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https://zoom.us/j/93473708926?pwd=VHFKZGJ5N3ljbzZtVU1qQVRZY1lodz09 (https://zoom.us/j/93473708926?pwd=VHFKZGJ5N3ljbzZtVU1qQVRZY1lodz09)
Meeting ID: 934 7370 8926
Passcode: 552967
Theme: “Abide With Me”
Welcome and Gathering
Mary Al: 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.
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: Abide With Me by Carrie Newcomer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWxgvY5j0HY
Opening Prayer
Kathryn: In the name of our Creator, Jesus our brother, and Holy Spirit Wisdom, we gather to celebrate our oneness with and in you and in all things. This Great Mystery is the foundation and template for the entire universe, and when fully experienced, has the capacity to change everything. We seek to fully understand this Great Mystery, but more importantly to understand how we live it in our lives. Let our ears hear, our eyes see, and our hearts receive as we remember and expand the power of love on Earth. During these dark days, we live with the certainty that you walk with us, Infinite One, as we continue to awaken to the fullness of grace consciousness, united as one people, one planet, one universe, expressing unconditional love toward all living things. We abide with you as you abide with us.
Rite of Transformation
Beth: We pause now to remember the times we have not born fruit in caring for self and others. Take a moment to recall one missed opportunity, one broken or damaged relationship. (Pause briefly and extend your hand over your heart)
Beth and ALL: As we ask for and receive forgiveness, we open our hearts to Infinite Love embracing and healing us. Let it be so, Yes, Alleluia!
A Joyful Gloria: Linda Lee Miller and graphics by Rick Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lA5I0nODZI
Liturgy of the Word
David: First Reading: Wisdom 6: 12-16
Wisdom is pure and never fades away, and is easily seen by those who love her and found by those who seek her.
She anticipates those who desire her, so that she first reveals herself to them.
Whoever awakens early to seek her, will not labor, for they will find her sitting at their door.
Therefore, by thinking about her, understanding is perfected, and whoever remains watchful for her, will quickly be secure.
For she goes about seeking such as are worthy of her, and she reveals herself to them cheerfully in the ways, and meets them with all foresight.
Responsorial – Psalm 63 – My Soul is Thirsting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiMERkzUiwY
Lee: Gospel Reading: Matthew 25: 1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven will be like ten unwed women who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all those unwed women got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other women came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
These are the inspired words of the Gospel writer, Mathew, and we affirm them by saying, ALL: Amen.
Celtic Alleluia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1rc7ojQtJU
Homily Starter
Kathryn Shea ARCWP
I am a person who believes in serendipitous experiences and that there is no such thing as coincidence. I am a follower of Celestine Prophecy philosophy, and yet, when these experiences happen, I still stand in awe of them. I was with friends this week and we talked about these types of experiences; who believed, who didn’t believe, etc. I shared one such experience of how Seth got his name. We were living in Upstate New York and there was a significant shortage of foster care parents in NYC due to the Crack epidemic. The Department of Children and families reached out to cities within 150 mile radius to seek foster parents. I was working with a non-profit Catholic agency run by a Sister of Charity,who somewhat demanded that every employee would sign up to become a foster parent. So, Stephen and I started classes and became certified foster parents. During this time, I was also reading a book titled, “Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul,” by Jane Roberts. Jane was a psychic who channeled messages from an entity known as Seth; truly fascinating revelations that changed my entire way of thinking about life, death, and soul.
Two weeks after finishing the book, I received a call from the case manager who said there was an infant ready for discharge from Harlem Hospital and would be consider accepting him to foster care. She said he was almost five months old, weighed eight pounds and had fetal alcohol syndrome. We had no clue what that meant. When I asked about his name, she said his birth mother had not named him, but for the strangest reason she was calling him Seth. And, as you know, the rest is history.
I promise this is leading somewhere. Yesterday, Seth and I had a wonderful lunch with Dotty. Seth was sharing his sadness about the world, the wars, the animals, but also giving Dotty advice about how to handle problems and that it’s okay to express her emotions. I found that quite funny. Dotty told him he was “her prince” and that everyone else could still call him Wingman, but that he was HER prince.
When we returned from lunch I said I needed to work on my homily for today, but clearly my mind was blank. I re-read the Readings, listened to the music, and just nothing sparked, so I went to check email. And there is was; and email from one of our ARCWPwomen priests with a video link to “Seth: A Peacekeeper in the World Today” by Dr. Shirley Paulson. I am just going to read a few excerpts from the video, but I really encourage you to watch the entire video. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnxYnf2nZiA&t=32s
She begins by speaking about the horrible wars between Hamas and Israel and that it’s time for religious leaders to search for the deepest and best of their religious teachings to bring them to the world, those who practice Abrahamic Faith Traditions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam. She suggests it’s time to bring forth the ancient leader, Seth, as “Seth is still a major savior around the edges of those three major religions and a powerful and good savior.” She continues with saying that “Seth still belongs within the heritage of all three in some form or another and that he represents a new beginning for Humanity.”
