September 15

September 15, 2013: 24th Sunday, Ordinary Time

Readings

• Ex 32:7-11, 13-14  Lord to Moses:  “Your people turned from me, worship a calf.  Let me consume them.”  Moses:  “Remember your oath to multiply descendants and give land”  Lord relented.

• Ps 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19  "I will rise and go to my father."  Have mercy; wash me from my guilt; cleanse me of sin.  You won't spurn a contrite heart.

• 1 Tm 1:12-17  Christ showed mercy, strengthened and trusted me, came to save, appointed me to serve, shows his patience in me.  Lord's grace, faith, love are abundant.  Glory to God!

• Lk 15:1-32  As shepherd rejoices upon finding lost sheep, so heaven over repentant sinner.  As woman rejoices upon finding lost coin, so angels over repentant sinner.  Prodigal father and son:  Father gives younger son his inheritance.  He squanders it, finds self in need, comes to senses, returns.  Father embraces him.  Son apologizes; father celebrates son come back to life, pleads with angry older son:  "Rejoice; your brother was lost and has been found.”

Music

The Prodigal (I'll be waiting)/ Amy Grant, from Unguarded (lyrics) (gospel)

Roamin' Catholic report

Music ministry of six, at front, on side, assembly-level:  director/pianist/cantor/announcer/sound engineer, instrumentalists (on violin or viola depending on song, acoustic guitar, and flute), voices.  Assembly sang!

• Remember your love/ Ducote, Balhoff, Daigle
• Gloria from Mass of Christ the Savior/ Schutte (see September 8 post) 
• Amazing Grace/ Newton
• Holy, Mystery of Faith B, Amen:  repeat-after-me style, original; Lamb of God used same tune
• There is a longing/ Quigley (sample sheet music, solo cover)  I love this hymn, especially for Advent, but it often fits, especially when done more slowly (longingly?) and with dynamics/vocal motion supporting the text.
• Lovely solo after Communion
• Glory and praise to our God/ Schutte

The music director fulfilled all his roles well, but I wish there were enough good music ministers that there could have been a cantor at the ambo for the responsorial psalm and at the podium for the other singing.  I would have also preferred it if the presider or a deacon could have sung—or even spoken—the penitential rite invocations.

Spoken word

• Short-form gospel chosen (omitting Prodigal Father and Son!)

• Reader/intercessionist good but struggled with names.  (Since we can't expect them to know everyone, how about if the office when possible finds out and writes the pronunciation?   Family members present would especially appreciate that.)

• Personal highlight:  for Catechetical Sunday, presider asked all in catechetical ministry to stand for a blessing of those in parish religious education ministry, but before the prayer, he asked the rest of us to stand too:  "we are all catechists"; parents are children's primary religious educators (Catechism III.2.2.4:2223).

Community was welcoming, before and after Mass and during sign of peace.


Apparel

"Santa Fe" t-shirt:  faith (2nd reading),
and we're still in the Year of Faith


(Who says the shirt is about the New Mexico city
and not the "Holy Faith"? :-)