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Prayer Service for Women's Ordination on the
17th Annual World Day of Prayer - 25 March 2011
Created by Women's Ordination Worldwide, Liturgy Committee
Link to Prayer Service
Opening Prayer
God of Surprises,
you call us
from the
narrowness of our traditions
to
new ways of being church
from the
captivities of our culture to
creative witness for justice
form the
smallness of our horizons
to
the bigness of your vision
Clear the way in us, your people,
that we might call others to freedom and renewed faith
and that all might know the beauty and power and danger
of the gospel, especially through the ministerial witness of women who, with
their many gifts, can bring healing to a suffering church and people. [1]
Scripture Reading
The Inclusive Bible - Romans 16:1-7
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the
church at Cenchrea. Welcome her, in the
name of our God, in a way worthy of the holy ones, and help her with her
needs. She has looked after a great many
people, including me.
Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila; they were my
coworkers in the service of Christ Jesus, and even risked their live for my
sake. Not only I but all the churches of
the Gentiles are grateful to them.
Remember me also to the congregation that meets in their house....
My greetings to Mary, who has worked hard for you, and
to Andronicus and Junia, my kin and fellow prisoners; they are outstanding
apostles, and they were in Christ even before I was.
Reflection
Space to share your own thoughts.
Closing Prayer
Ever present God; open the hearts and minds of all
people, and inspire us all to use the unique gifts you have given us for loving
service to each other. We pray especially now, for those women whose gifts are
best suited to serve your Church as ordained deacons and priests. Empower them
with courage as they answer your call and strengthen them for humble service,
great compassion, and insightful wisdom. Support them through their ministries
and enlighten the leadership of your Church to practice the equality that Jesus
modeled to embrace all women and men whom you have gifted for sacramental
service. Strengthen your Holy Spirit within those you have chosen for ordained
ministry. May they answer your call and follow you with generous hearts. We ask this in the name of Jesus, who called
Mary Magdalene and Phoebe - as well as Peter and Paul - to be ministers in the
early Christian communities. Amen
Founded in 1996, Women's Ordination Worldwide (WOW) is
an international network of groups whose mission is the admission of Roman
Catholic women to all ordained ministries. WOW is founded on the principle of
equality and therefore opposes any discrimination. 'There is neither Jew nor
Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female,
for you are all one in Christ Jesus'. (Galatians 3:28)
[1] (Drawn from a prayer written by Gwen Cashmore and
Joan Puls in 1992. It is based on 'Hanta Yo', a Lakota Sioux invocation meaning
'Clear the Way'. With additions from Sue Williamson.)
PRAYER FOR MARCH 25TH,
2010
IN THE YEAR OF THE PRIEST,
OUT OF EXILE, TOWARD AN INCLUSIVE
PRIESTHOOD
Created by Gloria Ulterino
"God Has Done Great Things for
Us"
Gathering Rites
Welcome and Introductions:
Invite people to greet one another. Then offer an
introduction along these lines. It's Lent. A time of preparation...
of tilling the soil... of awakening to sprouts of life in what otherwise might
seem deader than a doornail. It's a time of enlightenment... of
reconciliation and healing... of entering ever more deeply into covenant
relationship with our Maker. It's a privileged time to listen deeply to
any divine nudges... and to re-affirm our "Yes" to God's call
upon our lives... even if our church leaders keep on saying
"No."
The
question is: What do we do with such deeply rooted challenges? Sr.
Marilyn Lacey, in her new book, This Flowing Toward Me, (p. 180)
addresses our seemingly impossible challenges. "The answer,"
she says, "lies in the graciousness of our God, who never issues a call
without also extending a gift. In other words, along with every ‘hard
saying' or prophetic challenge there is also given the grace to live that way,
joyfully." And I agree, wholeheartedly. We must live into our
Yes's. Even now. Even today. Believing, with everything in
us, that God has already done great things for us.
Call to Worship, based upon Psalm 85
One: "Let me hear what God... will speak,"
All:
Peace, to all the faithful ones...
and a share in God's promises.
One: "Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
All:
Righteousness and peace will kiss each other,
One: Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
All:
and righteousness will look down from the sky."
