22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B) September 1, 2012 Pat Manning/Susan Gallegos Announcements

Opening Song “Gather Your People” #316

Remembering Katrina & Isaac and the people of New Orleans Opening prayer: A Prayer for Labor Day (by Austin Fleming) O God, creator of the world, of sun and moon and stars, you chose to fashion us, your own, your handiwork of love. Indeed, we are your hands’ own work and yet into our hands you give the care of every living thing. In more ways than we can count our work builds up or tears apart what came as gift from you. Keep us faithful in preserving all you’ve given lest we harm the smallest part of all you’ve made. Give us good and honest work to do and rest at each day’s end. Let a fair and good day’s wage be paid for a good day’s work well done. Give us work that nurtures and sustains the ones who serve and those they serve. Let those who labor work in peace, in freedom, without fear. Give those in need a job to do and to the tired well earned rest. Let all our work and toil, O God, give glory to your name. Amen.

Prayer for Reflection

If there is to be peace in the world, There must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, There must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, There must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, There must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, There must be peace in the heart. chinese philospher - lao-tse - 6th century bce

Reading: James 1:17-18,21-22,27

A reading from Letter of James

Every worthwhile gift, every genuine benefit, comes from above, descending from the Creator of the heavenly luminaries who cannot change and who is never shadowed over. God wills to bring us to birth with a word spoken in truth so that we may be a kind of first fruits of God’s creatures.

Humbly welcome the word that has taken root in you, with its power to save you. Act on this word. If all you do is listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves.

Looking after orphans and the homeless in their distress and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world makes for pure, unspoiled worship in the eyes of our God and Creator.

The word of God. Thanks be to God. Psalm 15 Responsorial “Those who do justice will live in the presence of the Lord.” Reading: Christ is Present - Thomas Merton

Into this world, this demented inn,

in which there is no room for him at all,

Christ has come uninvited. But because he cannot

be at home in it, because he is

out of place in it, His place is with those

who do not belong, who are rejected by power

because they are regarded as weak, those who are discredited,

who are denied the status of persons,

tortured and exterminated. With those for whom there is no room,

Christ is present in this world. He is mysteriously present

in those for whom there seems to be nothing but the world at its worst.

Gospel Acclamation and Reading (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15) God be with you. And also with you. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark. Glory to you, O God. The Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They had observed a few of the disciples eating meals without having purified - that is to

say, washed - their hands. The Pharisees, and in fact, all Jews, cling to the custom of their ancestors and never eat without carefully washing their hands. Moreover, they never eat anything from the market without first sprinkling it. There are many other traditions they observe – for example, the washing of cups and jugs and kettles. So the Pharisees and the scribes questioned Jesus, “Why do your disciples not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but instead take food without purifying their hands?” Jesus said to them,

“How accurately Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites when he wrote:

‘This people pays me lip service but their hearts are far from me. Empty is the reverence they do me because they teach as dogma mere human precepts.’

You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and try to understand. Nothing that enters you from outside can make you impure; that which comes out of you, and only that, constitutes impurity. Let everyone heed what is said!”

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. Glory and praise!

(Silent Reflection Followed by Dialogue)

Intercessions: Sung response: O God, hear our prayer. God can do all things and eagerly answers our prayers.

That those crossing the desert today be protected and kept safe in their journeys. We pray…

That the hearts of lawmakers and others in this country be opened to welcome the migrants, our neighbors. We pray…

That the work of people of faith touch all humanity with healing and nourishment. We pray…

That nations compete with one another to bring peace instead of war. We pray…

That those who work for justice by peaceful means, especially on the border, realize the fruit of their labors and not be discouraged. We pray…

That families oppressed by abuse, violence and injustice receive the respect and help they need. We pray…

That all of us gathered here in your presence renounce prejudice and racism in our lives and work to overcome these evils. We pray…

(Please add your own petitions here) We pray…

Caring God, we thank you for being with us through the fury and the calm of our life’s voyage, revealing your care to us and drawing us to new life. May we live, as we pray, in the protection of Jesus. Amen.

Gathering at the Table God be with you. And also with you. Lift up your hearts. We lift them up to God. Let us give thanks to God our Creator. It is right to give God thanks and praise.

(Teilhard de Chardin--Mass on the World) Since once again, Lord, I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise

myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the Real itself; I … will make the whole earth my altar and upon it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.

My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. …One by one, I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity--…All the things in the world to which this day will bring increase; all those that will diminish; all those too that will die: all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, so as to hold them out to you in offering. This is the material of my sacrifice; the only material you desire.

In the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike: "Lord, make us one." Let us pray in the spirit of the Lord’s Prayer: Most compassionate Life-giver may we honor and praise you; may we work with you to establish your new order of justice, peace and love. Give us what we need for growth, and help us, through forgiving others, to accept forgiveness. Strengthen us in the time of testing that we may resist all evil, for all the tenderness, strength and love are yours, now and forever. Amen

Let us share this bread as Jesus taught us, knowing that our lives are forever changed by this and every breaking of bread. Breaking and Sharing of the Bread - Song: “Blest Are They” #635 (Silent Reflection) Meditation - Thirst By Mary Oliver Another morning and I wake up with thirst for the goodness I do not have. I walk out to the pond and all the way God has given us such beautiful lessons. Oh Lord, I was never a quick scholar but sulked and hunched over my books past the hour and the bell; grant me, in your mercy, a little more time. Love for the earth and love for you are having such a long conversation in my heart. Who knows what will finally happen or where I will be sent, yet already I have given a great many things away, expecting to be told to pack nothing, except the prayers which, with this thirst, I am slowly learning. Blessing May God bless us and keep us. May God’s face shine upon us. May God be gracious to us and grant to us, and to all our broken world, peace. May the blessing of Almighty God—the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit—come upon us and remain with us forever. Amen. Closing Song – “We Are the Body of Christ (Somos el cuerpo de Cristo)” #607 v1,3