Welcome and Theme:Discipleship and Ministry(Suzanne)
As we walk along our Lenten journey, we will experience good times and bad times, friendship and loneliness, joy and suffering.In the Book of Joy, an interview with the Dalai Lama XIV and Archbishop Desmond Tutu we read:
“The way we heal our own pain is actually by turning to the pain of others. It is a virtuous cycle. The more we turn toward others, the more joy we experience, and the more joy we experience, the more we can bring joy to others. The goal is not just to create joy for ourselves but, as Archbishop Tutu poetically phrased it, “to be a reservoir of joy, an oasis of peace, a pool of serenity that can ripple out to all those around you.” … joy is in fact quite contagious. As is love, compassion, and generosity.”
Co-author Douglas Carlton Abrams in The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World with Dalai Lama XIV and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Opening Prayer:Carry Us by Miriam Therese Winter(Kathy W.)
You call us into discipleship, O One Who Bears All Burdens, making a way through the wilderness, hovering near in pillar and cloud, revealing bits of Your glory when all seems hopeless and courage fails. Carry us on the wingtips of Your never-failing promise, through moments of discouragement as we push against the tide. You are my friends, You told us all, my friends and my disciples. Be with us always, be with us now
Opening Song: Joy is Like the Rain by Miriam Therese Winter
Miriam Therese Winter provides background on Joy Is Like The
I saw raindrops on my window; joy is like the rain.
Laughter runs across my pane, slips away, and comes again.
Joy is like the rain.
I saw clouds upon a mountain; joy is like a cloud.
Sometimes silver, sometimes gray, always sun not far away.
Joy is like a cloud.
I saw Christ in wind and thunder; joy is tried by storm.
Christ asleep within my boat, whipped by wind yet still afloat.
Joy is tried by storm.
I saw raindrops on the river; joy is like the rain.
Bit by bit the river grows ‘til all at once it overflows.
Joy is like the rain.
Personal Silent Reflection:Our own call to discipleship in a universal community
Intentions as Prayer for our Ministries:Invitation to share intentions.
Closing Night Prayer:(Sharon B.)
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God through him.” (Colossians 3: 12-17)
As winter has turned into spring, a new season of renewal is beginning.Guide us in our call to discipleship as we lean into the Light.
Winter is the oldest season But quietly beneath the snow Seeds are stretching out and reaching Faithful as the morning glow.
Carry nothing but what you must Lean in toward the Light Let it go, shake off the dust Lean in toward the Light Today is now, tomorrow beckons Lean in toward the Light Keep practicing resurrection Lean in toward the Light
The shadows of this world will say There's no hope why try anyway? But every kindness large or slight Shifts the balance toward the light
Waters, wind, and open wide Lean in toward the Light Don't just walk when you can fly Lean in toward the Light When justice seems in short supply Lean in toward the Light Let beauty be your truest guide Lean in toward the Light
The shadows of this world will say There's no hope why try anyway? But every kindness large or slight Shifts the balance toward the light
The prayer I pray at eventide Lean in toward the Light All left undone be put aside Lean in toward the Light
When forgiveness is hard to find Lean in toward the Light Help me at least to be kind Lean in toward the Light
Lean in toward the Light Lean in toward the Light Lean in toward the Light
Celebrating Our Mystical Oneness in the Cosmic Christ
Welcome and Theme (Mary)
We are so pleased to be with all of you this morning. This liturgy started first as a suggestion that we do something to remember my Dad, Patrick Francis Lynch and, of course, in the tradition of the Upper Room, Suzanne O’Connor said, let’s co-preside!
The facts of his life are unimpressive in our world.My Dad was born in 1933 in Tralee County Kerry and like many Irish of that time emigrated to the United States for opportunity and a better chance for their children.Arriving in the United States, he could have cocooned in his Irishness-Catholicness-Maleness and Whiteness.However, his deep spiritual core led him on other paths. He was horrified by the racism he saw and felt when drafted into the Army and serving in the south. He went on retreats and meditated before it was hip. He thought women got a raw deal and espoused feminist ideals. He cherished community and service. He did not consider himself extraordinary but instead part of a larger river of goodness.
