Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community Saturday Liturgy, September 13, 2025 Season of Creation Our Inheritance, Presider: Julie Corron

 

Welcome: Welcome! I’m so glad to be here with you today as we continue our celebration of the Season of Creation.

 

Opening Prayer Let us pray. Holy One, as we celebrate this glorious Season of Creation, we are reminded of what we have inherited here on beautiful planet Earth and what we will leave behind for our children and their future. Let us feel your love and support as we care for all your creations. AMEN

 

Opening Song: Deep Peace, Sara Thomsen, Video by Denise Hackert-Stoner

https://youtu.be/5dIAcqaUUz4

 

LITURGY OF THE WORD

 

First Reading

A Reading from the Book of Numbers 27:1-7 

 

A claim was presented by the daughters of Zelophehad, who had belonged to the clan of Manasseh. Manasseh was the son of Joseph and his wife. The names of the daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. The women stood before Moses, the priest Eleazar, the leaders, and the whole community, at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. They stated their case against a traditional practice: “Our father died in the desert. He was not among the company of Korah’s group, those who banded together against our God; but he died in the desert in the same way that many others of that generation died. He left no male heirs. Why should the name “Zelophehad” be taken away from our clan because he had no son? Give us our holding on the same property as our father’s brothers.” 

 

Moses took their case before God for a ruling. God said to Moses, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they say: You will indeed give them their property, their inheritance among their father’s brothers. See that their father’s heritage is passed on to the daughters."

 

These are the inspired words of an Ancient Chronicler and the community affirms them by saying AMEN.

 

Gospel Acclamation:  Celtic Alleluia by Christopher Walker, Video by MT Streck

https://youtu.be/4cs8NDVM3Vk?si=LjKW18DK_ms_MYHw

 

Gospel

A Midrash on the Gospel attributed to Luke: 11-32 

 

Then Jesus told them this parable: “A widow had two daughters. Neither the widow nor her deceased husband had any male heirs in their families. Under an exception to the law crafted by Moses himself, the widow inherited her husband’s property. Because she had no sons, she knew that her daughters faced a blessing and a curse. She herself had discovered the freedom of self-determination and the accompanying responsibility of caring for wealth. 

 

The older daughter seemed to understand that marriage would deprive her of the freedom she had developed when her mother inherited her father’s estate; but the younger daughter wanted to marry outside her tribe and people. She needed her inheritance for her dowry. 

 

When her mother’s pleading failed to convince her that a better future lay in remaining on the estate, the mother gave her younger daughter monies sufficient for a generous dowry and took her to the clan of the man she wanted to marry. 

 

For a few years, the mother heard almost nothing of her younger daughter. Meanwhile, the daughter found herself subject to the whims of her husband. She had no opportunities to use the skills she had developed helping her mother run her father’s estate. True, she now had children of her own, but they were daughters. Her husband discounted them and treated her as if she were barren. Indeed, he had married a second wife who had born him a son. When she attempted to talk to him about her status, he struck her and demanded she be silent. She was a foreigner, unloved, unappreciated, ignored or physically abused. She hated her life, and she hated herself. She longed for her mother and her home. 

 

Considering her unhappy situation, she thought of her mother’s servants whom her mother treated better than her husband treated her. She thought, if I can leave, I will go to my mother and say: Mother, I have sinned against you and against heaven. I no longer deserve to be treated as your daughter, but I ask you to allow me to live with you and my sister as a servant. 

 

She traded an expensive ring for one of her husband’s servants to travel with her and take her and her daughters home. 

While she was yet a long way away, her mother caught sight of her, walking slowly on the dusty road with two little girls by her side. Her heart leaped within her as she imagined it was her daughter returning home. She walked quickly toward the tiny group of travelers. When she saw that truly it was her daughter returning home, she ran to her, embraced her and kissed her. She joyfully embraced her granddaughters. She was filled with compassion and forgiveness at their homecoming. 

 

The daughter told her mother the words she had planned to say, asking that she be welcomed as a servant into her mother’s home. Her mother, however, directed the servants, saying, ‘Quickly, bring my daughter and her daughters fine new robes, and new sandals for their feet. Give my daughter a ring. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this daughter of mine was dead, and has come to life again. She was lost and has been found. Indeed, she brings me the gift of two beautiful granddaughters I would never have known.’ 

 

Now the older daughter had been managing accounts inside the house when she heard the sound of servants rushing about preparing a feast. Musicians were gathering and preparing for a dance. She called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

 

The servant said to her, ‘Your sister has returned! She has brought her young daughters with her, and your mother has slaughtered the fattened calf because she has come home and has brought her children with her!’ 

