phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Welcome: Welcome to you all! I’m so happy to be here with you all today as we think about love and hope and dreams and reality.
Opening Prayer: Holy One, through you all things are possible. Help us live in faith and hope for dreams that have not yet come true. And especially help us to know peace in our time. AMEN
Opening Song: Peace Like A River—Dionne Warwick & Dolly Parton
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading:
A reading from the Second Book of Kings (4:8-11, 14-16a)
One day Elisha passed through Shunem. A leading woman of the town, a woman of influence, pressed him to dine with her. Soon, it became his custom: Whenever he passed through, he stopped by for a meal.
“I'm certain,” said the woman to her husband, “that this man who stops by is a holy man of God. Since he visits us often, let us arrange a little room on the roof and furnish it for him with a bed, table, chair, and lamp, so that when he comes to us he can stay there?” And so it happened that the next time Elisha came by for a meal, he also went to the room and laid down there to rest.
Then Elisha instructed Gehazi to ask the Shunammite woman, “You have troubled yourself greatly for us; what can we do for you? Can we say a good word for you to the ruler or to the commander of the army?’”
She replied, “Nothing. I'm secure and satisfied in my family and my own people.”
Elisha conferred with his companion, Gehazi: “There’s got to be something I can do for her. But what?” Gehazi said, “Well, she has no children, and her husband is getting on in years.”
Elisha called to the Shunammite woman again with the promise: “This time next year you’re going to be nursing an infant.”
These are the words of an ancient Israelite Historian and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 89:2-3, 16-17, 18-19
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of our God.
The promises of our God I will sing forever,
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever;"
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of our God.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, Holy One, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of our God.
You are the splendor of their strength,
and by your favor our horn is exalted.
For to our God belongs our shield,
and to the Holy One of Israel, our king.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of our God.
Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker
Gospel
A reading from the gospel of Matthew (10:37-42)
Jesus said to his apostles:
"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
and whoever does not take up his cross
and follow after me is not worthy of me.
Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
"Whoever receives you receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet
will receive a prophet's reward,
and whoever receives a righteous man
because he is a righteous man
will receive a righteous man's reward.
And whoever gives only a cup of cold water
to one of these little ones to drink
because the little one is a disciple—
amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."
These are the inspired words of the anonymous storyteller we call Matthew and we affirm them by saying Amen.
Homily Starter—Julie: Our gospel today is a tricky one. Taken on its own, it can sound like Jesus is telling his disciples that they need to reject their loved ones, their own families, and follow him. But that’s not the real story. For the last few weeks, the gospel has focused on Jesus sending his disciples out to carry the good news to those who haven’t heard it yet. Today’s gospel is a continuation of those instructions. Let’s face it, there were probably some disciples reluctant to leave home and go preach to strangers. Preaching to strangers can be a thankless task! So Jesus (or whoever actually said this) needed to give them an extra push to get them out the door, reminding them that their love of God, of Jesus, is greater than their love of family and their own warm bed. Are the disciples turning their backs on their families? No, they’re simply going on a trip to share the good news, which is a reward in itself. Like the reward given to someone who gives a cup of cold water to a disciple. Or someone who gives a bottle of water to a person waiting in line to vote. The need continues today, even if the face look different.
The first reading speaks of a different kind of reward. Elisha wants to thank his childless hostess, so he promises her a baby. In those days, children cared for their mothers in their old age, so this was more than a promise of a baby, this was also security in her golden years. And, if she had waited many, many years for a child, this gift could reflect a dream that she may have given up hope of ever realizing. We all have dreams we fear will never come true, dreams we have sadly given up on and packed away in our hearts. If Elisha was to thank you with a long-hoped for dream, what would it be? What would make your heart leap with joy if it suddenly appeared in your life?
What did you hear? What would be a dream come true for 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.
Intentions
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 held in the silence of our hearts. AMEN.
Eucharistic Prayer of Belonging
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 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, go and share my love with one another.
(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 yours.
Communion Song: You Say by Lauren Daigle
Communion prayer:
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 have faith in dreams to come. May our gathering ignite us to love more fully. And like Jesus may we be a shining light and a blessing for all. AMEN.
Closing Song: A Million Dreams (from The Greatest Showman) | One Voice Children's Choir
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