Please join us between 9:30 and 9:55 am via ZoomHere is the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82512159155
phone-in for (audio only).Phone Number: (646) 558-8656
Welcome and Theme (Dennis): We gather today recognizing the gifts that each of us bring to our community, using them for the furtherance of the common good in the name of Christ, who showed the way in his relationship with the Holy One and those he encountered along on the journey.
Opening Prayer (Clare Julian): Holy Mystery, you bless us with a variety of gifts to share with our world. May we, like Jesus, use those gifts to bring justice and equality to the society in which we live, and to bring healing and rebirth to all creation. Amen.
Opening Song: Everyday God
https://youtu.be/f3an4O13BzELITURGY OF THE WORD
1st Reading (Connie): A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Is 62:1-5)
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
you shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the LORD.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD,
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “
or your land “Desolate, “
but you shall be called “My Delight, “
and your land “Espoused.”
For the LORD delights in you
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
These are the inspired words of the Prophet Isaiah, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
2nd Reading (Suzanne D): A reading from the Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (1 Cor 12:4-11)
Brothers and sisters:
There are a variety of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit;
there are a variety of ministries but the same One;
there are a variety of outcomes but the same God
is working in all of them.
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for the common good.
To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom;
to another, the expression of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
to another, faith by the same Spirit;
to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit;
to another, miraculous powers;
to another, prophecy;
to another, discernment of spirits;
to another, varieties of tongues;
to another, interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit produces all of these,
distributing them individually to each person as she wishes.
These are the inspired words of Paul to the Corinthians, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
Alleluia: Bridget Ball Shaw
Gospel (Mary Skelly): A reading from the Gospel writer known as John (Jn 2:1-11)
There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee,
and the mother of Jesus was there.
Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran short,
the mother of Jesus said to him,
“They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her,
“Woman, how does your concern affect me?
My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servers,
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings,
each holding twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus told them,
“Fill the jars with water.”
So they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them,
“Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.”
So they took it.
And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine,
without knowing where it came from
— although the servers who had drawn the water knew —,
the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him,
“Everyone serves good wine first,
and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one;
but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee
and so revealed his glory,
and his disciples began to believe in him.
These are the inspired words from the writer known as John, and the community affirms them by saying, Amen.
(pause)
Homily Starter: Clare Julian
As I reflect on the Wedding at Cana, I see a mirroring and transformation of the dynamics and images that were present at the Fall of Adam and Eve recorded in Genesis.
In the story of the Fall, we are presented with the woman, Eve, becoming aware of the fruit. She reflects on its appeal. (no pun intended!) The fruit is pleasing to the eyes and holds for her the promise of becoming more like God. She shares her observation with Adam who appears to go along with Eve’s invitation to partake without any particular discernment process of his own. They partake and are awakened into a state of shame, guilt and projection of blame. They are each given an enduring and harsh consequence to bear, are separated from their Creator, and exiled from the harmonious and peaceful existence experienced in the Garden.
We fast forward now to the Wedding at Cana. Male and female are again present both in the persons of Jesus and Mary, the new Adam and the new Eve, as well as the couple who are being married.
At the Wedding event, Mary notices the fruit of the vine. She is concerned that the wine is running out, not for her own advantage, as Eve, but for the immediate need of the guests. Mary shares her observation with Jesus, inviting him to respond. Jesus’ response to Mary is quite different from Adam’s response to Eve. His impulse is to question, “What has this to do with me and you?” (ie what is the meaning in this? How am I to understand this in relationship with the Divine?) Mary expresses her trust in Jesus’ process of discernment and instructs the officials to do whatever he tells them.
Scripture reveals to us little about Mary, but highlights several times over her propensity to reflect on the events in her life. “She pondered these things in her heart”. She presumably has formed Jesus in this practice of contemplation, of reflection, of inner discernment on the meaning of the events in his life. And he responds reflectively regarding the circumstances at the Wedding at Cana.
Mary affirms her trust in Jesus’ innate wisdom as he in his own way now, “ponders these things”. In this process, he becomes aware that this is his time, and the beginning of his ministry. Remember he has been baptized and affirmed by the Father, he has endured a grueling 40 days in the wilderness, wrestling we might say, with the serpent and coming to terms with the human ego. Unlike Eve he learns to subject it to the greater perspective of the Divine. At the wedding, through Mary’s wisdom and his own discernment process, Jesus comes to realize that he is being called to begin his earthly ministry, express his gifts and fulfill his purpose. He changes water into wine and meets the needs of the guests!
What do we make of the symbols of water and wine presented here? We know the huge jars of water were used for Jewish purification rites. Through washing with these waters, individuals were thought to be made clean and presentable to God. Here in our story, this purification water is turned into wine!! What is Spirit communicating to us in this transformation? What is the meaning of the wine?
In Sufi literature, wine represents union with Divine love. Wine is often used in Sufi poetry to symbolize the ecstatic/intoxicating love of the Divine and is associated with the dissolution of ego, the breaking down of defenses and sense of separateness. All boundaries are shattered under its influence. The analytical mind is rendered inoperable. We are familiar with the stories and images of someone who is intoxicated and loves everybody! That is what the miracle is showing us – that Love is now overriding Law and our sense of separation from God.
