Day 285: Our Emmaus Celebration for Sunday, December 27, 2020

by Victoria MacDonald

...the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people.” Lk 2: 10

(please note: We'll send out the final version of the celebration tomorrow morning along with the ZOOM link. See you all on ZOOM. Please start reflecting on the questions for our shared homily which invites your thoughts on:

• What has been unveiled or revealed to you over these past 9 months?

• Have you felt a transition phase, and a movement toward a whole “new birth” coming?)

Opening Prayer

This night let us pray:

For deep listening...

Listening alone...

Listening together...

Listening to others...

Listening to oneself...

Listening to the earth...

Listening to the universe...

Listening to the abundance that is...

Awakening to and feeling sound and silence, as all there is...just silence;

Helping to create an atmosphere of opening, for all to be heard,

with an understanding that listening is healing.

Deep listening in all its variations is infinite...

Something new is being born

If we but let it.

We stand this day

At a new doorway

Awaiting that which comes...

May we be midwives to one another

Helping each other bring new life

Into our midst...

So, let us begin

Honoring wisdom and wonder

Creativity and Contemplation

Generativity and Generosity.

Love... come be birthed, here, with us now,

This day,

And always.

Amen.

(Composite of Poem / prayers by: Pauline Oliveros and Anne Hillman

adapted by Victoria MacDonald)

First Reading: Isaiah 60: 1-7

Arise, shine out, for your light has come,

and the glory of Yahweh has risen non you.

Look! though night still covers the earth

and darkness the peoples,

on you Yahweh is rising

and over you his glory can be seen.

The nations will come to your light

and kings to your dawning brightness.

Lift up your eyes and look around:

all are assembling and coming towards you,

your sons coming from far away

and your daughters being carried on the hip.

At this sight you will grow radiant,

and your heart will throb and dilate,

since the riches of the sea will flow to you,

the wealth of the nations come to you;

camels in throngs will fill your streets,

the young camels of Midian and Ephah;

everyone in Saba will come,

bringing gold and incense

and proclaiming Yahweh’s praises.

A number of years ago, I saw this “Air” Mandala, painted by a local artist, Susan St. Thomas, and I just had to buy it! (It now hangs in my bedroom!) She had painted a mandala for each of the elements, but it was this one that I was immediately drawn to! The great revealing for me, with this move from “earth” element to “air” element, is that we will begin to see ourselves as “one!” We will begin the great task of working together to birth and bring the nations of the world, our earth, and ourselves... together...as one, for our very survival, strength and wholeness. Good News! Great Joy! (Victoria)

Responsorial Psalm

Words from Meister Eckhart

(from Meditations with Meister Eckhart by Matthew Fox)

What good is it to me

If this eternal birth of the divine Son

takes place unceasingly

but does not take place

within myself?

And,

what good is it to me

If Mary is full of grace

and if I am not also full of grace?

What good is it to me

for the Creator to give birth to his/her Son

if I do not also give birth to him

in my time

and in my culture?

This, then,

is the fullness of time:

When the Son of God

is begotten

In us.

A Gospel Reading from Luke 2: 1- 14

Now it happened that at this time Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be made of the whole inhabited world. This census—the first—took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria, and everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. So Joseph set out from the town of Nazareth in Galilee for Judea, to David’s town called Bethlehem, since he was of David’s House and line, in order to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

Now it happened that, while they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to a son, her first-born. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the living space. In the countryside close by there were shepherds out in the fields keeping watch over their sheep during the watches of the night.

An angel of the Lord stood over them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them. They were terrified, but the angel said, “Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. And here is a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words:

Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace for those God favors.

Victoria begins to facilitate the Shared Homily);

Our shared homily will invite your thoughts on:

• What has been unveiled or revealed to you over these past 9 months?

• Have you felt a transition phase, and a movement toward a whole “new birth” coming?

Offering at our Eucharistic table

You have filled us, and all creation, with your blessing

and fed us with your constant love;

you have redeemed us in Christ Jesus

and knit us into one body.

Through your Spirit you replenish us

and call us to the fullness of life.

On the night before he died, Jesus was at table with his friends.

He took bread, gave thanks to you, broke it, and gave it to his friends saying,

“This is my body, broken for you.”

As supper was ending, Jesus took the cup of wine.

Again he gave thanks to you, gave it to his friends and said,

“This cup is the new covenant of my lifeblood shed for you and for all. And as often as you do this, You do this in memory of me.”

Now gathered at your table, we offer to you our gifts of bread and wine,

and ourselves, as living offerings of your love.

Pour out your Spirit upon all these gifts and all of us that

we may be the Your Living Body, Your Lifeblood.

Breathe your Spirit over the whole earth and make us all your new creation.

In the fullness of time bring us with all your saints from every tribe and language,

from every people and nation to feast at the banquet prepared from the foundation of the world.

Let us offer our communal prayer, Heavenly Father:

Heavenly Father, heavenly Mother,

Holy and blessed is your true name.

We pray for your reign of peace to come,

We pray that your good will be done,

Let heaven and earth become one.

Give us this day the bread we need,

Give it to those who have none.

Let forgiveness flow like a river between us,

From each one to each one.

Lead us to holy innocence

Beyond the evil of our days

Come swiftly Mother, Father, come. For yours is the power and the glory and the

mercy: Forever your name is All in One

-PJP

We offer each other the Kiss of Peace:

May the peace of Christ be in our hearts as we shelter in place.

Our Welcoming Communion Prayer

Everyone is welcome to this table.

Our God, whom the universe cannot contain

is present to us in this bread.

The God who redeems us and calls us by name

now meets us in this cup.

So, come, take this bread,

Drink this wine,

In them, God comes to us,

so that we may come to God.

Everyone Partakes of Communion at this time

Our Post Communion Meditation

Our Final Blessing and Closing Prayer:

Holy One of all Blessings

Giver of life and the fullness of all creation

Birth within us with your healing love this night

A love that calls us into the fullness of being

May your healing presence be at work in and through us

That we may see our inter-connectedness with all life

That we may provide for and care for one another

And journey with gentleness for ourselves

And our precious earth home.

Bless us O Holy One with the gift of courage

To stand in loving solidarity with all those who suffer and die

To trust in the darkness and pain of life

Knowing that your faithful and steadfast love

Is stronger than all that may seem to surround us

Bless us that we may stand together

Birthing and braving new ground

Creating new horizons of peace and loving justice.

Bless us O Holy One with the gift of 2020 vision

That we may recognize your living presence around us and within us

That we may see beyond the veil of disguises

And listen past differences

To the magnitude of your spirit here in our midst

May our hearts hear your call

To proclaim your truth

Practice your peace

And live out our lives with your deep compassion

This night and always.

And the good people of our beloved Emmaus Community say:

Amen!

Amen!

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