 |
phone-in for (audio only) Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 825 1215 9155
Christ In Everything and Everyone
Welcome and Theme: We gather on this the last weekend of the Church Year, celebrating The Christ Experience. In the Roman Catholic tradition it is referred to as The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. That will not be our focus today. Instead, we will be considering how we, as members of the Christian Community and of Creation, are called to be Christ in the World today.
Opening Prayer: Sophia-Wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures, Christ of the Christian Scriptures open our hearts and minds to recognize the Christ in each other and in all of creation. May we accept our call to offer assistance to our sisters and brothers in need, being the Body of Christ in the world today. Amen
Opening Song: Christ, Be Our Light by Bernadette Farrell
https://youtu.be/nn7Hl6ki9z8?si=TOtzL00efetcuY26
LITURGY OF THE WORD
First Reading: A reading from In Search of Christ Sophia by Jann Aldredge-Clanton
In Hebrew Scripture Hokmah (Wisdom) is a female name for the Divine. She is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent, renewing all things. She creates and orders the world. She delights to be among the human race, teaching us Her ways. Wisdom symbolizes creative, redemptive, and healing Divine power. In their efforts to describe these same attributes in Jesus, the apostle Paul and other biblical writers draw from the picture of female Wisdom in Hebrew Scripture. Paul refers to Jesus as the power of God and the Wisdom (Sophia in Greek) of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), and states that Jesus “became for us Sophia from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Proverbs describes Wisdom as the way, the life, and the path to righteousness (Proverbs 4); the writer of the Gospel of John records Jesus saying, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (14:6). What Judaism said of Wisdom, Christian writers came to say of Jesus: the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15); the reflection of God’s glory (Hebrews 1:3); the one through whom the world was created (John 1:3).
These are inspired words of Jann Aldredge-Clanton and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Second Reading:
https://youtu.be/TcoN2K5aIkU?si=_f26coHhC1iRCuts
https://youtu.be/o1rc7ojQtJU
“At the appointed time the Promised One will come in glory, escorted by all the angels of heaven, and will sit upon the royal throne, with all the nations assembled below. Then the Promised One will separate them from one another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. The sheep will be placed on the right hand, the goats on the left. “The Promised One will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you blessed of my Amma God! Inherit the kindom prepared for you from the creation of the world! For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me; naked and you clothed me. I was ill and you comforted me; in prison and you came to visit me.’ Then these just will ask, ‘When did we see you hungry and feed you, or see you thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or clothe you in your nakedness? When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you?’ The Promised One will answer them, ‘The truth is, every time you did this for the least of my sisters or brothers, you did it for me.’ “Then the Promised One will say to those on the left, ‘Out of my sight, you accursed ones! Into that everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and the fallen angels! I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you gave me no welcome; naked and you gave me no clothing. I was ill and in prison and you did not come to visit me.’ Then they in turn will ask, ‘When did we see you hungry or thirsty, or homeless or naked, or ill or in prison, and not take care of you?’ The answer will come, ‘The truth is, as often as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ They will go off to eternal punishment, and the just will go off to eternal life.”
These are inspired words by the anonymous author of the Gospel of Matthew and we affirm them by saying, Amen.
Homily Starter - Dennis
John Shelby Spong in his book Biblical Literalism shares that the last two Sunday’s stories and today’s relate to the end of the world and the day of judgment that would take place. It may seem like an interesting choice of Gospel to have read on this day formerly called, Christ the King. But not if we consider that the Christian Community had been waiting for the return of Jesus, as he had promised, to bring justice and peace to the world, and the reign of God. Of course, we know sitting here today, that it did not happen, and hasn’t for over 2,000 years. So, how might we look at this from a different angle.
Our first reading by Jann Eldredge-Canton educates us to the fact that the early Christian writers used imagery from Jewish scripture, namely that of Sophia-Wisdom, to promote the image of Jesus as that of Wisdom, “the one through whom the world was created”. This then leads us to the naming of Jesus as the Christ, as described in the Gospel of John as the Light from which all creation flowed. How does this then bring us to our theme today of Christ in Everyone and Everything.
Richard Rohr, in Summary of The Universal Christ states, “I don’t feel that Jesus was speaking about himself as Christ. I think it stands to reason he was speaking about the Christ Consciousness. God is in all of us, so we can never fully know ourselves, without also getting to know God. Start off working on believing that Jesus and God are one. Then, start to understand that you and God are one. After that, let it sink in that everything and God are also one.”
