August 31

August 31, 2013:  Saturday, 21st week, Ordinary Time

Today's readings

• 1 Thes 4:9-11  Love one another even more.  Aspire to tranquil life.  Mind your own affairs.  Work.

• Ps 98:1, 7-9  The Lord comes to rule the earth with justice.

• Mt 25:14-30   Parable of talents:  Master entrusts money left.  2 servants earn more; other buries it.  On return:  "Well done.  Since you were faithful, I'll give you responsibilities" vs. "Wicked, lazy!  You didn't even put it in the bank to earn interest!"  More given to one who has; all taken from one who has not.

Music

• All the ends of the earth/ Haas (psalm) (sample audio, sample sheet music)

This setting (one we use often) is from the kickoff volume of GIA's Celebration Series:  Psalms for the Church Year.  I didn't realize till now that there are ten volumes, and composers include not only Haugen and Haas but also Cooney, Daigle, Cotter, Isele, Fr. Foley, Stewart, and Kogut.

• "Use what you got" from Let it Start, by Peggy Schrader.  (I just wrote her in the hope she'll let me post a related link.)

Green T-shirt:  money (gospel)

Heart pin:  Love one another (1st reading)

"Scales" pin:  Lord comes to rule with justice (psalm)

Today's word cloud

I cleaned up some posts today.  If a glaring problem remains, please comment or otherwise let me know.  Thank you.

August 30

August 30, 2013:  Friday, 21st week, Ordinary Time

1 Thes 4:1-8  Please God.  Refrain from immorality,  Don't exploit anyone.  God calls us to holiness.

Ps 97:1, 2b, 5-6, 10, 11-12  "Rejoice in the Lord, you just!"

Mt 25:1-13  Kingdom:  like ten virgins meeting bridegroom:  wise had oil, feasted; foolish, without, locked out while shopping.  Be ready!


Music

The Lord is King/ Cooney (audio preview pre-Yahweh directive, sheet music sample post-directive) (psalm) [Dan Schutte's reflection on the directive]

[I remember a hymn with lyrics including "melt like wax" but can't place it now.]

• "Clocks" tie:  waiting for bridegroom, running out of oil (gospel)

• "Crystal" pin (reminiscent of mountain and wax):"Mountains melt like wax before the Lord" (psalm)

• Green shirt of the Ordinary Time season

• "Telephone" tie bar:  God "calls" to holiness (1st reading)
• "Silverware" tie bar:  wedding feast (gospel)

Oops; I forgot the "People" tie pin for [3 of] the 10 virgins (gospel)

Today's word cloud

Today is the first post using the new domain, http://liturgicaldress.com.  The addresses http://www.liturgicaldress.com and http://liturgicaldress.blogspot.com, also work (redirecting to the new address). 

St. John the Baptist Passion

August 29:  Passion of St. John the Baptist 

...also called the Beheading or Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist
(If you know when they started calling it Passion, please comment below.)

1 Thes 3:7-13  Thank God for you.  May Lord make you abound in love, hearts strengthened, blameless.

Ps 90:3-5a, 12-13, 14, 17  "Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!"  Prosper the work of our hands.

Mk 6:17-29  John:  "Wrong to marry [Herodias]."  Herodias wanted him dead.  Daughter danced at birthday banquet, asked for John's head.

Music

Fill me with your love/ Fabing (instrumental), from Everlasting Covenant (psalm)

And, to continue this week's Godspell tracks, Prepare Ye (gospel)

I didn't link to video or even music of the Dance of the Seven Veils from the Strauss opera, Salome.  (I marked this blog as free of adult content.)

"Helmet":  might have protected John's head (gospel)

The "sheet music with skulls as note heads" tie would also have fit for the same reasons it did for Jephthah's daughter on August 22 (dance, then death), but it's too early to bring it back.

• "Hearts" suspenders:  My God strengthen your hearts (1st reading)

• "Clocks" tie:  "a thousand years to you are as yesterday" (psalm)

• Red shirt:  color of today's feast

Today's word cloud

St. Augustine

August 28:  St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor

For his mom, see yesterday's post.

See the connections with today's readings?
Legend below

Memorial for Martha Nuñez

Readings

• 1 Thes 2:9-13  We tirelessly proclaimed the Gospel to you, behaved blamelessly, treated you as father to children, encouraged you. God's word is at work in you.

