Music Ministry in Ordinary Time

 It's been a while since I have written on this music blog.  We have journeyed through the Christmas season and the seasons of Lent and Easter and are now in ordinary time.

This year has been the recovery year from the two year "hiatus" during the covid pandemic. The choirs and the cantors/instrumentalists have been dedicated and worked hard this year to bring forward prayerful and beautiful music for the liturgy.   We have grown in numbers and in our music.  Thank you to all the music ministers of St. Therese. 

Ordinary time is really not so ordinary.   We have beautiful readings at Mass that show us the way to follow Jesus in our everyday lives.  

The cantor schedule for July and August is now out, and soon we will be looking at the choir schedules and plans for the next choir season.  God bless us all with a time of rejuvenation in these summer months.

ADVENT IS COMING!

We are entering into the beautiful season of Advent.  What does the Church say about Advent? "Advent has a two-fold character, for it is a time of preparation for the Solemnity of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered, and likewise a time when, by remembrance of this, minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ's Second Coming at the end of time.  For these two reasons, Advent is a period of devout and expectant delight" (Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar 39)

The music chosen for Advent reflects these two comings:  "O come, O come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lowly exile here, until the Son of God appear."  "The King shall come when morning dawns and light triumphant breaks, when beauty gilds the eastern hills and life to joy awakes". "Wait for the Lord, whose day is near. Wait for the Lord: be strong, take heart."

We also hear the words of the prophet Isaiah as he speaks of St. John The Baptist:  "A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.", and this is reflected in the music by Michael Joncas "A voice cries out in the wilderness: prepare a way for the Lord! A voice cries out in the wilderness: make straight a highway for God". (A Voice Cries Out)

SOME NEWS:   The Christmas Concert has been postponed until next year.

Where Did The TIme Go?

It's amazing.   This weekend we are at the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  Autumn in Indiana is finally emerging with the storms today and tomorrow bringing the colder air.  Where did the time go!

The readings for the Sundays have focused on living the life of servant.   This weekend we hear "whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Saint Therese Choir is a community of service.  The choir members have made a commitment to weekly rehearsals and to coming every Sunday to bring prayerful, beautiful music to the liturgy.  No one person is above any other person in the choir....rather we serve one another and the community of St. Therese through our song.

Choir began in early September and has rehearsed every Wednesday evening and has sung for Mass every Sunday since that first rehearsal.  However, it's not too late for potential  new members to contact me for information or to join the choir.  All are welcome!

We also have a need for 8AM cantors.  This ministry requires a good voice, a prayerful presence at the microphone and the time for rehearsal and for preparation and prayer at home with the psalms and the hymns.   Interested?   Contact me and we will talk.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Mark your calendars.   The Christmas Concert will be Wednesday evening, December 29th at 7PM. More information will follow soon.

Food for the Multitude

 I love the Gospel story of Jesus multiplying the 5 barley loaves and 2 fish that came from a boy in the crowd that was listening to Jesus.  After Jesus worked a miracle, there was enough to feed the multitude and have twelve wicker baskets of fragments of bread left over.  In the first reading God works through Elisha to feed the crowd of a hundred people with some left over "as the Lord had said".  

We sing Psalm 145:10-11, 15-16, 17-18 with the refrain:  "The hand of the Lord feeds us; he answers all our needs."   Thanks be to our loving God.   In the psalm we sing: "All your works shall thank you, O Lord, and all your faithful ones bless you.  They shall speak of the glory of your reign, and declare your mighty deeds."

This week we begin a new hymn called Come To The Feast/Ven al Banquete. Verse one echoes the Gospel of this weekend:  "Like the child whose fishes and loaves fed the multitude, in the Lord the little we have, broken and shared, becomes abundant food."  The refrain which is English and Spanish calls us to come to the feast of the Lord Jesus and receive his Body and Blood as our food.

CHOIR OF HOPE:    All old and new members are welcome.   Come to the choir room this coming Wednesday at 10AM for a time of prayer and song.

MUSIC FOR THIS WEEKEND of 17th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME  July 25   Gathering Hymn: No. 606 Glory and Praise To Our God;  Hymn at the Preparation of the Altar: No. 838 Come To The Feast/Ven al Banquete; Communion Antiphon: Bless the Lord, O my soul and never forget all his benefits; Communion Hymn: No. 916 I Receive the Living God;  Closing Hymn: No. 636 Now Thank We All Our God.     The Mass setting is the Mass of Renewal.

Summer of 2021 and Ordinary Time

 In this beautiful season of summer with everything in full bloom, our music ministry is rapidly coming into full bloom.  The hymnals are back in the pews, we have been able to release the masks and the plexiglass, and we also now can have choirs again.  God is good!

The church has this to say about the participation in music at the Celebration of Mass:

• "The celebration of Mass, as the action of Christ and of the People of God arrayed hierarchically, is the center of the whole of Christian life for the Church both universal and local, as well as for each of the faithful individually. For it is found the high point both of the action by which God sanctifies the world in Christ and of the worship that the human race offers to the Father, adoring him through Christ, the Son of God in the Holy Spirit. In it, moreover, during the course of the year, the mysteries of redemption are celebrated so as to be in some way made present. As to the other sacred action and all the activities of the Christian life, these are bound up with it, flow from it, and are ordered to it."  GIRM16."

