Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via Zoom
Here is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Theme: We are called to extravagant generosity!
Mary Theresa: Today is Gaudete Sunday, the Third Sunday in Advent, when we are encouraged to rejoice!! Our theme is “We are called to extravagant generosity.” May we find great joy as we share our blessings and giftedness with those who most need them.
Opening Prayer: Advent Candle Lighting Blessing Prayer
Deven: Like our ancestors, we honor the cycles and the seasons that remind us of the ever-changing flow of life. Ritual acts give life meaning—they honor and acknowledge the unseen web of Life that connects us all.
Joan lights candle as Deven prays:
We light this third candle and remember that in the heart of every person on this earth, and in all of creation there burns the spark of luminous goodness – the presence of the Divine.
Pause to light the candle.
Deven: And so we respond:
All: Let us kindle the light of joy!
Deven: Indeed, let us welcome the light within each other!
Opening Song: We Are Bethlehem by Alana Levandoski
https://youtu.be/rLpdfXSIdFo
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: Ellen Garcia: A Reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians
Phil 4:4-7 Phil
Brothers and sisters:
Rejoice always in the Holy One!
Again, I say: Rejoice!
Your kindness is known to all.
The Holy One is with you.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and with thanksgiving,
make your requests known.
For the peace of the Holy One that surpasses all understanding
guards your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
These are the inspired words of St. Paul and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Psalm Response: You Have Anointed Me
Second Reading: Jean Talbot: A reading from The Soul of Money by Lynne Twist
Collaboration and reciprocity are natural, and yet in the world we inhabit, competition and the fear of scarcity often block us from seeing these ways of being with one another. In a you-or-me world, reciprocity and collaboration don’t fit. A you-and-me world is full of collaborators, partners, sharing, and reciprocity. In that world, our resources are not only enough; they are infinite. When we bring the practice of collaboration and reciprocity into conscious view in everyday life, a kind of alchemy and prosperity await discovery all around us.
Connections forged in a mind-set of scarcity—acting on the belief that there’s not enough, more is better, or that’s just the way it is—no matter how strong they may seem in the moment, are inherently self-limiting. Grounded in a lie, they only undermine our chances for long-term survival and sustainability. The kinds of connections that truly protect and preserve us are those that emerge from the context of sufficiency and the sharing, diversity, reciprocity, and partnership found there. We find sufficiency and sustainable prosperity when we think of our resources as a flow that is meant to be shared, when we put our full attention on making a difference with what we have, and when we partner with others in ways that expand and deepen that experience.
These are the inspired words of Lynne Twist and we affirm them by saying: Amen.
Alleluia: Bridget Ball Shaw: _____________
Gospel: Dave DeBonis: A Reading from the Gospel of Luke
The crowds asked John the Baptist,
“What should we do?”
He said to them in reply,
“Whoever has two coats
should share with the person who has none.
And whoever has food should do likewise.”
Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,
“Teacher, what should we do?”
He answered them,
“Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”
Soldiers also asked him,
“And what is it that we should do?”
He told them,
“Do not practice extortion,
do not falsely accuse anyone,
and be satisfied with your wages.”
Now the people were filled with expectation,
and all were asking in their hearts
whether John might be the Messiah.
John answered them all, saying,
“I am baptizing you with water,
but one mightier than I is coming.
I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
These are the inspired words of the Gospel writer known as Luke and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
(Pause)
Homily Starter: Deven
Today’s gospel got me pondering about John, the son of Elizabeth. Who is this John? Some of us may be able to relate to Elizabeth, John’s mother, who had her first born late in her life. She was probably wondering if she would ever have children. I think of my first-born son and how much of an old soul he seemed to be right from the beginning. We can imagine John the same for Elizabeth. There is something different about children born to an older woman joyful to have this child. Perhaps we can see John growing up with Elizabeth and learning of the peaceful ways of her more mature life and pouring out to him her ethical will or legacy memoir. John follows his soul into the desert and draws to him people who see his wisdom passed on from Elizabeth. John sets the stage for the Beatitudes in this gospel that Jesus would later proclaim. It is not surprising that Jesus was drawn to his wise older cousin John as some of our own nephews may be drawn to our older wiser sons. But John admonishes the crowds for even seeking him for some sort of repentance and when asked what they should do, he puts it bluntly. Go share what you have, don’t horde it. Not only materials things but justice, kindness, and peace. John tells the people that he is not the be all and end all of their salvation and someone is coming greater than him that will inspire their hearts and soul with passion. And so here we see it today in the first reading.
