Opening Prayer: This photo is a picture of Cuban sand after the waves have crashed over it leaving behind broken pieces of shell, beautiful patterns and imprints.
Holy One, sometimes our days can feel like a wave has crashed over us. Help us to still our distracted minds and hearts so we that we can discern what feels broken, as well as the beauty we may not have recognized today.
Reader 1: When Jesus referred to the second great commandment “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt22:39), he could have reworded it “Be as welcoming of yourself as you are welcoming of your neighbor.” When is the last time you fully welcomed yourself into your own heart? Most of us hesitate to do this.
(pause)
Reader 2: Self-compassion…includes being kind and comforting to ourselves when we are hurting. In addition, it involves how we view who we are, the judgements we make in regard to our self when we are stressed, overworked, experiencing failure, and when life does not proceed the way we planned.
(pause)
Reader 1: Self compassion means staying with our self in times of trouble, pain, and grief.
(pause)
Reader 2: If we have compassion for our self, we will continually become a healing presence for others without saying a word or doing anything extraordinary. We will convey kindness by our presence, by our attitude toward their suffering and our own.
(Boundless Compassion by Joyce Rupp pg. 42,44)
Leader: Take a few private moments to think about your day today. Where are you called to compassion for yourself or for some other living being?
Petitions
Holy One, fill us with your wild love that we may embrace and protect each other, those living at the margins and the natural world.
RESPONSE: Fill us with your love.
Holy One, reconnect us to our compassion that we may extend our arms to those who need our help in these challenging days.
RESPONSE: Fill us with your love.
Holy One, help us reorder our society in justice and peace for women and men of all races, abilities, and sexual orientations.
RESPONSE: Fill us with your love.
Holy One, soothe our frazzled spirits, calm our troubled minds, and strengthen our weary bodies that we may better face the challenges of the coming days.
RESPONSE: Fill us with your love.
Holy One, remind us of the joy and pleasure to be found both in nature and in each other.
RESPONSE: Fill us with your love. AMEN.
Individual Petitions: Let’s take a minute to quietly ponder about who or what else is in need of prayer, then please share your petition if you wish.
Closing Prayer: As this day draws to a close and the evening shadows deepen into night, Gracious God help us be grounded in gratitude for all that was, is, and will be. Amen
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
Family Liturgy
Welcome and Theme (Dennis): Today we learn about the Beatitudes or Blessings that Jesus shared with his friends/disciples. These blessings give us a roadmap of how to live our lives by loving others, being kind to others, and standing with those who are sad, who are laughed at, or who are treated unfairly. He also tells us that at times by living this way, we may also be treated unfairly, but God loves us for helping others have a better life.
Opening Prayer (Dennis): Let us open our hearts and minds to the words of the Beatitudes that call us to be a blessing to others, and remind us that we are blessed when we live our lives modeled on Jesus. Amen.
Opening Song: Try a Little Kindness – Sesame Street with Tori Kelly
Blessed are those who help others who are treated unfairly, they will, with God’s help, bring change to the world.
Blessedarewho show mercy to others,fortheywillreceive mercy.
Blessed are those who are loving and kind (compassionate) to others, they will be shown love and kindness in return.
Blessed arethose whose hearts are clean,fortheywillsee God.
Blessed are those who make good decisions because they act out of love, they will know God in their hearts.
Blessedare those who work for peace,fortheywillbecalled childrenof God.
Blessed are those who are peaceful and help others to get along, they will experience the peace of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their struggle for justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who are treated badly for doing what is right and treating all people equally, they will be respected and honored by God and others who act like them.
“Count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or speak lies about you to hurt me. What it means is that they don’t want to hear the truth and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, but I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. (last paragraph adapted from The Message Bible)
These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call Matthew and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.
(pause)
Homily and Shared Reflection
Statement of Faith:
We believe in the Holy One who is in everything we see
And even in everything we cannot see.
As far away as the most distant star and as near as the air we breathe
The Holy One is there, creating everything out of Love.
