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https://zoom.us/j/93473708926?pwd=VHFKZGJ5N3ljbzZtVU1qQVRZY1lodz09
Meeting ID: 934 7370 8926
Passcode: 552967
Theme: Building Bridges of Understanding: A Jubilee Year of Reconciliation, Renewal, and Healing
GREETING AND WELCOME:
Suzanne: Welcome:
We warmly welcome you to the inclusive Catholic Community of Mary Mother of Jesus on Zoom. We invite you to pray the liturgy where it says “All.” Whoever you are, wherever you are, you are welcome to celebrate Eucharist at our open loving table.
Opening Song: Light One Candle by Peter, Paul and Mary (Start at 2:10)
https://youtu.be/3iXadyBSiHQ?si=FoWLDNG7cNGD50gr&t=130
Transformation Rite:
Bridget M: Called to be aware that the Divine Presence within us enables us to love all people beyond the labels of gender, race, creed, color and sexual orientation;
All: May we help right wrongs and heal hatred.
Bridget M: Called to be open to all the newness the Spirit makes possible as we participate in the wonderful work of co-creation.
pray:
All: May we walk in awe and wonder with the Holy One each day.
Called to build bridges of understanding, and to promote justice, we pray:
All: May we give of our time and resources to create a more equitable world.
(pause)
Glory to God
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjH7EON5IY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udjH7EON5IY
Opening Prayer: Suzanne
God of Infinite Love and Mercy,
You who call all people to reconciliation, renewal, and liberation,
we come before You in this Jubilee Year,
grateful for the journey of faith that has brought us here.
Bless this sacred time,
a season of healing for wounds long borne,
a season of hope for voices long silenced,
and a season of justice for lives long oppressed.
May we build bridges of understanding and journey together united in our common humanity caring for one another and our precious planet.
ALL: So be it. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
Jack:
First Reading: 1 Samuel 26: 2, 7-9, `2-13, 22-23
In those days, Saul went down to the desert of Ziph
with three thousand picked men of Israel,
to search for David in the desert of Ziph.
So David and Abishai went among Saul’s soldiers by night
and found Saul lying asleep within the barricade,
with his spear thrust into the ground at his head
and Abner and his men sleeping around him.
Abishai whispered to David:
“God has delivered your enemy into your grasp this day.
Let me nail him to the ground with one thrust of the spear;
I will not need a second thrust!”
But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him,
for who can lay hands on God’s anointed and remain unpunished?”
So David took the spear and the water jug from their place at Saul’s head,
and they got away without anyone’s seeing or knowing or awakening.
All remained asleep,
because God had put them into a deep slumber.
Going across to an opposite slope,
David stood on a remote hilltop
at a great distance from Abner, son of Ner, and the troops.
He said: “Here is the king’s spear.
Let an attendant come over to get it.
The Holy One will reward justice and faithfulness.
Today, though God delivered you into my grasp,
I would not harm the God’s anointed.”
These are the sacred words of the prophet Samuel and we respond to them by saying
All: May it be so.
Responsorial Psalm: In the Name of Love ( Stop at 3:50)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXN6jr8FRm4
Mary : Second Reading:
“What Can You Do With a Water Jug and a Spear?” by Deborah Wilhelm
In our first reading today, Abishai is ready to kill Saul, but David says that it would be wrong to harm God’s anointed. It seems to me that during these contentious and chaotic times, that we’re all somewhat ready to pick up a spear and pin our enemies to the ground. Today’s version of a spear might be something obvious like , gun or a bomb. Or today’s spear might be more subtle, like a piece of legislation. Today’s sphere might be an anonymous letter. An angry word…
It is understandable to want to be Abishai. And easy to pick up the spear. But we also can be David. David takes both spear and water jug as a sign, and then later he returns them.
We, too, are gifted by God’s mercy, beloved of the Creator and called to live lives of mercy and love, water jug in hand.
These are the sacred words of Deborah Wilhelm and we respond to them by saying:
All: May it be so.
Gospel Acclamation: Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips
https://youtu.be/IC4nbwmQDVw
Suzanne: Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
To the person who strikes you on one cheek,
offer the other one as well,
and from the person who takes your cloak,
do not withhold even your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
For if you love those who love you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners do the same.
If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,
what credit is that to you?
Even sinners lend to sinners,
and get back the same amount.
But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,
and lend expecting nothing back;
then your reward will be great
and you will be children of the Most High,
for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
These are the sacred words of the Gospel writer known as Luke and we respond to them by saying:
All: So be it.