 

The older sister became angry. She refused to greet her younger sister, help prepare the feast, or even come out of her room. Her mother went to her and pleaded with her; but the older daughter shouted: ‘All these years I served you and not once did I disobey you; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. Then, this daughter of yours returns, who abandoned you and our estate, who swallowed up your property in a dowry to marry a foreigner, and you slaughter the fattened calf for her?’ 

 

The Mother said, ‘My beloved daughter, you are here with me always. Everything I have is yours. You have been my helper and my companion. You are the joy of my life. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your sister was dead and has come to life again. She was lost and has been found.’” 

 

This is an inspired retelling of a story by the anonymous storyteller we call Luke and the community affirms it by saying AMEN.

 

Shared Homily: Julie: Oh, my goodness. There is so much going on in today’s readings. We’ve got inheritance disputes, sibling rivalry, and children, lost and found, just as a start. We all want what we’re entitled to but who decides that? In the first reading, Moses had to take the case all the way to God! Is that because it was so complicated or because it was so inconceivable that women should inherit?

 

Today, we borrow from our Jewish siblings in our take on the gospel. Biblical narratives that are retold in new ways are called "midrash". Rabbis often used midrash in their interpretation of the Hebrew Bible texts. The midrash of the gospel story of the prodigal son gives another angle on the story, one that includes immigrants, the rights of women, domestic violence, and inheritances. Here the older daughter is hurt and angry when she perceives her mother’s compassion and forgiveness of the younger daughter as a slight to her own years of devotion to the family. True confession: for many years, I identified with that older sister. That was back in my “good girl” era. It was a turning point for me when it finally sank in that we’re all lost. We’ve all lost our way at some point. We all need forgiveness. Oof. What a bitter pill it is to realize that we’re not perfect, that we’re not better than our pesky relatives or anyone else.

 

Not only that but we all need to forgive. We need to forgive ourselves and forgive each other—not instantly, and certainly not automatically, but in a meaningful way and in our own time. When forgiveness is tough, and it can be very, very tough, we can look to the Holy One for inspiration. After all, we’re not perfect, not in forgiveness or in any other aspect of our lives.

 

We need to take care too. We need to take care of ourselves and all creatures on this beautiful planet that we have inherited. How do we best do that today so that earth flourishes tomorrow?

 

What did you hear today? What will you do? What, if anything, will it cost you?

 

Statement of Faith:

All: 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 and Intentions, Blessings and Concerns

As we prepare for the sacred meal, we are alert to the wonders and dangers within our task of stewardship of Creation. We bring our gratitude, blessings and concerns to the friendship table. Please begin your prayer with “I bring to the table. …”

 

We pray for these and all the unspoken concerns held in the silence of our hearts. AMEN.

 

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

 

Let us pray the Eucharistic Prayer of Compassion for the Earth with one voice and open hearts,

 

All: Holy One, we are amazed at the universe and this planet Earth and we respond with gratitude and compassion. We are blessed by the lights of the heavens, the sun and moon, comets and stars; we are blessed by knowing ours is but one galaxy among many.

 

We are blessed by the darkness which keeps us from being blinded by the light and which eases us into contemplation and rootedness; likewise, we are blessed by light which awakens our souls to the glory of creation.

 

We are blessed by oceans and the cliffs and shores which envelop them, by streams and rivers, by snow and sleet and rain. The mountains are our blessing of solitude and summit where we can feel the softest wind, see the furthest horizon and expand our imagination and vision.

 

We are blessed by the children whose easy smiles and open arms teach us enthusiasm and delight at living in the present. We are blessed by friends and strangers, by those who have gone before us and the friends we have yet to meet. These companions are the face of your love and compassion.

Plant and vegetation, whether beauties of the land or harvest for our survival are also our companions, sharing in the sun and wind and rain. The biodiverse wealth of animal and marine life are our blessed companions, deserving also of our protection and care.

In celebration of Creation and all our blessings, we sing with joy:

 

Holy, Holy, Holy: Here In This Place – Christopher Grundy

https://youtu.be/uXyu57tR2gk

 

All: In times when the pain in our hearts breaks and the world’s pain seems unreconciled, our appreciation and awareness of Creation can dwindle or lapse. The urgency of addressing climate change is not always recognized; valuing creation and sustaining its life-giving properties is sometimes an afterthought.

 

May our recognition of Earth as our Eden fill us with gratitude. May the saving grace of the Spirit and of Jesus enhance the dialogue and sacrifice necessary to save ourselves and our world.

 

We celebrate the truth-tellers and the lovers of the environment, living and dead; Ansel Adams, the landscape photographer, John Audubon, the naturalist, Jane Goodall, the anthropologist, Greta Thunberg, and Erin Brockovich, climate activists and authors Henry David Thoreau and Rachel Carson. Like our brother Jesus, these visionaries were pioneers and prophets who sought to live fully and fearlessly the truth of their calling.