All music is chosen with the praise of God, the season of the year, and the particular Scripture and prayers for each particular Celebration of the Mass.

• "It is, therefore, of the greatest importance that the celebration of the Mass or the Lord's Supper be so ordered that the sacred ministers and the faithful taking part in it, according to the state proper to each, may draw from it more abundantly those fruits, to obtain which, Christ the Lord instituted the Eucharistic Sacrifice of his Body and Blood and entrusted it as the memorial of his Passion and Resurrection to the Church, his beloved Bride." GIRM 17

Prayerful, beautiful, well-prepared assists the assembly to "draw from it more abundantly those fruits".

• "This will fittingly come about if, with due regard for the nature and other circumstances of each liturgical assembly, the entire celebration is arranged in such a way that it leads to a conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful, namely in body and in mind, a participation fervent with faith, hope and charity, of the sort which is desired by the Church and which is required by the very nature of the celebration and to which the Christian people have a right and duty in virtue of their Baptism. GIRM 18

This is a clear directive to all musicians to take particular care with the choice of music, the quality of music, and to make sure that the assembly knows the music and can participate with conscious, active and full participation.  

MUSIC MINISTRY NEWS:   

• Choir will begin in September and you will be receiving notices in the bulletin about how you can become a new member.   For current members, you are receiving regular newsletters and you have received a choir schedule with all the information you will need.  
• The Guitar/Vocal group has begun to come together again, and will be singing as a group on August 7th at the 5:15 Mass.
• The Choir of Hope is also resuming with a rehearsal on Wednesday morning, July 28th at 10AM in the music room.   New members are welcome!   If you are interested in joining this Choir, please contact Beverly at sttheresemusic@gmail,com or call 413-1233. The Choir of Hope sings for funerals.
• Saint Therese Chimers:    Will be resuming soon on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 - 7PM. No starting date has been set yet.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time   July 18 

Entrance Hymn:  No. 853  All People That On Earth Do Dwell    Responsorial Psalm:  "The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want."  Alleluia verse: "My sheep hear my voice says the Lord. I know them and they follow me."  Hymn at the Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of Gifts:  No. 588 I Have Loved You  Communion Antiphon:  The Lord, the gracious, the merciful, has made a memorial of his wonders. He gives food to those who fear him."  Communion Hymn:  No. 35 Shepherd Me, O God  Closing Hymn:  No. 604 All The Ends of the Earth.

Welcome!

Here we are at the end of January 2021.  Last year at this time we had no idea that music ministry would be so radically altered.  Since the middle of March we have seen the discontinuation of congregational singing until two weeks ago when we were allowed to begin singing softly under our masks.  Regular choirs have been discontinued, and cantors must sing behind plexiglass or in a separate room. Our hymnals have been removed from the church.   Everything is so different.  However, we have the Eucharist at the Celebration of Holy Mass.  We have a new pastor who is full of energy and has a great knowledge of theology and liturgy and shares it regularly with the parishioners.  So, even though the outer structures have changed for music ministry, we still have the core of our Faith and our Liturgical Celebration.

We love our music ministry and we miss the many aspects that we cannot do right now.  However, we will never take our music for granted again!   God bless you!

The Beauty of Ordinary TIme in the Liturgical season after the Easter Season

I was struck by the power of the antiphons, readings and the responsorial psalm for last Sunday, the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time.  They were so appropriate for the times that we live in right now.  In the midst of division and hatred and anger and so much stress from the covid-19 virus, Christ says: "Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows.

The cantor chanted: "The Lord is the strength of his people, a saving refuge for the one he has anointed."  And again, in the responsorial psalm, the cantor prayed in song: "But I pray to you, O Lord, for a time of your favor.  In your great mercy, answer me, O God, with your salvation that never fails.  Lord, answer, for your mercy is kind, in your great compassion, turn toward me."

For liturgical musicians, this is a difficult time.  We cannot sing in our choirs, or play our flutes or trumpets and we cannot sing as a congregation.  But....God is here for us always and we pray to him through our liturgy for help and acknowledge his kindness and compassion.

Know that the time will come when we will be singing again!  The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy says that music is integral and fundamental to the liturgy.  We will be singing again!!

Liturgical Music in the time of covid-19 virus

Why are we not singing as a congregation?  Why do we no longer have choirs or vocal groups?
Why is the cantor enclosed in a box?

To quote the Diocesan Office of Worship:  "There is evidence (including examples involving choirs in other states) that singing, especially in close proximity to others, greatly increases the risk of viral spread by aerosoling respiratory particles in a manner more akin to coughing or sneezing than mere talking. This causes particles to travel beyond six feet, and even surgical masks don't effectively contain them.  Infectious disease experts with whom we have consulted believe that this poses an unacceptable risk that would negate the beneficial effects of distancing and masks."

So.....as of June 1, the only singing currently allowed at public liturgies is by a cantor who must sing with a microphone from an enclosed space - either a room separate from the main body of the church - or from an enclosed booth or box specially constructed for this purpose.   The parish is in the process of making an enclosed booth which will be in the choir area.

