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Mary Al: Welcome and Gathering Rite
Welcome, beloved friends, to our celebration of God's boundless love.
Today's Gospel invites us to imagine a different kind of banquet table. Jesus challenges the social customs of his day and ours. He calls us to create communities where everyone has a place.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to practice radical hospitality. Today we gather around Christ's open table, where the poor, the marginalized, the forgotten, and the excluded are honored guests. Here we celebrate the Good News that every person bears the sacred image of God and belongs in the circle of Divine Love.
Opening Song: Room at the Table by Carrie Newcomer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92OM5bdQ4N4
Transformation Rite:
Presider: Bridget Mary
Beloved friends, Jesus invites us to God's banquet—a table where everyone belongs.
Yet we know there are times when fear, prejudice, judgment, or indifference have narrowed our hearts. There are times when we have failed to welcome others or failed to recognize our own belovedness.
Today, let us open our hearts to the transforming power of Divine Love.
(Pause)
(Place your hand over your heart and pray )
All:
Amen. We are God's beloved.
Amen. There is room for everyone.
Amen. We will help build God's welcoming table.
Glory to God in the Highest: Mary Al and All
Glory to God
All:
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
We praise you, Holy One,
for your love knows no boundaries
and your welcome has no limits.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
You gather us from many places,
many cultures,
many stories,
and many journeys,
into one human family.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
You prepare a home for the lonely,
comfort for the grieving,
hope for the discouraged,
and a place at the table for all.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
For the stranger who becomes a friend,
for the excluded who find belonging,
for communities that practice justice,
compassion, and hospitality,
We give you thanks and praise.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
Jesus showed us the way
of humility, service, and radical welcome.
He taught us that greatness is found
not in power but in love.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
Holy Spirit,
open our hearts,
widen our circle,
and transform our world,
until all people know
they are welcomed,
they are valued,
and they are loved.
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to all people on earth.
Amen
Opening Prayer: Bridget Mary
Loving God,
You invite us to a banquet where no one is excluded and every person is cherished.
Open our hearts to welcome those whom society overlooks.
Free us from the need for recognition, status, or privilege.
Teach us to recognize your presence in those who are poor, vulnerable, and marginalized.
May our communities reflect your dream of justice and equality, where all have a place at the table and all are treated with dignity and respect.
We pray in the name of Jesus, who welcomed everyone into the embrace of Divine Love.
Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Anna Davis
First Reading: The Hospitality of Abraham and Sarah
(Inspired by Genesis 18:1-10a)
A reading from the Book of Genesis
Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day when he noticed three travelers approaching.
When he saw them, he hurried to greet them and bowed in welcome.
He said, "My friends, if I have found favor in your sight, please do not pass by without stopping here. Let water be brought so that you may refresh yourselves, and rest beneath the shade of this tree. Let me bring food to nourish you for your journey."
Abraham hurried to Sarah and said, "Let us prepare a meal for our guests."
Together they offered generous hospitality. They prepared bread, selected the finest food, and served the travelers with joy.
As they shared the meal, the strangers offered a blessing and promised that God's life-giving presence would continue to flourish among them.
Abraham and Sarah discovered that in welcoming strangers, they had welcomed the Holy One.
The Word of God.
Responsorial Psalm: A Psalm of the Open Table
Response: Jeanne S.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
Holy One,
You are the shelter of the forgotten,
the companion of the lonely,
the hope of those who feel invisible.
When the world closes its doors,
you open your heart.
When others draw boundaries,
you widen the circle of love.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
You gather people from every walk of life:
the young and the old,
the wealthy and the poor,
the strong and the struggling,
the seekers and the saints.
No one is a stranger in your presence.
No one is outside the embrace of your love.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
You call us to build communities
where every voice is heard,
every gift is honored,
and every person is welcomed as beloved.
You invite us to set tables
where there are no reserved seats,
no favored places,
no walls of exclusion.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
When we are tempted
to seek status instead of service,
privilege instead of compassion,
or recognition instead of humility,
lead us back to the way of Jesus.
Teach us to walk gently,
to listen deeply,
and to make room for others.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
We remember all who long for belonging:
those who grieve,
those who are isolated,
those who have been rejected by family, church, or society.
May they find welcome among us.
May they discover a home in our communities.
May they know they are cherished by you.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all.
For your banquet is abundant,
your mercy without measure,
and your love beyond all imagining.
With grateful hearts we rejoice,
for in your Kin-dom
there is enough room for everyone.
God prepares a home for the lonely and a place at the table for all. Amen.
Second Reading: Anna Davis
A Reading Inspired by the Writings of Feminist Theologian Letty Russell, who envisioned the Church as God's household—a community of radical hospitality where all are welcomed, all are valued, and all are loved.
The household of God is not a closed circle reserved for a chosen few.
It is a living community where strangers become friends, where walls of exclusion are transformed into bridges of belonging, and where every person is welcomed as a beloved child of God.
God's table is larger than we imagine.