Our God "will give what is good."
Gathering Hymn: "Tree of
Life," Lenten verses. Text
by Marty Haugen; tune is THOMAS, © 1984, GIA Publications, Inc.
Prayer of Confession (of
"Believing"): All
I believe in a God-beyond-imagining...
a God of
mercy and justice-seeking, of compassion and challenge,
a God who
lives at the depths of our being...
and beyond
the farthest reaches of an unending universe.
I believe in
a God who has cradled us in love from the very beginning,
gifting
each with more-than-enough to respond to every divine nudge,
with a
heart staunch enough to match every divine call.
I believe
that God sees endless possibilities,
in us and
through us.
I believe
that God never gives up on us,
working in and through our "Yes's," to birth that
future now!
The Word of God
First Reading: Isaiah 55: 3a, 8-12
Psalm 126: "God Has Done Great
Things for Us," text by Marty Haugen, based
upon Psalm 126; tune by Marty Haugen, © 1988, GIA Publications, Inc.
Second Reading: Philippians 1:1-6
Gospel Acclamation: "Glory to
you, O Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ!"
text
and tune by David Haas, from his Mass of Light, © 1988, GIA
Publications, Inc.
Luke 1:26-38
Reflection on Our "Yes" to
God
Do you have trouble, as I do, relating to Mary, mother of
Jesus? Have you, like me, seen one too many plastic statues? Have
you, like me, been turned away from... rather than drawn to... a woman who has
been placed upon a pedestal? A woman whose virginity is prized above all
else? Whose presumably silent, passive demeanor has been named as model
for all women? If so, let me introduce you to another Mary, one I
am beginning to know. One to whom I can relate.
I first encountered her in Israel, on a prayer/ pilgrimage/
tour there not quite two years ago now. In a statue, outside the Church
of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Gabriel is speaking to Mary. And
the look on her face is priceless! It is nothing less than total
astonishment! Bewilderment! "What on earth are you
saying!" Now, this is a believable Mary! Then, just down the
block, inside the smaller church dedicated to St. Joseph is another statue,
known as the Millennium Mary. She's young, dark-skinned, confident,
striding with purpose and conviction. Put them both together, and I
realized... now this is a Mary I can really engage with.
After all,
she's a young teenager when Gabriel first appears to her. Poor, by the
world's standards. Nothing to set her apart, by the world's
standards. Though undoubtedly a young woman of faith, as are a few teens
I've encountered. Probably well enough versed in her own Scripture to
recognize the enormity of what she's being asked to do. "Favored
one," Gabriel said. Did she want to say back to him, "What's
the matter with you? Don't you know that all the favored ones have been
men? Men who have asked by God to do some serious liberating of our
people? Men like Noah and Moses. What can that possibly have to do
with me?" Then, of course, we have the words attributed to
her. "How can this be?" A most practical question.
A question perhaps fraught with fear, as well, since she could be stoned to
death for becoming pregnant out of wedlock. In any case, as both Luke and
Matthew tell the story- though in very different ways- she is presented with
the vast surprises of God. Will she- a seemingly most unlikely candidate-
work for the liberation of her people? Will she- a seemingly most
unlikely candidate- give birth to hope rather than despair? Give birth to
love rather than hatred and division. Give birth to the eternal Word of
God in human flesh... in her flesh... and thereby become the first to honestly
say, "this is my body... this is my blood."
Now,
doesn't her "Yes" resound in our own hearts? Doesn't her
"Yes" seem as impossible as our own? Doesn't her
"Yes" resound down through the centuries in so many woman who
question... and doubt... and search for God's assurances... in the face of
continual "No's" from so many in human authority. Indeed, this
is a Mary with whom we can relate. This is a Mary who can offer us strength,
courage, and conviction as we, too, live into God's future right here, and
right now.
