Session 6: Review Sample Thematic Liturgies and Develop an Inclusive Eucharistic Liturgy
MMOJ Inclusive Catholic Liturgy for Pentecost 2026-
Presiders: Bridget Mary Meehan and Andrea Seabaugh, Readers and Prayer Leader: Mary Kay and Anne Cooke, IT Cheryl Brandi
Theme: “Holy Spirit, move me now, move us now!”
Welcome: Andrea
Welcome to our Inclusive Catholic Community. In the Hebrew Scripture, the Spirit of God is described by the feminine image of the Shekinah, a word that can be translated as “the one who dwells.” On the feast of Pentecost, we celebrate the Holy One of burning bushes as She who dwells, within all and around all. In her radiant presence, we are one people, one Spirit. Each of us is called and gifted with diverse gifts to be witnesses of love- in- action each day. Today we pray, Holy Spirit, move me now, move us now.
Gathering Song: Holy Spirit, Move Me Now by Vinesong (Use 2.50 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFJvpNik9r0
Presider: Andrea
Transformation Rite:
Presider:
Holy One, Shekinah Spirit—
You who dwell within us, around us, and between us,
you know the depths of our hearts.
You see the places where we are alive with love,
and the places where fear, division, or doubt hold us back.
Yet you do not judge us—
you dwell with us, gently calling us into wholeness.
Pause for silent reflection
Presider: Andrea
Let us open ourselves to the transforming fire of the Spirit
who heals, renews, and makes all things new.
All: Mary Kay
Holy Spirit, dwell in us and transform us in love.
Presider:
Shekinah Spirit,
when we forget that you dwell within every person—
and fail to honor the sacred dignity of one another—
All: Mary Kay
Spirit of Love, awaken us to your presence in all.
Presider: Andrea
When we cling to fear instead of trusting your living presence within us—
All: Mary Kay
Spirit of Courage, breathe your fire into our hearts.
Presider: Andrea
When we resist our call to be witnesses of love-in-action
for justice, equality, and peace—
All: Mary Kay
Spirit of Justice, move us now.
Presider: Andrea
When we doubt our gifts or silence the Spirit’s voice within—
All: Mary Kay
Spirit of Wisdom, empower us to rise in love.
Presider: Andrea
Shekinah, Holy Fire who does not consume but transforms,
burn within us now—
healing what is wounded,
freeing what is bound,
and renewing us as your beloved community.
All: Mary Kay
We open ourselves to your transforming presence.
Make us one people, one Spirit in love.
Presider (Prayer of Absolution/Assurance):
Loving God, you dwell within us as mercy and compassion.
In you, we are forgiven, healed, and made new.
May we live as your transformed people—
radiant with your love,
courageous in your justice,
and joyful in your Spirit.
All: Mary Kay
Amen. Alleluia!
Gloria: Glory to God by Marty Haugen - video by Bridget Mary Meehan and Mary Theresa Streck
https://youtu.be/udjH7EON5IY
Refrain:
Glory to God, in the highest (3x)
And peace to God’s people on earth.
Presider: Bridget Mary
Opening Prayer:
Holy One, Shekinah Spirit,
Holy Fire and Creative Energy dwelling within us and within all,
we open ourselves to a new outpouring of your presence among us.
You are the One who dwells—
within our hearts, within our community, within all creation—
calling us into deeper unity as one people, one Spirit.
With burning hearts, we celebrate your radiant presence
and the warmth of your passionate, inclusive love.
We rejoice in the outpouring of your gifts in each person—
diverse, sacred, and given for the good of all.
Move in us now, Holy Spirit.
Empower us to be love-in-action—
to promote justice, equality, and peace in our world,
and to serve one another with generous and compassionate hearts each day.
We dedicate ourselves to your transforming presence within us and among us.
Amen. Alleluia!
Liturgy of the Word:
Reader: Mary Kay
First Reading: A reading from the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28)
Thus says our God: “I will pour out my own Spirit on all of humankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy; your elder folk shall dream dreams, your children shall see visions and even upon the lowliest, the poor, the woman, the forgotten man, will I pour out my spirit. I will work wonders throughout creation.”
These are the sacred words of the prophet Joel and we affirm them by saying:
All: May it be so! Amen, Alleluia!