 

Julie: Please extend your hands in blessing.

 

All: We are grateful for the bread and wine that remind us that we are called to renew and to be renewed with the love of the Spirit of God who is in everything, every plant, animal and human everywhere. We thank you for Jesus, beacon of love and mercy, forgiveness and healing.

 

We are grateful for this bread and wine which remind us that we join Jesus in standing with the broken and wounded of the world who are most directly affected by climate change.

 

On the night before he faced betrayal and death, Jesus shared supper with his 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. 

 

lift the bread

 

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, go and share my love with one another.

 

lift the cup

 

Then he took the cup of the covenant, 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. Each time we share this bread with one another we choose to love others as you love us.

 

What we have heard with our ears, we will live in our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge.

 

Through Jesus we have learned how to live. Through Jesus, we have learned how to love. Through Jesus we have learned how to serve. AMEN

 

Please receive the bread and wine with the words, I am a spark of the Divine.

 

Communion Song: Come to the Water by John Foley, SJ, video by MTStreck

https://youtu.be/_FMuokL8tZc

 

Jesus Prayer for the Season of Creation

Let us pray, as Jesus taught us.

 

All: Generous Creator, the intricate and elegant biodiversity of our world is your hallowed autograph on our lives, our souls and our hearts. 

 

We yearn for the wholeness of being in harmony with Your will and with all living things. Each day we draw on your creative, life-giving energy with awe as we find nourishment in, seed and field, river and forest. 

 

We acknowledge our shortcomings, especially our feelings of being powerless in the face of climate change and injustice. We seek to be reconciled with those we have hurt and we resolve to do better.  

With your unfailing wisdom and the wind of Your Spirit, inspire us that we may reach out and love one another and care for the world, our home. Strengthen us to work for local and global justice. May we one day reap a harvest of equality and fairness as if they were wildflowers, propagating spontaneously, unerringly and in surprising abundance. AMEN.

                                        

Blessing

 

Please extend your hands as we bless each other

 

All: May we treat all of Creation as sacred. May we our lives show our respect for the earth we share with our sisters and brothers, with all creatures, around the globe. May we live as if the future depends on it. AMEN.

 

Closing Song: Canticle of the Sun by Marty Haugen

https://youtu.be/CfJ6WJPUff8  

 

 

Upper Room Sunday Liturgy, September 14, 2025 Season of Creation - Presiders: Kim Panaro, Denise Hackert-Stoner, and Ellen Garcia

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

Welcome to our liturgy, during this beautiful Season of Creation.  Today we learn from the scriptures of the book and of the natural world as they teach us about the myth of self-reliance.

Opening Prayer

Holy One, all around us we hear the message that we should rely on ourselves.  We should be fiercely independent.  We should pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps.  But when we look carefully at the rich tapestry of creation, we witness just the opposite.  We see that nothing stands alone, we see that everything is connected.  Help us to learn from the very tapestry that we are a part of that we are not alone.  Amen.

Opening Song:  Sanctuary, Carrie Newcomer

https://youtu.be/HjOioWTVAl4?si=WEWhcR4ILH-vqQLo

LITURGY OF THE WORD

First Reading: From The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer

In a traditional Anishinaabe economy, the land is the source of all goods and services, which are distributed in a kind of gift exchange:  one life is given in support of another.  The focus is on supporting the good of the people, not only an individual.  Receiving a gift from the land is coupled to attached responsibilities of sharing, respect, reciprocity, and gratitude – of which you will be reminded.

This kind of gratitude is so much more than a polite “thank you.”  Not an automatic ritual of “manners,” but a recognition of indebtedness that can stop you in your tracks – it brings you the realization that your life is nurtured from the body of Mother Earth.  With my fingers sticky with berry juice, I’m reminded that my life is contingent upon the lives of others, without whom, I simply would not exist.  Water is life, food is life, soil is life – and they become our lives through the paired miracles of photosynthesis and respiration.

These are the words of writer Robin Wall Kimmerer, and we affirm her words with Amen.

Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips 

https://youtu.be/IC4nbwmQDVw

Gospel: Luke 5: 17-20

One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the Divine power was with Jesus to heal the sick.  Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus.  When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

These are the words of the gospel writer we know as Luke.  We affirm these words with Amen.

Homily Starter:

The first part of our homily starter is accompanied by photos.  Let’s begin.

It seems I am surrounded by tendrils. Tendrils are everywhere. They are attaching vines to our milkweed plants. They are attaching the grape vines attempting to overtake our fence. Everywhere I look in my garden I see tendrils.

When I look closely at them I notice that they are always reaching out. When they find something to hang on to they bend around the object, whether it’s a fence post, another plant, or even another tendril. 

And once they attach, they strengthen the whole vine, providing the structure the vine needs to climb toward the sun and produce fruit.