• Ps 139:7-12ab  Lord, you know me.  Wherever I go, there you are, guiding me, holding me.

• Mt 23:27-32  “Woe to you, hypocrites.  You're like whitewashed tombs, beautiful outside but evil/filthy inside."

Music

• O God, you search me/ Farrell (sheet music) (psalm, different setting from yesterday's)
• Restless is the Heart/ Farrell (sheet music) (St. Augustine)

On St. Augustine and music

At the end of a fine note about music, the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes St. Augustine, "He who sings prays twice" (1156, quoting Patrologia Latina (PL) 36, 914). I'd heard he actually said, "He who sings well prays twice," (emphasis mine) but what he really said is more like,

"The one who sings praise not only praises but also praises with gladness.  The one who sings praise not only sings but also loves the One of whom he sings.  In the praise is preaching; in the song, loving with affection."

He also said, "cantare amantis est" (singing belongs to one who loves) (Sermons 336, 1, PL 38, 1472). See Who sings well prays twice… NOT!

Regarding Augustine's inner conflict about music, see Confessions 33:49-50.

(BTW a keyboardist goes by the name "Confessions of St. Augustine.")

Here's a link to St. Augustine's other works.

St. Augustine, the musical and the movie

• Restless Heart, from St. Augustine, the music and the restless heart, the musical 
• Restless Heart, the movie (BTW there's a Restless Heart band too.)

Dress legend

• "I love my dad" tie:  Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy treated Thessalonians as a father treats his children (1st reading)

• White shirt:  whitened sepulchers (gospel)

Medical pin:  St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church
(yes, I know he wasn't that kind of doctor)

"Roadrunner" tie pin:  "Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?" (psalm)

1st month in review

St. Monica

August 27:  St. Monica

For her son, see tomorrow's post.

1 Thes 2:1-8 Beloved, we shared Gospel and ourselves in purity and truth, to please God, not people. We were gentle, as nursing mother.

Ps 139:1-3, 4-6 "You have searched me and you know me, Lord." You know my thoughts, ways, journeys. You rest your hand on me.

Mt 23:23-26 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, blind guides. You pay tithes but neglect judgment, mercy, fidelity. Cleanse inside so outside may be clean.

Music

• You are near/ Schutte (revised lyrics, audio using original lyrics) (psalm)
• Alas for you/ Schwartz, from Godspell (1973 movie version) (gospel)

[Side trip about Godspell:   The lyrics of "Alas for you" are based on a biblical text, but other lyrics were taken from elsewhere:

• "All good gifts" (audio from 2011 revival) is based on the German hymn "Wir Pflügen," translated as "We plow the fields and scatter" (sheet music & audio, German lyrics, English lyrics, higher-pitched sheet music).  
• "Turn back, O man" (revival audio) is a racy setting of the eponymous hymn (lyrics and audio, alternate) to the "Old 124th" tune (plug-in needed to view/play)
• "Day by day," a prayer to "see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly" is from a 13th-century prayer of St. Richard of Chichester set to music long before Godspell and often since (e.g. Day by Day, by Martin How).  It's also a theme of the 2nd week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola:  "I want ... interior knowledge of the Lord, Who for me has become man, that I may more love and follow Him" (1st day, contemplation on the Incarnation, 3rd prelude).  For more on the song/Exercises connection, see Three things I pray.]

Art

For Christmas 1977, Fr. Thomas O'Neill, S.J., now at St. Ignatius College Prep, crafted a set of tree ornaments honoring saints, but with a twist:  for example, the one for St. Lawrence looked done on one side, and the one for St. Monica sported a surfboard.  

Fr. Tom, if you have a picture to share, I'd love to put it here in place of this one.

• "Hands" tie:  "You rest your hand on me" (psalm)
• White tie pin:  mother's milk (1st reading), scribes/Pharisees as whitened sepluchers (tomorrow's gospel, following yesterday and today's theme)

Today's word cloud

Blessings to our friends at St. Monica parish, elementary school, and high school!

August 26

August 26:  Monday, 21st week, Ordinary Time 

1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10 Thank God for all of you, your faith, love, hope. You were chosen. Gospel came in power and Holy Spirit. You turned from idols to serve God.

Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a, 9b "The Lord takes delight in his people." Sing for joy to Lord. Praise in festive dance. Lord loves.

Mt 23:13-22 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, blind guides. You lock the Kingdom of heaven."

