Christmas

The Holy Birth

A Virgin, who brought forth a child,
A Virgin, one so meek, so mild.
It comes to pass - The Holy Birth,
The Spirit which would dwell on earth!
A little child, and yet a king…
To all the world, His blessings bring.
As men of old this story tell,
Within the heart, true peace would dwell.
For tho’ the years would pass away,
The Triune God, would surely stay.
His light would shine, would not be dimmed,
And all the world would bow to Him.
The kings on earth would bend the knee,
And shepherds’ homage gratefully.
For not on earth one greater dwells,
Than this our Lord, Emmanuel!
He, beginning, He, the end.
Peace on earth, His message sends.
A Royal Birth, God’s holy will,
To live the promise -
Now fulfilled!

Advent 4

“Come, O Promised One, Let Us See Your Face!”

On this final Sunday during the holy season of Advent, we reflect on the nearness of Christ. His coming brings joy and peace. At the 10:00 AM Mass the adult choir will sing “The Advent Peace Canon,” with lyrics set to the “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. May the coming of the Newborn King bring love, joy, light and peace to your homes!

This Sunday, December 19 at 7:00 PM, our music program will present a Living Nativity entitled, “Promise Fulfilled." I have been very excited to work with so many talented and dedicated musicians during the months leading up to this event. Putting together a cast of 70 people has been an immense challenge which I could never have completed if it were not for so many who supported and helped me along this four month journey!

I would like to thank each and every person involved for their help, their support and their talent as they give back to their parish that which was given to them by the Lord. I hope many will join us for a memorable evening tonight!

Advent 3 (Gaudete Sunday)

“Come, O Promised One; Come and Bring us Light!”

As we rejoice on this “Gaudete Sunday," we light the third candle on our Advent wreaths. The Latin word “gaudete” comes from the Introit, or entrance antiphon of the traditional Latin Mass. The Introit is taken from Philippians 4:4-5, "Gaudete in Domino semper (Rejoice in the Lord always)". The mood in the sanctuary is lightened somewhat, as rose colored vestments may be worn by the priest and the rose colored candle is lit.

We are asked to be patient until the coming of the Lord. Our hearts, like our empty crèche, lie waiting for the Christ Child to come and fill them.

This Sunday we sing the hymn, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming." The “Rose," our Lord, whose fragrance fills the world -- ever blooming, ever beautiful, from a tender bud -- will surely dispel the darkness of our soul, the darkness of the world and the darkness of sin and sadness. In the words of Isaiah, “Fear not! Our God will come to save us!” (Isaiah 45:8) May the “Rose” bloom in your hearts as we patiently await his birth!

Advent 2

"Come Lord Jesus, Come! Bring to us your Joy!"

In our readings today we hear the repeated theme of "joy." Even our responsorial psalm tells us to be joyful, because God has done great things for us!

“Jesus, Come to Us” is a song that we will sing at the Saturday Vigil Mass and the Sunday Mass at 10:00 AM. Our choristers love this song for its upbeat rhythm and easy-to-sing melody. I’m sure you will feel the same when you hear it! It truly captures the joy of the season, and the anticipation we experience as we await the birth of the Christ Child.

On Wednesday, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. As Catholics, we believe that Mary was conceived free from the stain of original sin. Chosen to be our Savior’s Mother, she is truly "full of grace." Mary’s “Yes!” to God gives us renewed strength to follow the will of the Father. Mary’s sacrifice to humanity teaches us humility and obedience. Mary’s "Magnificat" brings us true joy, as we contemplate the greatness of God, and await the birth of his Son.

Advent 1

“Come, O Promised One, show us Lord, your love. Make us strong in faith as we await your Son.”

We will begin our Liturgies this weekend with this Gathering Rite and continue with the traditional, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” as the procession nears the altar. While we as Catholics enter into this season of watchful preparation for the coming of the Christ Child, it can be a confusing challenge to fully participate, as radio stations bombard us with the early sounds of Christmas! But let us be patient; let us sing our Advent songs with true longing as we eagerly await the coming of the Lord. As the words of Psalm 122 state, “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!”