Responding to the Word:
Anointed for Co-Creating God's
Future
Litany of Women's "Yes's,"
moving us toward an Inclusive Priesthood
Leader: So many women, age after age, have responded wholeheartedly
to God's call upon their lives. Despite doubts, despite questions,
despite feeling out on the margins or in exile. While only a miniscule
number of women are named here, each has placed her stamp on the inclusive nature
of God's call. Twelve women are named, for obvious reasons. Just as
the Synoptic Gospel writers named Jesus' choice of twelve men, as symbolic of a
new Israel, so this list of twelve women symbolizes a movement over
centuries toward an inclusive priesthood. (A different person might
read each one.)
Sung Refrain: "Behold, I make
all things new," © 1995 The Iona
Community. GIA Publications, Inc., exclusive North American agent.
The words are as follows:
"Behold, behold I make all things new, beginning with you and starting
from
today.
Behold, behold I make all things new, my promise is true, for I am Christ the
way."
Miriam of the Red Sea, older sister
of Moses. Oh, how she danced and sang
and praised God on that night that was different from every other night!
The night of Passover, the night that set God's People free, the night that
began their journey toward becoming God's "treasured possession"...
"a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."[1]
Surely, she was a priest! In fact, some scholars believe that the
entire prayer of Exodus 15, attributed to Moses, is Miriam's. [2]
We know that Miriam was much loved by her people. For, when she
contracted leprosy during the wilderness wanderings, "the people did not
set out on the march" again, until she was healed and restored to the
community.[3]
We know that even the earth mourned her death, at Kadesh, for "there was
no water for the congregation."[4]
Finally, we know that Micah names her a prophet.[5]
What can we say, then, about Miriam of the Reed Sea, Miriam of the Exodus,
Miriam, sister of Moses? Indeed, she was priest, prophet, and strong
leader of courage.
Woman who anoints Jesus on his head
before the Passion. Mark is first to tell her
story, just as some of the religious leaders are intentionally plotting to kill
Jesus, just as Judas sets off to betray him.[6]
What a contrast she presents! Without being told who she is, we discern
that she must be a disciple. She knows Jesus well, and she's aware
of what is about to take place. Besides, the male disciples don't
question her identity... only point fingers in anger, that she has dared to
break into this all-male dinner party... and "waste" her
precious nard on Jesus! But Jesus defends her...gratefully.
"Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole
world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her."[7]
What has she done? She's anointed Jesus on the head, like priests
and prophets of old. Poured out her abundance on him, as Jesus has
continually done on so many. Therefore, as Mark tells it, Jesus does not
need to say, "Do this in remembrance of me," at the Last
Supper. For she has already pointed the way.
Mary of Magdala, apostle to the
apostles. The Scriptures cannot deny
it. She was there... at the Cross... at the Empty Tomb. She was the
first to know of Jesus' resurrection. And, in three Gospels, the first
apostle (meaning one who is sent) to preach the Good News of Easter! All
the tales of her prostitution are wrong! Despite the assurances of St.
Jerome and Pope Gregory the Great. Can we imagine her courage, in the
face of male privilege? Can we imagine her faithfulness to the Good News,
because she knew Jesus so well? Yes, we can; and yes, we must.
Mary, mother of Jesus, at Pentecost,
flooded with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. Yes, Mary was there in the Upper Room... with about
120 others, women included.[8]
And, yes, the Holy Spirit hovered once again, over her and all the rest.
It was like a second birth, this time the birth of a much larger body,
the Body of Christ. Think of the possibilities! Remember the words
of Jesus at the Last Supper! "Very truly, I tell you, the one who
believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater
works than these, because I am going to the Father.... If in my name, you
ask me for anything, I will do it."[9]
Sung Refrain, "Behold, I make
all things new," as above.
Prisca, leader of house churches in
Rome, Ephesus and Corinth, with her husband, Aquila. Paul names her co-worker and partner in ministry
with her husband, Aquila.[10]
Called Priscilla in the Acts of the Apostles, Prisca was such an outstanding
leader that her name is most often mentioned first, before that of
Aquila's. At the very dawn of Christianity- in the 50's- she and her
husband were leading house churches. Isn't it likely that she presided at
Eucharist, at least some of the time... and preached, on a regular basis?
For we know that Paul chose them both to instruct the brilliant, but youthful,
Apollos. Why, then, do our leaders still try to keep women
invisible at the altar and silent at the ambo?