It is not by accident that the Wedding at Cana is given as the first of Jesus’ miracles. It is rich with symbolic meaning that anticipates God’s gift of inexpressible Love which Christ will embody, in his ministry, in his death, in his Resurrected Life and Presence to us now through the Holy Spirit. At the Fall there are harsh consequences for all. At the Wedding all are Blessed!
The meaning embedded in this miracle, I believe, is not about possessing magical powers over the elements, but about a transcending of the consequences of the Fall. God is truly with us now, pitching his tent among us and loving us, accepting us, affirming us, reuniting us with the Divine and one another. In changing the water into wine, Jesus is showing us that our relationship with God is no longer based on making ourselves pure enough, worthy enough, clean enough , but rather our relationship with God is about Love, intoxicating, inebriating Love of the Divine, which we simply need to imbibe and partake of. As the disciple John writes, “We love Him because He first loved us”.
Perhaps it is not by accident that the couple being married is not named. Perhaps we may understand the couple as ourselves being espoused to the Divine through Christ. Isaiah’s words are some of the most beautiful recorded in Scripture, “You will no longer be called Forsaken or your land Desolate, but you will be called, My Delight is in Her and your land (ie your life, your existence, your embodied experience and purpose) Espoused.” Through Christ we are now espoused to Him, to the Holy Spirit, to our beloved Creator!
I will end here with a quote from Rumi:
The lovers will drink wine night and day.
They will drink wine until they can tear away the veils of intellect and melt away the layers of shame and modesty.
When in love body, mind, heart and soul become one.
Become this, fall in love and you will not be separated again
What meaning does the Wedding at Cana hold for you? How do you understand yourself to be espoused to the Divine and in what ways does this enliven your understanding of the gifts you bring to the world?
Statement of Faith: Srs. Marjorie & Pat
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
Dennis: 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 offered
We bring these and all deeply held blessings, cares, and concerns to the table of friendship and peace.
Dennis: With open hands let us pray our Eucharistic Prayer together:
Holy One, we yearn to be close to you and to live in the embrace of your gentle wisdom. Your divine grace and love lead us away from our anxieties, fears and distractions and toward all that is blessed and joyous.
Each of us is divinely created in Your image. We are precious to you and to each other because of who we are. We are beloved and blessed in your unconditional love, quite apart from how we act or fail to act.
Thankful for Jesus who treated all of Creation with respect and abundant love, we resolve to follow his example to be a light in the darkness. We recognize Your loving Presence here with us today and always, and we sing:
Holy, Holy, Holy: Here in this Place by Christopher Grundy
Clare Julian: Dearest Holy One, there are times when we feel scarcity and emptiness even though we know You love us more than our human imagination can grasp. May we have the presence of mind to live in Your love. We strive to see You reflected in every person we meet. Guide us in sharing our gifts and in being open hearted so that we may accept help from others.
We thank you for Jesus, who knew what it was like to be an outsider in occupied and foreign lands. May his presence prompt us to bring gospel kindness and understanding to the divisions and conflicts of our time.
Please extend your hands in blessing.
We call upon your Spirit that is present in us at this Eucharistic table. We are grateful for the bread and wine that remind us of our call to be the light of Christ to the world.
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.
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, this is my very self.
Dennis: Then he took the cup of the covenant, spoke the grace, and offered it to them saying:
Take and drink.
Whenever you remember me like this,
I am among you.
(pause)
Let us share this bread and cup to proclaim and live the gospel of justice and peace, using the words, I Am Gifted by the Spirit.
Communion Meditation: Come Whoever You Are by Clare Julian Carbone
Post-Communion Prayer
Clare Julian: Holy One, your transforming grace inspires us to follow our consciences and bring comfort to wherever people are in need. We pray for wisdom, patience and persistence to make a difference in our world. We resolve to love as Jesus loved, to discern the better angels of our nature with hearts open to your Spirit. Amen.
Presider: Let us pray as Jesus taught us:
Holy One, you are 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, Amen. Adapted by Miriam Therese Winter
BLESSING
Blessing Song: Listen to Jesus by Bernadette Farrell
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Listen to Jesus, do what he tells you, open your hearts today.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Listen to Jesus, do what he tells you, live in God’s love today.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Listen to Jesus, do what he tells you, love and forgive today.
Words and music: Bernadette Farrell © 1995 by OCP & Willow, published by ViewPoint Resources Direct. Used by permission.
Closing Prayer: Dennis
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. Br. David Standl-Rast
Closing Song: One Spirit of Love by Andra Moran
Many are the wonders of God many doors open wide, many roads that are still untraveled. Many are the gifts that we share many burdens we bear many mysteries still unraveled.
Many gifts, one spirit of love, one spirit of love. Many gifts, one spirit of love, one spirit of love.
Some will be the teachers of life, some the preachers of love some the fathers and some the mothers. Some will be the ones who will care. Some will listen and share, serving God as they serve each other.
Many gifts, one spirit of love, one spirit of love.
Living as the body of Christ and the heart of the earth and the hands that will break new ground, Celebrate the gifts from within, now it’s time to begin. God’s people turn this world around now.
Many gifts, one spirit of love, one spirit of love.