The Teen Ministry Choir will sing on Saturday, December 4, at the 4:00 PM Mass. Rehearsal is in the church at 2:30 PMon Saturday. The Confirmation candidates will celebrate the Rite of Intent at this Mass. Come join us for us for an uplifting celebration for the Second Sunday in Advent.

Christ the King

Today is the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ the King. Christ came into the world as a tiny baby, but left as a mighty king. The song, “Christus Vincit" states, “Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat!”, translated from Latin as, “Christ over powers, Christ reigns, Christ commands!” This paradoxical imagery reminds us of last week’s message that great kingdoms of the earth, if they are not of God, will be brought to dust. The humble will find a place in God’s kingdom!

Tomorrow is the Feast of St. Cecelia, patroness of musicians. It is said that Cecelia went to her death singing the praises of God in her heart. Traditionally, sacred-musicians have celebrated this day with discussions, meetings, retreats and prayer. As I reflect on this day, and the meaning of music in Liturgy, I thought it might be nice to remember the organists that have served St. Joseph Church over the years. Each brought with them different talents and gifts for the purpose of uniting God’s people in prayer and song. They are Jack Sweterlitsch, and Ruth Carazola, Jackie Blender, Joe Marshall, Cindy Plausek, Nick DiClemente, Gayle Whittman, and Ginny Ambrose. May their commitment to faith be a blessing to all.

When you enter St. Joseph Church next week, you will notice the change in hymnals to the 2011 Heritage Missal. There are many new songs in the missal that we’ll tackle in the coming year. As we move into the new Liturgical Year A, let us remember to welcome the Advent season with joy and expectation of the coming of the Christ Child!

Ordinary Time 33

“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord!”

These lyrics conjure images of battles, flags, and soldiers for most of us. The first time I heard this song was during the televised Funeral Mass of President John F. Kennedy. As a child, I remembered the melody, and to this day, the very sound of it fills me with hope and joy.

We will close our Masses this weekend with this beloved hymn. Written by Julia Ward Howe during the heart of the Civil War, its lyrics carry with them images from the Book of Revelation 14:19, (grapes of wrath), and most likely Revelation 8, (the sounding of the trumpet). Although at times things may appear difficult and impossible, we are reminded of God’s message to us that His truth will march on! We are not to give up hope!

Our Adult Choir will sing, “New Jerusalem” as a meditation after Communion at the 10:00 AM Mass. With lyrics set to the hymn tune, “Shanadore," this song by Rory Cooney will have a familiar melody, (“Shenandoah”). With haunting imagery, it describes the eternal Holy City: “Her walls are rubies, her streets are golden ... within her flows a crystal river ... her gates of pearl are always open ... and death shall be no more in the new Jerusalem.”

As this Liturgical Year C draws to an end, let us remember our eternal home, the Kingdom of God - for Christ will reign when all His enemies are put beneath His feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Ordinary Time 32

I’m frequently asked this question after Mass, to which I usually respond, “Because Sacred Scripture told me to!” The decision to use a certain song for Liturgy is not based on ‘happenstance’ or ‘eenie-meenie-minie-moe’ random thought. On the contrary! Each week I carefully read through the Scripture for the following Sunday and sometimes a song title will pop into my mind. Other times I may have to work at it a bit to find the appropriate music to sing. Most of the time the readings will have a clear theme, like "Good Shepherd Sunday" in April, or Sundays in Advent or Lent which remind us to reform our ways and turn to God.

November brings with it the obvious change in weather patterns, the return to standard time and less light in the evening. Our readings and music will take on a different tone as well. As we approach the end of the year, we hear about "end times" in Luke’s Gospel. During November we will sing the Mass parts from Steven R. Janco’s “Mass of the Angels and Saints”. This week we are reminded of the Book of Revelation as we sing the beloved song “Shall We Gather At the River?” by Baptist Minister, Robert Lowry. (This song is approved for use in the Catholic Church.) He asks the question, “Shall we gather?” then quickly answers it in the refrain, “Yes, we’ll gather!” We take comfort in the knowledge that we will soon be together on that golden day at the throne of God! May the "Shepherd of Souls" guide His lambs safely through this time of changing seasons.