Phoebe, deacon of the church at
Cenchreae. Paul names her a deacon and
benefactor.[11]
His intention is clear. When he uses the word same word
"deacon" eleven other times, always referring to men, he means that
they are charismatic leaders of their communities, and gifted preachers.
So was she. As benefactor, she would have been a prominent person in her
community, enough to be of assistance to Paul, as often as he needed her
help. Doesn't it raise the question: how many other women served
as trusted leaders, in the beginning?
Junia, named by Paul as
"prominent" among the apostles, along with her husband Andronicus.[12]
To be an apostle, according to Paul, one must have experienced the risen Christ
and proved willing to suffer on behalf of the Gospel. Relatives of Paul
and very likely members of the original Jerusalem community, Junia and
Andronicus went to prison with Paul, for the sake of the Good News. But
a scribe in the Middle Ages, a man named Aegidius, could not believe that a woman
could be an apostle! So, he put a male ending on her name; and she
remained a "man" until scholars in the 1980's discovered her true
identity. Now, we know, indeed, that this woman was
"prominent among the apostles!"
Lydia, leader of a house church in
Philippi. It is said that she was
Paul's first European convert. A "dealer in purple cloth,"
originally from the Turkish province of Lydia, it is now believed by some
scholars that she was a freed slave.[13]
Of this we can be certain. She was a seeker, often worshiping with a
group of Jewish women. Her heart caught fire on the day that Paul first
spoke to this group of women. So much so, that she begged Paul to baptize
her... and her entire household. Then, not unlike the two disciples on
the road to Emmaus, she urged Paul to stay at her home. What happened
next was the beginning of Paul's favorite community, his beloved community of
joy, at Philippi. And Lydia, great woman of courage, presided over that
house church, despite the many threats of persecution, in those
days.
Sung Refrain: "Behold, I make
all things new," as above.
Hildegard of Bingen, 12th
century Rhineland mystic, abbess, artist, writer, musician, and preacher. After ignoring God's nudges, and thereby becoming
ill, Hildegard finally responded in her 39th year to a
powerful mystical experience. God commanded her to write! To share
her God experiences with others! She had doubted. Questioned.
Why would God call her... an unlettered woman... into service! And
yet, a veritable fountain of spiritual gifts, Hildegard became a highly
regarded religious leader and artist in her day. In fact, bishops in her
native Rhineland invited her on preaching tours when she was in her 60's.
Ludmila Javorova, ordained a priest in Communist Czechoslovakia in 1972.
It was the Feast of the Holy Innocents: December 28, 1970. The question
was put to her, once again, "Do you want to receive it?"
"She answered, ‘Yes, I do.' With his brother Leo as witness, in the
Moravian city of Brno in Czechoslovakia, Bishop Felix Maria Davidek ordained
Ludmila Javorova a Roman Catholic priest."[14]
It was done in secret. It had to be done in secret, because the
harsh Communist rule outlawed the practice of any religion. And Felix
Davidek, with whom Ludmila ministered, strongly believed in the need for women
to minister to women, in prison. Ludmila believed in her call, as
well. Of those hours immediately following her ordination, she says:
"A space was opened up in me and I entered into it. Its depth, its
beauty, are perceived without words. I go toward it. I do not know
what it is, but I go." She ministered tirelessly.
Courageously. But, after Czechoslovakia was released from Communist rule,
the Vatican refused to recognize her ordination. And she has agreed to
serve only in ways acceptable to the official church. But she has been
ordained.
Bishop Patricia Fresen and Roman
Catholic WomenPriests. Beginning
in 2002 on the Danube, women have been ordained as Roman Catholic
WomenPriests. Faith-filled, courageous Patricia Fresen, originally from
South Africa and trained in the struggles there against apartheid, is
outstanding among them. Now ordained a bishop in apostolic succession by
an anonymous bishop in good standing with the Roman Catholic hierarchy, she has
been instrumental in the rapid growth of women's priesthood in North
America. At this time there are 46 priests and six bishops ordained in
this movement on our continent, with more to follow this year, both in May and
October. Their web site, www.womenpriests.org, proclaims the call of
God upon their lives: "We love our family, the Catholic Church. We
fully accept the authority of the Pope. We respect his personal integrity
as an outstanding spiritual leader. But we are convinced that the Pope
and his advisors in Rome are making a serious mistake by dismissing women as
priests. We feel obliged in conscience to make our carefully considered
reasons known, fulfilling our duty to speak out as our present Pope has
repeatedly told us to do.
