Some pithy, perceptive comments from below and elsewhere:
“Our associate pastor at Nativity in St Paul gave a fantastic homily on Pro-Life Sunday. I’m always surprised and disappointed when priests don’t take the opportunity to speak on this subject with so many in pain.”
Isn’t that the key? So many think of this matter as political or “divisive” and avoid the topic for that reason. If we are disciples, though, none of that matters, for the core of the issue is that in an abortion culture, people hurt, and are even in agony. Jesus says, “Come to me” – come to me as you struggle with a decision, come to me as you live through a difficult pregnancy, come to me in your shame, come to me in your grief and guilt.
Do we allow him to say it through us?
I was away from my home parish this weekend, and, because I was somewhere where “say the black, do the red” is kind of taken for granted without it being a “big thing”, my usual inner critic was completely silent.
Wow, what a difference. It allowed the space for the first reading and Gospel to just speak for themselves and hit home, hard.
Another key, revealed. The genius of the Latin Rite liturgy, it has always seemed to me, is in the balance and space it allows. We are gathered, we are in Communion, we worship as one, but at the same time, our uniqueness is respected, we are not to be manipulated (ideally), and space is given in which to be still and listen. That is not just achieved in moments of silence. It is achieved when the ministers at the altar (and in the choir loft..) respect the liturgy and resist the temptation to impose their own personalities upon it and the other temptation to manipulate the congregation so that a certain goal – external participation, a “feeling” of community – is achieved.
And from someplace else, in regard to yesterday’s music menu. Just too good to pass up.
I, too, was told that “All Are Welcome.” I was later given “The Summons”. In fact, someone from GIA threw a tinkling piano at me and said, “You’ve been served!”
It would have been OCP and not GIA. The Summons is a lovely, thoughtful and reverent hymn that can help us to ponder the meaning of being called, as it complements this Sunday and next’s Liturgy of the Word. I chose it, as well. As a Music Director and Liturgist, I try my best to ensure that the hymns selected reflect the readings of the day and are done with the intention of inspiring reverence by their being sung reverently and not overpoweringly. And if they can be a small aid in liturgical catechesis, that could be a very good thing. I realize that, in many places ,cantors are permitted to be too loud and the music chosen by many musicians leaves much to be desired, but, as the Adoremus survey results below show, things are improving, though I wonder, with the smugness oozing from the comments I read…. would anyone here hear?
Here is a link to the Adoremus survey which I referenced above ….
http://www.adoremus.org/1208Survey.html
Verse 4 from the Summons, first line: “Will you love the ‘you’ you hide If I but call your name?”
Note the congregation taking the voice of God. If a lyricist presumes to channel God’s thoughts, he should give God more credit: I’m pretty sure that God’s vocabulary is such that He wouldn’t use “you” or “your” four times in a 13 word sentence.
The music is pretty, though. I love those old Irish/Scottish melodies.
I’m a fan of The Summons for the opportunity it gives me to ponder whether I would kiss the leper clean. Then, as if to take me to a higher level of spiritual reflection, if I would such as this, unseen? I’m always paralyzed by the thought that Jesus didn’t kiss lepers, though he healed them, and that St. Francis didn’t heal lepers, though he is said to have kissed one. And then I usually resolve the tension by convincing myself that the question has more to do with the state of the leper’s hygiene. In which case, yes, I would kiss a clean leper, and would probably prefer to do it in private.
I like The Summons better than many other “call to service” hymns. And the lilting melody is quite sweet. At the same time, when there are four stanzas of “God talking,” it starts to seem as though I’m simply talking to myself.
Another piece that’s great of singing and listening, but I’d remove it from the context of the liturgy and take out to the youth retreats. John Bell is a Protestant hymnographer and most of his work with the Wild Goose Worship Group, etc. reflect a strong Protestant orientation of worship as nothing more than word and song.
The lilting melody is nice; but as usual with Celtic tunes in Catholic hymnbooks today, the arrangement used is leadfooted.
No, seriously. The routine replacement of triplets in Scottish tunes with single notes. The routine replacement of standard grace notes in Irish tunes with single notes. Often, the entire melodic structure is “simplified” and thus turned stupid. It’s annoying!
The “Fiddler’s Green” tune in the hymnbook is not any traditional tune by that name. (Those are all about cavalry guys and drinking in taverns in heaven, for the most part.) But rather it is consistently stealing royalties from the (very modern) composer of the song, John Connolly, as it is exactly the melody of his famous song with the chorus, “Wrap me up in me oilskins and jumper.” (Not very fond of it or him, but it’s his song!!)
Finally, there is a certain composer of note who consistently calls all Scottish tunes Irish. “Wild Mountain Thyme” is a Scottish song, although to be fair some Ulster people also claim it. But the tune is definitely Scottish, dating back to Robert Tannahill (1774-1810).
http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_balquidder.htm
“Mairi’s Wedding” (not “Marie’s Wedding”) is a famous wedding dance song from Scotland.
It’s not hard to look these things up. And yes, I expect better from anybody putting out a songbook, much less a professional publisher for the Church!