Sunday, January 30, 2011

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

30 January 2011

EntranceO changeless Christ
Penitential RiteSt Gabriels I (mtgf)
GloriaSt Augustine's (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 145How happy are the poor (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsSeek the Lord (Collegeville Composers Group)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodRemembrance (Marty Haugen)
CommunionWhat does the Lord require (mtgf)
FinalFor the healing of the nations

Given the history of the College I like to occasionally use O changeless Christ for its reference to Christ the teacher. I hope today it set up up the Sermon on the Mount over the next few weeks.

There are plenty of settings of the contemporary Beatitudes. A quick look at the Graduale Romanum and CPDL, those essential forms of reference, bring the text up as a Communion Antiphon in the Common of Holy Men and Women and a setting by Byrd, and later Rachmaninov. Do the number of contemporary settings say something about modern spirituality or is it a fluke of history, or have I missed something? Anyway today's Communion Song married Micah and Matthew. By chance the phrase 'and to walk with God' picked up the talk about Student Cross we received in place of a homily today (hmm).

Sunday, January 23, 2011

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

23 January 2011

EntranceAll that is hidden (Bernadette Farrell)
Penitential RiteSt Gabriels I (mtgf)
Psalm 26The Lord is my light and my help (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsCantate Domino (Pitoni)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodRemembrance (Marty Haugen)
CommunionLord, you have come to the seashore (Gabarain)
FinalChurch 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.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

16 January 2011


EntranceGod, whose almighty Word
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Augustine's Gloria (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 39Here I am, Lord (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsWord of God come down to earth (Quinn/Bach)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodRemembrance (Marty Haugen)
CommunionBehold the Lamb of God (John Bell) + psalm 33



FinalBlest be the Lord (Bernadette Farrell)
Back into Ordinary Time, and a long stretch before we come to Lent. So Mass parts are settled for a couple of months.
The recently 'let go' Behold the Lamb of God made a welcome reappearance as a communion chant. We chose to sing verses from Psalm 33 for two lines - Look towards him and Come, children, and hear me which I hope provided echoes of the gospel.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Baptism of the Lord

9 January 2011


EntranceWe shall draw water (Paul Inwood)
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaSt Augustine's Gloria (Christopher Walker)
Psalm 28The Lord will bless (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsO child of promise (Andrew Maries)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodChristmas (Ebeling arr. mtgf)
CommunionWhen John baptised (Bourgeois)
FinalForth in the peace
Responsorial Psalms can be markers in the memory. Three years I must have been in Chile when last sang this psalm. I had left this setting to be used and it was revised for this morning. What struck me was the contrast between the response and the verses, between blessing people with peace and the God of glory and power who thunders over the seas.
The decorations were down, the crib put away and so only the colour white and the Lamb of God were the only echoes on the Christmas season otherwise our focus was directed to the feast and beyond. O child of promise has a sense of invocation or vigil for the feast, not now just 'come be with us' but 'come and show yourself'' and this revelation will eventually lead to passion and resurrection. If you want the textual connection he is God's delight, the one on whom the Holy Spirit rests.
The final hymn picked up references in the homily to baptism in Christ as priest, prophet and king. Though I always appreciate the articulateness of the theology of the text I find it a bit of a mouthful, all those 'Christ's to start with. May be it is the Gibbons tune. I have heard it sung to Jerusalem but then you have to lose a verse which then works against the text.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Epiphany of the Lord

2 January 2011

EntranceGaudete
Penitential RiteSt Gabriel (mtgf)
GloriaChristmas Gloria (Paul Gibson)
Psalm 71O Lord, all the earth (mtgf)
Gospel AcclamationSalisbury (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of GiftsEpiphany antiphons (mtgf)
Eucharistic AcclamationsMass of Creation (Marty Haugen)
Lamb of GodChristmas (Ebeling arr. mtgf)
CommunionHe became poor (John Bell)
FinalWhat child is this?

It felt early to be celebrating the Epiphany - as though it marked the end of Christmas already. Indeed it seemed to have caught our Magi unawares as they had a last minute dash top make it to the nativity scene.

I do not get that excited by most Epiphany carols/hymnody, not many sound like a joyful solemnity to me. We began with Gaudete so that there was some bounce at the beginning and the verses by Bob Hurd brought in the Magi.

The piece at the Preparation of Gifts was a setting based on the texts of the Magnificat and Benedictus antiphons which hark back to the ancient tradition of what is being celebrated:

Three wonders mark this day we celebrate:

today a star led the Magi to the manger;

today water was changed into wine at the marriage feast;

today Christ desired to be baptised by John in the river Jordan to bring salvation,

alleluia. 


Today the Church has been joined to her heavenly bridegroom,

since Christ has purified her of her sins in the river Jordan:

the Magi hasten to the royal wedding and offer gifts:

the wedding guests rejoice since Christ has changed water into wine,

alleluia.

He became poor was a satisfying choice for communion and the verses we sing from the Philippians canticle brought in the Paschal Mystery which was picked up in the last hymn.