We believe in Jesus, who showed us the Holy One
In how he lived his life, He showed us that the Holy One is
In our lives too.
We believe that we are called to live like Jesus.
We are called to bring peace, and light, healing and kindness,
We are called to be brave and speak up, and help out when
Others are suffering or things are not right.
We believe that the Spirit of the Holy One
Lives in us and in all of creation.
We feel the Spirit in the wind, the warm sun,
The cold snow, and we see it in the faces of other people.
We believe that if we live in the Spirit of the Holy One,
If we remember to act with kindness and courage,
We will make the family of the Holy One larger and larger
Until the whole world is at peace.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Dennis: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. We bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns.
Intentions read
We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace.
Phillis: Next we will pray our great prayer of Thanksgiving, called our Eucharistic Prayer.
We are blessed by the lights of the heavens: the sun and moon, planets and comets and stars; we are blessed by the darkness which keeps us from being blinded by the light, and eases us into contemplation and rootedness.
We are blessed by the generous oceans, and the cliffs and shores which embrace them and allow us to be touched, and to touch. We are blessed by streams and lakes and rivers, by snow and rain.
We are blessed by mountains, which teach us of solitude; where we can feel the power of the softest wind.
We are blessed by all the harmonies of creation, which charge our souls with hope.
We are blessed by the children whose open arms and imaginations teach us enthusiasm and delight at living in the now.
We are blessed by friends who share with us the dark and the light, the tears and the laughter – our companions on the journey.
We are filled with appreciation for all these blessings, as we become aware that all is oneness and oneness is all. And so we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy:Here in This Place by Christopher Grundy
Holy One, we see around us all of your creation. The trees, flowers, birds, animals, and insects sing with joy for your creative power. We are your creation too, and we thank you for our lives.
We thank you for sending Jesus, our brother, to show us how to live so that your love can show through in the world. We thank you for your Spirit, which showers your love and wisdom on the earth like rain, and which opens our eyes in wonder.
Phillis: Please hold your hands out like this… (demonstrate) as we bless the bread and juice.
Holy One, you blessed the grain in this bread and the fruit in this juice as they grew on the earth. The people who baked the bread and made the juice blessed them with their work. Today, with your Spirit, we bless them again, as they become gifts of love, light and truth and remind us that we too are blessed with your Spirit.
(Invite children to gather at the table for the consecration.)
Phillis: Jesus gathered his friends around a table like this. He took the bread, and said a prayer of thanksgiving. Then he broke the bread and shared it with his friends, saying, “Take and eat this bread. It is my very self.”
After the meal, Jesus took the cup of blessing. He said another prayer of thanks, and then he offered his friends the cup saying
“Take and drink of the loving agreement
Made new again through my life in you.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.”
We are one today with all people who have ever lived, all the people and animals we have loved. With them we ask you, Holy One, for the wisdom to know what is right and the courage to do what is right.
- Help us to be kind to one another.
- Help us to take care of the earth.
- Help us to reach out to people who need our help.
And as we grow, help us to see where your Spirit leads us as our lives unfold in this world of pain and beauty so that we may become wise co-creators of the future.
Like Jesus, we will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and we will live loving lives, for it is through living as Jesus lived, that we awaken to your Light within.
Amen.
We will pass the plate around the circle. When the plate comes to you please take a piece of bread and eat it. As you receive Communion remember the words, Be Kind to Everyone You Meet.
Phillis: Jesus taught us how to love and care for one another and all of creation. We are grateful for our brother, Jesus, who taught us how to pray.
Let us pray like 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
Phillis: We have almost come to the end of our liturgy. Now please stand, and hold out your hands in blessing:
Holy One, we ask your blessing on all the children and adults gathered here today, and on all of your creation. May we walk with joy and gratitude as we know that we are blessed and that you are always walking with us.
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we expect them to. Today’s readings point that out, encouraging us to see ways to think of these experiences in a different way.
