pause

Shared Homily - Mary Theresa

In today’s Gospel, we hear once again the story of the transfiguration. We have heard this gospel year after year on the second Sunday in Lent. Jesus and a few of his disciples go on another field trip and this time, they went up a mountain to pray. And in this prayerful encounter with the Holy One, there is a transformation that happens in Jesus. 

In Luke’s gospel we read that Moses and Elijah were speaking with Jesus about his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. By including those words, which are not in the Gospel of Matthew, Luke is telling his followers a story about a pivotal point in Jesus’ ministry. In that prayerful encounter on the mountain, Jesus discerns what he will do next. Should he continue his teaching, preaching, and healing in Galilee or should he now “set his sights on Jerusalem” and confront the religious and political powers oppressing his people?

In this discernment, Jesus accepts his call to walk in the footsteps of his ancestors, Moses, Elijah and the prophets who gave everything for the love of the Holy One and for the love of their people.  

In Christian symbolism Jerusalem is everyplace and the ultimate place. Jerusalem is the conflicted city within our hearts and the hoped-for heavenly city of promise. 

As I was thinking about the Gospel, I thought of Oscar Romero and Maura Clark, Ita Ford, Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan and the courageous men and women in Ukraine. 

In the first reading about Jean Donovan, we hear similarities to the discernment faced by Jesus with his disciples. In a prayerful encounter with the Divine, Jean sets her sights on her Jerusalem. Jean’s close friends who loved her dearly wanted to save her from harm. Don’t go, don’t do this. You could lose your life. It’s too dangerous.  These same words were spoken by those who loved Jesus dearly. I can imagine that those same words are heard today in Ukraine. But, like Jesus, a transformation happened in all those who embraced their exodus and set their sights on their Jerusalem for the love of the Holy One and for the love of their people.

What did you hear in today’s readings?

 

Statement of Faith

 
(Terri) We believe in the Holy One, 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 the Divine Word, 
bringer of healing, heart of Divine compassion, 
bright star in the firmament of the Holy One's 
prophets, mystics, and saints. 
 
We believe that We are called to follow Jesus 
as a vehicle of divine love, 
a source of wisdom and truth, 
and an instrument of peace in the world. 
 
We believe in the Spirit of the Holy One, 
the life that is our innermost life, 
the breath moving in our being, 
the depth living in each of us. 
 
We believe that the Divine 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 for the Community

Kathie: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our prayers for the community. 

(Prayers for the community)

Kathie: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen. 

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Mary Theresa: Please join in praying the Eucharistic prayer together.

Adapted from If Darwin Prayed by Bruce G. Sanguin

O Shining One, you are the flame burning within, the beacon on the horizon,
the radiance in all creation, the bright idea inspiring us, the sparkling in the eyes of our loved ones, the uncreated light that is lighting all. 

Transfigure us, this very day, as we open into the radiance of the Christ in each other, in song, in word, and witness. May this be the day of our enlightenment, when we see with clarity the sacred life we are called to manifest. 

Remake us as sacraments of the Holy, that we might embrace our calling:
to see with new eyes, reach out with gentle hands, imagine with transformed minds, be still with hallowed presence, and be filled with grateful prayers.
In the name of the Transfigured One we sing our song of praise: 

Here in this Place – Holy Holy Holy by Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ

Dave: We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, and revealing us as one with you and all of creation.

Please extend your hands in blessing.

We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world. 

On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet, so that they would re-member him.

All lift their plates and pray the following:

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) 

 

All lift their cups and pray the following:

Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:

Take and drink.

Whenever you remember me like this,

I am among you.

(pause) 

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 Communion with the words, “The Spirit of the Holy One rests upon me”.

Communion Song: I Heard an Owl by Carrie Newcomer

https://youtu.be/L8WC2Y3CS8Y 

Mary Theresa: Source of All, we are willing to do everything Jesus did, to re-create the living presence of a love that does justice, of a compassion that heals and liberates, of a joy that generates hope, of a light that illumines people and confronts the darkness of every injustice and inequity.

We trust your Spirit within us, the Spirit that animated Jesus, for it is through his life and teaching, all honor and glory is yours, forever and ever. Amen.

Joan: Let us pray as Jesus taught us:

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 our 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   (Miriam Therese Winter) 

Blessing

Dave: Let us raise our hands in blessing and pray together: 

May we draw courage from each other so that we, like Jesus, can face the everyday challenges that threaten our mission to create the earth anew.  Let us remember that we have been chosen to be a blessing to all through radical love and limitless compassion.  

