Opening Prayer: (Bridget Mary) O Divine Presence, this evening we come with thankful hearts for eyes to see the beauty of our earth, for ears to hear laughter and music, for the smell of fresh-baked bread and the sweet taste of delicious food. Most especially we come with grateful hearts for the embrace of friends holding us gently.
We come with open hands and loving hearts with gifts we have to offer.
We come with gratitude for the ways our gifts serve the needs of our sisters and brothers and we rejoice in the abundant blessings we have received from others. Amen.
(Thanksgiving prayer by Bridget Mary Meehan)
Opening song: Berakah, the Blessing by Jan Novotka
Mary Theresa: Bless what there is, for being. Whatever it be, bless it because it exists; you need no other reason.
Denise: Source of All Blessings,
you bless us with breath —
In and out, in and out, ever-renewing us, ever anew, making us one with all who breathe the same air.
May this blessing overflow into a shared gratefulness, so that with one breath I may praise and celebrate life.
Dennis: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with humility —
That down-to-earth quality that has nothing in common with humiliation but makes us stand tall and acknowledge both the humus that feeds us and the stars to which we aspire.
May I learn to practice, and to honor in others, this sparkling humility which is the dignity that we, as human beings cannot afford to lose.
Denise: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with imprecision —
With all that is vague, close but not quite; all that leaves room for the more specific, the more precise, and room for the imagination.
May I know when to be exact and when to move freely and blessed in the space so generously provided by all that is not perfectly defined, giving full scope to my dreams and my creativity.
Dennis: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with memory —
That sacred ingathering of the past that allows us to recognize faces, learn poems by heart, find our way back when we are lost, and bring forth old and new from its nearly inexhaustible store.
May I know what to forget and what to retain and treasure, keeping in mind the smallest kindness shown to me and spreading its ripples for a long time to come.
Denise: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with change —
In the seasons of the year, from snow to greening, flowering, fruiting and harvest, in the seasons of life, from childhood to youth, full ripeness, and saging. All living things keep changing.
May I welcome change as a sacred opportunity to grow and savor in each unrepeatable moment’s fleetingness what IS beyond change.
Dennis: Source of All Blessings, you bless us with departures —
For they are a necessary part of our journey, necessary for the arriving.
May I always be ready to take leave, always aware that every arrival is a prelude to departure, every birth a step towards dying, and may I thus taste the blessings of being fully present where I am.
Mary Theresa: May blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its immeasurable facets.
May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless. Amen.
Prayers for the Community: (Kathie)
Let us pray for our local and global community:
We pray for our newly elected U.S. leaders, and the team they will bring together to unite us,
We pray for all who exercise leadership roles in all faith traditions,
We pray for all who are infected by COVID-19 and their care-givers as well as those who are researching a vaccine and cure,
We pray for all who are unemployed and underemployed, for migrants and refugees,
We pray for all who work to promote justice by eradicating sexism, racism, and discrimination of every kind,
We pray for an end to the “arms race” and peaceful ways to resolve conflicts among nations,
And we pray for all unspoken attentions.
(moment of silence)
Mary Theresa: O Holy One, you know our needs before we even speak. Yet, we must speak, if only to remind ourselves of our responsibility to care for the least among us. With your grace, may we act justly and love tenderly in addressing the needs of our world, and may we walk humbly on our mother, the Earth, all the days of our lives. AMEN
Our closing meditation is: A Grateful Day with Brother David Steindl-Rast - Gratefulness.org
Intro to Celtic Spirituality: Seeing the Holy One in All Creation
Week Six
Three Essential Things
"The way you look at things is the most powerful force shaping your life."
by John O'Donohue
(Open with discussion of what we have learned about ourselves thinking of Ana Chara this past week.)
Three is a sacred number in the Celtic tradition, and often the saints expressed their own desires or commitments in terms of the number three. Or the number nine. Nine is very sacred because it expresses three three times. I find great humor in that!
Reflect on three things in your own life you count as most essential. Hold them as principles or touchstones for your life right now as you continue your spiritual journey. What is essential to one person may be different to another. In different seasons of life what is essential for us might change. One way to choose 3 things is to imagine you are at the end of your life looking back. For what do you want to be remembered?
Practice:
This week consider what three things are most essential. Should one or two or even all three change right now? Later? How can you focus even more on each of these three? Write a paragraph or two about your conclusions. Write another paragraph or two about how exploring Celtic Spirituality has affected your approach to the Holy One this 6 weeks. What if anything of these old traditions will you continue? Would you like to gather here one more time to share the conclusions you have drawn?
We rise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
We rise through the strength of heaven
We rise today.