Bridget Mary: Homily Starter:
In today’s gospel, Jesus said to his disciples:
“To you who hear I say,
love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. “ Luke 6: 27
As we embark on this Jubilee Year, we are called not just to observe a tradition but to live a radical renewal of our faith and relationships. A Jubilee, as Jesus proclaims in Luke’s Gospel, is a time of reconciliation and healing—a time when old wounds can be mended, divisions healed, and justice restored. Like David, who refused to harm Saul, we are called to “a season of hope for voices long silenced and healing for wounds long borne and a season of justice for lives long oppressed. “
Pope Francis reminds us: “A Jubilee is a time for conversion, so that our hearts can be opened to those living on the outermost fringes of society. It is a time to break down walls and build bridges.”
To build these bridges, we must first recognize the walls that divide us—walls of fear, prejudice, political polarization, racial injustice, and divisions within our society and neighborhoods. If we are to journey together, we must begin with listening—deep, compassionate listening to those whose experiences differ from our own.
Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde speaks powerfully of this in her ministry:
“Reconciliation doesn’t happen by itself. It is the work of love. It requires courage to face painful truths and the humility to ask, ‘How have I been complicit in division?’”
This means reaching across divides not with defensiveness, but with open hearts. It means sitting with those who have been excluded—whether it be the poor, refugees, the LGBTQ+ community, or those who feel alienated by threats in our present political and religious environment.
A Jubilee Year invites us to renew our way of seeing—to look at those we once ignored, to engage with those we have labeled, to ask God for the grace to see Christ in all people. It is not a naïve optimism but a deep faith that God is working to renew all things, even when reconciliation seems impossible. We are called to see as God sees -beyond ‘us’ and ‘them.’
Healing takes place when we have the courage to act. Healing does not come through silence or avoidance. It requires truth-telling, justice, and active repair. This is especially true in our communities where past wounds—whether due to racism, clerical abuse, gender exclusion, or economic disparity—still cry out for justice.
We cannot be passive observers in this work. The Gospel demands that we become agents of healing—to forgive, yes, but also to change systems, repair broken relationships, and stand with those who suffer.
In an article in the New York Times entitled “Tenderness as an Act of Resistance,” Margaret Renki addresses the issue of how we respond to the chaos, injustice and suffering that is happening in the United States and across the world in response to the Trump Administration’s first weeks in office. She writes:
“The question is how a heart can be broken again and again and again and not fall into a fruitless desolation. How is it possible to protect a tender heart when it’s dangerous to turn away from what is breaking it?”
“The party of rogues and reprobates is counting on us to look away. In truth, not one of us is safe. forever… All around us, brave people are fighting. Even if some of those fights prove to be doomed, they remind us that we know how to fight and how to keep fighting…Anger lets in too little beauty, but heartbreak? A tender heart feels the fury and the fear, the sorrow and suffering, the beauty and the bravery alike. In the years ahead, we will need them all.”
As we walk together in this Jubilee Year on a path forward, we can engage in the following practices, reflect on the following questions, and choose the appropriate responses and actions.
1. Examine Our Own Hearts – Where have we contributed to division? Where do we need healing ourselves?
2. Commit to Deep Listening – Who are the voices we have ignored? How can we truly listen without defensiveness?
3. Seek Reconciliation – Who do we need to ask for forgiveness? Who do we need to forgive?
4. Engage in Active Renewal – How can we participate in justice and renewal in our communities?
5. Become Healers – Where can we bring hope, kindness, and action to the brokenness around us?
May we have the courage to cross the bridges of forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal with tender hearts that God call us to build in this Jubilee Year!
Community Sharing: What did you hear in the readings, songs, or homily today that inspires or challenges you?
Jack and All:
Statement of Faith:
We believe that God is love and that Divine Presence is beyond anything we can imagine.
We believe in Jesus, prophet and teacher, who journeyed on the earth, proclaiming good news, healing the sick, liberating those bound by fear, and inviting everyone to an open table.
We believe in Sacred Spirit, Wisdom Sophia, breathing in us and loving through us.
We believe in the communion of saints, our heavenly friends who, help us on our journey.
We believe in the partnership and equality of women and men in our Church and our world. Here we live our prophetic call of Gospel equality.
Mary: Prayers of the Community:
We now bring our prayer intentions to the Table.
Our response is: All: May our love bring healing in our world.
We pray for the devastated families of those still suffering from hurricanes and all the natural disasters in our world. R
We pray for the people of Ukraine and Russia and Israel and Palestine that they may live in peace without fear and that justice will prevail for all. R
We pray that our political leaders will put the flourishing of all people before power and greed.
We pray for our MMOJ intentions on our community prayer list. (Joan shares)
Our response is: All: May our love bring healing in our world.
For what else should we pray?
Our response is: All: May our love bring healing in our world.