Women we know, who live out God's call to the priesthood in a host of
ways: we name them now, honoring their faithfulness, their giftedness, and
their courage.
Sung Refrain, "Behold, I make
all things new," as above.
Ritual of Anointing
Leader: In our baptism, we have been immersed into the power of the
Holy Spirit and anointed with chrism. From early on, the followers of
Jesus believed, as Paul proclaimed: "There is no longer Jew or Greek,
there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all
of you are one in Christ Jesus."[15]
In this, we also believe. And we remain convinced of God's call upon our
lives... despite every doubt, despite every moment of discouragement, despite
every effort of others to keep us from our call. Therefore, we have persisted
on our path, like our courageous ancestors in faith. Today, then, we come
forward, once again. Wholeheartedly claiming our call, once again.
Wholeheartedly seeking the hope... courage... and joy to continue living into
that call.
Please come forward, then, to one of the leaders (this
would include the Prayer Leader and any of the readers), answer the
questions put to you, and be anointed with holy oil.
Question:
Do you believe in the power of God's call upon your life?
Response: I
do.
Question:
Will you continue to live into this call, for the good of our church and our
world?
Response: I
will.
Anointing:
Be sealed with the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Some appropriate taped music might
be played at this time. Suggestions include the following music from the
Taize community: "Veni, Sancte, Spiritus" or "Ubi
Caritas.")
Sending Forth
Blessing: Please turn to the person next to you and bless one another
in the way that seems most fitting.
Hymn: "Jerusalem, My
Destiny," text and tune by Rory Cooney, ©
1990, GIA Publications, Inc.
[1] See Exodus
19:5 and 6.
[2] See Exodus
15:1-18. This is one of the most ancient texts in all of Scripture.
[3] See Numbers
12:15.
[4] See Numbers
20:1-2.
[5] See Micah 6:4.
[6] See Mark
14:1-11.
[7] See Mark 14:9.
[8] See Acts
1:12-14; 2:2-4.
[9] See John
14:12, 14.
[10] See Romans
16:3.
[11] See Romans
16:1-2.
[12] See Romans
16:7.
[13] See her story
in Acts 16:11-15, and 40.
[14] See Miriam
Therese Winter, Out of the Depths, (New York: The Crossroad Publishing
Company, 2001), p. 9; hereafter referred to as Depths.
[15] See Galatians
3:28.
World Day of Prayer for Women's
Ordination
March 25, 2009: Feast of the
Annunciation
Inclusive Liturgy
Please note: The inclusive liturgy below is intended simply as a guide.
Please feel free to adapt the liturgy to meet the needs of your community
gathering. For example, you may wish to break up the "celebrant" text
among all members of your community, use alternative readings, or shorten the
liturgy for a prayer service. In addition, we recommend you choose songs that
are familiar to your community.
Greeting
Welcome to the family of God, where
all are truly welcomed and honored! Today, we gather in solidarity with
those who prophetically speak out publicly in support of women's ordination.
This year's World Day of Prayer calls us to join in community and prayer on the
feast of the Annunciation, so like Mary, we can prophetically and publicly
proclaim "yes" to breaking the silence on women's ordination and
speaking out against injustice, sexism, racism, classism, and homophobia in our
Church and world.
Opening Song
Celebrant: Let us begin in the
name of God, Source of All Being, Eternal Word and Holy Spirit,
All: Amen.
Celebrant: May our God be with you.
All: And also with you.
Greeting of Peace:
God, grant us
the peace and unity of your dwelling place as we gather in the name of the Christ who left your peace among us. Let us
share that peace with one another.
