May 19

May 19, 2014:  Monday, 5th week  of Easter

Readings

• Acts 14:5-18  Gentiles and Jews, with their leaders, tried to stone Paul and Barnabas, who realized it, fled, and continued to proclaim the Good News.  A cripple listened to Paul, who, seeing he had faith to be healed, called out, “Stand on your feet.”  Seeing him walking, the crowds cried out, “Gods have come down to us.”  The priest of Zeus brought oxen to offer sacrifice, but the Apostles shouted, “We're human like you and proclaim the good news to you so you may turn from idols to the living God....”

• Ps 115:1-4, 15-16  "Not to us, O Lord, but to your name give the glory."  Our God is in heaven; their idols, peoples' handiwork.

• Jn 14:21-26  “Whoever observes my commandments loves me and will be loved by my Father, and I'll love him and reveal myself to him.  Whoever loves me will keep my word, and we will make our dwelling with him....  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit the Father will send, will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you.”

Pope Francis

• Fix your heart on the Spirit (homily):  St. Paul’s firm heart was always in motion.  We all have trials but ask for the grace to have a steady heart, like Paul who continued to preach, heal, and proclaim the one God in the people's cultural language.

St. Paul’s heart was fixed in the Spirit, Jesus' gift to us.  "The Holy Spirit will teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said."  The Spirit taught and reminded Paul of the message of salvation and gave him firmness of heart.  Go to the Spirit, in our hearts through Baptism, who gives us strength and steadiness to move forward. 

What kind of heart do I have? a fickle one that flits like a butterfly, a heart scared by life's vicissitudes and afraid to witness to Christ, or a brave one?  Is it fixed on problems, everyday gods, or the Spirit?  In daily events with family, colleagues, and others, do I get carried away or face events with a fixed heart?  Only the Spirit gives us firmness of heart. The Spirit, with the gifts of fortitude and counsel, helps us move forward even in trials.

Music

• By name I have called you/ Angotti (Sunday gospel)

Reflections

• One Bread One Body:  Rather than our becoming gods, God became a human being.  We don't become God but can have a share in the divine nature with God dwelling in us.  We're God's temples (1 Cor 6:19), not gods.

No; it's 'paraclete' (παράκλητος, 'Advocate'), not 'parakeet'

• Passionist:  "Se hace camino al andar" (Paths are made by walking) (Machado, Caminante no hay camino); the Apostles were doing this through their unwavering faith, preaching, teaching, love, and faithfulness.  How do we know if we're Jesus' disciples?  Faithfulness to his Word, surrender, vigilance, commitment, prayer—not pride or self-importance.  We need God's indwelling, the Holy Spirit, grace, and forgiveness to surmount our weakness, go forward, and become like the Apostles and witness to the Resurrection.

• Universalis:  St. Dunstan, abbot, bishop, painter, musician, metalworker, reformer, adviser to kings.

• Sacred Space

"Roamin' Catholic" report (for Sunday vigil Mass)

• Music ministry

• Who and where:  Organist and soloist were both in the loft, making it hard for the assembly to follow and sing.  I bet if a song leader engaged the assembly from the front, they'd have joined in more than the few parts they sang.

• Responsorial psalm:  Gelineau, sung from choir loft.  (When it's proclaimed from the ambo, it's more clearly part of the Liturgy of the Word and easier for the people actually to respond.)


• Christ, be our Light/ Farrell, sung as solo.  It would have been great if we'd gone over the refrain of such a fine hymn, one that fits the 2nd reading so well, before Mass, so we could more easily sing along.  (In most parishes, the song is in the pew, but here they use the Adoremus hymnal and Celebrating the Eucharist, and neither has it.)


• Communion:  Jesu, joy of man's desiring, then silence, then Jesus, my Lord, my God, my all.

• Immaculate Mary, sung properly and well

• Assorted Mass parts:  recited Gloria, "O Filii et filiae" alleluia, chanted Latin Kyrie, Sanctus, Mysterium Fidei, Pater Noster, and Agnus Dei (both accompanied with chords), Danish Amen.  Using a consistent set of parts would have given more unity to the celebration, and killing the chords of the chants would have given the chants more dignity.  (They announced the Our Father hymnal page so people could follow the Latin text and, if they understood, read the Gregorian chant notation; see the Bonus below for help.)

• Presiding

• Homily:  "Learn the way through Scripture, the truth through the Church, life through the Sacraments."  Encouraged us to dust off our Bibles; gave catechesis on Bible's origin (Church-discerned canonicity...).  Invited assembly's response during homily (e.g., "Where do we learn the way?"/"Scripture!"); we obliged.  (I thought his distinction between Catholics' seven Sacraments and Protestants "two at best" and declaration that baptism "in the name of the Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier" is invalid, with their inflammatory tone, detracted from his core message.)

• Speed:  fastest creed I've ever prayed; fastest Eucharistic prayer I've heard except for the nine-minute daily Mass I once attended; when they're recited a little more slowly, I can join in the prayer more naturally.

• Bilingual:  switched from English to Latin for the words of institution (with constant bells and 9*2 chimes), Per ipsum, and Corpus/Sanguinis Christi custódiat me in vitam ætérnam; see Missale Romanum (editio typica tertia, 2002, complete) for the Latin texts.  Perhaps he switched to signal heightened importance of the Latin parts, but that militates against the view that it's the whole Eucharistic Prayer that blesses.  (Sorry; it even reminded me of the etymology of 'hocus pocus'.)

• Other observations

• Youths proclaimed the readings and led the prayer of the faithful (ending with a  Hail Mary) well.  

• Communion:  We all knelt at the Communion rail, and almost everyone received on the tongue.  The species of wine wasn't available; I know we receive Christ whole and entire whether under one species or both, but I missed Communion under both species and actually thought it was to be available at all weekend Masses.  You heard "The Body of Christ" or "Corpus Christi" depending on which way you turned to kneel.  Kudos to the hospitality ministry for asking as we sat whether Mom wanted to receive and taking Communion to her in the pew.

• There was incense before the gospel and at the Preparation of the Gifts (of offerings, altar, priest, and assembly).  I like the symbolism, but my daughter coughed even though we were towards the rear.

• Someone from EWTN announced his upcoming talk on bringing fallen away Catholics home.

• A Hail Mary was prayed at the end of the prayer of the faithful, and the Prayer to St. Michael was prayed toward the end of Mass.  I love and pray both prayers but feel they're better placed outside the Eucharistic liturgy.

(Other Roamin' Catholic reports)

Apparel

• "Stone" tie pin:  they tried to stone Paul and Barnabas (today's 1st reading); Jesus is a living stone, precious in God's sight; be built into a spiritual house like living stones.  (Sunday 2nd reading)

• "Eyeball" tie pin:  Paul looked intently at the cripple (1st reading)

• Silver- and gold-colored tie pins:  "Their idols are silver and gold" (psalm)

• "Dove" pin, red in tie and suspenders:  The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, will teach you everything... (gospel)

• White shirt:  Easter season

Bonus:  To learn neumatic chant notation:

• Gregorian notation, from Canticum Novum Bogotensis
• Gregorian notation, from Myriad Software user manual (see Aug. 18 for how I used the software for this blog)
• Gregorian chant notation (2-page PDF cheat-sheet)
• An idiot's guide to square notes/ Oost-Zinner, Tucker

Dress your life!