But sometimes, a tendril fails to attach. When that happens, it seems to circle around itself.

The circles sometimes continue, spiraling up and up, attaching to nothing.

Sometimes, a lone tendril will even tie itself up in a knot.

Tendrils seem to work best when they find something to attach to, something to work with, to depend on. 

We can learn a lot from these tiny teachers as they weave themselves into the tapestry that is meadow, forest, or garden.  In the story of the gift economy we hear about in the first reading, the tree on which the berries grow has been gifted by sun and rain.  The berries themselves are a gift from the tree.  Robin, who is enjoying the berries, is the recipient of all of these gifts combined.  And she in turn will gift many of the berries to her neighbors.  The birds will also receive the gift of berries, and in return they will distribute their seeds far and wide.  Each of them; sun, rain, tree, berry, Robin and her neighbors, and the birds, is a tendril which has entwined with another.  Together they share a woven identity.  In our gospel, when Jesus addresses the man he has just healed, he doesn’t say that the man’s faith has saved him.  He also doesn’t say that he, Jesus, has saved him.  Rather, it is the faith of the man’s friends; the ones who have lowered the man through the roof, that has saved him.  The man, his faithful friends, and Jesus, are tendrils, woven together in the fabric of healing.

As human beings, many of us have been taught the value of self-reliance.  Being able to take care of ourselves without relying on others, without “hand-outs,” without help, is sometimes seen as the great American virtue.  So here we are, a society of loose tendrils, meandering about on our own, circling achievements and goals, attaching to nothing, and tying ourselves up in knots.  We need only to look at the rest of creation, so perfectly interconnected, to learn that it is interdependence that brings strength.  It is relationship that moves us into the Light.  It is attachment that allows us to bear fruit.

Please share your thoughts.

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.

Prayers of the Community

As we prepare for the sacred meal, we are aware that just as Jesus is anointed, so is each of us. 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 concerns. Amen.

LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST

adapted from Diarmuid O’Murchu

With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:

O Holy One, you are always with us. In the blessed abundance of creation, we gather to celebrate Your nourishing gift of life. May our hearts be open as You invite us to participate in the wise and wonderful work of co-creation. May we be ever aware of Your Spirit within and among us as our world unfolds amid pain and beauty into the fullness of life. 

We are grateful for Your Spirit whose breath inspired the primal waters, calling into being the variety and abundance we see around us. Your Spirit sustains and animates our every endeavor, inviting us to act in wisdom and in truth.

In gratitude and joy, we embrace our calling and we lift our voices to proclaim a song of praise:

Holy, Holy: Karen Drucker https://youtu.be/kl7vmiZ1YuI

As a community, we gather in the power of your Spirit, refreshing wind, purifying fire and flowing water, for the variety and diversity of Creation. We seek to live as Jesus taught us, wise and holy as Spirit-filled people, courageous and prophetic, ever obedient to your call.

Please extend your hands in blessing.

Your Spirit resides within and around us and all of creation, including the bread and wine on this table.  You have gifted us with 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, 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. When he returned to his place, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and offered it to them saying:

Take and eat;

This is my very self.

Jesus then raised a cup of blessing, spoke the grace and offered the wine 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.

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 communion with the words: The Divine connects me to everyone and everything.

Communion song: By Breath by Sara Thomsen (Video by Denise Hackert-Stoner)

https://youtu.be/FIc2NBt6NI0

Prayer After Communion:

Holy One, your transforming energy is always moving within us and working through us. 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.

Let us pray as Jesus taught us with an eye toward this Season of Creation:

Generous Creator, the intricate and elegant biodiversity of our world is your hallowed autograph on our lives, on our souls and in our hearts. 

We yearn for the wholeness of being in harmony with Your will and with all living things. 

Each day we draw on your creative, life-giving energy with gratitude, joy, and awe as we find nourishment in seed and field, river and forest. 

May we be stewards and co-creators with you in caring for the gifts of Your Creation.  

We acknowledge our shortcomings, especially our neglect of the environment. We seek to be reconciled with those we have hurt and we resolve to do better.  

With your unfailing wisdom and the wind of Your Spirit, inspire us that we may reach out and love one another and care for the world, our home.

Strengthen us to work for local and global justice so that we may one day reap a harvest of equality and fairness as if they were wildflowers, propagating spontaneously, unerringly and in surprising abundance. Amen. 

Lynn Kinlan

BLESSING

Let us raise our hands and bless each other.

May we live our lives as tendrils that connect with the people in our lives and the creatures of this earth.  May we work together to bring the Kin-dom to fruition.  Amen.

Closing Song: TO MY PEOPLE: An Ode to Humanity | Empty Hands Music

https://youtu.be/sTBFGX54mpE?si=riSKA5h_BAsIpA9m