Opening Prayer
From Praying with Celtic Holy
Women by Bridget Mary Meehan and Regina Madonna Oliver.
Mary, Blessed Mother of Jesus,
Reflection of God's warm mothering love,
Embrace us this day with the strength, peace, and healing we need
To reflect the presence of the Holy One in our world.
May we be prophetic voices for
people of the world
Who suffer poverty, hunger and oppression,
Assuring them that they are God's beloved people.
May we work for justice and peace around the globe.
Flower-garland of the ocean,
Flower-garland of the land,
Flower-garland of the heavens,
Mary, Mother of Jesus,
We praise you, we thank you, we love
you.
All: Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 7: 10-14
10 Once more YHWH spoke to Ahaz and
said, 11 "Ask for a sign from YHWH your God; let it be deep as the
netherworld, or high as sky!" 12 But Ahaz answered, "I will
not ask! I will not put YHWH to a test!" 13 Then Isaiah said, "Listen, O
House of David! Is it not enough for you to weary those around you, must you
also weary my God?" 14 Therefore the Holy One will give you a sign: This
young woman will become pregnant and will give you birth. You will name the
child Immanu-El."
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm: Either 40:5-10 or 45
Psalm 40:5-10
5 How many wonders you've worked for
us,
YHWH, my God!
How many plans you've made for us;
You have no equal!
I want to recount them again and
again,
but their number is too great.
6 You don't desire sacrifice or
oblation,
Instead you made my ears receptive
to you;
You asked no burnt offering
or sacrifice for sins for me.
7 And so I declare,
"Here I am! I have come!
8 In the scroll of the book
it is written about me."
I desire to do your will, my God,
And your law is written in my heart.
9 I'll proclaim your justice
in the Great Assembly,
and I won't keep my mouth shut,
and you well know.
10 I have never kept your generosity
to myself,
but announced your faithfulness and
saving action;
I have made no secret of your love
and faithfulness in the Great Assembly.
Psalm 45
1 My heart is stirred with this
sweet melody;
I serenade you with my verse, my
leader:
My tongue is like the pen of a
skillful writer
2 Over all the earth, you are the
most stately in manner,
and the most charming of speakers,
because God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword upon your thigh,
my champion,
triumph by your splendor
and subdue by your grandeur!
4 In your majesty ride forth
for the cause of truth and the
defense of the just.
Let your right hand proclaim your
awesome deeds!
5 Your arrows are sharp;
They pierce the hearts of your
enemies
and make the nations cower before
you.
6 For God has enthroned you forever
and ever,
and your royal scepter is a rod of
justice.
7 And because you love justice and
hate corruption,
God, your God, has set you above
your companions
and anointed you with the oil of
gladness.
8 Your robes are all fragrant with
myrrh, aloes and cassia.
Stringed instruments entertain you
in ivory palaces.
9 Daughters of dignitaries are in
your retinue,
and at your right hand stands the
queen in gold from Ophir.
10 Listen, my daughter! Give this
your full attention:
forget your country and ancestral
home,
11 for the ruler is enthralled by
your beauty;
give honor as you would to your
sovereign.
12 A Tyrian robe is among your
gifts,
and great dignitaries will court
your favor with jewels.
13 You, my daughter, will be
gloriously dressed
in a gown woven with gold.
14 Adorned in splendid robes you
make your way to the ruler,
and arrive with your friends as your
attendants.
15 With joy and gladness you go in
procession
as you enter the palace of the
ruler.
16 Your children will take the place
of your ancestors,
and you'll make them rulers
throughout all the earth.
17 And I will make your name remembered
from one generation to another,
so that the nations will praise you
forever and ever.
Second Reading: Hebrews 10:4-10
4. It is impossible for the blood of
bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 And this is what Jesus said, on
the coming into the world:
"You who wanted no sacrifice or
obligation
Prepared a body for me,
6 In burnt offerings or sacrifices
for sin
You took no pleasure.
7 Then I said, just as it was
written for me
In the scroll of the book,
‘God, here I am! Check on quotation
marks here
I have come to do your will.'"