Music

• I thank my God/ Fabing. from Let me follow (actually from Phil 1:3-11 but reminiscent of 1st reading)
• Alas for you, from Godspell (2011 Broadway revival) (gospel) [the only show tune in 7/4 time I can think of now; I thought Another hundred people from Company was too, but it's in 4/4.]

• White shirt:  scribes/Pharisees as whitened sepulchers (actually from the continuation of today's gospel, to be read Wednesday)
• Music tie:  "Let [the faithful] praise his name,.... make music with tambourine and lyre." (psalm)

Tie pin (the first connected with all three readings):

• Dove:  Gospel came in power and the Holy Spirit (1st reading)
• Piano:  Make music (psalm)
• Gold color:  "Which is greater, the gold or the temple?"  (Mt 23: 16-17 of gospel)

T-shirt for gospel; let's not be hypocrites locking the Kingdom...

Today's word cloud

First month in review

First monthiversary

First month highlights

• July 26:  1st with readings and images
• July 28:  1st with wearable art
• July 31:  1st with audio and sheet music links (and sign language)
• Aug. 4:  Song for psalm; comments enabled
• Aug 9:  1st with word cloud
• Aug 10:  1st with two sets of readings (dressing for both), three classical music links (including one opera aria), tribute, art from fellow choir member, and a comment
• Aug. 11:  post-Mass dress tweak
• Aug 14:  1st possibly to launch theological controversy; includes resources to compare/explore Bible texts including Greek
• Aug 15:  1st with Gospel-inspired poetry from colleague, audio and sheet music links including Messiah, Talbot, Ave Maria, film/Broadway, and 5th Dimension
• Aug. 16:  psalm setting with sheet music, "Why the blog?"
• Aug 18:  1st with original sheet music, robo-sung audio, embedded music player, and "Roamin' Catholic report."  Most music links ever.  Tried word cloud with more options, but it doesn't work with most phones.
• Aug. 20:  1st with bonus (presider-recommended primary texts)
• Aug. 21:  1st with Michael Ward music (including background), post-homily update, exegetical speculation, and a painful reading/tie connection
• Aug. 24:  1st with original music written for today
• Aug. 25:  1st with commentary on church technology (and picture) in Roamin' Catholic report; lots of music links

The five with italicized links are my favorites.

Thanks for visiting!

August 25

August 25:  21st Sunday, Ordinary Time

Is 66:18-21 I come to gather nations to see/proclaim my glory, bring offerings.

Ps 117 Go out to all the world and tell the Good News.

Heb 12:5-7, 11-13 Lord, as father, disciplines his children. Endure; don't lose heart. It will bring fruit, healing.
 
Lk 13:22-30 “Gate narrow. Many will try but not be strong enough." ‘Lord, open door. We ate with you.’ ‘I don't know where you're from. Depart, evildoers!’ Some last will be first; some first will be last.”

Roamin' Catholic report

Full church, engaged assembly, welcoming community

Presider and fine homilist:  Bishop Jose Oliveros, Diocese of Malolos

Music ensemble of 12 including ukulele, guitar, flute, and piano players

Hymns

Sing a new song/ Schutte, We have been told/ Haas, Here at this table/ Whitaker (new to me), Canticle of the sun/ Haugen

Mass parts

Gloria and Alleluia from Ed Bolduc's Mass of St Ann; Holy, Mystery of faith, Amen, Lamb of God from Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ, Bukas Palad Music Ministry [Tagalog for "open palm"]

Technology

Sound:  great except for abiding feedback.  Fortunately, a system upgrade is in the works.

Projection (screen near cantor)

•Lyrics were well synced to the music and large enough for most to see.  Song numbers were announced too so you could read melody lines.  (I wouldn't have projected the alleluia verse.)

•It took time to blank the screen; maybe they needed it to cue up for the next use.  That's how I assume we would have sung Open my eyes if Communion took longer.

•Spoken responses (e.g., creed) were shown too.

•A summary bullet was shown during each post-Communion announcement.

