Today is the 7th and final Sunday of the Easter season. During
this season we have heard stories of the risen Jesus from the gospel according
to John. The readings at the beginning
of the season describe Jesus revealing Himself to the disciples. He walks and
talks with them. He even eats with them (proving
he has been raised bodily from the dead).
He teaches them about the relationship between Himself, His Father and
them/us. (See John 15)
In recent gospel passages, Jesus prepares the disciples for His
return (or Ascension) to God. One part of this preparation is the promise of
the Holy Spirit.
“I have
told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the
Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all
that [I] told you. John 14:25-26
It is fitting that many parishes choose to celebrate the sacrament
of confirmation around this time of year. We will celebrate the sacrament at
two liturgies this weekend.
I have chosen 2 songs to begin these liturgies:
1.
“Holy Spirit, Come to Us” - The prelude; found here in the
bulletin.
2.
“ Come Holy Ghost” - The processional Hymn (#444).
These songs are quite different in many ways. The most striking
being how each names the third person of the Holy Trinity.
Many of us grew up referring to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Has our theology changed? In other words, has God or our understanding of the
third person of the Trinity changed?
The short answer is “No”. The change is about language. Our
everyday use of the word ghost has taken on meaning which might confuse our
understanding of God, the Holy Spirit. (Google the word ghost and see if you
agree).
“Holy Spirit, Come to Me” is a contemporary composition written
by Julie Hoy. The accompaniment, harmonization and lyrics are similar to the
folk music of the 1960’s. The following
comment describing her work and this song says it well:
"I
have personally found Julie's music inspirational. Her lyrics and the journey
of writing a song tell a realistic story of searching for and finding God in
everyday experiences."
Rev. George Wolf, Holy Family Parish,
Portland, OR
Many will be familiar with the hymn “Come Holy Ghost.” What
makes this weekend’s version unique is it’s musical setting. Richard Proulx was a composer, arranger and
the driving force in the hymnals used in Roman Catholic and Christian churches
of other denominations. His arrangement brings a rich complexity to this
straight-forward hymn. Of note is an additional a cappella verse between the 2nd
and 3rd verse of the original text.
Blessed to be in ministry at St. Mary’s,
Bruce
PS
Welcome and congratulations to our Confimande,
their families and friends.
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