? And here
8 In saying that God doesn't want
burnt offerings and sacrifices-which are offered according to the Law- 9 and
then saying, "I have come to do your will," Jesus abolishes the first
Covenant in order to establish the second. 10 By God's will, we have been
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for
all.
Gospel Acclamation
Celebrant: Our God be with
you.
All: And also with you.
Celebrant: A reading from the
holy gospel according to John:
All: Glory to you, O God.
Gospel Reading: Luke 1:26-38
26 Six months later, the angel
Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a young
woman named Mary; she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.
28 Upon arriving, the angel said to Mary,
"Rejoice, highly favored one!
God is with you! Blessed are you among women!"
29 Mary was deeply troubled by these
words and wondered what the angel's greeting meant. 30 The angel went on to say
to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. 31 You'll
conceive and bear a son, and give him the name Jesus- "Deliverance." 32
His dignity will be great, and he will be great, and he will be called the Only
Begotten of God. God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David, his ancestor,
33 to rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will never end."
34 Mary said to the angel, "How
can this be, since I have never been with a man?"
35 The angel answered her, "The
Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow
you-hence the offspring to be born will be called the Holy One of God. 36 Know
too that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a child in her old age; she
who was thought to be infertile is now in her sixth month. 37 Nothing is
impossible with God."
38 Mary said, "I am the great
servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say."
With that, the angel left her.
Celebrant: The holy
gospel of Jesus, the Anointed One
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Homily: Shared homily on the theme
"Break the Silence on Women's Ordination. Shatter the Stained Glass
Ceiling." (The community shares their thoughts
on the theme.)
Prayers of the Faithful:
(The following prayer can
be read as an alternative intersession response. Or you may develop more
traditional intercessions)
Response: Out of our depths we cry
to you.
Sophia Wisdom: Our world community
today, broken, unhealed and full of suffering, cries out for women's voices and
leadership.
We need women priests...to witness
daily for nonviolence in a world gone mad with the power of weapons and guns
and greed.
We need women priests...to put their
bodies on the line and witness to the Powers that Be to stop bloodshed.
We need women priests...to name our
government's squandering of the people's money.
We need women priests...to call our
government, church, and all institutions to transparency, conversion, and
accountability.
We need women priests...to speak up
to the government and voice the basic needs of the grassroots -- which have
gone unmet for so long.
We need women priests...to preach
the Good News to the poor, the oppressed and exploited, and to empower them
mightily.
We need women priests...to boldly
proclaim the Gospel so that it afflicts the rich and comfortable -- who need
shaking up.
We need women priests...to name the
injustices-which are many-that take us away from the fullness of our humanity.
We need women priests...to demand
respect for our Earth and her life-giving waters.
We need women priests...to restore
us and our lives to wholeness/holiness-and to recreate us as community.
We need women priests...to celebrate
the holy passages of our lives, the sacraments, including the Eucharist.
Offertory Song:
Celebrant: Blessed are you, God of
all creation, through your goodness we have this bread to offer which earth has
given and human hands have made. It will become for us the bread of life.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Celebrant: Blessed are you,
God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer,
fruit of the vine and work of human hands. It will become our spiritual
drink.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Celebrant: My sisters
and brothers, let us pray together that these our gifts may be acceptable to
God our Creator.
All: May God accept these
gifts from our hands, for the praise and glory of God's name, for our good and
the good of all the church.
Celebrant: Ever gentle
God, Christ washed the feet of the disciples as an example for us. Accept
our gifts and our worship. By offering ourselves, as a spiritual
sacrifice, may we be filled with the spirit of humility and love. We ask
this through Christ, our brother.
All: Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
Celebrant: May our God be with you.
All: And also with you.
Celebrant: Lift up your
hearts.
All: We lift them up to God.
Celebrant: Let us give thanks
to our gracious God.
All: It is right to give God
thanks and praise.
Celebrant: Blessed are
you, compassionate and faithful God. We do well always and everywhere to give
you thanks. You have no need of our praise, yet our desire to thank you
is itself your gift to us. Our prayer of thanksgiving adds nothing to
your greatness, but makes us grow in your grace, through Jesus, the Anointed
One, our brother. In our joy, we sing to your glory with all the choirs
of angels:
Holy, holy, O holy God. Spirit
of Love and God of Peace. Heaven and earth are filled with your
glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the One who comes in the
name of our God. Hosanna in the highest.
