Monday 25 August 2014

Hymns we might like to learn

This post lists hymns which I've come across, which the parish might like to learn "sometime" - if the right time arises:

Center of My Life - Paul Inwood:    http://www.spiritandsong.com/compositions/1493


In Perfect Charity - 
http://www.sixmaddens.org/?p=1577
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOqcyxVFZOU

The Lord is my Life
Michael Joncas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfwPJCvbsGY

We Have been Told
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI-CwQs5dTo

Jesus Christ, You are my Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHkjtm4ImVw
By MARCOS FRISINA

Jesus Christ, you are my life,
alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are my life 
You are my life, alleluia.
He calls us to the waters of life
He pours out his love into our heart
Jesus comes to us in our hearts
Glory to God forever.
1.  Be our Way, our Truth, and our Life 
Form us anew in how you died 
We embrace the cross that you bore
and will arise in glory.

2.  Holy fire, come dwell in each heart
 Grant us the gifts your love imparts 
Free our tongues to boldly proclaim 
"Jesus is Lord forever!"
 
3.  Break the yoke of violence and war 
Open the hearts of rich to poor 
Nations bound by terror and fear 
long to embrace your freedom.

4.  Senseless walls of hatred divide, 
vengeance destroys and fear misguides.
Teach us mercy: hope for new life 
for you alone are holy! 

Thursday 14 August 2014

No sign of peace means the priest is afraid of what we might do?

An interesting read about the recent letter about the Sign of Peace.  In short, a “circular letter” on “the ritual expression of the gift of peace at Mass” - released late July 2014.   Some key quotes:
When it is used, it must be done with dignity and awareness that it is not a liturgical form of “good morning,” but a witness to the Christian belief that true peace is a gift of Christ’s death and resurrection.
“if it is foreseen that it will not take place properly,” it can be omitted.
Bishops should do everything possible to end “abuses” such as:
  • “The introduction of a ‘song for peace,’ which is nonexistent in the Roman rite.”
  • “The movement of the faithful from their places to exchange the sign of peace amongst themselves.”
  • “The departure of the priest from the altar in order to give the sign of peace to some of the faithful.”
  • People using the sign of peace at Christmas, Easter, baptisms, weddings, ordinations and funerals to offer holiday greetings, congratulations or condolences. 
“Christ is our peace, the divine peace, announced by the prophets and by the angels, and which he brought to the world by means of his paschal mystery,” the letter said. “This peace of the risen Lord is invoked, preached and spread in the celebration (of Mass), even by means of a human gesture lifted up to the realm of the sacred.”


So basically if a priest isn't including it, then said priest must be scared that something will go wrong.    Pretty sad that any priest would have that little regard for peoples' good sense.

Friday 1 August 2014

What is the job of a Liturgy Committee?

Part of the deal for me being involved with parish musics being on the liturgy committee.

An interesting quote from this blog:
"The real work of a liturgy committee is to study and reflect upon the Church's liturgical documents in the hope of bringing the Church's wisdom into creative conversations to help shape the liturgical life of the Catholic parish."

On reflection, I think I agree with him: if you're on the liturgy committee, it's actually your job to know what the wider Church does when it prays together. It's not just the priest's job - it's everyone's, because we all bring a different lens into play when we study the church documents.

I might twitch it slightly: leave out the word "creative" (it's laden with other meanings), and put the focus onto this particular parish. Also, people here think that church = Catholic ... so I was going to leave the word out. but on reflection, I think that's an even more important reason to leave it in. And while this study is probably the most important work, the week-by-week and season-by-season co-ordination is pretty necessary too. So I'd end up with
"The first job of our liturgy committee is to study and reflect upon the Church's liturgical documents in the hope of bringing the Church's wisdom into the conversations that shape the liturgical life of our Catholic parish."

All that said - suggesting that we study documents isn't necessarily going to be popular! I've seen glazed looks when I suggested that we could all read a two-page summary of the role of music in liturgy.  Not sure what reaction a whole book would get.

But I know there's been a programme on the catechism which the pastoral council have been doing. Maybe we should start asking for a similar one on the liturgical documents.