| Entrance | Praise to the Lord |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 137 | On the day I called (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | — |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | The cry of the poor (John Foley) |
| Final | Now thank we all our God |
| Entrance | All are welcome (Marty Haugen) |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 14 | The just will live (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | There is a longing (Anne Quigley) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | Here I stand (John Bell) |
| Final | Lord of all hopefulness |
The welcome guest: known or unknown finds welcome. All are welcome seems to find its way on lists of US bloggers' least favourite hymns. Its main fault is that is vision is primarily horizontal yet a major theme is that this is a place where God is at work. My guess is that if there is genuine musical dislike it stems from overuse rather than the melody itself which is well constructed. It is actually quite a while since we have sung it and though it took some time before it was sung with confidence it seemed to be sung well this morning. I am more intrigued by a list of ten pieces of recent liturgical music that a chant aficionado does not mind.
One of today's Communion antiphon reads:
I stand at the door and knock, says the Lord. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and sit down to supper with him, and he with me.
Not only did connect with the readings it also gave a chance to sing John Bell's chant Here I stand. It's one of those pieces which, to my mind, that John Bell enjoys the construction of pieces and the singability of each part. We sang it with Psalm 22 using a 2-part tone based on the Bell.
| Entrance | Your words are spirit and life (Bernadette Farrell) |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 68 | Seek the Lord, you who are poor (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Ubi Caritas (Bob Hurd) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | If we are living (Mexican arr. Haugen) |
| Final | God is love, his the care (Dearmer/Piae Cantiones) |
Law, word, love of neighbour, care for the poor. Four very rich ideas all linked together this Sunday. The richness meant there was much we could have done so that the deciding factor was for the most part practical. To give one example if we had been accompanied we might have sung Lowenthal's 'These Words' as it picks up the first reading and sees the word/law as something which abides in the heart.
I always have a wonder whether singing Ubi Caritas outside of Maundy Thursday weakens or strengthens the piece. If we only sung it once a year would it be more effective or does it grow through the web of connections when sung on Sundays such as this — two different proclamations of the command to love.
I have a soft spot for If we are living; it is a tender piece but it also reminds us 'we live not for ourselves'. I have known others prefer the John Bell translation and arrangement but I think the Haugen has a simplicity and a slight awkwardness which is preferable to too much sophistication here.
This Sundays offer a choice of psalms which happens a number of times in the coming weeks. The second option, Psalm 18, was added with the 2nd edition of the Lectionary. It shifts the focus from care for the poor to love of the law. I went with Psalm 68 partly because of its rarity — and discovered I had setting I seemed not have used before. As is sometimes the case with Lectionary I suspect there might be a better psalm choice which relates the law to care for the poor. We used Psalm 18 for our Entrance Song.
| Entrance | The kingdom of God |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 65 | (Cry out with joy (mtgf)) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | God has chosen me (Bernadette Farrell) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | We adore you, O Christ (mtgf) |
| Final | Forth in the peace (Quinn) |
Over the summer, well and at other times of the year, we have a number of visiting supply priests. For each one it is a case of learning their idiosyncrasies — and their learning ours. The conversation before Mass for the first time goes something like: 'Here is the Mass sheet', 'We sing everything except the Creed and the Our Father', 'Will you sing the doxology?', 'What form of Penitential Rite were you thinking of using?'. Most usually come more than once so that we are mutually aware of the other's 'ways'. My impression is that most appreciate what we are doing musically.
We also over the summer have visiting groups using the college facilities. This can vary in size between a number of Catholic individuals who are part of a larger group and whole conference groups. In previous years I have suggested that it might be good to know in advance but large institutions might not be good at this. I am not sure about inviting individuals from outside groups to minister. It is not just a question of local idiosyncrasies. In part it is theological — I think there is an aspect of (lay) liturgical ministry which is local. It is also practical — can you assume that your normal expectations of good practice are shared? And what skills are needed to communicate them? This is a convoluted way of explaining why the psalm is on brackets. A reader from a visiting group was invited read and was not aware that we normally sang the psalm and so carried on reading after the first reading. Irritating but may be not life-threatening. As the psalm is invariably sung what I noticed is that it does change the texture of the Liturgy of the Word — a succession of read texts is flatter and maybe therefore less engaging.
| Entrance | Brother, sister let me serve you (Gilliard) |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 15 | O Lord, you are my portion (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Travelling the road to freedom (John Bell) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | Centre of my life (Paul Inwood) |
| Final | He who would valiant (Dearmer after Bunyan) |
When we first used Brother, sister let me serve you, apart from the first line being different, it was a choir piece. Now it is sung by all and proved a fitting hymn to begin this morning. In a similar way I am sure that 3 years ago we used Centre of my life for the responsorial psalm. This year I provided a setting and so we used Inwood's setting at Communion. I do find the response slightly opaque. Is the Lord all that I need or my future? The immediate though I am afraid is fish and chips. Partly because of this I included the rest of the line in the psalm and the next line as well.
Travelling the road to freedom picked up the gospel — Jesus resolutely taking the road for Jerusalem. It is often understood as the turning point in the narrative of synoptic gospels — Jesus moves towards his passion and death. In Luke others want to follow but do not have the courage. The song by John Bell picks up the motif of travelling the road, of the coming passion and the challenge of the invitation to follow. I was surprised that the strong harmony with its succession of dissonances would work with a reduction to our usual 3 parts but I think it did.
| Entrance | Lord Jesus Christ (Appleford) |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 62 | For you my soul is thirsting (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Ours were the griefs (Stephen Dean) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | Christ our peace (Marty Haugen) |
| Final | At the name of Jesus (Noel/Brierley) |
These hymn tunes have been written for congregational worship by 20th century congregations. The styles vary, but they all seek to express in the musical idion of light music - music which is common to almost everyone - the common worship of the People of God. They offered in the belief that not only the great and lasting music of the past but also the ordinary and transient music of today - which is the background to the lives of so many - has a rightful place in our worship.I appreciate that they recognised that much Church music is transient, and of its time. Like any such collection, and like much today, a few things have lasted. The opening and closing hymns were chosen not just for their appropriateness but also because they have strong melodies which would work unaccompanied and I would expect visitors to know. Both hymns make the connection between recognising Jesus as Christ, the Son of God and that he is destined to suffer. Lord Jesus Christ occasioned a primary school memory — we always omitted verse 3 something I never understood. Hymns were written out in best primary school teacher calligraphy on flip chart sheets. As a 3rd verse would have gone onto a second sheet it cannot have been a question of space.
| Entrance | There's wideness in God's mercy (Faber/Blaenwern) |
| Penitential Rite | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Gloria | Jeanne Jugan Gloria (Christopher Walker) |
| Psalm 31 | Forgive, Lord (mtgf) |
| Gospel Acclamation | Alleluia (Murray) |
| Preparation of Gifts | Remember not the things of the past (Bob Hurd) |
| Eucharistic Acclamations | No Greater Love (Michael Joncas) |
| Lamb of God | St Gabriel (mtgf) |
| Communion | All your sins have been for given (Collegeville Composers Group) |
| Final | Praise we our God with joy |
All your sins have been forgiven;
love has swept your guilt away.
Go in peace: your faith has saved you;
love has come to you today.