All: Amen.

Closing Song: Luther Vandross sings The impossible dream

https://youtu.be/cGsYrpejAYw

"Our True Identity" , Homily -The Second Sunday of Lent - Year C Rev. Richard S. Vosko

Who are we? How do we identify ourselves? Years ago I was part of an interfaith team hired to train Navy chaplains. One of our sessions was on discrimination. It began with each chaplain thinking about his or her own identity. How did they describe themselves — by rank, gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, conservative, liberal? And, how did that self-image affect their relationships with others?

Discussion about identity today matters a great deal. It affects our relationships with one another. It is easy to feel more comfortable with those who are similar to us but not with those who are different from us. For some people identity can be a matter of life and death.

Consider for a moment what is happening to some of the refugees fleeing from the horrific war in Ukraine. It is reported that at train stations and border checkpoints anyone whose color is anything but Caucasian is turned away even if they are true Ukrainian citizens. That their nationality is printed on their passports did not matter.

Today’s gospel text (Lk 9:28b-36) comes right after Jesus informed his followers that he would soon suffer and die. They were on their way to Jerusalem and he said to them the journey would not be easy. Then all of a sudden Jesus was transfigured right in front of his disciples Peter, James and John. 

“While praying, Jesus’ face changed in appearance.” In a biblical context to experience such a metamorphosis is to become more radiant, more beautiful in the sight of others. The transfiguration of Jesus is an image of God as light and salvation. (Psalm 27:7-9, 13-14)

His transfiguration was an indication that he would pass through the bonds of death to eternal glory. But even more … it revealed the identity of Jesus as an itinerant prophet and messiah. Hearing this story prompts us to show our true identities as Christians and our willingness to make the world more radiant, more beautiful, more free.

Neither for Jesus, nor his followers, nor for us do acts of transformation happen quickly. Jesus grew in his understanding of his role in society. So does our awareness of our baptismal calling help us become better Christians.

Making changes in our different identities — as a church, a nation, a local  community, as individuals —- takes a long time. Sacrificing something, volunteering for a cause, or being open to others’ differences during the Lenten season is a good start that can lead to a larger transfiguration not only of ourselves but society in general.

The reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (3:17-4:1) reminds us our citizenship is in heaven. I know … some of us cannot wait that long. We want life on earth to be a happy and healthy experience now. Still we are reminded that life is short and if we want to achieve something that will make a difference in people’s lives, and our own, do it now.

We do not achieve a transfigured life by ourselves, however. Jesus relied on the wisdom and prophecies of his ancestors (Elijah, Moses, Miriam, Abraham, Sarah). He also depended on the loyalty of his followers. Jesus’ identity was wrapped up in relationships with other people as well as with God. 

    In a contemporary context Ukraine needs help from other nations to keep its independence. Our country relies more and more on alliances aware that our nation is no longer the international force it once was. Working together in our communities can improve everyone's lives. The same is true in our church. The clergy and all the people of God depend on one another for their identities and their ministries.

There are no borders in the cosmic realm. We are part of an eternal and universal family who wants to live freely and responsibly. Along the way our identity as citizens of earth and heaven suggests that we are in a serious live-giving relationship with one another and our planet. Yes, that bond can be fractured by selfishness, deceit and power but it can also be repaired with love and honesty.

The season of Lent calls us to see ourselves as we truly are. As Christians abiding by the Word of God we join other faiths and non-believers in striving to treat others as they are … especially the ones who are not like us. 

Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community Liturgy, 2nd Week of Lent, March 12, 2022, Presiding: Andrea Seabaugh & Michael Rigdon, Reading: Pat MacMillan & Jill Striebinger, Leading Prayer: Russ Banner, Denis Rigdon, Jack Duffy Music: Linda Lee & Rick Miller IT: Peg Bowen & Jerry Bires

Join Zoom Meeting

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)

Welcome (Andrea) Welcome to our community gathering! Today we celebrate the second anniversary of our first zoom liturgy on March 14, 2020. We extend to each other words of welcome, peace, and thanksgiving, with the assurance that all are welcome in this holy space.

Whoever you are,

Wherever you are,

Just as you are,

You are welcome at this table. 

(Integral Christianity by Paul Smith)

Sign of peace (Andrea) Let us welcome each other with a sign of peace.

All: (Namasté pose 🙏🏿 toward camera) Namasté. The peace of Christ be with you! Namasté.

Gathering 🎶  Prayer of St Francis  

https://youtu.be/hC77O0fMuL0 

Make me a channel of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring your love.