Veni Sancte Spiritus- Taize, Video by Mary Theresa Streck
https://youtu.be/_0O0gNHgRh0?si=PaH-M4r8kOSmBUbV
Reader: Anne Cooke:
Second Reading: A reading from the Acts of the Apostles
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
These are the inspired words in the Acts of the Apostles and we respond to them by saying: May it be so, Amen, Alleluia!
Alleluia Alleluia (Eightfold) – Jan Phillips shortened
Presider: Andea
Gospel: A reading from the Gospel of John
Jn 20:19-22
On the evening of that first day of the week,
the doors were locked in the room,
where the disciples were,
for fear of the Temple Authorities,
Jesus came and stood among them
and said, “Peace be with you.”
When he had said this,
he showed them the marks of crucifixion.
The disciples were filled with joy when they saw Jesus,
who said to them again, “Peace be with you.
As Abba God sent me, so I am sending you.”
After saying this Jesus breathed on them and said,
“Receive the Holy Spirit.”
This is the inspired words in the Gospel of John and we respond by saying, May it be so, Amen, Alleluia!
Shared Homily
Homily – “Holy Spirit, Move Me Now… Move Us Now”
There is something powerful about a simple prayer—
short enough to remember,
honest enough to be real,
and bold enough to change us.
Today, that prayer is this:
Holy Spirit, move me now.
Holy Spirit, move us now.
Not later.
Not when we feel ready.
Not when everything is figured out.
Now.
Because the Spirit is always moving—
the question is whether we are willing to move with Her.
In our tradition, we name the Spirit as Shekinah—
the One who dwells.
She dwells within us.
She dwells among us.
She dwells in the sacred space between us.
This means something radical:
we do not have to go searching for God.
God is already here—
breathing in us,
stirring in us,
calling us.
And yet…
how often do we resist that movement?
We feel the nudge to speak up—
and we stay silent.
We feel the invitation to reach out—
and we hesitate.
We sense the call to act for justice—
and we tell ourselves, “Someone else will do it.”
But the Spirit keeps whispering:
“Move.”
Move beyond fear.
Move toward compassion.
Move into courage.
And sometimes, if we’re honest,
we don’t want to move.
This happened to move when I was called to give my life to God as a nun at 18 years old!
Oh, how I resisted! I remembering an argument with God that went something like this. - if it is like the Nun’s Story- and Mother Superior walks on my newly mopped, clean floor, then I’m going be out of there!
Because movement means change.
Movement means risk.
Movement means letting go of control.
But Pentecost teaches us this:
when the Spirit moves,
life expands.
The disciples were locked in a room—
afraid, uncertain, stuck.
And then—Spirit.
Wind. Fire. Breath.
And suddenly, they were no longer frozen.
They were alive.
They spoke.
They reached out.
They crossed boundaries.
The Spirit didn’t just comfort them—
the Spirit transformed them.
And that same Spirit is alive in us today.
Not just in extraordinary moments—
but in the quiet, everyday invitations to love.
The Spirit moves in us
when we listen deeply to another.
The Spirit moves through us
when we act with compassion.
The Spirit moves in us
when we recognize our own sacred worth.
The Spirit moves through us
when we help others claim theirs.
And here’s the beauty—
this is not an individual journey alone.
We pray not only:
“Move me now”
but also:
“Move us now.”
Because the Spirit forms community.
We are not isolated sparks—
we are a fire together.
As an inclusive Catholic community,
we live this truth.
We gather as a community of equals.
We share leadership.
We pray the Eucharistic Prayer together.
Why?
Because the Spirit is not poured out on one person alone—
but on all.
When we gather around this open table,
we are saying:
The Spirit moves in each of us.
The Spirit speaks through each of us.
The Spirit calls each of us to love-in-action.
So today, I invite you to notice something.
Where is the Spirit trying to move in you right now?
Is Spirit calling you to forgive?
To reach out?
To take a step you’ve been avoiding?
To trust your voice?
(Pause)
And where is the Spirit trying to move us as a community?
Is it calling us to be more inclusive?
More courageous?
More prophetic in standing for justice and equality?
(Pause)
The Spirit is not static.
The Spirit is always inviting us forward—
into deeper love,
greater compassion,
wider circles of belonging.
So let us not hold back.
Let us not wait.
Let us pray—truly pray—
with our whole hearts:
Holy Spirit, move me now.
Holy Spirit, move us now.
Move us beyond fear into courage.
Move us beyond division into unity.
Move us beyond words into action.
And trust this:
When we say yes—
even in small ways—
the Spirit will take that yes
and transform the world through us.