Here then is the different angle, Jesus recognizes the Christ Consciousness that dwells in him, and we are called to recognize that the Christ Consciousness dwells within us, and not just in us but in all creation.
The video, serving as our second reading, is a reflection of what Richard Rohr promoted in his book, The Universal Christ, that the Christ Consciousness is the “outpouring of God’s Love”. And if we follow that thought process, then we are tasked with being that outpouring toward our fellow humans and the whole of creation. The message of the Gospel is simple then, those considered sheep are those who live out of the Christ Consciousness, living our divine nature through our humanity, just as Jesus did.
We, thus, become the Body of Christ in the world today. In today’s Eucharistic Prayer we pray, “We invoke Your Spirit upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain and wine of the grape, that they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
There is no waiting for the Second Coming, there is no need, since that time is already here, with us being the anointed ones to bring healing, peace, and justice to our world.
Have you ever thought of yourself as part of the Christ Consciousness. If yes, how? If not, what might it mean to you now? How do you, how do we respond to the call of being the Body of Christ in the world today?
All/Denise: 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
Dennis/Denise: 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.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
All/Denise: O Holy One, you have birthed us in goodness, gifted us with life and cherished us in love. In the heart of our being, your Spirit dwells; a Spirit of courage and vision, a Spirit of wisdom and truth.
In the power of that same Spirit, we lift our hearts in prayer, invoking anew the gift of wisdom and enlightenment, that we may continue to praise and thank you, in union with all who sing the ancient hymn of praise:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place – with lyrics – Christopher Grundy
https://youtu.be/sgkWXOSGmOQ
ALL: Holy One, we see around us the work of your hands, the fruit of your wisdom and love. The unfolding story of creation witnesses unceasingly to your creative power. We, your creatures, often deviate from that wisdom, thus hindering your creative presence in our midst.
Sending among us Jesus, our brother, you birth afresh in our world the power of Sophia-Wisdom, and in the gift of Your Spirit, your creative goodness blooms anew, amid the variety and wonder of life.
Presider 2: Please extend your hands in blessing.
All: We invoke Your Spirit upon the gifts of this Eucharistic table, bread of the grain and wine of the grape, that they may become gifts of wisdom, light and truth which remind us of our call to be the body of Christ to the world.
On the night before he faced his own death and for the sake of living fully, Jesus sat at the Seder supper with his companions and friends. He reminded them of all that he taught them, and to fix that memory clearly within them, he bent down and washed their feet.
All lift their plate and pray the following:
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, the bread of life for all who hunger.
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, the Cup of Compassion for a broken world.
Whenever you remember me like this, I am among you.
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 consume the bread and drink the cup with the words: We are the Body of Christ for the World.
Communion Meditation: St. Teresa’s Prayer by John Michael Talbot
https://youtu.be/tF7Yb9fobCg?si=R82Tb2WQrxMRTqKN
In faith and hope we are sustained; in grace and dignity reclaimed. In praise, we thank you.
In union with all peoples living and dead, we unite our thoughts and prayers, asking wisdom and courage:
- to discern more wisely your call to us in the circumstances of our daily lives;
- to act justly and courageously in confronting the pain and suffering that desecrates the Earth and its peoples;
- to take risks in being creative and proactive on behalf of the poor and marginalized;
- and to love all people with generosity of heart, beyond the labels of race, creed and color.
And may we ever be aware and alert to the new things Your Spirit makes possible in us, as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty, into the fullness of life to which all are called, participating in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation.
Like Jesus, we will open up wide all that has been closed about us, and we will live compassionate lives, for it is through living as Jesus lived, that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify you, O Holy One, at this time and all ways.
Amen.
Dennis/Denise: Let us pray the prayer 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,
Each day you give us all 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
(Miriam Therese Winter)
BLESSING
Dennis/Denise: Let us pray together our blessing:
All: Christ of the Cosmos, you have filled our hearts with joy and hope and renewed all of creation. We are honored to serve with you and to animate others in their generous response to Divine love. As together we bring Divine ove to the world, grant us the courage and strength to share that love and the wisdom of Sophia with others. Amen.
Closing Song: Go Make a Difference by Steve Angrisano
https://youtu.be/Q2vYFN1YNIk?si=YAWO93RP-jUZVm6y
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.