3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 January 2011

Entrance	All that is hidden (Bernadette Farrell)
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels I (mtgf)
Psalm 26	The Lord is my light and my help (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Salisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of Gifts	Cantate Domino (Pitoni)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Mass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	Lord, you have come to the seashore (Gabarain)
Final	Church of God, elect and glorious

When talking about liturgical seasons I often use the image of a stone hitting the water and the ripples flowing outwards. A central event (the Birth of the Lord in Advent-Christmas) has repercussions backwards and forward. The stone/event is large enough that it ripples over the edges of the season. Today we had one of the ripples. The Christmas season has as a key image darkness and light and the first reading today was a repetition, in part, of the first reading of the Mass during the night at Christmas. Opening and closing hymns reflected this and they also responded to the idea of being called to follow Christ. That which was hidden is now made clear.

An aspect of the new translation that people pick up is what is perceived to be negative language, which often means being explicit about sin and that some are uncomfortable with this. The opposite also appears to be true that the new translation also recovers description of the people of God as holy and people are similarly uncomfortable — perhaps they want a quiet life! Church of God, elect and glorious is an unequivocal expression of God's holy people — perhaps we think it refers to somone else.