There is room for those who have been pushed aside,
room for those whose voices have been silenced,
room for those who have been told they do not belong.
At God's table, we do not earn our place through status, achievement, wealth, or power.
We are welcomed because we are loved.
The Holy One continually invites us to expand the circle, to make room for others, and to recognize the sacred dignity present in every human being.
Whenever we welcome the stranger, share our gifts, listen to one another's stories, and work for justice, we participate in building God's household.
In this holy household, diversity is celebrated, differences are honored, and mutual care becomes a way of life.
The table of God is a place of healing, reconciliation, and hope.
There all are welcomed.
There all are valued.
There all are loved.
May we become living signs of God's inclusive household and faithful companions in the work of creating a world where everyone belongs.
Amen. This is a reflection based on writings of feminist theologian Letty Russell on the Church as a community of radical hospitality and we respond to them by saying : So be it.
Gospel Acclamation- Sung Alleluia Jan Phillips
https://youtu.be/IC4nbwmQDVw
Gospel: Mary Al
On a sabbath Jesus went to dine
at the home of one of the leading Pharisees,
and the people there were observing him carefully.
He told a parable to those who had been invited,
noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
Then he said to the host who invited him,
"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,
do not invite your friends or your brothers
or your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,
in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.
Rather, when you hold a banquet,
invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;
blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.
For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."
These are the sacred words in the Gospel of Luke and we respond to them by saying May it be so!
Homily: Bridget Mary
Radical Hospitality: The Table of Holy Equality
One of the most painful experiences in life is being excluded.
Most of us know what it feels like to be left out, ignored, dismissed, or treated as though we do not belong. We may have experienced it in our families, workplaces, schools, churches, or communities. I experience it with my friends Miriam and Mark at McDonald's
Jesus understood this human reality.
In today's Gospel, he attends a dinner party and notices people maneuvering for the best seats at the table. Yet Jesus is not simply offering etiquette lessons. He is challenging a social system built on privilege, status, and exclusion.
His words are revolutionary.
"When you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind."
In other words, create a community where everyone belongs.
Jesus' vision of God's reign turns human hierarchies upside down.
The first become last.
The excluded become honored guests.
Those whose voices have been silenced are welcomed into the center of the conversation.
As women in the Church know all too well, exclusion wounds deeply. For centuries women were denied leadership, preaching, sacramental ministry, and equal participation in decision-making. Yet throughout history women continued to serve, teach, heal, lead, and nurture communities of faith like Mother Cabrini, Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day to name a few that we all recognize.
Jesus never excluded women from discipleship. In fact, women such as Mary Magdalene, Phoebe, Junia, Lydia, Prisca, and many others were among his most faithful followers and leaders in the early Church.
Today Jesus continues to invite us to create communities that embody holy hospitality.
I experienced needed help in lifting cases up steps, into train stations and in a serendipity hen part at a Galway Pub! The bride and her attendants invited me to join in the dance!
Whenever we open our hearts to one another especially those who are different from us, whenever we make room for someone who is alone or has been pushed aside, we are participating in God's great banquet.
Our Mary Mother of Jesus Community strives to live this Gospel vision. Around our table all are welcomed, all are valued, and all are loved. We gather as a discipleship of equals where each person's wisdom enriches the whole hcommunity. And our care is ongoing in building relationships of mutual affection and outreach to our neighbors as well as activism on behalf of our local and world community.
The invitation Jesus offers today is simple but transformative:
Make room for others.
Make room in our hearts.
Make room in our communities.
Make room at our tables.
For whenever we do, we discover that Christ has already arrived among us.
Community Sharing
Who are the people - alone or excluded - who need a warm welcome of Gospel hospitality today?
Community Statement of Faith: Jeanne S:
All:
We believe in God,
the Source of Life and Love,
who prepares a home for the lonely
and a place at the table for all.
We believe in God,
whose image shines in every person,
regardless of race, culture, gender, age,
ability, sexual orientation, economic status,
or religious background.
We believe that every person is sacred,
worthy of dignity,
and beloved beyond measure.
We believe in Jesus,
prophet of compassion,
teacher of radical hospitality,
and companion of the marginalized.
He welcomed those whom society excluded,
challenged systems of privilege and domination,
and revealed God's dream of a world
where all belong.
We believe that the reign of God
is like an open table
where strangers become friends,
where justice and mercy embrace,
and where everyone has a place.
We believe in the Holy Spirit,
Sophia-Wisdom moving among us,
expanding our hearts,
widening our circles,
and calling us to build communities
of equality, inclusion, and peace.
We believe that the Church is called
to be God's welcoming household,
a discipleship of equals
where every voice matters,
every gift is honored,
and every person is invited to serve.
We believe in the Communion of Saints,
those known and unknown,
women and men,
prophets and peacemakers,
who continue to inspire us
to live the Gospel courageously.
We believe that love is stronger than fear,
that hope is stronger than despair,
and that God's transforming presence
is alive within us and among us.