By the time he came to the Upper Room, he had been diagnosed with severe cognitive impairment but somehow his essence and being came through time and again despite his condition in almost miraculous ways. For example, when he first came to the Upper Room, he was no longer the personably conversational soul of former years. He said few words in a day. But when I asked him whether he liked the “mass, “ – expecting no answer but maybe a nod of the head – he said “peaceful” and “joy”. It was the first of many times we were filled with awe, tears, and surprise at all my Dad had still to teach us.
In preparing for this liturgy Rudy and I processed so many memories of my Dad and his presence in our lives and in our world.In weaving a memorial for my Dad into this weekly celebration with our community, we chose the theme of ‘wholiness’.Pat’s faith was not just a part of his life, but it is what made him whole.
Opening Prayer (Suzanne)
Great Mystery, you invite each of us to live wholly in our one precious life.We recognize that, although we are unique beings, we are all connected in a mystical union with the Divine and with all of creation. We are grateful for the people, like Pat, who you gently place in our lives.The gift of their presence reminds us that we are not alone and we are surrounded by Great Love.
First Reading: The Crucified People from the Passionist Community
Faithful to the example of Jesus, we choose to be alongside especially those who suffer poverty, violence, injustice and exclusion: the crucified of today.
We see the absence of justice and the absence of God as the two beams of the Cross in the world today, making up the ‘crucifixions’ of our time. Aware, too, that we cannot do everything – and reading the signs of the times – we make choices and follow our passion for God’s Reign. And so we choose to be alongside those where our passion takes us.
We choose those who the Bible calls ‘the stranger’, refugees and asylum seekers, and others on the periphery in our country through ethnicity or religion. We choose those suffering from the absence of the God of love and mercy. We choose people living in areas of social deprivation and those living with trauma and neglect. We choose those suffering from abuse of the earth due to mining and other forms of unsustainable activity. We choose those living with HIV and AIDS, and the victims of violence.
These are the inspired words from the Credo of the Passionist Community and the community affirms them by saying Amen.
Second Reading:Romans 8:8-11
Brothers and sisters those who are in the flesh cannot please God.But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Those who do not have the Spirit of Christ do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit lives because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, then the One who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through the Spirit dwelling in you.
These are the inspired words of the writer known as Paul, and the community affirms them by saying Amen.
Spirit of the Living God (sung by Dennis McDonald, video by MT Streck)
Three days later, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there. Jesus and his disciples had likewise been invited to the celebration.At a certain point, the wine ran out, and Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no wine.”Jesus replied, “Mother, what does that have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”She instructed those waiting on tables, “Do whatever he tells you.”As prescribed for Jewish ceremonial washings, there were six stone water jars on hand, each one holding between fifteen and twenty-five gallons.“Fill those jars with water,” Jesus said, and the servers filled them to the brim.“Now,” said Jesus, “draw some out and take it to the caterer.” They did as they were instructed.The caterer tasted the water—which had been turned into wine—without knowing where it had come from; the only ones who knew were those who were waiting on tables, since they had drawn the water. The caterer called the bride and groom over and remarked, “People usually serve the best wine first; then, when the guests have been drinking a while, a lesser vintage is served. What you’ve done is to keep the best wine until now!” Jesus performed this first of his signs at Cana in Galilee; in this way he revealed his glory, and the disciples believed in him.
These are the inspired words of the anonymous writer known as John and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Homily Starter (Rudy)
My first reaction on reading the Romans epistle for this week was, ugh. A rant against the sins of the flesh. That’s been preached for 2000 years, who needs it. But taking a step back, Paul’s warning against living in the flesh maybe reflects the tension in the early church between the Greek and Judaic traditions. The Greek philosophical tradition placed a strong emphasis on reason and spirit and denigrated the body. The Judaic tradition was an earthier one. And so, we then heard the wedding feast gospel that seems to celebrate life in the flesh, in terms of appetite and hospitality. And third, we heard the Passionist creed that emphasizes the very gritty worldliness of Christian spirit. The Passionist community finds Christ’s presence precisely in the despair of the flesh.
Do these readings contradict each other? I don’t know. I can’t offer a consistent theory of body and mind, or spirit and flesh. I think the deepest kinds of wisdom, the deepest truths of the spirit, are not reducible to theological solutions. I think they are learned through living and feeling in community with others.