Where there is injury your pardon, God,

And where there’s doubt, true faith in you.

Make me a channel of your peace. 

Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope.

Where there is darkness only light, 

And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh God, grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled, as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace. 

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

In giving of ourselves that we receive, 

And in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

Make me a channel of your peace.

Theme. Transformation: “It is … in dying that we’re born to eternal life.”

Opening prayer 

(Michael) During this Lenten season, O Holy One, we celebrate Jesus’ emptying of himself to become human. He further emptied himself by dying then rising to a new life. We trust that we will experience this same transformation, this process of loss and renewal which connects us to all creation, to each other, and to you. Help us to see this way. Give us the strength and courage to let go and let go again and again. We ask this in the name of Spirit Sophia within, who calls us to be transformed. All: Let it be so!

Prayer of transformation

(Den) Let us remember now times when messages of our unworthiness clouded our vision of the infinite Love within us. Let us imagine our imperfections, the chaos and messes of our lives, all brightly lit by a Love that heals and transforms us as we evolve and grow in awareness of our divinity and our humanity. 

(Pause for several moments. Now place hand over your heart as we pray)

All: I love you. Thank you. I forgive you. I’m sorry.

(Jill) First Reading from the First Book of Kings.

A Gentile widow from Zarephath in Sidonia extended hospitality to Elijah, a traveling prophet, opening her home to him. Not long after Elijah came to stay with the widow, her only child became ill. The sickness grew more severe until the  boy finally stopped breathing. The widow cried out to Elijah, “Why have you done this to me, prophet of God? Did you come to remind me of my lot in life and kill my only child?”

“Give me your child,” Elijah said. He took her child from her arms and carried the boy to the upper room where he was staying. He laid the child on the bed. Then he cried out: “O God, will you afflict even the woman with whom I am staying by killing her son?” Then he stretched himself out over the child three times and called out to God, “I pray, O God, my God, let the breath of life return to this body.”

God listened to Elijah’s plea. The breath of life returned to the small body, and the child revived. Elijah lifted up the child and carried him down to his mother, saying, “Look, your child lives!”

The widow, overcome, said to Elijah, “Now I know for certain that you are sent from God and that the word of God is truly on your lips.”

The Word of an Ancient Storyteller. All: Thanks be to God! Amen.

(Please pause for a few moments)

Psalm 30 (Merrill, edited)

(Jill) Our psalm response: All: R: I cried to you and you comforted me. 

I will praise you, O Beloved, for you have raised up my child.

You have not let my fears overwhelm me. 

I cried to you for help, O Healer, and you comforted me.

You, O Love, released my soul from despair. 

You restored my child, and me, to life from among those who live in fear.

R: I cried to you and you comforted me. 

You turned our mourning into dancing.

You took off our sackcloth, and clothed us with gladness.

Now, my soul may praise you and not be silent.

O my Beloved, forever I will give you thanks.

R: I cried to you and you comforted me. 

(Please pause for a few moments)

(Pat) Second reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

In Joppa, there was a disciple, a woman named Tabitha, which in Greek is “Dorcas”. She never tired of doing kind things or helping those who were poor. About the time when some other disciples of Jesus were passing through, she grew ill and died. Some women washed her and laid her in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa, so the disciples, who heard that Peter was in Lydda, sent two couriers to him with the request, “Please come at once.” So Peter got up and went.

When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. All the townswomen who had been widowed were there, weeping. They showed Peter tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, rise up.” Then Tabitha opened her eyes, looked around, and sat up. She was helped to her feet. Then Peter called for all the saints, especially the widows, and

showed them that she was alive.  

The Word of an Early Church Historian All: Thanks be to God! Amen.

Acclamation (Pat & All) We proclaim your death, O Jesus, and we profess your resurrection until you come again, until you come again.

A Reading from the Good News attributed to Luke.

(Jack) Jesus went to a town called Nain. The disciples and a large crowd accompanied him there. As Jesus approached the entrance to the town, a body was being carried out on a bier—the only child, a son, of a widowed mother. A considerable crowd of townspeople were with her.

Moved with pity upon seeing her, Jesus said, “Don’t grieve. Don’t mourn.” Then Jesus stepped forward and touched the bier. At this, the bearers halted. Jesus said, “Young man, get up.” The dead youth sat up and began to speak.

Jesus gave him back to his mother.

Awe seized them all, and they began to praise God. 

“A great prophet has risen among us,” they said. “Truly, God has visited us.”

This report about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.