Amen. Alleluia.
Commissioning Ritual: BMM
We now celebrate our commissioning, a celebration of the gifts of the Spirit in the community of faith. We will use the symbols of stoles and anointing with chrism as a reminder of our baptismal call to live the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit in ministry to all.
As you put on your stole/scarf, say
I put on this stole as a symbol of my call to ministry.
As you anoint your hands, pray, say Like Jesus, I anoint my hands as a symbol of my call to live the Gospel.
(music is played softly during this time)
You have Anointed me – shortened – video by MT Streck
Prayer Leader: Mary Kay
Statement of Faith for Pentecost
All:
We believe in the Holy One,
Spirit of Life and Love,
who dwells within us and among us,
breathing through all creation
with wisdom, courage, and compassion.
We believe in Jesus,
Spirit-filled prophet and companion,
who welcomed the excluded,
challenged injustice,
healed the wounded,
and revealed the sacred dignity of every person.
We believe that the Holy Spirit still moves among us today—
in every language and culture,
in every gender and generation,
in every act of justice, mercy, and peace.
We believe we are called
to be a community of equals,
where all are welcome at the table,
all gifts are honored,
and all voices are heard.
We believe the Spirit empowers us
to live the Gospel boldly,
to care for Earth and one another,
to resist oppression,
and to build a world rooted in love.
We believe that Pentecost is not only an event of the past,
but a living fire within us now—
moving us to rise in hope,
speak truth with courage,
and embody Christ’s compassionate presence in our world.
Amen
Prayers of the Community
Prayer Leader 2: Ann C.
As we prepare for this sacred meal we are aware of our call to serve, and just as Jesus did. We bring to this table our prayers for the community. Please feel free to voice your prayers beginning with the words “I bring to the table….”
(Joan Meehan shares MMOJ Book of Intentions)
Individual Prayers for the community are offered.
Closing Prayer: Anne C.
We pray for these and all unspoken intentions. Amen.
Presentation of the bread and wine
Presider: Bridget Mary
Blessed are you, God of all life, through your goodness we have bread, wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal we become your new creation.
Presider Andrea My sisters and brothers, these gifts give glory to the Holy One.
Andrea and All: O Holy One, you dwell in all of us, and you accept our gifts and our worship that we offer in service to our faith community. We do this in memory of our brother, Jesus. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer
Prayer Leader: Mary Kay
The Holy One, Shekinah, Source of all life, is with you.
Ann and All:
And also with you.
Prayer Leader: Mary Kay
We lift up your hearts.
Prayer Leader: Ann and All
We lift them up to the Holy One, the Love of our Hearts.
Prayer Leader: Mary Kay
We give thanks and praise to our compassionate God.
Prayer Leader Ann and All: It is right to give the Holy One thanks and praise.
Prayer Leader : Mary Kay
Eucharistic Prayer
Preface
Presider: Ann C
Holy One, Source of Life, Love Incarnate, and Holy Wisdom,
we gather as your beloved community—diverse, gifted, and one in your Spirit.
With grateful hearts, we welcome your presence among us,
for you are the Shekinah—the One who dwells—
pitching your tent within us, between us, and all around us.
Presider: Mary Kay
In the beginning, your Spirit hovered over the waters of creation,
birthing life in abundance.
You spoke through the prophets and the dreamers,
through Miriam’s song and Deborah’s courage,
through the burning bush that blazed with your presence—
a fire that does not consume, but transforms.
On Pentecost, your Spirit burst forth again—
not in fear, but in courage,
You came as wind and flame,
as She who dwells in every language, every culture, every heart.
Presider: Andrea
Today, we remember that we are your living body—
a community of equals through baptism,
each one called, each one gifted, each one beloved.
In your radiant presence, we are one people, one Spirit,
called to be witnesses of love-in-action in our world. And so, with the angels, saints and all people everywhere, we lift our voices in joyful song:
Holy Holy Holy - Karen Drucker
https://youtu.be/9XywpRw3OPw?si=WMU88iQ4KxzCY_XZ
Presider: Bridget Mary
Holy One, you are indeed holy,
and your Spirit dwells within all creation.
Bless us now as we gather around this table of welcome—
an open table where all are invited,
where no one is excluded,
where love is our only law.
Presider: Andrea
Shekinah Spirit, you dwell deeply within us—
in our joys and in our struggles,
in our questions and in our hopes.