Re-registration campaign:  They asked parishioners to re-register this month.  I in
Web site:  very good including news, homily podcasts (though not current), event calendar (thanks, Google), e-mail contacts, and e-giving

Apparel connections

"Children around the world" tie and "Airplane" pin:
"Go out to all the world and tell the good news" (psalm)

Heart from Claddagh pin:
Don't lose heart as Lord disciplines you (2nd reading)

Today's word cloud

St. Bart

August 24, 2013:  St. Bartholomew, Apostle

Rv 21:9b-14  To show me wife of Lamb, angel took me to mountain, showed me Jerusalem, gleaming with God's splendor, jasper-radiant, crystal-clear, with massive wall, 12 angel-manned tribe-inscribed gates, with 12 Apostle-inscribed courses of stones.

Ps 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18  Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom.

Jn 1:45-51  Nathanael [Bartholomew], “true child of Israel, duplicity-free." “How do you know?” “I saw you under fig tree.” “You're Son of God, King of Israel.” "You'll see greater things: heaven opened, angels ascending/descending.”


Music

Psalm 145:  Your friends make known, sung at this year's Staff Recognition Day, with verse added for today (Robo-sung lyrics)

"Phone" tie bar:  "The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth" (psalm)

"Angel" pin:  Angel showing bride (1st reading),
angels ascending/descending (gospel)

Crown of Claddagh: pin:
just Lord is mighty King of gloriously splendiferous eternal kingdom (psalm)

Today's word cloud

August 23

August 23, 2013:  Friday, 20th week, Ordinary Time

Ru 1:1, 3-6, 14b-16, 22  Ruth, left with neither sons nor husband, to Naomi: "Wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

Ps 146:5-10  Praise the Lord, my soul!

Mt 22:34-40 Pharisee: “Which commandment is greatest?” Love God with heart, soul, mind. 2nd: Love neighbor as self. Law, prophets depend on them.”

Music

Remember Wherever you go by Gregory Norbet of Weston Priory?  (Ever hear it with accordion??)  More recently, there's David Haas's version (duet with piano).

• "Knot with two jewels" tie bar:  two linked jewels for Ruth and Naomi (1st reading)
• "Eyeball" tie pin:  Lord gives sight to the blind (psalm)

"Hearts" suspenders:  "Love the Lord your God with your whole heart "(gospel)

Today's word cloud

Queen Mary

August 22, 2013:  Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Jgs 11:29-39a   Jephthah vowed to offer first person he sees if Lord delivers Ammonites. After victory, he sees his daughter, keeps vow.

Ps 40:5, 7-10  Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Mt 22:1-14  Kingdom like king giving wedding feast, summoning guests who refused. "Feast ready; invited unworthy; invite whomever." Hall filled; one not in wedding garment. "Cast him bound into darkness. Many invited; few chosen.”Music

Here I am, Lord/ Michael Ward, from Open our hearts (CD from WLP)

Michael is such a talented composer, arranger, pianist, and now—I just discovered—jazz violinist!   We met in 1987 when he was music director at St. Francis Xavier and I was at Fordham; I'd written an add-on for music notation software we both used (Personal Composer, now for Windows, then for MS-DOS :-).  I've done almost every hymn in Open Our Hearts at Mass, including A new commandment at our wedding, as well as many of his brilliant but unfortunately unpublished responsorial psalms.  He has extensive Broadway credits as well (these are incomplete).  Too bad I missed his return to SFX.

Ven al banquete (Come to the feast)/ Bob Hurd and Pia Moriarty

(not directly from gospel, but I like it too :-)

Hail, Holy Queen, from Sister Act (sheet music) (today's feast)

• Music tie:  manuscript for Jephthah's daughter playing the tambourine, note "heads" for what happened after Dad "did to her as he had vowed." (1st reading)
• "Scales" pin: Jephthah as judge of Israel (1st reading); "I announced your justice in the vast assembly" (psalm)
• Blue shirt:  "Blessed Mother blue" (today's feast)

• Claddagh tie pin:  crown for Mary Queen of Heaven (today's feast), king giving wedding feast, (gospel); heart for "law within my heart" (psalm) and wedding feast (gospel)
• "People" tie pin:  Ammonites (1st reading), wedding feast invitees and attendees (gospel)

Oops; I forgot my silverware tie bar for the wedding feast (gospel)!

Msgr. Brennan, thanks for your fine homily with its reminder to take our promises seriously balanced with Archbishop Niederauer's quip that "some faith [such as in a god who would make us sacrifice our children] should be lost" (citation needed).  The readings are indeed challenging, whether or not guests were provided wedding garments upon entrance (Bible Gateway and Bible Study Tools speculation).

Word cloud from today's readings