LE

LE

 

The two letters at the top of this page will take on a different meaning based on when you are reading this article.

 

If you’re reading it on the weekend they will be the 3^rd and 4^th letter of AlLEluia.  If you’re reading it on Wednesday or later, they will be the first two letters of the season:  Lent.

 

On Sunday (the 8^th Sunday of ordinary time) we will hear another portion of Matthew’s gospel.  Jesus continues to preach to the people (and to us) about putting aside the worries of life and trusting in God’s providence.

 

Our liturgy will begin and end with AlLEluias. 

 

The prelude, “Seek Ye First” (#434) is based on today's portion of Matthew’s gospel.  It was written in 1972, the early days of what might be referred to as “folk music.”  In addition to the three verses there is a refrain which consists simply of the word of the day: AlLEluia!

 

The recessional hymn; “Tell the Good News” (#386) is a succinct recap of the gospel of the past 7 weeks.  Jesus came to heal and affirm that all people are God’s children. 

 

*****

 

If you’re reading this on Wednesday or later it is the season of LEnt.   During this season we will no longer use the word to which I referred in the first part of this article. 

 

Ironically, we will hear the part of Matthew’s gospel just prior to the one heard on Sunday.  In it Jesus instructs the disciples on the spirit in which they should pray and to make sacrifices in his name.  I”ve always found it interesting that the church presents us with this reading on the day where Christians walk around marked with such an obvious sign.

 

One of the songs we will sing both today and throughout Lent is “In These Days of Lenten Journey” (#127)  Notice the call to Christian service throughout the lyrics.

 

This past week members of our social concerns ministry brought Hearts of Hope to our homebound.  These hand painted ceramics were made by the children of the parish and included a card with a message of love from the children. 

Here is an excerpt from an e-mail I received from a member of our team

       I called .....  She lives one block from me and was the    

       sweetest thing ever (on the phone.)  She told me she's  

       going to be 97 years old in April!!!  I'm looking forward to 

       seeing her tomorrow.

If you’d like to be part of our social concerns ministry you can contact me via e-mail b.mauro1@yahoo.com or by calling the parish center.

BLEssed to be serving at St. Mary’s,

 

Bruce

Ubi Caritas OT6

For those in need make us your mercy,

for those oppressed, your might. 

Make us, your Church, a holy sign of justice and new life.

                                           (verse 4 from” Ubi Caritas” words and music by Bob Hurd.)

We’ve been hearing a lot about being blessed over these past several weeks.    Jesus shared the beatitudes and instructed his followers to be salt and light.   

The refrain for today’s communion song (Ubi Caritas #327) translates to “Where there is true charity, God is present.”  Verse 4 harkens back to the reading from Isaiah we heard proclaimed last week.  (You can find it by looking back to page 64.)

As of this last Monday 13 people have indicated a desire to be part of St. Mary’s social concerns ministry.  We plan on meeting soon and continuing the work of Christmas.

If you’d like to be on our e-mail list, contact me via e-mail b.mauro1@yahoo.com or at the parish office.  (973-235-1100.)

Blest to be serving at St. Mary’s,

Bruce

p.s.

Thank you to Tricia Blanchard and Tony Zimmerman for filling in for me this weekend.  Tricia is the director of music at Vincent United Methodist Church here in Nutley and Tony is a sought after sub in the archdiocese. 

"You are the salt of the earth……You are the light of the world.” OT5

"You are the salt of the earth……You are the light of the world.”

                                         Matthew 5:13-14

Over the past several weeks I’ve been writing about a renewed effort in the area of social concerns at St. Mary’s.   My reflections have been guided by two primary sources:  the Gospel of Matthew (which we have been hearing proclaimed at mass since the 3^rd Sunday of ordinary time) and the writings of  The United States Council of Bishops (USCCB.)

Today, I’d like to share a little more from the latter of these two sources, namely:   Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish.  Though first published in 1993, this document remains relevant and provides framework within which we can work.  The entire document can be found at http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teaching/communities-of-salt-and-light-reflections-on-the-social-mission-of-the-parish.cfm

 

Here is an excerpt:

At a time when the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, we insist the moral test of our society is how we treat and care for the weakest among us…..In these challenging days, we believe that the Catholic community needs to be more than ever a source of clear moral vision and effective action. We are called to be the "salt of the earth" and "light of the world" in the words of the Scriptures (cf. Mt 5:13-16). This task belongs to every believer and every parish. It cannot be assigned to a few or simply delegated to diocesan or national structures. The pursuit of justice and peace is an essential part of what makes a parish Catholic.

The USCCB points to 8 areas where the social mission of the church is to be infused.  They are:

    1.       Prayer and worship

    2.       Education and Formation

    3.       Family, Work and Citizenship

    4.       Charity and Outreach

    5.       Advocacy

    6.       Community Organizing

    7.       Global Solidarity

    8.       Issue Specific

This leads to the following 2 questions:

        

      1.  What are we at St. Mary’s currently doing?

        i.e. to what existing projects/endeavor can an interested 

        parishioner attach themselves?

       

 2.   Into what areas can direct new energies?

We are in the process of planning an initial gathering of the social concerns team.  Send me an e-mail or contact me through the parish office if you’d like to be a part of the effort.  Thank you to those who have already reached out.