For my own part, I have had the incredible privilege of spending a good portion of my life with a person who lived a deep faith in a very worldly, bodily way. Who loved a good party, loved to dance and laugh, was first in line at the buffet table, also first to respond to anybody who was in need, and first up every morning for thirty minutes of prayer and meditation.
Of course, I’m talking about Mary’s dad, Pat. Some of you got to know him a little before the lockdown. By then he was only a shadow of himself, and I was never sure if the holiness or what this community calls “Wholiness” that had always radiated from him was still apparent to others who hadn’t known him before his dementia. But for me, at least, and for Mary and our family too, the glow of that Wholiness just kept getting stronger, all the way to the very end which was as peaceful and beautiful as the life he had led.
I learned far more from Pat about living faith in the world, in the flesh, than I ever could from a catechism. What do you think about these readings? Do you have someone you learned wisdom from, that you would like to remember?
Shared Homily
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
Suzanne: As we prepare for this sacred meal, we bring our blessings, cares and concerns to the table beginning with the words: “I bring to the table.”
Suzanne: We pray for these blessings, cares, and concerns, and all the unspoken intentions of our hearts…Amen.
Presiders moves to Table
Mary:Let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer with open hands:
All: Ever gentle God, as co-creators of our planet, we offer you the gifts of bread, wine and our lives. May we celebrate our oneness with all creatures great and small in your precious family.
As one with You, we gather as a community to celebrate your gift of life pulsating within and around us and in the glories of nature everywhere.
O Birthing God, you stirred the waters of creation; you dwell on earth, and in every living being. We lift up our hearts to you and with thanks and praise we sing:
All: Christ of the Cosmos, we thank you that there are 18 galaxies for every person, that our bodies are made of stardust. Every place we turn, you are present, loving us. You call us, “beloved” and invite us to join the dance of creation in a mystical celebration of our oneness with all living things in your divine love.
Christ of the Cosmos, we rejoice that You, who are more than we can imagine or dream, dwell in mystery beyond all comprehension. We remember that it was you who said: “Anything I have done in the name of the Holy One, you can do, too…and even more.”
Christ of the Cosmos, we remember Mary, mother of Jesus, faithful disciple and St. Francis who sang canticles to brother sun and sister moon. We remember our sisters and brothers, the great cloud of witnesses who have cared for earth’s creatures and have blessed our world with their loving service to God’s people.
We praise you in union with them, we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to worship you truly, O Holy One, at this time and all time and in all ways.
We are thankful for our brother, Jesus, who showed us so simply, so tenderly, how the world is in our hands. He had nothing in this world but your love, companions on the journey, and his very self. Together, that was more than enough, and that remains our clarity in the midst of confusion: the miracle of healing, new hope, nurturance, nourishment, liberation and life.
(All Extend Hands)
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered for the Seder supper with the people closest to him. Once again he showed us how to love one another.
Mary lifts bread.
All: Back at the table, Jesus lifted the Passover Bread, spoke a blessing, broke it and shared the bread of life for all who hunger.
Rudy lifts the wine as community prays the following:
Then he took the cup of blessing, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink, whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.
ALL: 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.
Lover of the Universe, we are full of awe at your extravagant love flowing through all living things. We immerse ourselves in the beauty of nature that surrounds us each day. We are one with our brother Jesus, in union with the Holy Spirit.
ALL: Amen
Prayer of Jesus
O Holy One who is within, around and among us, We celebrate your many names. Your wisdom come; your will be done, unfolding from the depths within us. Oh, 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 from Miriam Therese Winter
Closing Prayer (Suzanne)
There is mystery here And we open ourselves to this mystery and accept The reality of Pat’s death.Pat’s death speaks to us of the wonder of being humanIn a universe so vast and so magnificentand of our existence within a mystery and a power that we cannot understand or put into words.
In a very real sense this vast and magnificent universe of ourscame alive and became aware of Pat.He gave God a way of coming to expression, here in our lives, here in a way that reached out and touched us, as son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and loyal friend. He lived and loved in God,God lived and loved in him, And in death he lives on in God.
from his book Praying a New Story by Michael Morwood
Blessing
Rudy: Please extend your hands in praying the blessing:
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Closing Song: Christ Be Beside Me by James Kilbane