Week 5
Anam Cara: A Soul Friend
"The one you love, your anam cara, your soul friend, is the truest mirror to reflect your soul." John O'Donohue
(Open with discussion of what we have seen in walking The Rounds this past week.)
Another key practice for the Celtic saints was having a soul friend, inspired by earlier desert traditions. St. Brigid is often quoted as saying, “Go forth and eat nothing until you get a soul friend, for anyone without a soul friend is like a body without a head; is like the water of a polluted lake, neither good for drinking nor for washing.”
Everyone, lay or clergy, man or woman, was expected to have a spiritual friend and companion. This was a person they could confide all of their inner struggles, someone who would help them find their path, who could midwife them in discernment. There was genuine warmth and intimacy in this relationship and deep respect for the other’s wisdom. Age or gender difference did not matter. Each thought of the other as an equal.
Anam Cara, is someone you can turn to when things feel challenging and to whom you entrust the secret desires of your heart.
Practice:
This week think about the people you know. Is there someone who is an Anam Cara to you already? Is there some friendship you would like to deepen this way? Spend 10 minutes each day making a list of people you might choose, how you might ask, how you might nurture this choice. Write a paragraph or two in your journal about what you have learned about Anam Cara and what you would look for if you were considering having a soul-friend.
We rise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
We rise through the strength of heaven
We rise today.
Week 4
Walking the Rounds
"In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he takes." John Muir.
I ARISE TODAY
https://youtu.be/xeVEGOPjJXQ
(Open with discussion of what we have seen encircling this past week.)
This is a Celtic practice used at sites, such as churches, graves, crosses, and holy wells.
Walking sunwise (or clockwise) in a mindful way around anywhere you think of as sacred, usually repeating a prayer you have chosen. The number of rounds is often three, 6, or 9 as these numbers have been considered sacred for hundreds of years.
Walking helps us to slow down physically and mentally. Walking in a circular manner helps to move us out of linear ways of thinking and to open our hearts to receive God’s grace.
Practice:
Find a holy place to walk Rounds. It might be a sunwise journey around a favorite tree, your church, or around the edges of a labyrinth. While walking the Rounds, repeat any brief prayers that we have written often open us up in a special way.
Take The Rounds this week. Find a place that is sacred to you. Your garden, backyard, a tree, somewhere in your favorite park, a building that is precious to you, or a room in your house.
Plan prayers of the heart you will say or read as you walk. Take someone else who wants to try doing The Rounds if you like. Choose a convenient day within your schedule. Do your Rounds and then write a paragraph or two about the experience. What did you see as you did the Rounds? Hear? How did it feel? Are you glad you tried this ancient practice?
We rise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
We rise through the strength of heaven
We rise today.
Week 3
Encircling Lorica
Christ with me, Christ before me
Christ behind me, Christ in me
Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ on my right, Christ on my left
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down
Christ when I arise, Christ to shield me
—Prayer excerpt attributed to St. Patrick
(Open with discussion of what we have experienced blessing moments this past week.)
Early Celtic languages were vocal, not written, as was Hebrew. Celts thought that writing dissolved the strength and passion in all they thought and said. Early poetry in Ireland was repetitive...with no rhyme. While this kind of poetry is not written in English often, it does bring clarity to thought and is easier to memorize.
A lorica was a type of combat armor very useful for fighters that moved quickly and often. Leather for construction was each to find as well. Chest and shoulder plates were made of pieces that floated one over the other, up and down, left and right. Once lashed together and tied to the body where needed lorica was almost invincible.
Lorica is a prayer-poem seeking protection, invoking the love and care power of the Holy One. This prayer eloquently expresses the Celtic Christian belief that in a hostile world the presence of the Holy One surrounds, protects, and comforts all who call. This lorica above is attributed to St. Patrick.
Practice:
Try using this lorica each day this week. Read it slowly, listening to it as you go. Think as you listen to all the things that are troubling you in these difficult days. Covid-19, the election, the fires in California, violence, those we care about who have cancer, and so much more! How does it feel? Write a paragraph or two about Encircling Lorica in your journal. You can write your own Lorica, and share it with us, if you would like.
We rise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
We rise through the strength of heaven
We rise today.
Week 2
Intro to Celtic Spirituality: Seeing the Holy One in All Creation
Week Two
Blessing Each Moment
A blessing is a circle of light drawn around a person to protect, heal and strengthen. John O’Donohue
“Like billowing clouds,
Like the incessant gurgle of the brook
The longing of the spirit can never be stilled.”
Hildegard of Bingen
(Open with discussion of what we have seen in Nature this past week.)