Lynne Twist is another voice crying out in the desert to not fear scarcity but to put your faith in collaboration and reciprocity and certainty of abundance. Lynne Twist sees that sustainability and sufficiency is a flow of our resources not the hoarding of them. She talks about the natural inclinations of creation for collaboration and reciprocity. John must have learned about this through his survival in the wilderness and saw how nature existed in a mutual reciprocity. I am always amazed that resources continually come to us and we try to move them on to where they are needed. Our community had direct experience with this the past week when Bridget and I were given long lists of Christmas wishes for two adopt-a families. We each had 7 little elves to try to fulfill those needs. To say we were worried that we would not be able to get everything and leave someone hungry for more would be accurate. Remember Jesus and the seven fishes and loaves? Well, our story turned out like those seven fishes and loaves. The 7 elves turned into a multitude and we are probably looking at more left over once we tally all the responses. I think that grace knows where to flow so that the flow will continue. I pray to be open every day, to be a conduit for this flow and not a beaver damning it up. So where did these readings take you? What voice from the wilderness do you hear? Where will it take you?
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.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Mary Theresa: As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. As bearers of LIGHT and HOPE, 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…..”
Mary Theresa: We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
Deven: With open hearts and hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
(written by Jay Murnane)
Deven: Source of All That Is, we seek you in this season, when the earth is resting and preparing for new life. Like the earth, we long for new life and hopeful beginnings. This is the time of the pregnant woman, filled with life and hope powerful enough to topple structures of oppression. This is the time of her song of fidelity and celebration.
During this gentle season of Advent, we recognize that you have made us capable of bringing forth justice, like a rising sun. One with all who have gone before us, we sing a song of praise:
https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ
Mary Theresa: We thank you for those in times past who believed the good news, and lived what they believed.
Blessed is Isaiah and every visionary who insisted on a better future that would break through the deception, disaster and broken promises of the age in which they lived.
Blessed is John, in the stark desert of careful focus, inviting the people to be born again in your love.
Joan: Blessed is Miriam, who believed the words of Isaiah and opened herself up to the unbelievable.
And blessed is her child Jesus, who felt the sorrows of humankind in his soul, and responded with deep and tender compassion.
Deven: Please extend your hands in blessing.
Deven: We are grateful for your Spirit at our Eucharistic Table and for this bread and wine which reminds us of our call to be the body of Christ in the world.
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 plates and pray the following:
Mary Theresa: When he returned to his place at the table, he lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this is my very self.
(pause)
All lift their cups and pray the following:
Joan: Then he took 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)
Joan: Let us share the bread of life and the cup of blessing as we proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace.
Please receive communion with the words: You are anointed: Be the Light of Christ.
All receive communion
Communion Song: First Advent by Alana Levandoski
https://youtu.be/icMIrizsOh8
Prayer after communion
Mary Theresa: Holy One, we are grateful for the gift of Your Spirit, always drawing beauty and balance out of chaos. And like Jesus…
Standing where he stood,
and for what he stood,
and with whom he stood,
we are united in your Spirit,
and worship you with our lives,
All: Amen.
Deven: 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
BLESSING
Joan: Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together.
May we continue to be the face of God to each other. May we call each other to extravagant generosity! May our light shine for all to see, and may we be a blessing in our time!
All: AMEN
Closing Song: Love Large by Earth Mama – video by Deven Horne and Mary Theresa Streck
https://youtu.be/-eY8ChWMoJg
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