3rd Sunday of Lent

27 March 2011

Entrance	For God so loved the world (mtgf)
Penitential Rite	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Psalm 94	O that today (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	Lenten (mtgf)
Preparation of Gifts	You know me, Lord (James Walsh)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd)
Lamb of God	Remembrance (Marty Haugen)
Communion	As the deer longs (Bob Hurd)
Final	I heard the voice of Jesus say

When looking at the Sundays of Lent in year A I seem always to be surprised by the psalm for this Sunday and the next - in a 'couldn't they do better' way. This is because the link to the Gospel is through the first reading rather than providing a bridge between them.

I like how the hymn 'I heard the voice of Jesus say' reflects this and next Sunday through reference to the gospel. Given the importance of these Sundays and the fifth Sunday as well in the Initiation of Adults I once wrote a Lazarus verse as well.

Psalm 41 at Communion picked up on the thirst of the Samaritan for Jesus' gift of living water and then added baptismal imagery. As I noted a couple of weeks ago this of a type of music where beyond melody and accompaniment nothing is essential but the musicians can add and subtract to bring variation. One of the advantages of being a small group is that this process does not need to be meticulously planned. Another psalm (138) at the Preparation of Gifts - which picked up on the Samaritan woman's statement that Jesus knew all about her. Considering that Psalm 138 is on the edge of the Sunday Lectionary (Birth of St John the Baptist - so sung at the most once every 6 years) it is interesting how many settings there are. I guess that is linked to a contemporary to be known. I chose the James Walsh setting because it is in the form of dialogue which reflected the dialogue of the Gospel. The idea of the setting is simple - contrasting minor and major verses but it is beautifully worked out.