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Water, Water Everywhere
This Sunday you’ll be getting a double dose of H2O! In the first reading from Exodus, the Hebrews thirst from wandering the desert and they complain to Moses, their leader. Moses appeals…
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The Nunc dimittis and Mary’s Seven Sorrows
In today’s Gospel, we hear one of the most beautiful canticles in all of Scripture, the Nunc dimittis. Simeon, a righteous and devout man, had been promised that he would not die…
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Take a Stand
The faithful have assembled to celebrate Mass. After vesting, the celebrant, deacon, acolytes and altar servers exit the sacristy and meet the other ministers at the back of the Church. All are…
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Roots of Liturgical Singing
The verb sing appears over 300 times in the Old Testament and almost 40 in the New Testament. The first scriptural reference to singing occurs after the Hebrew people escape Egypt through…
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Hoc Est Corpus
Ever since I was a kid, Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays. No, it had nothing to do with the acquisition of tasty treats, but rather in coming up with…
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Jewish Scripture Reading
The Introductory Rites have prepared the assembly to be nourished by the Word of the Lord. Through various Scripture readings, God speaks directly to his people, and the faithful are brought to…
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The Introduction
The liturgy requires a balance of the fixed and the flexible–of the permanent and the pliant. During the entrance procession, veneration of the altar, sign of the cross and greeting of the assembly, the celebrant has carefully read the words and followed the actions prescribed in the missal. After the greeting, however, the priest, deacon or a lay minister may introduce the Mass of the day using personal remarks.
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The Influential Introit
A latin maxim claims Qui bene cantat bis orat or the one who sings well prays twice, and after standing, the congregants open their hymnals and all sing the entrance song. Both figuratively…
