Ordinary Time 4

On Monday, January 17, I attended a retreat with fellow Pastoral Musicians at St. Thomas More Parish in Bethel Park. The retreat was led by Fr. Paul Colloton, OP. The focus was to pray, learn, discuss and sing about the upcoming changes to the Roman Missal. On March 25, 2010, the text of the English translation of the Roman Missal, third edition was approved by the Vatican. Those changes will go into effect on the First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2011. In the coming months, I will devote this column to news and information about the changes to come our way.

The Roman Missal is the book containing the prescribed prayers, chants, and instructions for the celebration of the Mass in the Roman Catholic Church. Since 1604, there have been new editions of the Missale Romanum promulgated by Popes for use in the Church, with the most recent being in 2002 by Pope John Paul II.

In the summer months we will begin to learn the new sung text for the Glory to God, the Holy, and the Mystery of Faith formerly known as the Memorial Acclamation. Special cards will soon be placed in our pews to help us through the change. For more information, or to view the changes now, visit the Roman Missal page by the USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship.

I thought the following quote by Prince Phillip of England might be timely to post: “Change does not change tradition, it strengthens it. Change is a challenge and an opportunity; not a threat.”

Ordinary Time 3

I recall a homily given by a priest of my home parish of Immaculate Conception in Bloomfield, during a Mass for our school students. The priest stood at the ambo and held a big net in his hands. He never said a word, as he held the net in the air and smiled. The students were puzzled by this, as he then asked the students what they thought the net was for. His query received curious replies which ranged from “I saw something like that at the pool last summer,” to one child’s humorous reply of, “Father, will you take us fishing the way Father Dom used to?” Needless to say, the comments brought forth chuckles from the older members of the congregation who were present at Mass. The priest was successful with his message. The net he wielded was used to "catch something." The imagery worked.

During Communion this week, we will sing my favorite song, “Lord, you Have Come." In today’s Gospel, we hear about Jesus calling forth his disciples in a way that is both loving and commanding at the same time. In what way has Jesus called us? “All I longed for I have found by the water, at your side, I will seek other shores.” If we believe that we are followers of Christ, then we must also believe that we have been called in some capacity to truly leave our "nets" and follow him. Jesus beckons his followers to "Come after me." Do we emulate that Call within our lives? Based on our own example of faith, would we inspire others to follow Christ as well?

Ordinary Time 2

Here I am, Lord. I've come to do your will.

The words to Psalm 40 are simple but direct. God calls us all. How we respond is up to us. Do we hear His voice? Do we listen for His call? Do we allow silence to fill our being so as to provide a place of tranquility to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us and dwell there? God’s will is sometimes unclear, but if we see through eyes of faith, we realize the true calling God has set forth. How will we heed the Call? We must remember that we are His servants and we are called to serve others in His name.

The song, “Here I Am, Lord” by Dan Schutte which we will sing during the offering of the gifts at Mass this week, speaks of God’s calling and our own reply of faithful servitude. “Who will bear my light to them?” Who is the "them" the composer speaks of? Is it our brother, sister or even our children who have been lukewarm in the faith? Is it the stranger that we see each morning at the bus stop? Is it the bank teller or the person who hands us our coffee at the McDonald’s drive-thru window? Will we heed His call to serve "them?" Have we heard God calling in the night? In the "night of our soul," the "darkness of our despair," the "winter of our being," do we listen for God’s call? And if we hear Him, will we heed His call to serve?

Baptism of the Lord

Although it may not feel like Christmas to us anymore, on this day, we celebrate the Savior's Baptism - a great Feast within the Christmas season. Our Gospel acclamation, in keeping with the season, is from Fr. James Chepponis' “Alleluia for Christmastime,” as we conclude this holy season of the year.

“O let all who thirst, let them come to the water. And let all who have nothing, let them come to the Lord: without money, without price. Why should you pay the price, except for the Lord?”

These lyrics make up the first verse of today's Communion Hymn, “Come to the Water" by John Foley, SJ. The song is a favorite of mine, as it speaks to anyone in need of spiritual refreshment. It calls all to come to the Lord in your need and He will fulfill those needs!

In this week's Gospel, Jesus comes to be baptized at the Jordan. Baptism marks the beginning of our life in Christ as believers. In order for those seeds of faith to take root and grow, we must remember to keep faithful to our own baptismal promises until the end of our days. They must be continually nourished by the Holy Spirit.