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"The cry of the earth is the cry of the poor." Pope Francis
Season of Creation Theme: Let Justice and Peace Flow
Welcome:Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Sarasota Florida! All are welcome to participate with us.
Mary Theresa: The Prophet Amos cries out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24) and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity. As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.
Opening Song: Of the Earth by the Many
https://youtu.be/FDW_YEokpxE
Communal Transformation Rite
Bridget Mary: Aware of God’s presence in creation, we take up our common responsibility for caring for the earth, the environment and all its living creatures.
(place your hand over your heart and pause in silent prayer)
Opening Prayer
Bridget Mary: Giver of Life, we gather today conscious of your love that treasures every creature. May we be a voice for mountains, oceans, trees, flowers, birds and all creatures great and small. In every living being, may we see the face of the Holy One. May we hear the lament of beloved people who are living on land that is devastated by pollution and work for earth’s healing and environmental justice.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading: Jack McKillip
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans
Brothers and sisters:
Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another;
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery;
you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, "
and whatever other commandment there may be,
are summed up in this saying, namely,
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no evil to the neighbor;
hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
These are the inspired words of the Apostle, Paul, and we affirm them by saying, Thanks be to God.
Response to Reading: More Light by Christopher Gundy
https://youtu.be/a8XaUlqb8t0
Second Reading: Mary Montavon
A reading from the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ Of The Holy Father Francis On Care For Our Common Home
V. GLOBAL INEQUALITY
48. The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: “Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest”.[26] For example, the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas.
49. It needs to be said that, generally speaking, there is little in the way of clear awareness of problems which especially affect the excluded. Yet they are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of people. These days, they are mentioned in international political and economic discussions, but one often has the impression that their problems are brought up as an afterthought, a question which gets added almost out of duty or in a tangential way, if not treated merely as collateral damage. Indeed, when all is said and done, they frequently remain at the bottom of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centres of power, being located in affluent urban areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems. They live and reason from the comfortable position of a high level of development and a quality of life well beyond the reach of the majority of the world’s population. This lack of physical contact and encounter, encouraged at times by the disintegration of our cities, can lead to a numbing of conscience and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality. At times this attitude exists side by side with a “green” rhetoric. Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.
These are the inspired words of Pope Francis and we affirm them by saying, Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation: Celtic Alleluia
https://youtu.be/o1rc7ojQtJU
Mary Theresa: Gospel:
A reading from the Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 18: 19-20
18-20 Jesus said to his disciples: “Take this most seriously: A yes on earth is yes in heaven; a no on earth is no in heaven. What you say to one another is eternal. I mean this. When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Abba in heaven goes into action. And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”
These are the inspired words of the Gospel writer known as Matthew and we affirm them by saying, Thanks be to God.
Homily Starter: Bridget Mary
Will use a section from this video
This money also presents what environmental justice advocates describe as the monumental task of ensuring those funds reach the communities most in need—namely, low-income families and communities of color that have historically borne the brunt of the nation’s environmental harms while benefiting least from environmental regulation.
Last year, lawmakers dedicated some $60 billion in federal spending for advancing environmental justice efforts when they passed the Democrats’ marquis Inflation Reduction Act—though some estimates place that number closer to $47 billion.
Still, that funding marks, by far, the single largest federal investment in the fight to close the nation’s persistent racial and socioeconomic disparities related to infrastructure, climate and the environment. As part of that historic pool of money, the Environmental Protection Agency announced on Jan. 10 that the first $100 million in federal environmental justice grants will open up to community organizations, local governments and other qualified applicants in the coming weeks, with projects potentially starting as soon as October.
The disparate impacts of environmental disasters are not new, but the push to address environmental justice is finally taking place and gaining momentum. This year will begin to test whether new federal policies and massive investments focused on climate will actually benefit the low-income families and communities of color.
Front and center among the testing grounds is the Texas Gulf Coast, where many Black and brown communities are surrounded by industrial pollution and sit at the forefront of the climate crisis, said Robert Bullard, a prominent figure in the decades-old environmental justice movement and a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, or WHEJAC."
Those who have the least of everything are the ones who experience the devastation of nature the greatest. This week, I became aware of one example of here in Sarasota. My dear friend, Marian, who herself lives on the edge, called me to tell me about Peggy, a 74 year-old survivor of cancer who lost everything in our recent storm. Idalia. Her roof collapsed and then the walls of her mobile crumbled. She has nothing left, no one to help and is told she is responsible for the clean-up. I referred her to Community Foundation for immediate help and I will follow up.
Community Sharing: What did you hear in our readings today?
Prayer Leader 1 Pat Ferkenhoff: Statement of Faith:
Please join in proclaiming our Statement of Faith.
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
Prayer Leader 2: Bob Ferkenhoff
As we prepare for this sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, our gratitude, our cares and concerns beginning with the words:
I bring to the table…
Prayer Leader 2: We pray for these and all unspoken prayers. Amen.
Preparation of the Gifts
Mary Theresa: Blessed are You, Holy One, through Your divine providence we have this bread, to share, the Bread of Life.
All: Blessed are You, Holy One, forever.
Bridget Mary: Blessed are You, O Loving One through Your divine providence we have this wine to share, our spiritual drink.
All: Blessed are, You, Holy One, forever.
Spirit Sophia, we are united in this sacrament by the love of Christ, whose presence we are as we proclaim your glory in the beauty of creation.
Liturgy of the Eucharist
Prayer Leader 1: Pat Ferkenhoff
Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up with joy.