Let us pray: Holy One, you are forever showing us who You are. We were born to co-create with You and every day You give us a chance to grow into who we are meant to be. We are always becoming.
Opening song:
Deep Peace, Sara Thomsen, Video by Denise Hackert-Stoner
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice:
They will have their fill.
Blessed are those who show mercy to others:
They will be shown mercy.
Blessed are those whose hearts are clean.
They will see God.
Blessed are those who work for peace
They will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of their struggle for justice:
The kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are fortunate when others insult you and persecute you, and utter every kind of slander against you because if me,
Be glad and rejoice, for your reward in heaven is great:
They persecuted the prophets before you in the very same way.
Blessed are those who work for peace”
They will be called children of God.
These words are attributed to Matthew, and we affirm them by saying “AMEN.”
Brief Homily:
The first thing I did when I saw the gospel reading for this weekend… sounded like a quiet gasp! I’ve never been fond of the Mathew story. I missed that Luke had a little bit of a different take on it….still…what did it all mean?
I googled the word BEATITUDE. It sprung from the latin word “beatus” Did you know that means happy or fortunate? I didn’t. Seems that it refers to a state of deep happiness or joy. Many think these 2 writers were pulling together what they thought were the most important ideas Jesus taught.
He taught that exemplifying gentleness and self control, yearning to know what is right and just, and do it as best we can, working to restore broken friendships and help others to do so, living a life of forgiveness, kindness and compassion,
daring to love so deeply, living love so openly no matter the cost…
Here we will find our lives radically blessed.
What do you hear in these readings?.....
Thank you for sharing your words of wisdom. Let us now share our statement of faith
Statement of Faith
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 in the Holy Spirit,
The life of God that is our innermost life,
the breath of God moving in our being.
The depth of God living in each of us.
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.
Eucharistic Prayer of Belonging
As we prepare for the sacred meal we bring to this table our blessings, cares and concerns. Please feel free to voice your concerns beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
We pray for these and all unspoken prayers and blessings. Amen.
Pause.
We are a priestly people. We are anointed. With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic prayer as one voice:
All: O Nurturing, Mothering One, You are always with us. We are grateful for Your constant loving and unconditional presence. At times we forget that You are holding us, attending to us. We fall and You pick us up. You send strangers, friends and family to our aid. We are never without Your Light and Spirit.
We experience great joy and we experience great pain and suffering. You are with us in the joy and the pain and suffering. When we experience Your presence we long to sing our hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place –by Christopher Grundy
All: Creator and Lover of all beings, we cannot grow in the darkness of this world without Your Light. Our desire to be in Your light is a gift from You. Help us keep our hearts and minds open to You through our love and care for each other and all creation
Please extend your hands in blessing
All: This bread and wine is a sign of Your nourishment and a sign of Your great love. Your Spirit is upon us and we belong to You and one another.
We thank you for Jesus, simple servant, lifting up the lowly, revealing you as God-With-Us, revealing us as one with you, and all creation.
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the supper with the people closest to him. Like the least of household servants, he washed their feet. Once again he showed us how to love one another.
(All lift the bread)
All: Back at the table, he took the bread, spoke the grace, broke the bread and offered it to them saying, Take and eat, this is my very self.
(All lift the cup)
All: Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink of the covenant
Made new again through my life in you.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
Bread and wine are transformed by Your Spirit and we are transformed when we open ourselves to Your Spirit. Every time we share this bread and wine we choose to be transformed. We choose to love as You love us.
What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives: as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.
Please receive the bread and cup with the words: I am called
Communion Song:
Creation Calls – Are You Listening by Brian Doerksen
Loving Source of our being, you call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice. We live justly, we love tenderly, we walk with integrity in Your Presence Amen.
Let us pray together the prayer of Jesus:
All: 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
BLESSING
Please extend your hands and pray our blessing together
All: May we hear Jesus calling. May we do our part to bring justice into the world. Where there is justice there is peace. May our gathering ignite us to love more fully. And like Jesus may we be a shining light and a blessing for all.
