21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

21 August 2011

Entrance	Christ is made the sure foundation
Penitential Rite	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Gloria	At the Table of the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Psalm 137	Your love, O Lord (mtgf)
Gospel Acclamation	(A G Murray)
Preparation of Gifts	He became poor (John Bell)
Eucharistic Acclamations	Missal (ICEL)
Lamb of God	St Gabriels (mtgf)
Communion	All things are from the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Final	All my hope on God is founded

I was at a meeting earlier this week where the Revised Common Lectionary was discussed and how its adoption in Reformed Churches in the US had led to hymn writers identifying readings for which there were not hymn texts and then to create them. Though I am sure I said before here that I am not sure that a hymn text should be too exact not be a retelling or paraphrase particularly I am surprised that today's Gospel has not led to more texts — or perhaps I am missing something obvious, suggestions welcome.

I think I am correct that Peter's recognition and next week's prophecy of the Passion are heard in all three Lectionary years and are the whole common events in Ordinary Time marking the turning point in the Gospel narrative. This suggests that lack of sung texts is more surprising. Another comment from the meeting is that we should think of being in the Year of John and Matthew (etc.) rather than just Matthew as in each year John is read on a significant number of Sundays (and usually significant Sundays as well).

Therefore the first hymn was in part acclamation to Christ but also shift to Christ rather Peter being the foundation; the final hymn took a similar line of foundations. I did wonder about a verse of 'O come, O come Emmanuel' to link to the first reading but that may have been a little obscure.