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Welcome
Mary Theresa: Welcome to Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community where everyone is welcome to share in our celebration of the Eucharist. Whoever you are, wherever you are, just as you are, you are welcome at this table
Please have bread and wine/juice nearby as we pray our Eucharistic prayer.
On this second Sunday in Lent, we journey to Mt. Tabor where we are blessed by Jesus’ radiance that illuminates our hearts. We pray to become beacons of love and hope as we transform that light, offering it to others and to our world in need.
Opening Song: Transfiguration by Carey Landry
Transformation Rite
Joan: Let us recall times when we failed to let our light shine as a beacon of love and hope for all of our brother and sisters.
Pause for several moments of silent reflection as you place hand over your heart.
Joan and ALL: We are sorry, please forgive us, We love you.
Opening Prayer
Mary Theresa: Holy One, as we gather in prayer, we open our hearts to Your presence. May your light dispel all darkness within us for You Transform us by Your grace. May we listen to Your Son, follow Him faithfully, and be renewed in holiness. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading
Jeanne: Our first reading is from Letters to A Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke
Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart
and to try to love the questions themselves
like locked rooms and like books that are written
in a very foreign tongue.
Do not now seek the answers,
which cannot be given you
because you would not be able to live them.
And the point is, to live everything.
Live the questions now.
Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it,
live along some distant day
into the answer.
These are the inspired words of the Mystic, Ranier Maria Rilke, and we affirm them with Amen.
Psalm Response
Joan: Psalm 27 adapted by Nan Merrill
Love is my light and
my salvation,
whom shall I fear?...
One thing have I asked of Love,
that I shall ever seek:
That I might dwell in the
Heart of Love
All the days of my life,
To behold the Beauty of my Beloved...
Call upon the Beloved,
be strong and trust
in the heart's courage.
Trust in the power of Love;
the Beloved's unconditional and
everlasting love for you.
Second Reading
Mary Al: Our second reading is Changed and Transformed, from Living the Questions by Jeff Procter-Murphy and David Felten
As people expend their energies arguing over conservative or liberal principles, the spirituality many are seeking is not to the left or to the right, but deeper. Christianity is not about things we should or shouldn’t do, or about just being nice. It is about reveling in the beauty of creation, about taking part in the wonderment of it all by living, loving, and being. It’s about embracing the pain and suffering of the world and transforming it into new life. It’s about harnessing the creative Spirit that is so much a part of defining what it means to be human and using that creativity to, as Aquinas said, “preserve things in the good.” This is not a discipline reserved for monks or ascetics, but a defining attribute of what makes us truly human: When we integrate our passion for justice and for joy into our work—whether we be therapists or preachers or doctors or carpenters or repairers of car engines or growers of food or parents parenting—all this is creative. Creativity is something that flows through every human being, every day. This is what distinguishes us from other species. The path toward transformation is different for every traveler, but the need for transformation is an integral part of the human experience.. Creativity and transformation are principles that stave off our tendency to become hard and brittle, and open us instead to the transformative power of God’s unconditional love and grace.
The community affirms these words with, Amen.
Gospel Acclamation : May the Christ Light Shine in You by Kathy Sherman
https://youtu.be/81vQ9UIYxT0
Gospel
Mary Theresa: A reading from the Gospel of Luke
(9:28b-36)
Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up a 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
and what 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.
The community affirms these words by saying, AMEN!
Shared Homily
The light of the transformed Jesus is the same light within each of us. When it is unveiled it reveals who we really are. We hold divinity beneath the surface. In his moment on Mt. Tabor, Jesus offers us enlightenment. This is a bold light that shifts our focus from a comfortable and private relationship with the Holy One to an opened and inclusive one.
Jesus invites us to be ‘light’ for the world and to not hide our light. Our light needs to shine now more than ever during these dark times as we invite others to remember their inner light and let it shine. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote:” Live a life of radical amazement. Say yes to your embodied experience. Recognize yourself as part of a luminous tapestry.” Within this radical amazement we live our way into the answers by embracing the Holy Light within us.
Our transfiguration removes our separateness and makes us one. It is our true nature, our call to wildly embrace a life of transformation removing the layers that keep us separate from the Holy One. We embrace our Divine light and we pray:
I am created by Divine Light.
I am sustained by Divine Light.
I am protected by Divine Light.
I am surrounded by Divine Light.
I am ever growing in Divine Light.
The grace of the transfiguration is to empower us to live in the presence of the Holy one and to recognize the Holy One’s radiance in all events, people, the cosmos and ourselves.