Beth: Holy Mystery may we respond to the needs of our sisters and brothers in loving prayer and service. Amen
PREPARATION OF THE GIFTS
Bridget Mary: Blessed are You, Holy One, through Your divine providence we have this bread, to share, the Bread of Life.
Bridget Mary and All: Blessed are You, Holy One, forever.
Suzanne: Blessed are You, O Loving One through Your divine providence we have this wine to share, our spiritual drink.
Beth P and All: Blessed are, You, Holy One, forever.
Bridget Mary: Nurturing One, we are united in this sacrament by the love of Jesus, whose presence draws into the energy of holy anger for action for justice.
Bridget Mary and All: Amen, may it be
PREFACE:
Mary: God loves through us
Jack and All: And energizes our work of reconciliation
Mary: Lift up your hearts.
Jack and All: We lift up our hearts and embrace all.
Mary: We are blessed when our passions guide us to take action to alleviate wrong and correct wrongs in our suffering world.
Jack and all: Amen
Mary: In the pondering of our deepest desires right wrongs, and serve our sisters and brothers in need, with the angels and saints, we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: by Karen Drucker
https://youtu.be/orKBBIj5LZA
EUCHARISTIC PRAYER:
Suzanne: As we open wide the doors of Your mercy,
may our communities become havens of welcome for all—
the poor and the wealthy,
the stranger and the neighbor,
the joyful and the brokenhearted.
Suzanne: Pour out Your Spirit upon Your Church,
that we may become a living witness of Your inclusive love.
Renew within us the courage to embrace diversity,
the wisdom to listen to the marginalized,
and the humility to seek forgiveness for our failures.
(Please extend your hands in blessing.)
Bridget Mary and All: As we bless this bread and wine, we celebrate the outpouring Spirit within us, around us and among us pilgrims of hope.
(Community holds bread and prays together)
Bridget Mary and All: 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 this, all of you, and eat. Do this in memory of me.”
Pause
(Community holds cup up and prays together)
Suzanne and ALL: In the same way, Jesus took the cup of wine. He said the blessing, gave the cup to his friends and said, “Take this all of you and drink. Do this in memory of me.”
Suzanne and All: Let us proclaim the sacred presence dwelling among us:
The Spirit call us -like Jesus- to reconcile and heal.
The Spirit calls us-like Jesus- to do justice.
The Spirit call us is-like Jesus- to love with passionate hearts.
Bridget Mary:
United with Mary Mother of Jesus, Joseph, Mary of Magdala, and the saints in heaven and on earth we walk in solidarity with creation,
to honor the dignity of every person,
and to labor for peace and justice in a divided world.
May this Jubilee Year be a sign of Your Kin-dom,
where justice and mercy kiss,
where truth and compassion embrace,
and where all are invited to the banquet of life.
Through the Holy One, with Christ Sophia, in the Holy Spirit moving through us, we will work together for healing and reconciliation in this Jubilee Year and beyond.
The Great Amen. Linda Lee Miller
https://youtu.be/Dy76fpfkNsg
COMMUNION:
Suzanne: THE PRAYER OF JESUS
and All:
We pray together the prayer of Jesus:
O Holy One, who is within, around, and among us,
we celebrate your many names.
Your wisdom comes.
Your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us.
Each day you give us all that 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.
(The Prayer of Jesus as interpreted by Miriam Therese Winter)
THE SIGN OF PEACE
Bridget M. Let us share a gesture of deep peace with everyone in the circle of life as we bow and pray:
All: Namaste! Namaste! Namaste!
LITANY FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD
Suzanne and ALL:
Loving God, You call us to speak truth to power. We will do so.
Loving God, You call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will do so.
Loving God, You call us to holy anger and prophetic action. We will do so.
Bridget Mary: This is the Bread of Life and Cup of Blessing. How happy are we who are called to this Table.
Bridget Mary: Let us share the Bread of Life and Cup of Blessing saying:
You are a Pilgrim of Hope
COMMUNION Song: Hosea (Come Back To Me) - Kairy Marquez / Jonatan Narváez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcl2_5ZZj_4
Bridget Mary: Gratitude, Introductions, Announcements
Suzanne: Dismissal and Community Blessing: (Please extend your hands and pray together)
As we go forth, may this Jubilee Year be a sign of Your Kin-dom,
where justice and mercy kiss,
where truth and compassion embrace,
and where all are invited to the banquet of life.
Through You, the breath of renewal,
we make this prayer with faith and joy.
Amen.
Our Closing Song is: I Am Willing – Holly Near
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XXYhhh-5sg
If you want to add a prayer intention to our MMOJ Community Prayer book, please send an email to Joan Meehan. jmeehan515@aol.com
If you want to invite someone to attend our liturgy, please refer them our website :
Liturgy prepared by Bridget Mary Meehan https//:arcwp.org