God’s Good News! All: Amen! Thanks be to God. 

Acclamation (Jack & All) We proclaim your death, O Jesus, and we profess your resurrection until you come again, until you come again.

Shared homily (Community & Michael)

Richard Rohr: Universal Christ, chapter on Transformation. 

“Authentic Christianity is not so much a belief system as a life-and-death system that shows you how to give away your life, how to give away your love, and eventually how to give away your death. Basically, how to give away—and in doing so, to connect with the world, with all other creatures, and with God.”

“Here the primary language is unlearning, letting go, surrendering, serving others.”

“There’s a constant movement of loss and renewal at work in this world a

t every level. It seems to be the pattern of all growth and evolution. To be alive means to surrender to this inevitable flow. It’s the same pattern in every atom, in every human relationship, and in every galaxy. Native peoples, Hindu scripture, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad, and Jesus all saw it early in human history and named it as a kind of ‘necessary dying.’

If this pattern is true, it has been true all the time and everywhere. All of us travelers, each in our own way, have to eventually learn about letting go of something smaller so something bigger can happen.”

The paschal mystery—our dying and rising with/in Christ

Love your enemies

Our vow of non-violence

Jack’s trumpet at the end of our MMOJ liturgies playing When the saints go marching in—our final song today. All of our MMOJ saints who remain present to us.

Profession of faith 

(Russ) We believe in the Holy One, 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 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.

Community prayers 

(Den): Mindful of God’s unconditional love and care for us, we bring the needs of our community & the world to the table. Response: All: Loving God, you hear our prayer. 

Jesus, you chose laborers, and tax collectors, to be your companions. Preserve us from deciding who people are by what they do. And let us see the worth of every person and the value in every kind of work. R

We pray for those who have died in the 2 years of covid, those who continue to have serious symptoms of long hau

l covid, and those who mourn the loss of family and friends to the pandemic. R

We pray for the many victims of the war in Ukraine. May we all work to end the scourge of this unprovoked attack. R

Spring heralds the threat of storms in tornado alley and the threat of wildfires in the US west. We pray for those living in the path of these violent threats to life and livelihood. R

Bless those who have lost their life companion through death or divorce. Let the people of God be a saving support and comfort to them. R

And for what else shall we pray?

Holy Mystery, Jesus is your supreme gift to us. Grant that the gospel be woven into our daily lives, coming easily to mind for our inspiration and your glory.  All: Amen

Preparation of our gifts 🥖 🍷

(Den & All) (Please pause for a few moments) When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death and resurrection, O Jesus, until you come again.

 

Eucharistic Prayer  🎶 We Are Holy 

https://youtu.be/orKBBIj5LZA

(Andrea & All) We committed again today to be a community of nonviolence and peace! To support us, we count on each other and on the Spirit of Christ present among us, especially as we gather now for Eucharist. 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) 

(Russ & All) Jesus, we celebrate 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’ 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.

(Andrea & 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 what he had taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.  

All lift 🥖 and pray the following:

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 the following:

(Den & All) He 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)

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.

(Michael & All) Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice, nonviolence and peace, remembering that we are bearers of light and hope. We are the Christ alive today.

Everyone consumes the bread and wine at this time

🎶 Instrumental. Egmont Overture, Beethoven (Final 3 minutes. A musical interpretation of being transformed)

https://youtu.be/cXPCOLnOVUo

(Russ) Sacred Spirit, we rejoice that the Universal Christ remains always and ever present within and around us. We remember all those who have transitioned from life on earth to complete union with your Sacred Presence— Mary of Nazareth and all great saints, prophets and martyrs. We also remember family members, friends, and MMOJ members. We remember all those whose lives have been lost to covid, to the war in Ukraine, to racism and other forms of exclusion and violence that exist in our world. And we remember those you wish to be remembered

(We pause to remember our loved ones) 

All are beloved souls who have blessed our lives and who continue to inspire us. And we respond together: All: So be it!

(Den) Let us pray together as Jesus taught us:

(All) O Holy One, who is 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 our 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  

(Michael) Please share the gratitude you hold in your hearts.

Announcements

Final blessing St Patrick’s ☘️ Christ within me prayer ☘️

https://youtu.be/FyjLD25BRvI

🎶 Final 🎶 When the saints go marching in (featuring Jack Meehan on trumpet) 

https://youtu.be/1VbqoJ3Yxo4

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If you want to add an intercession to our MMOJ Community Prayer book, please send an email to jmeehan515@aol.com

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

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Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community

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