Ancient texts discovered at Nag Hammadi in 1945 describe Seth and his origin in more detail than the early Hebrew or later Islamic sacred texts. There was actually a group that were known as “Sethians”, particularly devoted to Seth with a divinely appointed Mission by Providence to help others in the world and to promote truth and Justice and to work on improving of worldly conditions. They believed that war was a result of evil based on revenge and hatred and that it is impossible for anyone to “win” a war. War perpetuates war. And there is no better day than today, Veteran’s Day, to bring that reality to awareness. This is not to diminish in any way gratitude to those who served and continue to serve our country. But, we all must become like Seth and exercise our Divine Authority and lead the faithful toward beacons of Truth and peace if there’s any hope of living together in peace with respect and mutual blessing.
So, Seth, your name means “the chosen one” and we indeed believe you were chosen to be here on this earth at this time to teach love and peace. And perhaps, dear Dotty, in addition to calling him our wingman, we can now call him Seth, Prince of Peace, but he’s still YOUR prince.
Communal Statement of Faith
Mary Al and ALL: We believe in one God, 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.
Community Sharing:
Prayers of and for the Community
Kathryn: We now bring our prayer intentions to the Table, saying, “I bring to the Table…”
Our response is: All: Holy One, we know you respond to our prayers.
We pray for all who are suffering, lonely, and without faith or hope. Response
We pray for all those suffering as a result of the natural disasters taking place on our planet.
Response
We pray for all those living in the conditions of war and fear.
Response
We pray for the intentions in our MMOJ community prayer list. (Joan shares)
Response
And, for what else should we pray?
Response: Holy One, 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
Presentation of the Bread and Wine
Beth: Gracious God, you have set the banquet table and have invited all of us to a feast of unending delight. Blessed are You, Holy One, through Your divine providence we have this bread, to share, the Bread of Life.
Beth and All: Blessed are You, Holy One, forever.
Lee: Blessed are You, O Loving One through Your divine providence we have this wine to share, our spiritual drink.
Lee and All: Blessed are, You, Holy One, forever.
David: Let us lift up our hearts.
David and All: We lift them up to the Holy One, abiding with us and loving through us.
Eucharistic Prayer
Lee: Gracious Wisdom, you embrace us with your extravagant affection in our times of both blessedness and weakness. Even though we have times of doubt, we know You are always with us…you living in us and we living in you. In this festive meal, your Spirit is poured out on each of us gathered in the circle of your friends and disciples, 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
Kathryn: 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.
Mary Al: 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]
Beth: 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.
David: 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 usnow in this cup. Let us proclaim this mystery of faith.
David and All: Jesus has died. Christ is risen. The Divine Presence lives in us and through us in the world today.
Kathryn: 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, 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 and All: 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
COMMUNION RITE
The Prayer of Jesus
Mary Al: Let us pray as Jesus taught us.
Mary Al and All: 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:
David: Eternal wellspring of peace-
May we be drenched with the longing for peace
That we may give ourselves over
As the earth to the rain, to the dew,
Until peace overflows our lives
As living waters overflow the seas. (Marcia Falk)
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, “Namaste, Namaste, Namaste.”
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.
Beth: This is the bread of life and the cup of blessing. Blessed are we who are called to Christ’s table.
Beth and All: May we live as the Body of Christ in the world, serving all in need, especially those living on the margin.
David: Please receive/share Eucharist now, saying: “You are the bread of life.” And “You are the cup of compassion.”
Communion Song: Again and Again by TheMany
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIhZRsaXPB4
Introductions/Thanksgiving/Announcements
Closing Community Prayer
Mary Al: Oh Holy One, we go forth in our calling to serve and committed to our own spiritual transformation so that we might work together to transform our earth to one of peace, equality, and justice for all. Timeless One, Your eternal love wraps courage around us as we enter into your invitation to dance and to bring your Light into the world. Your ageless presence draws us to you as we step forward, ready to embrace where you lead us. Your sustaining peace rests within our every heartbeat and accompanies us into the unknown future. We have no fear, for we live with the assurance that you are always in us and we in you. We are forever grateful to live in your presence and your love. Amen.
Closing Community Blessing
Kathryn: And together with our arms extended to one another as we say this Native American Blessing:
May the sun
Bring you new energy by day.
May the moon
Softly restore you by night.
May the rain
Wash sway your worries.
May the breeze
Blow new strength into your being.
May you walk
Gently through the world and know
Its beauty all the days of your life. – Apache Prayer
ALL: Thanks be to God. Let it be so! Alleluia!
Closing Song: We Shall Overcome by Dropkick Murphys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsrYA28CtYQ
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.net 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
5342 Clark Road #3079
Sarasota, FL 342