Celebrant: How
wonderful the work of your hands, O God! As a mother tenderly gathers her
children, you embraced a people as your own, and filled them with longing for a
peace that would last, and for a justice that would never fail. Through
countless generations, your people hungered for the bread of freedom.
From them, you raised up Jesus, the Living Bread, in whom ancient hungers were
satisfied. He healed the sick, though he himself would suffer. He
offered life to sinners, yet death would hunt him down. With a love
stronger than death, he opened wide his arms and surrendered his spirit. Loving
God, let your Holy Spirit move in power over us and over our earthly gifts of
bread and wine, that they may become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
All: On the night before he met with
death, Jesus came to table with the women and men he loved. He took bread and praised you, God of all
creation. He blessed and broke the bread, and gave it to his disciples
saying: Take this, all of you, and eat it: This is my body which
will be given up for you.
All: When supper was ended, he poured a final cup of
wine, and blessed you, God of all creation: He passed the cup among his
disciples and said: Take this, all of you, and drink from it. This
is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It
will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in
memory of me.
Celebrant: Let us proclaim the
mystery of faith.
All: Christ has died, Christ
is risen, Christ will come again.
Celebrant: Ever gentle God, we
commemorate Jesus, your son. Death could not bind him, for you raised him
up in the spirit of holiness, and exalted him as the first of creation.
May his coming in glory find us ever watchful in prayer, strong in love, and
faithful to the breaking of the bread. Rejoicing in the Holy Spirit,
your whole church offers thanks and praise, together with Benedict, our pope,
with all our bishops, men and women, and all whose lives bring hope to this
world. Awaken to the undying light of pardon and peace those who have fallen
asleep in faith, and those who have died alone unloved, and unmourned.
Gather them all into communion with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with all
your saints. Then, at last, will all creation be one, and all divisions
healed, and we shall join in singing your praise through Jesus Christ, Eternal
Word.
All: Through Christ, with
Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is
yours, All-Loving God, forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of Jesus
Celebrant: Let us pray
together as Jesus taught us:
All: Our father/mother in
heaven
Hallowed be your name
Your kin-dom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
And lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from all evil.
For yours is the kin-dom, and the power and the glory
Now and forever. Amen.
Celebrant: The peace of God be
with you all.
All: And also with you.
Celebrant: As we share our
joy, let us take one another's hands and wish our neighbors peace.
The bread is broken.
Celebrant: This is the Lamb of God,
who takes away the brokenness of our world. How blessed are we who are
called to this supper.
All: Jesus, you make me worthy
to receive you. By your word, I am healed.
Celebrant: This is the table
of Jesus Christ. All are welcome to participate in this feast.
Communion Song
Closing Prayer
Celebrant: Let us pray, All-Sustaining
Mother, Gracious Father, you renew us with food and drink from heaven.
Bless and strengthen your people. May they remain faithful to you and
always rejoice in your mercy. Grant this in the name of Jesus, the
Christ.
All: Amen.
Final Blessing
Celebrant: Our God be with
you.
All: And also with you.
Celebrant: Let us pray for
God's blessing. May God bless all gathered here in the Spirit as we
minister to one another as the People of God.
All: Amen.
Celebrant: May God
bless the church and move her forward in prophetic obedience to the Spirit.
All: Amen.
Celebrant: May God bless all creation,
and set us free in Her love. We ask this in God our Creator, in Jesus in
whom we share the Good News, and in the Holy Spirit who sets us free.
All: Amen.
Celebrant: The Mass is ended.
Go in the peace of Christ and bring compassionate presence to all the world.
All: Thanks be to God!
Closing Song
* Liturgical Readings for the Feast
of the Annunciation from the Inclusive Bible by Priests for Equality
Erin Saiz Hanna created the 2009
World Day of Prayer for Women's Ordination Inclusive Liturgy with input from
Roman Catholic Womenpriest, Bridget Mary Meehan.
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