Therefore, we commit ourselves
to making room at the table,
welcoming the stranger,
lifting up the excluded,
working for justice,
and sharing the abundance of God's love.
For all are welcomed.
All are valued.
All are loved.
Amen
Prayers of the Community
Response: Mary Al:
Loving God, you hear our prayer.
For the Church throughout the world, that it may become a more welcoming and inclusive community where all are valued equally, we pray.
For those who are poor, unhoused, hungry, lonely, or excluded, that they may experience dignity, justice, and compassionate care, we pray.
For women whose gifts and leadership continue to renew the Church, that their voices may be fully heard and honored, we pray.
For immigrants, refugees, and all who seek safety and belonging, that they may be welcomed with compassion and respect, we pray.
For our Mary Mother of Jesus Community and all inclusive faith communities, that we may embody Jesus' vision of radical hospitality, we pray.
For those who are sick, grieving, or struggling with life's burdens, that they may experience healing and hope, we pray.
For the intentions we hold in the silence of our hearts (pause), we pray.
Loving God, receive these prayers and transform us into instruments of your welcoming love.
Amen.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Preparation of the Gifts
Presider: Bridget Mary
Blessed are you, Holy One,
through your goodness we have this bread,
fruit of the earth and work of human hands.
It will become for us the bread of life.
Blessed be God forever.
Blessed are you, Holy One,
through your goodness we have this cup,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands.
It will become for us our spiritual drink.
Blessed be God forever.
Eucharistic Prayer
Presider: Mary Al:
Holy One,
you call us from every nation, culture, race, language, and way of life into one human family.
At your table there is room for everyone.
Therefore, with Mary Magdalene, apostle to the apostles; Phoebe, deacon and leader; Prisca and Aquila, models of hospitality; and all who have lived lives of radical hospitality, we join our voices in prayer:
https://youtu.be/A4kiEGVb3E8
Epiclesis: Presider Bridget Mary and All
Bless your Spirit upon these gifts of bread and wine and upon us.
Consecration/Words of Institution
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his friends around a table of love.
He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it saying:
Take and eat.
This is my body given for you.
Whenever you do this, remember me.
Presider: Mary Al and All
After supper he took the cup and said:
Take and drink.
This is the cup of the new covenant,
the covenant of love poured out for all.
Whenever you do this, remember me.
Memorial Acclamation: Mary Al and All:
Together we proclaim:
Christ lives among us.
Christ is present in us.
Christ will continue to transform the world through us.
Loving God, may this sacred meal strengthen us to build communities of compassion, justice, equality, and peace.
Remembrance of the Communion of Saints: Presider: Bridget Mary
We remember with gratitude all who have gone before us in faith:
Mary Magdalene, Phoebe, Junia, Prisca, Aquila, and the countless women and men whose faithful witness nurtured the early Church.
We remember our loved ones, mentors, teachers, and members of our community who now rest in God's embrace.
Together with them, we celebrate the great banquet of Divine Love that unites heaven and earth.
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
all glory and honor are yours,
now and forever.
Great Amen
https://youtu.be/Dy76fpfkNsg
Communion Rite
Prayer of Jesus
Jeanne and All: Let us join hands, and pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Gracious Spirit,
Who loves us like a mother,
Whose realm is blooming among us now.
And within.
We pray that your compassion guide us in every action.
Give us what we need for each day,
and help us to be satisfied with the miracle of that alone.
Forgiver, whose embrace brings us to wholeness without our asking, may we reconcile ourselves to one another in humility.
And may we cancel the crushing debts that imprison our neighbors, so that communities of joy and health may flourish.
May we neither profit from nor ignore evil.
But ever work to thwart it with non-violence, as we co-create the realm of peace in this world, now and each day.
Amen. (Bret Hesla/wsj)
Sign of Peace: Anna
Presider: Let us share a sign of Christ's peace…. Namaste, Namaste, Namaste
Breaking of the Bread: Mary Al
This is the bread of life.
This is the cup of blessing.
Blessed are we who are called to Christ's table.
Communion Invitation: Mary Al
This is the table of Jesus,
not of any institution or denomination.
All are welcome.
All are valued.
All are loved.
Communion Song:
Come to the Table:
Sidewalk Prophets: ( cut music around 2:30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXxLwxfo0U
Prayer After Communion:Bridget Mary
Loving God,
You have nourished us at your table and reminded us that every person is your beloved child.
Send us forth to create spaces of welcome, healing, and belonging.
May we seek out those who feel forgotten.
May we practice humility rather than privilege.
May we build communities where all are welcomed, all are valued, and all are loved.
We ask this in the spirit of Jesus.
Amen.
Gratitude, introductions Announcements
Final Blessing: Mary Al
May the God of radical hospitality bless you.
May Christ walk beside you and welcome you anew each day.
May the Holy Spirit open your heart to those on the margins and empower you to create room at every table.
And may you always know that you are welcomed, valued, and loved.
Amen.
Closing Song: The House that Love is Building by Sarah Hart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM69BAgvuXw