When we claim our illuminated and mystic hearts, we become our authentic selves, created in the image and likeness of the Holy One. Together we live our way into the answers. We are light for the world, it is our legacy from the Divine Light who gifted us with our transfiguration that is the light of love.
Please share your thoughts on today's readings.
Statement of Faith
Jeanne: Let us pray together 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 of the Community:
Mary Al: As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware that just as Jesus is loved, so is each of us. As dearly loved children of God, we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your intentions beginning with the words,
“I bring to the table…..”
Joan Meehan shares Prayer Intentions in MMOJ book
and for what else do we pray?
Mary Al: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Preparation of The Gifts
(All hold bread plate)
Mary Theresa: Blessed are you, God of all Life. Through your goodness we have received the bread we offer you fruit of the earth, and work of human hands. It will become for us the bread of life.
Mary Theresa and All: Blessed by God forever.
(All hold cup)
Joan: Blessed are you, God of all creation, for through your goodness we have received the wine we offer you: fruit of the vine and work of human hands, it will become our spiritual drink
Joan: and All: Blessed by God forever.
Preface
Mary Theresa: God dwells in us.
Mary Theresa and ALL: And in all people everywhere.
Joan: Lift up your hearts.
Joan and ALL: We lift them up in the joy of Divine Presence within us.
Mary Theresa: Affirm the power of love within you and within all.
Mary Theresa and ALL: Alleluia
Eucharistic Prayer
Mary Theresa: Let us pray together our Eucharistic Prayer:
All: O Divine Fire of Love, how often have we felt your tender love, for you love us without limits or boundaries! How often have we been consumed with delight by your love in human touch!
How often have we felt your embrace through Earth's beauty, as part of your beloved creation! Your Spirit energizes us to work for a just and peaceful world and we raise our voices with grateful hearts as we sing:
Holy Holy Holy: Here in This Place
https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk?si=oWzbhfonvWMsaBx0
Joan: Please extend your hands in blessing.
Holy One, we recognize Your Spirit in the gifts of this Eucharistic table and the gifts within each of us. May they become gifts of wisdom, light and truth.
We thank you for Jesus whose message blesses and transforms our lives. He showed us how to be beacons of light and hope and how to live as your new creation.
Mary Theresa:
All: On the night before he faced his own death, Jesus sat at supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly with them, he bent down and washed their feet.
All lift their plate and pray the following:
All: When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the Passover bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat; this is my very self.
All lift their cup and pray 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.
(pause)
Pause for silent reflection
Joan: Let us proclaim the sacred presence of our nurturing God:
You are born again and again in us and through us each day.
Mary Al: We remember the prophet and saints in every age: Miriam and Moses, Mary, Mother of Jesus, and Joseph, and all our beloved family and friends. We recall the spiritual treasures they passed down to us through the ages.
Jeanne: We join in the divine cosmic dance in communion with all that is, all that was, and all that will be. Through Christ, in Christ, with Christ, all praise and glory echoes through the universe as your Spirit leaps for joy within us!
The Great Amen with Linda Lee Miller
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
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 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. Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
THE SIGN OF PEACE
Jeanne: Jesus, you said: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you. May we be the peace we wish to see in the world. Let us share a gesture of deep peace and justice with everyone in the circle of life as we bow toward you with hands folded, saying together:
Jenne: The peace of Christ be with you. Namaste, Namaste, Namaste.
LITANY FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD
Mary Al: Let us pray the litany for the breaking of the bread:
Loving God, we are called to speak truth to power. We will do so.
Loving God, we are called to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We will do so.
Loving God, we are called to be Your presence in the world. We will do so.
Mary Al: 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, “Let your light shine.”
Communion Meditation: Lean in Toward the Light by Carrie Newcomer
https://youtu.be/fxAUmNjWaIs?si=C3zPErMnwumMLMpI
Prayer after Communion
Joan: Holy One, your radiant energy is within us and we join our hearts with all who are working for a just world. We pray for wise and compassionate leaders in our church and in our world communities. May the values of peace and mercy be elevated above the temptation for power and control.
Mary Theresa: We welcome newcomers and ask you to introduce yourself. Are there any prayers of Gratitude? Are there any Announcements?
CONCLUDING RITE
DISMISSAL
Mary Theresa: The Holy One is within you.
ALL: May we sing and dance for joy as we celebrate every day as a Holy Family!
BLESSING
Mary Theresa: Let us now bless each other.
All: We are created by Divine Light.
We are sustained by Divine Light.
We are protected by Divine Light.
We are surrounded by Divine Light.
May we ever grow into Divine Light. Amen
Closing Song: We Are Light by Unspoken
https://youtu.be/mSTICRRhb7Y?si=JvixA2JtC8zyGXj_
