Fall Equinox
Finding Balance in Community
Women Led Prayer
September 22nd, 2007
Sponsored by
Justice for Women in the
Catholic Church
Catholic Action Network
“We have all known the long loneliness
and we have learned that the only solutionis love
and that love comes with community.”
-Dorothy Day in The Long Loneliness
Procession: Come to the well bearing an item which represents autumn.(Each person will enter our communal space with a fall item. Plase these around the center of our circle, around the well. We will process to the song Prayer of Peace. After putting the item around the well all are invited to sit in chairs arounf the well to begin our prayer together.)
Opening Song: Prayer of Peace pg.527
Welcome and Introductions Invite everyone to introduce themselves and share a change they see in themselves or within nature in the fall.
Opening Prayer:
Saint Tegla,
Companion and Friend,
journey with us to the still point of our beings
where we are one with God.
We can’t do it all or have it all.
May we let go of the feverish pace that exhausts us,
May we come to the Refreshing Springs of Divine Love and drink from the abundant grace
that is always there for us.
Strengthen us to make the changes necessary
so we can live a more balanced, healthy,
and holy life now and in the future.
“The welsh St. Tegla is remembered for two miraculous cures. A man who was born blind prayed to Saint Tegla. she restored his sight by placing two bright stars in his empty sockets which immediately became a pair of new eyes. According to another story.... Kinian, a local ruler beseeched Tegla to cure his head pain. She agreed to do so only if he set free the prisoners he had been torturing.... According to folklore Saint Tegla’s Well was associated with curing the disease of
epilepsy.”
- from Praying with Celtic Holy Women by Bridget Mary Meehan and Regina Madonna Oliver pg 165-173 St. Tegla
Now we will begin our readings:
Readings: Ecclesiates 3:1-8 NRSV
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. What gain have the workers from their toil? I have seen the business that God has given to everyone to be busy with.
God has made everything suitable for its time; moreover God has put a sense of past and future into their minds, yet they cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them than to be happy and enjoy themselves as long as they live; moreover, it is God's gift that all should eat and drink and take pleasure in all their toil.
Responsorial: Take the Time
by Miriam Therese W.
Dorothy Day from the Long Loneliness:
“The most significant thing is community, others said. We are not alone any more.
But the final word is love. At times it has been, in the words of Father Zossima, a harsh and dreadful thing, and our very faith in love has been tried through fire.
We cannot love God unless we love each other, and to love we must know each other in the breaking of bread and we are not alone any more. Heaven is a banquet and life is a banquet too, even with a crust where there is companionship.
We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community. It all happened while we sat there talking, and it is still going on.”
Alleluia
Matthew 6:25-34
'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Mother feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will God not much more clothe you--you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we wear?" For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Mother knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the reign of God and God's righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.”
Homily:
Silence
Centering Meditation: (Read by Ree and Elsie)
Close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. Become aware of your feelings. If you become aware of any worries or fears, greeet the anxiety and befriend it as a loving parent who comforts a crying infant. As you breathe in and out, breathe in peace. As you breathe out, let go of worry or anxiety.
As you breathe in, say “I am God’s beloved.” As you breathe out, say “I treat myself with compassion, kindness and gentleness.” Repeat this prayer several times to relax your body , mind and spirit.
Be aware of ways you can channel your energies into your own healing. Reflect on one thing you can do for better health and wellness
Breathing in: I am the God’s Beloved
Breath out: I treat myself with compassion, kindness and gentleness.
Intercession to the well- On a piece of paper(the paper and pens can be passed around) write: "in order to live a more balanced and healthy life. I will commit to...."
Silently place your commitment around the well. The ancient celts had a custom of “dressing” a well by placing flowers near or in it. As soon as you are ready, go to the well, place your commitment around in and put a flower on your commitment.
Intercessions: (First Elsie and Ree will read these petitions, then invite everyone to offer intercessions and we will all respond May we be Holy and whole.
Our Response is: May we be Holy and whole.
For soundness of body, mind and spirit, we pray….
May we be holy and whole
That we may let go of the clutter that distracts us from living life fully, we pray….
For all women who work too hard and do too much, that they may find relief and relaxation, we pray….
For women who feel stressed out from balancing career and home responsibilities, we pray….
For Saint Tegla and all healers who remind us that we can participate in our own healing, we pray….
For each of us and the commitments we have made to live healthy, whole and balanced lives, we pray….
Contemporary Version of the prayer Jesus taught us:
Our God, who dwells among us,
we praise your holy name.
May your love be born in us.
May your will be done.
You give us all we need.
You forgive us and help us to forgive others.
You deliver us from evil and liberate us to live in freedom.
For you are the Creator, the Lover,
and the empowerer
who unfolds us forever in your Divine Love.
Amen.
from Praying with Celtic Holy Women by Bridget Mary Meehan and Regina Madonna Oliver pg 170
Sign of Peace:
Closing Prayer:
May we be filled with peace and joy,
May we live compassionately and gently,
May we slow down and smell the flowers,
May there be a welcome for us
wherever we go,
in the love of family and friends.
May we our hearts be merry and rejoice!
And now may God bless us and bless us kindly.
Amen.
Closing Song City of God pg 485