Echoing The Mighty Song

I already have my inspiration, thanks to EWTN. I saw and heard the deacon at the Easter Vigil Liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica. (The Latin is so much more poetical.) I saw and heard the deacon at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. By the time of this post, I will have intoned once again the Exsultet.

Enjoy the official English version:

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(If chanted by someone other than a priest or deacon, the words in brackets are omitted.)

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!
Exult, all creation around God's throne!
Jesus Christ, our King is risen!
Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor,
radiant in the brightness of your King!
Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!
Darkness vanishes forever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!
The risen Savior shines upon you!
Let this place resound with joy,
echoing the mighty song of all God's people!

[My dearest friends,
standing with me in this holy light,
join me in asking God for mercy,
that he may give his unworthy minister
grace to sing his Easter praises.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And also with you.]
V. Lift up your hearts.
R. We lift them up to the Lord.
V. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R. It is right to give him thanks and praise.

It is truly right
that with full hearts and minds and voices
we should praise the unseen God,
the all-powerful Father,
and his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ has ransomed us with his blood,
and paid for us the price of Adam's sin
to our eternal Father!

This is our passover feast,
when Christ, the true Lamb, is slain,
whose blood consecrates the homes of all believers.

This is the night when first you saved our fathers:
you free the people of Israel from their slavery
and led them dry-shod through the sea.

This is the night when the pillar of fire
destroyed the darkness of sin!

This is the night when Christians everywhere,
washed clean of sin
and freed from all defilement,
are restored to grace and grow together in holiness.

This is the night when Jesus Christ
broke the chains of death
and rose triumphant from the grave.

What good would life have been to us,
had Christ not come as our Redeemer?

Father, how wonderful your care for us!
How boundless your merciful love!
To ransom a slave
you gave away your Son.

O happy fault, O necessary sin of Adam,
which gained for us so great a Redeemer!

Most blessed of all nights, chosen by God
to see Christ rising from the dead!

Of this night scripture says:
"The night will be as clear as day;
it will become my light, my joy."

The power of this holy night
dispels all evil, washes guilt away,
restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace,
and humbles earthly pride.

Night truly blessed when heaven is wedded to earth
and man is reconciled with God!

Therefore, heavenly Father, in the joy of this night,
receive our evening sacrifice of praise,
your Church's solemn offering.

Accept this Easter candle,
a flame divided but undimmed,
a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.

Let it mingle with the lights of heaven
and continue bravely burning
to dispel the darkness of this night!

May the morning Star which never sets
find this flame still burning:
Christ, that Morning Star, who came back from the dead,
and shed his peaceful light on us all,
your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

R. Amen.

Another Reminder Of Mercy

Today begins the Divine Mercy Novena.

This post provides the information.

Mercy began this day.

It continues until the Last Days.

Hearing Voices

If you attend the Celebration of the Lord's Passion this Good Friday, the proclamation of the Passion according to St. John may be presented in a "choral" form. This form has a Narrator (usually a deacon or another lector), Christ (a priest speaking the words of Jesus), the Crowd (the congregation), and a Voice (usually a lector). After proclaiming the other readings in the Liturgy of the Word, I will have the role of Voice today. In preparing my part of the Passion Narrative, I discovered I will be the voice to three different people. They are, in order of appearance, Simon Peter, a temple guard, and Pontius Pilate. While Pilate will have the vast majority of the sentences, each person will have something to say to us.

We start with our first Pope. The night before, having boasted he would never deny Jesus and hearing the prophesy he would, he was challenged three times to profess his discipleship. Twice, we hear the exact same words from his mouth: "I am not." It is the same number of times Jesus said, "I AM" in the opening section. It has never been easy to proclaim "Jesus Christ is Lord" in any age. In our time, it is just as difficult. "Fear is useless; what is needed is trust." How much fear was there in the Chief Apostle at this time? Seemingly much more than fidelity, as he wept after the third denial and the cockcrow. How much fear is in us? To proclaim Him the center of our life, much less put Him there, takes all the courage the Holy Spirit can provide. We can always become perfected if only we take that stand.