Prayer Leader 1: Pat Ferkenhoff
Give thanks for the gifts of Spirit Love
All: Alleluia!
Prayer Leader 2 and All: Bob Ferkenhoff
Christ of the Cosmos, we celebrate our oneness with all creatures great and small in Your precious family.
As one with You, we gather as a community to celebrate Your gift of life pulsating within and around us and in the glories of nature everywhere.
You stirred the waters of creation; You dwell on earth, and in every living being. We lift up our hearts to you and with thanks and praise we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place – with lyrics – Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ
Prayer Leader 1 and All: Pat Ferkenhoff
Christ of the Cosmos, we thank you that there are 18 galaxies for every person, that our bodies are made of stardust. Every place we turn, you are present, loving us. You call us, “beloved” and invite us to join the dance of creation in a mystical celebration of our oneness with all living things in Your divine love.
Presider 1: Mary Theresa
Please extend your hands in blessing and pray
As we bless this bread and wine, we are ever aware of Your Spirit in us and among us at this Eucharistic table.
We thank you for our brother, Jesus, who showed us so simply, so tenderly, how the world is in our hands. He had nothing in this world but your love, companions on the journey, and his very self. Together, that was more than enough, and that remains our clarity in the midst of confusion: the miracle of healing, new hope, nurturance, nourishment, liberation and life.
Lift plate as the community prays the following:
Presider 2: Bridget Mary
On the night before he died, while at supper with his friends, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to them saying,
Take and eat; this is my very self.
Lift the cup as community prays the following:
He then raised high 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.
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.
Prayer Leader 2: Bob Ferkenhoff
Spirit! Embracing Presence, we remember all the companions who have gone before us: Mary, Mother of Jesus, Mary of Magdala, and all holy women and men- who have cared for the natural world. We pause now to remember our family and loved ones in the communion of saints.
(pause)
(Presiders and all hold bread and wine)
Presider 1 and All: Mary Theresa
For it is through living as Jesus lived, and loving as he loved, that we awaken to Your Spirit empowering us to work for the flourishing of life for all people and for planet Earth.
All: Great Amen (Sung) Linda Lee Miller
https://youtu.be/Dy76fpfkNsg
The Prayer of Jesus
Presider 2: Bridget Mary
Let us pray the prayer Jesus:
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
(Miriam Therese Winter)
Presider 1: Mary Theresa
Sign of Peace: Please bow to each other and pray: Namaste, namaste, namaste
Communion
Presider 1 and All: Mary Theresa
Please join in praying the Litany for the Breaking of the Bread.
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.
Presider 2: Bridget Mary
This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Blessed are we who are called to the Feast.
We are the Body and Blood of Christ for the world. Please receive/share Eucharist now.
Please receive communion with the words: I am / You are a steward of creation.
Communion Song: Listen to Her Justice Call by Jan Aldridge Clanton
https://youtu.be/v5TkeayoRAY
Presider 2: Bridget Mary
Thanksgivings, Introduction and Announcements
Concluding Rite
Presider 1: Mary Theresa: Please raise your hands in blessing and pray together.
All: May we be full of awe at the extravagant love flowing through us and through all living things.
May we immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature that surrounds us each day.
May the blessing of the Holy One be upon us as we go in peace to care for all creation.
Amen.
Closing Song: Creation Calls by Brian Doerksen -lyric video
https://youtu.be/xAtzO8B1UK8
Additional Resources
Organizations To Sustain, Heal and Create a Healthy Planet
Defenders of Wildlife-75 years old
On Twitter, FB, YouTube.
Wolves, polar bears, wild creatures.
Earthjustice “Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer”
Arose from the Sierra Club
“Using the Power of the Law to Safeguard --Our Health, Our Environment—and Our Future”
On Twitter, FB
EDF-Environmental Defense Fund-present focus: Climate Change and Sustainability
On FB, Twitter, Blog www.edf.org/blog
Greenpeace-Known for “Uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to exposé global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future”
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/
On FB, Twitter, YouTube, https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/blog/
League of Conservation Voters
Support legislators who support a healthy and sustainable environment and issues for a healthy sustainable environment
https://www.lcv.org/ On FB and Twitter
National Parks Conservation Association
Supporting all the National Parks of the USA
On FB, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
The Nature Conservancy
It buys land or is given land which TNC manages or works with local/state/federal/international agencies to conserve for the next generations and sustainability of all life on earth
On FB, Twitter, Linked In, YouTube
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
“At Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, we are building a nation connected by trails. We reimagine public spaces to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors.”
Using once-used railroad track land across the country, community by community transforming these into “Linear parks” since 1986.
https://www.railstotrails.org/
On FB, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram
Sierra Club Founded in 1966
The Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. The Foundation is the independent fiscal sponsor of Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs.
https://www.sierraclubfoundation.org/
Goals:
· Solve the climate crisis primarily through a successful transition to a resource-efficient, clean energy economy that better serves people and nature;
· Secure protections for public lands and waters, promote healthy ecosystems and communities, and fight for clean air and water;
· Expand opportunities for more people to explore, enjoy, and protect the planet by supporting programs and policies that reach across economic, cultural, and community lines to get people outdoors; and
· Build a diverse, inclusive environmental movement that reflects and represents today’s American public, and prioritizes important connections between environmental health and social justice.
On FB, Twitter, Instagram
Mary Mother of Jesus Website:
If you would like to add your intention to our MMOJ Community Prayers book,
Please send an email to Joan Meehan: joanmeehan551@aol.com