Peace,

Bruce

"Send us out to be your hands and feet." OT4

“Send us out to be your hands and feet.”

The gospel of the 4^th Sunday of ordinary time continues to be taken from Matthew.  Today we hear from Jesus’ sermon on the mount where he shares the beatitudes.

The beatitudes have been reflected in the music we have sung the past 2 weeks of ordinary time.  Today, I have chosen Matt Maher’s Unwavering as a prelude.  Click here for the lyrics

The verses of unwavering point towards the beatitudes.  The refrain, which contains the songs title, speaks of God’s consistency.  The bridge (the words are at the top of this page) connecting the two relates to our call as Christians.

Maher’s music and ability to lead worship have made him a popular figure both in concert and Christian gatherings.  Here is an excerpt from an early interview:

“It (my life experience) has given me a heart for two things: One is to interact with culture more and another is to be a vehicle for unity. …I feel like there have to be people who are willing to just stand in the gap between Christian thought, and society. We are supposed to be in the world but not of the world.  My mandate as a Christian is not to retreat, but to be a light…. everybody is called to be a missionary wherever we are. The mission field has changed. The mission field is everywhere.”

****

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

― Teresa of Ávila

Blessed to be at St. Mary’s,

Bruce

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Today is the first of 6 weeks where we will hear from chapters 3, 4 and 5 of Matthew’s Gospel.  

In a pattern similar to during advent, the lectionary pairs these portions of Matthew’s gospel to the prophecies Isaiah to which they refer.  

Today’s pairing makes it clear; Jesus is the light that has arisen for the people who sit in darkness and dwell in a land overshadowed by death.  

Today’s gospel reading also contains several important elements which we will continue to hear throughout the upcoming weeks.

1.       Jesus preaches   

2.       Jesus calls

3.       Jesus heals

                                                  ****

The United States Conference Council of Bishops (USCB) has produced a statement that takes it’s name from the readings which we will be hearing over the next 6 weeks.  The document is titled: Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish.

Here are just a few highlights from my initial reading:

1.       To be Christian means to be actively involved in Christ's mission

2.       The local parish is where this work begins

3.        As Catholics we are called to reach beyond our own community.

Jesus is calling us to bring  His light to the world - The work of Christmas begins.

Blessed to be in ministry at St. Mary's,

Bruce

The Work of Christmas Begins

“Blessed are they who are poor in spirit.” 

                                                                      Matthew 5:3 

Today the liturgical calendar begins an 8 week stretch of ordinary time connecting the seasons of Christmas and Lent. 

With the exception of today; the gospel for the next 7 weeks, is taken from chapters 4, 5 and 6 of Matthew’s gospel. 

These chapters will be familiar to many as they contain Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. 

A well-known element of the Sermon on the Mount is the Beatitudes. 

These 8 aphorisms have been the focus of my prayer and musical preparation.

They are also where my job as music director and position of interim chair of social concerns intersect. 

Today, and over the next 7 weeks I plan on using the song “We Are the Light of the World (#595) as the recessional hymn. 

We will sing just one verse each week as each verse focuses on one of the beatitudes. 

This week’s verse may (found at the top of this blog) may the most perplexing. 

How can being poor in spirit be a blessing? 

Here’s something I found that might help. 

When we come to God, we must realize our own sin and our spiritual emptiness and poverty. We must not be self-satisfied or proud in our hearts, thinking we don’t really need God. If we are, God cannot bless us. 

The Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). 

Fr. Rich has been having the staff pray a prayer by Howard Thurman titled; “The Work of Christmas Begins.” I have a feeling you’ll be hearing and/or seeing it soon. 

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and the princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.

Howard Thurman

My hope is that our worship will lead us to begin the work of Christmas here at St. Mary’s. 

Peace, 

Bruce

The Epiphany of the Lord

Star of Wonder, star of night… 

Guide us to thy Perfect Light 

Today we celebrate the Epiphany of the Lord. 

The word itself comes from the Greek; epiphaneia meaning manifestation or appearance. 

Matthew’s gospel tells the story: magi from the east follow the star and come looking for the newborn king. They bring the rarest and most precious of gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh and offer him homage (praise.) 

One might say an epiphany is an “aha moment.” Despite the humble surroundings, this is no ordinary baby. It’s not even an ordinary king. This is God’s Son! 

Today’s prelude; A Child is Born (#99) has several references to the Epiphany of Our Lord. 

The refrain connects the song to today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah. The Christ-child is the light which breaks the darkness that covers the earth. 

The verses speak of our theological understanding of the divinity of the Christ-child. While Jesus is born of Mary, he is "begotten by the Father." Verse 2 and 3 speak of an even more special relationship between God the Father and God the Son. "The Word in flesh appearing" and "Word of God Incarnate" are references to John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. This means that Jesus is, was and always has been part of God since the beginning of time. 

You will also find references to this relationship in the creed which we profess. 

*** 

With Christmas falling on a Sunday, so does the Solemnity of Mary, Queen of the Universe (January 1) Thus, Epiphany becomes the last of just 3 Sundays in this year’s Christmas season. Some will find this interesting. For a church musician it is akin to the stars being aligned. 

Praying that many wonderful things appear in your lives and the life of our parish in 2017. 

Bruce