You empower us to be your presence in the world:
to welcome the stranger,
to heal the broken,
to stand for justice,
and to embody compassion.
Epiclesis:
(All extend hands over the bread and cup and pray)
Presider Bridget Mary and All:
You send forth your Spirit—Shekinah, the One Who Dwells—
upon us and upon these gifts of bread and wine.
Holy Spirit, you dwell in these gifts and in us.
On the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his friends,
and he took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it, saying:
This is my body, given for you and for all.
Whenever you do this, remember me.
Presider Andrea and All:
After supper, he took the cup, blessed it, and shared it, saying:
This is the cup of the new covenant,
a promise of love poured out for you and for all.
Whenever you drink it, remember me.
Memorial Acclamation
Presider Andrea and All:
The mystery of faith:
Christ lives in us.
Christ loves through us.
Christ transforms the world through us.
Presider: Mary Kay
Remembering Jesus’ life of radical love,
his inclusive table, his justice-seeking heart,
and his enduring presence among us,
we offer ourselves as living bread for the world.
Presider: Ann C
And with all who have gone before us—
holy women and men, prophets and apostles,
Mary of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene,
our ancestors and beloved companions in the Communion of Saints—
we lift our voices and proclaim:
Great Amen:
Presider and All: Bridget Mary
Through Christ, with Christ, and in Christ,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit—She who dwells within all—
all glory and honor are yours, Loving God,
forever and ever
All: Great Amen https://youtu.be/Dy76fpfkNsg
Communion Rite:
Prayer of Jesus
Presider Andrea and All:
Let us join hands, and pray together the prayer that Jesus taught us.
Gracious Spirit,
Who loves us like a mother,
Whose realm is blooming among us now.
And within.
We pray that your compassion guide us in every action.
Give us what we need for each day,
and help us to be satisfied with the miracle of that alone.
Forgiver, whose embrace brings us to wholeness without our asking, may we reconcile ourselves to one another in humility.
And may we cancel the crushing debts that imprison our neighbors, so that communities of joy and health may flourish.
May we neither profit from nor ignore evil.
But ever work to thwart it with non-violence, as we co-create the realm of peace in this world, now and each day.
Amen. (Bret Hesla/wsj)
Sign of Peace
Presider Mary Kay
Let us offer one another a sign of peace-
All: Namaste, Namaste, Namaste
Prayer for the Breaking of the Bread
Presider:
Presider and All: Ann C
Please join in praying the prayer for the breaking of the bread:
All: Loving God, you call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.
We will live justly.
Loving God, you call us to be Your presence in the world.
We will love tenderly.
Loving God, you call us to speak truth to power.
We will walk with integrity.
(Presiders hold up bread and wine)
Presider: Mary Kay
Let us pray our communion prayer together. What we have heard with our ears, we will live with our lives; as we share communion, we will become communion, both Love’s nourishment and Love’s challenge. We are the Body and Blood of Christ in our world.
Communion Song: Spirit of the Living God by Michael Crawford-video by MTStreck
Prayer After Communion:
Presider: Andrea
Shekinah, Holy Spirit, you who dwell within us and all around us, may we go forth nourished by your gifts to bear witness to you everywhere we go and in the events of every day. May we go forth in the power of your outpouring love energizing us to set the world ablaze in Pentecost joy! Amen! Alleluia
Thanksgiving, Introductions and Announcements
Final Blessing :
Bridget Mary
May the Holy One who is Shekinah—
the One who dwells within you and among you—
bless you with a deep awareness of her radiant presence
in every breath you take and every step you make.
Andrea:
May the Spirit who danced in fire at Pentecost
ignite in you courage, compassion, and joy,
so that you may be living flames of love in our world.
May you go forth as a community of equals—
honoring the sacred gifts within yourselves and one another—
welcoming all, excluding none,
and embodying love-in-action wherever you are.
Bridget Mary
And when you feel uncertain or weary,
may you remember:
the Holy Spirit dwells within you—guiding, healing, empowering.
Go now in peace, in unity, and in hope—
one people, one Spirit, one love.
All: Amen.
Presider: Bridget Mary
Together, we are one in Christ, loving and serving as God’s holy people. And together we sing, Holy Spirit move me now. Make my life whole again. Holy Spirit, move over me!
Recessional: Holy Spirit Move Me Now by Vinesong, Video by Mary Theresa Streck
, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE5etd_iW4o