May 2017 Catholic Lesbian/Queer Women’s Liturgy
with WATER and Women of Dignity
Spring Renewal: Let Go and Open the Door to Pleasure
By Diann L. Neu
Preparation
Gather three candles, matches, bread and drink
Call to Gather
Life is returning. Buds, blossoms, greenness, and chirping birds announce spring renewal. It’s time to clean house, to let go of baggage, to open the door to new life, to make space for pleasure. The choices are many:
To be attentive or to be distracted
To be gracious or to be unappreciative
To be available or to be preoccupied
To be distant or to be thoughtful
To be with or to be absent
To be compassionate or to be self focused
To be joyful or to be grumpy
To keep doors closed or to open them
Gifted with this present moment, how are you going to BE with your self, your partner, your family, your community, and the world? This is an opportunity for us as Catholic lesbian/queer women to take stock of where we are, to let go and open the door to pleasure, to boldly dream the future, and to attract it to ourselves.
Naming the Circle
Let us create our circle by speaking our names, saying where we are geographically, and sharing in a word or phrase what’s on our mind and in our hearts when we hear the words “spring renewal.” (Sharing)
Lighting Three Candles
Light three candles and pray:
We light three candles to remember Catholic lesbians/queer women disciples, named and unnamed, who throughout time transform the church and the world. We call upon these brave ones to be with us as we let go and open doors.
First Candle: Blessed are you, Compassionate Lover, you guide us on the road toward freedom.
Second Candle: Blessed are you, Transforming Spirit, you spark in us a passion for justice.
Third Candle: Blessed are you, Ever-Present Wisdom, you sustain us with your inspiration.
Cup your hands in front of this light and gesture it toward your eyes and body three times as a blessing. (Blessing)
Reading: God Laughing Out Loud by Mary E. Hunt
In the beginning God enjoyed herself. She laughed out loud and laughed some more because it was good. She sat back and smiled. She clapped her hands in glee and imagined her sisters dancing.
She did nothing but enjoy and it was everything.
God knew that there was work to be done—a world to create, people to form and a whole cosmos to plan. She even glimpsed the fact that creation would include meetings and that there would be injustice to right, and still she laughed, knowing that in the end it was all about pleasure.
She explained to no one in particular that enjoyment is what she intended life to be about: pleasure is the first principle.
She knew that other would-be divinities stressed work and obligation. She reasoned quite astutely that if joy were the goal, then everyone could rest and relax, at least some of the time.
Just thinking about this made her grin.
Light years later, when creation came into being and people began to toil and sweat their way, she noticed that her first principle had been replaced by work and pain.
So she sent a reminder of her legacy. She gave it several names: celebration, recreation, fun, friendship, Sabbath, rest, vacation, joy, pleasure, enjoyment.
Some thought it was a vestige of days gone by. But God knew that it was the real thing.
She called it salvation.
© Mary E. Hunt, WATER, WATERwheel Vol. 1 No. 2, 1998
Reflection
Spring renewal calls us to let go and to open the door – to joy, to pleasure, to enjoyment. What are the things you need to let go of to make space for enjoyment? What doors are you opening to reclaim pleasure? (Sharing)
Prayers of the Community
Who needs prayers today? Let us pray.
Our response: God of Compassion, bring new life.
Eucharistic Prayer by Diann L. Neu
- Praise to you, God of our Ancestors, Source of Love and Life,
For you created us, Catholic lesbians/queer women, in your image and likeness,
The image of love, of power, and of beauty.
You call us to be your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
- Praise to you, God of Sarah, Hagar, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah,
For you promised that all families of Earth would be
Blessed through a covenant with these our foremothers.
You called them to be your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
- Praise to you, God of Mary, Mother of Miriam’s Child and Sophia’s Prophet,
For you asked our ancestor to partner with you to bring Jesus to birth.
You called her to be one of your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
- TOGETHER: Praise to you, Divine Wisdom Sophia,
For you gave us Jesus, who gathered the community for a meal,
Took bread and fruit of the vine, gave you thanks, and gave them to all, saying: (extend hands) Take this, all of you, and eat and drink.
This is my body, which is for you. Do this to remember me.
You called him to be one of your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
- Praise to you, God of Tecla, Phoebe, Junia, Prisca,
For you raise up strong women house church leaders to transform your church.
You called them to be your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
- TOGETHER: Praise to you, Divine Wisdom, Sophia-Spirit of Justice and Healing,
For you pour out your Spirit on this bread and wine, and on us gathered here.
You call us to mend broken hearts, to feed hungry souls, and to heal a fragmented church, government, and world.
You call us to be your kin-dom of priests.
We raise our voices, saying together:
We give thanks. Merci. Danke. Gracias. XieXie.
Let us eat and drink with joy as we give thanks for this community.
Blessing Phil 1:3-9
I thank my God whenever I think of you; and every time I pray for all of you, I pray with joy, remembering how you have helped to spread the Good News from the day you first heard it right up to the present. I am quite certain that the One who began this good work in you will see that it is finished when the day of Christ Jesus comes. It is only natural that I should feel like this towards you all, since you have shared the privileges that have been mine: both my chains and my work defending and establishing the gospel. You have a permanent place in my heart.
Sending Forth
Let us go forth and open doors to pleasure.
May our days be merry.
May we be renewed.
May we know the saving grace of joy.
© 2017 Diann L. Neu, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER), dneu@hers.com