Then there is the temple guard. While his words (and action) were not the most violent rejection of Jesus (that would come later), it does come to symbolize how much of a negative reaction some of the world has to the Word. To some, it is a threat which calls for a swift response. But you cannot deter the Hound of Heaven. The Word dwells among and within us, a never ending echo. Do we have ears to hear, eyes to see, a heart which is open? Lent is to help us empty ourselves so to be filled with Him. How much success was there?

Now we come to Pilate. John has much dialogue between Christ and Pilate. But, there are three short statements made by Pilate which draw my attention.

"What is truth?" The question of our time. Relativity rules. Subjectivity is supreme. Any claims to absolutes are arbitrary. Yet, Pilate stared right in the face of Truth. Somewhere deep inside, he had to know the answer, else why would he repeatedly attempt to get off the hook?

"Behold, the man!" Helping to fulfill the words of Isaiah, Pilate presents the Suffering Servant. Somewhere deep inside, he had to know there much more to Him than meets the eye.

"Behold, your king!" Not as bold as Peter's confession, but Pilate realized what other would not. Somewhere deep inside, he recognized the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He saw the Savior. I think he wanted to believe. Do we? Is our faith in Him growing? Conversion is an ongoing process. I think we can all honestly say, "I do believe, Lord; help my unbelief."

Today, the most somber day of the liturgical year, we reflect on these people as they reflect a little of what is in all of us. "If we die with Him, we shall also rise with Him."

Last Words X 5

I didn't think I had done this as long as I have with my meditations on the "O Antiphons," but my records proved me wrong. Both series have existed as long as this 'blog.

Once again, I humbly present my meditations on the "Seven Last Words," the sentences Christ spoke while hanging on the Cross. While the "O Antiphons" anticipated His birth, these anticipate His death and lead us into His resurrection.

Reflect. Remember. Rejoice.

Look for them at the hour of mercy.

Addendum

My busy liturgical schedule is winding down.

And all those "To Be Determines" have been determined:

• April 1 (Holy Thursday)--Choir and Cantor
  
• April 2 (Good Friday)--Lector
  
• April 3 (Easter Vigil)--Choir and Co-Cantor: Exsultet
  
• April 4 (Easter Sunday)--Choir
  

Plus I had to switch with another Lector on March 14 so I could be with the choir as we sang at another parish that day.

If you're a church musician, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Double Duty

Normally, if a lay person has a formal role during the liturgy (i.e. cantor, lector, acolyte), that is the only duty which is performed.

At the 11:15 AM Mass today, normal had to be thrown out an open stain glass window.

When it came time to proclaim the readings, everybody realized what was never apparent during the procession.

There was no lector.

It was rather awkward moment.

What to do?

Well, the priest looked around, seeing who may have been there to cover. When he glanced over to his left, where the choir loft was located, he had his answer.

I was the cantor. I made eye contact with him and mouthed, "I'll do it." I gathered the book I use for the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation and went to the ambo.

Fortunately for me, I had four things going for me. First and foremost, the Spirit was with me. Second, I assisted at a Vigil Mass in another parish, so the readings were still fresh in my mind. Third, I have had plenty of practice proclaiming "cold", doing it sometimes as many as three times a week during two cycles of Advent and Lenten weekday Masses a few years ago. Finally, I had done this unexpected "double" before, so I was not in unfamiliar territory.

I finished my parts of the Liturgy of the Word. After the proclamation of the Gospel, I went back to the sacristy and retrieved the General Intercessions and announcements. When the Liturgy of the Eucharist began, I went back to the cantor's podium for the rest of Mass.

I think everybody was grateful I did volunteer. I received a few compliments afterward; nice strokes to the ego, but I was just glad to have done it. Believe me, I wasn't looking for praise.

I thank God for giving me the ability and the courage to assist in worshiping Him on such short notice.

I hope it doesn't happen again for a long time.

Lent's Tripod

Prayer. Fasting. Almsgiving.

On these actions the season of Lent is built.

Once again, Ash Wednesday is upon us. We begin 40 days of spiritual introspection, repentance, and renewal. The Church creates a time for us to seriously and sincerely focus on our relationship with God and how we can grow closer to Him. What we do and how well it is done can only be measured by how willing we are to use the graces He gives us. While grace can come through any means, it is these three acts which are the main conduits for the next 6+ weeks.