Blessing Each Moment is a Celtic practice that helps bring loving attention to daily life by using little prayers to celebrate ordinary tasks we do each day. There is a beautiful book of Scottish blessings called the Carmina Gadelica, collected by Andrew Carmichael in the 19th century in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. It is filled with blessings of the day’s unfolding.
Celebrating ordinary tasks with short prayers are expressing gratitude for the activities of the day. The Jews use a mezuzah on their doorways to act as a constant reminder of God's presence. Some Christians wear a necklace with a cross or a fish on it as a reminder of their faith and gratitude. The steam rising from my coffee, sunrise, a bird singing from a tree branch outside, the doorbell announcing a friend’s arrival, remembering that every meal that nourishes my body. Getting into the car, turning on the range to cook dinner, walking the dog, laying down to rest. Gratitude for all these things bring us closer to God.
Practice:
Consider using a short prayer of gratitude or two you already know this week. Or you might write a brief one or two that you would like to use. My first prayer each morning is “Blessed be God, blessed be God forever.” as I take my first sip of coffee!
Did Blessing Each Moment brighten your days? How did expressing your commitments and your gratitude affect you? Write a paragraph or two in your journal about this practice.
We rise today,
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
We rise through the strength of heaven
We rise today
Week 1
Ring of Kerry photo by Dennis McDonald
Introduction
Celtic Spirituality is a simple and inclusive tradition that can enrich our spirituality. It is a reminder to ourselves that the Divine is with us always and everywhere with Love. The Sacred in all Creation is the core of this approach.
For 6 weeks beginning Tuesday, October 20 at 7pm we will explore customs many historians believe began with the Desert Mothers and Fathers. They have been practiced in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales since before the 5th century. A book list is attached, but reading is not required.
Each week a custom and practice will be introduced. You will be encouraged to experiment with each practice and discuss your experience the following week. No one will be required to share.
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone, alone with the sky, nature and God. For then and only then can you feel that everything is as it should be and that God wants people to be happy amid nature's beauty and simplicity.”
Anne Frank
Celtic thought sees life as a journey, encompassing great care for all of creation. Deepening oneness with the Divine and the Earth, the Celts held two texts sacred in their understanding of the Divine... Nature and Holy Scriptures. Love of Nature... fire, water, earth, air and a passion for the wild are reminders of God's gifts. It teaches the careful observer much about a loving Creator.
This closeness to Nature builds great concern for the poor, the sick and the oppressed, as well as the wounds of the Earth. Hospitality and mercy are also at the core of Celtic Spirituality, building a deep importance of kinship and community...hope in a hostile world. There are no boundaries between the sacred and the secular here.
First Practice
Spend 10 minutes each day this week with nature, in any way you choose, including looking at photos or paintings. Afterward, journal what the experience was like, what did you feel, what did you see, what surprised you? Where was the Divine Presence during this time?
Take a few minutes and write a paragraph or two in your journal of these or any other thoughts you find important.
Prayer
I (or we) rise up by the strength of heaven: The light of the sun Radiance of the moon, Splendor of Fire, Speed of lightning, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of Earth, Firmness of rock. I (or We) rise up by the strength of heaven: I (or we) rise! I (or we) rise!
Celtic Spirituality Book List
Celtic Way of Prayer: The recovery of Religious Imagination
Esther de Waal
One of Celtic Christianity's preeminent scholars...introduces readers to early Irish litanies, medieval Welsh praise poems, and the wealth of blessings derived from an oral tradition that made prayer a part of daily life. A welcome contrast to modern worship, Celtic prayer is liberating and, like a living spring, forever fresh.
Carmina-Gadelica A Compendium of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, literary-folkloric poems and songs, proverbs, lexical items, historical anecdotes, natural history observations, and miscellaneous lore gathered in the Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland between 1860 and 1909 by Alexander Carmichael between 1860 and 1909.http://www.smo.uhi.ac.uk/gaidhlig/corpus/Carmina/
Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom
John O'Donohue
He guides us through the spiritual landscape of the Irish imagination with ancient teachings, stories, and blessings of Celtic wisdom providing profound insights on the universal themes of friendship, solitude, love, and death.
To Bless the Space Between Us: A Book of Blessings
John O’Donohue
A beautiful collection of blessings to help readers through both the everyday and the extraordinary events of their lives.
This book invites readers on a journey through Ireland, Wales, and Cornwall where we contemplate the sacred feminine in Celtic spirituality. Here you will connect with the age-old Christian traditions and... discover how springs and holy wells were associated with birthing and healing, and contemplate the feminine wisdom hidden in Celtic traditions.
The Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation
J. Phillip Newel
"I explore the Celtic image of Christ as the Memory of what we have forgotten. He remembers the dance of the universe and the harmony that is deep within all things. He is the Memory also of who we are."
If you are unable to connect via Zoom, please feel free to connect by phone by dialing:
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
Welcome: (Jim) We warmly welcome you to our Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community based in Albany, NY. During this time of pandemic, we have become a community without walls or boundaries, thanks to the technology of Zoom. While everyone will be “muted” for most of the liturgy, we invite you to pray the parts designated “All” and to sing out loud. We ask our readers to “unmute” for their reading and then “remute” again after finishing; the same goes for anyone designated to pray a “Voice” part. Please have some bread and wine or juice on your table. As St. Augustine said, “The one who sings, prays twice”, so let us begin in song!
Opening Song:We Come To The Feast – Michael Joncas
https://youtu.be/He1viPvFXzc
We place upon your table a gleaming cloth of white:
the weaving of our stories, the fabric of our lives;
the dreams of those before us, the ancient hopeful cries, the promise of our future:
our needing and our nurture lie here before our eyes.
Refrain:We come to your feast, we come to your feast:
the young and the old, the frightened, the bold, the greatest and the least.
We come to your feast, we come to your feast with the fruit of our lands
and the work of our hands, we come to your feast.
We place upon your table a humble loaf of bread:
the gift of field and hillside, the grain by which we're fed;
we come to taste the presence of him on whom we feed,
to strengthen and connect us, to challenge and correct us, to love in word and deed. Ref.
We place upon your table a simple cup of wine:
the fruit of human labor, the gift of sun and vine;
we come taste the presence of him we claim as Love,
his dying and his living, his leading and his giving, his love in cup outpoured. Ref.
We gather 'round your table, we pause within our quest;
we stand beside our neighbors, we name the stranger "guest."
The feast is spread before us; you bid us come and dine:
in blessing we'll uncover, in sharing we'll discover your substance and your sign. Ref.
LITURGY OF WORD
Reading 1:The Universal Christ – Richard Rohr, ofm
“How God Keeps Creation both Good and New” p.95
God keeps creating things from the inside out, so they are forever yearning, developing, growing, and changing for the good. This is the fire he has cast upon the earth, the generative force implanted in all living things, which grows things both from within—because they are programmed for it—and from without—by taking in sun, food, and water.
If we see the Eternal Christ Mystery as the symbolic Alpha Point for the beginning of what we call “time,” we can see that history and evolution indeed have an intelligence, a plan, and a trajectory from the very start. The Risen Christ, who appears in the middle of history, assures us that God is leading us somewhere good and positive, all crucifixions to the contrary. God has been leading us since the beginning of time, but now God includes us in the process of unfolding (Romans 8:28-30). This is the opportunity offered us as humans, and those who ride this Christ train are meant to be the “New Humanity” (Ephesians 2:15b). Christ is both the Divine Radiance at the Beginning Big Bang and the Divine Allure drawing us into a positive future. We are thus bookended in a Personal Love—coming from Love, and moving toward and evermore inclusive Love. This is the Christ Omega! (Rev 1:6).
These are inspired words from Richard Rohr, and the community responds: AMEN!
Alleluia:Dennis - Cantor
Gospel:Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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, the goats on the left.
The ruler will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you blessed of my Abba/Amma God! Inherit the kin-dom 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 ones 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 ruler will answer them, ‘The truth is, every time you did this for the least of my sisters or brothers, you did it for me.’
These are inspired words of the evangelist named Matthew, and the community responds: AMEN!
Homily Starter:Joan Pesce
Today we celebrate the feast of the Cosmic Christ, the last Sunday in
Ordinary Time, and the end of the liturgical year. In our country, we celebrateThanksgiving, the harvest time, the end of the agricultural cycle.These tworealities brought to mind for me a time for reflection and evaluation.
In the first reading, Richard Rohr tells us that God keeps creating things from the inside out, the fire, the generative force implanted in all living things bothfrom within—and from without.During this liturgical year, we, as the UpperRoom community members, have spent much time reflecting on the CosmicChrist without.In our efforts to grow in our care for our earth and the futureof our planet with climate change, we have increased our awareness of thebeauty of life all around us.We have increased our efforts to reduce, reuseand recycle as a way to do our part in answer to Pope Francis’ call in LaudatoSi.We have grown in our gratefulness for the beauty and life energy thatsurrounds us.But now, the other part of Rohr’s statement calls to us: growing things from within.How often do I take the time to be within, toempty my mind of thoughts and concerns and experience my union with the Cosmic Christ within?Do I, by my subconscious beliefs about myself, limitmy ability to receive a deeper awareness of the Divine Presence within me?
