2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

17 January 2010

Entrance	We come as guests invited (Dudley Smith)
Penitential Rite	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Gloria	St Augustine's (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 95	Proclaim the wonders of the Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Many are the lightbeams (Ole Widestrand)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Behold the Lamb (Iona)
Communion	One in body, heart and mind (Christopher Walker)
Final	Songs of thankfulness and praise (C Wordsworth)

Today was a little bit 'one hymn to the tune of another'. We come as guests invited was sung to the Passion Chorale - which seems to fit it well. As a passing note I was unconvinced about texts which focussed on marriage today and intrigued by 'saving the best wine until now'. Christopher Wordsworth, the writer of the final hymn, was a liturgical scholar and so was presumably aware of the Eastern tradition of linking Epiphany - Baptism - Cana as also found in the Magnificat antiphon for the Epiphany:

Three wonders mark this day we celebrate:
today the star led the Magi to the manger;
today the water was changed into wine at the wedding feast;
today Christ desire to be baptised by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation,
alleluia.

It also reflects my understanding that the borders of the liturgical seasons are often more than rigid.

Over the years I have put more weight on learning music for the liturgy rather than hymns but we may have see if people do know Salzburg (At the Lamb's high feast). General ignorance was suggested this morning and so we sang Songs of thankfulness and praise to Hail Redeemer which actually fitted quite well.

One in Body is the reverse of this in that it takes quite a well known hymn tune (Greystones or Gartan? — Christ be near at either hand) and gives it new words. As a rule with hymn tunes I am always surprised by what people do not know.

As suggested above I think the bridge between seasons can be fluid in particular Ordinary Time – Advent and Christmas – Ordinary Time. This is reflected in how the Mass parts change gradually rather than all at once. This Sunday is the last until next November for Behold the Lamb of God.

In the past we have used a distinct set of Eucharistic Acclamations but none of them have 'stuck'. This is probably more due to the number of Sundays before Lent rather than the settings (Walker: Celtic Liturgy, Macmillan: St Annes were both tried for a couple of years). That said it has in the past been worth reviewing what Mass setting we use when — for example, we did previously use our 'lushest' Mass setting in Lent which was odd to say the least.