These acts have a common thread. They require us to empty ourselves, to become open, to be able to receive and be filled. They ask of us to have nothing between God and our hearts. They demand an honest accounting of what is within us so that God can remove what barriers there are to Him.

And it starts with a conversation.

Is that not, at its most elementary level, what prayer is? But, how deep is that conversation? God is continually revealing Himself to us and our selves to us. How are our listening skills? Is it more "Thy will be done" than "my will be done"? When we ask Him to "teach us to pray," are we docile? Are we able more and more to hear the Word? Are we malleable clay in the Potter's hands? Are we becoming what we were made to be--children of God?

Once that conversation is in progress, this on-going dialogue between Creator and creature, a response can come.

Enter fasting. It is a realization that God is our all, the "pearl of great price". In order to have Him, we must begin to make room. Closed fists can never hold anything but the fingers curled against the palms. While the finite can never hold the infinite, there cannot be "no room at the inn". We begin to carve a hollow for the He Who is hallowed. We make space to be filled. We create a place for this Guest at our table so the fasting now is worthy of the feasting later.

Now we have true abundance; again we must respond.

Enter almsgiving. It is true we can't give what we don't have. Now, we have it. Because He has shared, we must as well. And we must give as abundantly as He did; we must follow the example of the widow's mite. Love is not love unless it is given away.

And then we continue the conversation with Him.

And then the process starts anew.

Beyond Lent. Into Easter. Into the rest of our lives.

A Month Of Sundays

Did I mention I was going to be busy during the 11:15 AM (and other) Masses at St. Olaf the next few weeks?

I made a mental review of my liturgical duties until Easter (including this past Sunday).

This is the list:

• January 24--Choir and Cantor
• January 31--Cantor
• February 7--Choir and Cantor
• February 14--Lector
• February 17 (Ash Wednesday)--Choir
• February 21--Choir and Cantor
• February 28--Cantor
• March 7--Choir
• March 14--Lector
• March 21--Choir and Cantor
• March 28 (Palm/Passion Sunday)--Choir
• April 1 (Holy Thursday)--Choir (Cantor TBD)
• April 3 (Easter Vigil)--Choir and Co-Cantor
• April 4 (Easter Sunday)--Choir (Cantor TBD)

There is a remote possibility I may be a Lector for April 2 (Good Friday), but that schedule has not been made.

No excuses for me not assisting at Mass!

Another Kind Of Prospect

I have mentioned this happening before.

Another athlete is doing the same.

God bless all our seminarians.

Pray for more.

We Shall Gather

Another January 22 is almost over. For the 37th. time in our nation's capital the Culture of Life and Culture of Death clashed in their annual ritual of marches marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the two decisions made by the United States Supreme Court legalizing abortion on demand. The passion and zeal on both sides of the issue are as strong as ever.

The past 365 days were witness to some remarkable events which continued to fuel the fire and fan the flames. The current administration placed key poor-(pro-) choice supporters in critical cabinet positions, among other actions to support this overtly poor-(pro-) choice president's policy. A leading practitioner of abortion services was murdered. A Catholic nun was discovered to be an escort for an abortion clinic. There are plans in the works for building the largest abortion clinic in this country. And the passage of health care reform in this country seems to hinge on whether or not federal funding for abortions will be provided. There's never a dull moment, is there?

At times I wonder if battle fatigue is apparent. I wonder if arguments for and against are falling on deaf ears because they have been repeated so much and perhaps are sounding like empty rhetoric. Has everything been said about the subject? Is there nothing new under the sun? Or does our society wish this topic would just disappear?

Not in my lifetime. Especially since, for the first time, polls indicate those who are "pro-life" now have the majority viewpoint, albeit by a slight margin. The tide of popular opinion seems to be in our favor.

So, the battle will continue. Today is the day when batteries are recharged, the banners will fly high and proud, and each side will continue to make its case in the public forum. Tomorrow, the grassroot efforts and behind the scene events will continue, each side seeking an advantage.

I may not live long enough to see this issue resolved. But, I still need to continue doing what I can to bring it to closure. I still need to choose life.