Am I able to commit to spending a period of time each day—10 or 20
minutes—to going within to meet and open to the Cosmic Christ?
The Cosmic Christ is again presented to us in Matthew’s writing in the
second reading.He uses the analogy of the shepherd with his sheep.Weknow from references in the Gospel of John that the shepherd’s power overthe sheep comes from the persuasive power of love shared.The shepherdlives his life wholly for his sheep, even to the point of death.In this parablewe see the face of the hungry, thirsty, immigrant, naked, sick and incarcerated Jesus who is present and unavoidable at every turn in those crying out to beshepherded.As often as Jesus’ followers respond to these brothers andsisters in the way of the Divine Shepherd, they live. However, the ones whoreject the shepherd’s gracious beneficence, choose to be separated from thatempowering love.We are blessed as Upper Room Community members to
have many opportunities to reach out to help those crying out to be
shepherded in our local community or to support other groups who can
respond in our name.Have I taken advantage of these opportunities? Am Iwilling and able to do more?
In closing these reflections, a line from T.S. Eliot comes to mind: “To make anend is to make a beginning; the end is where we start from.” So let us learnfrom what has preceded us this liturgical year and dream a new vision ofwhat we can be personally, as the People of God, and as a nation for asRichard Rohr reminds us: “God keeps creating things from the inside out sothey are forever yearning, developing, growing, and changing for the good....This is the opportunity offered us as humans and those who ride this Christtrain, to be the ‘New Humanity’.”
Statement of Faith(Ed & Margaret Dilgen alternating)
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. AMEN!
Jim:As we prepare for our sacred meal, Dennis will give voice to our many cares and concerns and so we pray:
(conclude with): O Holy One, you know our needs before we even speak. Yet, we must speak, if only to remind ourselves of our responsibility to care for the least among us. With your grace, may we act justly and love tenderly in addressing the needs of our world, and may we walk humbly on our mother, the Earth. AMEN
LITURGY OF EUCHARIST
Joan:Please join in praying our Eucharistic Prayer
Ever gracious and gifting God, we give you thanks for the great gift of life! We are grateful for brother sun and sister rain, for seed and soil, and for the diversity of creation. We are mindful of the sowers and harvesters, the bakers and vintners who made these simple gifts of bread and wine. May they nourish us for our work to bring about the kin-dom.
Phillis: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. And so we praise you in song:
Terri K:We thank you 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.
Jim et al:(extend your hands and pray together):
We are ever aware of your Spirit in creation. Intensify your Spirit anew in these simple gifts of bread and wine and in us, that we might truly be the Christ presence in our world.
Joan et al: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, and to fix that memory clearly, he bent down and washed their feet.
When he returned to his place at table, Jesus lifted the bread, spoke the blessing, broke the bread, and offered it to them saying:
Take and eat, this is my very self.
Then Jesus 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.
Jim: Let us now eat and drink, mindful that the Cosmic Christ is present to us!
All: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.
Communion Meditation Song:Somewhere to Begin – by Sara Thomsen
And a dream is somewhere to begin.People say to me, “Oh, you gotta be crazy!
How can you love in times like these?
Don’t you read the news?
Don’t you know the score?
How can you love when so many others grieve?”
People say to me, “What kind of fool believes
That love will make a difference in the end?”
By way of a reply, I say a fool such as I
Who sees love as somewhere to begin.
Love is somewhere to begin
the search for something worth believing in.
If changes are to come,
there are things that must be done
and love is somewhere,
and a dream is somewhere.
and a song is somewhere to begin.
Tim:Christ of the Cosmos, we rejoice that You, who are more than we can imagine or dream of, dwell in mystery beyond space and time. 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.”
Sandi D:Christ of the Cosmos, we remember Miriam, the mother of Jesus—faithful disciple and Sts. Francis and Clare who sang canticles to creation. We remember our sisters and brothers: Jay, Ed, Terri, Jonathan, Patrick, Nancy, Adele, Tish, Joan and Michele and all our beloved dead in the great cloud of witnesses who blessed our world and continue to inspire us by their lives.
Jim et al: It is through living as Jesus lived that we awaken to your Spirit within, moving us to glorify You, the Cosmic Christ, at this time and all ways. Amen.
Let us pray the 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. 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. [interpretation by Miriam Therese Winter]
Dismissal and Blessing
Presiders:Christ of the Cosmos is with us!
Let us leave this celebration singing a blessing song to each other.