I know it is hard for many of you not to sing right now, but please do not sing or hum in any way!

As you know,  the diocese has forbidden any choirs, or wind or brass instruments for several months now.  The piano and organ and guitar may be used.  As of June 1 (see above) one cantor may also sing at Mass.  We have also removed all missalettes, hymnals, bulletins, and anything else on which a covid virus could settle (sometimes remaining for as long as 6 days).  This was effective the middle of March.

We want everyone to stay healthy, and this is why the changes in music were made. This is a special, not normative for Church music, time that we are living in.

Let us all pray that a vaccine may be found soon and we can return to implementing the fullness
of the Church Documents and Liturgical Law.

Holy Week in Troubling Times

2020 is a year that will be long remembered as historic.  We are experiencing a pandemic that

is hitting everyone in one way or another.  If you are not sick, or have a relative or friend that is not sick, you still are "sheltering in place" and not able to come to Church.  We are not able to hold Holy Week services this year for the public.  However, the prayer of Holy Week is powerful and will help bring healing and peace to you and to this troubled world.

It really struck me that we are experiencing crucifixion leading to resurrection.  These difficult times and the grief that so many experience, will bring eventual resurrection of new life.  Jesus knows who we are by name, and he will help us through these times.

Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior.   He has said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."   

Remember, Christ is risen.   We too will rise.  Happy Easter to all!

Lessons and Carols is Three Weeks Away!

Lessons and Carols

Monday, December 16, 2019

Saint Therese Catholic Church, 2304 Lower Huntington Road.
7:00PM with prelude music beginning at 6:45PM.

The prelude music features violinist David Ling, flautist Tamara Searer-Jenkins, and organist Allen Goebbert. 

  

A Festival of Lessons and Carols 
is a beautiful candle-lit service of carols and scripture which is presented around the time of Christmas.   It has a long history, beginning in England in the early 1800s, and continued to this day.  This is a beautiful way to celebrate the Advent/Christmas season with family and friends!  O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL!

This evening of music and readings features David Ling, Tamara Searer-Jenkins, Allen Goebbert and St. Therese choir, chimes, guitar group, One Voice Children's choir and soloists from St. Therese Music Ministry under the direction of Beverly Rieger.

A reception will follow in the Parish Hall.

There is no charge, but a free will offering will be taken to assist the St. Vincent De Paul Society in their important work for those who need our help.

Merry Christmas!

It's been a long time since I have posted on this blog.  Life got away from me, I guess.

We had a lovely Advent, a beautiful Lessons and Carols, and now Christmas Masses are over and we are looking at the Feast of the Holy Family this coming weekend, Epiphany on January 6 and The Baptism of the Lord will complete the Christmas season on January 13.

Many, many thanks for all the musicians who gave so generously of their time and talent over the Advent and Christmas season.  Thank you!

We are called, all of us, to be light to the world.  May we answer this call through our music ministry, and through our lives of service.

Music Ministry for Lent

Lent is time of deep retreat and of personal conversion.  Everything slows down and simplifies so that we can experience this change of heart.  The music for Mass is an integral part of this time of conversion.   The Alleluia and Gloria are omitted.  We sing the Latin/Greek chants of the Mass: the Kyrie, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.  Hymns such as "Deep Within", "Tree of Life', "Without Seeing You"reflect the readings for Cycle B, and inspire us to deepen in the prayers of Lent.

The responsorial psalm for this Fourth Sunday of Lent is Psalm 137:1-2,3,4-5,6.  The refrain "Let my tongue be silenced if I ever forget you." is our calling to bring the life of Jesus more deeply into our hearts and never forget his love for us.  The psalm verses reflect on what is means to be in a foreign land within ourselves...separated from God.

The Jewish people sang when they were captives in Babylon, and this is also our song:  "By the streams of Babylon we sat and wept, when we remembered Zion.  On the aspens of that land we hung up our harps.  For there our captives asked of us the lyrics of our song, and our despoilers urged us to be joyous: "Sing for us the songs of Zion!"  How could we sing a song of the Lord in a foreign land? 

As music ministers, how can we sing a song of the Lord if our hearts are not deeply connected to him and the journey of his life and death and resurrection?

Advent and Christmas Celebrations

Advent is such a beautiful time in the liturgical year.  It is peaceful and invites rest in the midst of busyness.  John The Baptist proclaims "Prepare"  the coming of the Lord is near.

We invite you to A Festival of Lessons and Carols. 

A FESTIVAL OF LESSONS AND CAROLS is a beautiful candlelight service of carols and scripture which is presented around the time of Christmas. It has a long history, beginning in England in the early 1800s and continued to this day.

What a beautiful way to begin your week before Christmas with family and friends!  

COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL!

Featuring the music ministry of Saint Therese

with guest organist Allen Goebbert, guest violinist David Ling, and guest flautist Tamera Searer-Jenkins.

 

Blessing and Concert for our Samick Baby Grand Piano

We are now living the resurrection experience of the Easter Season which ended with the Pentecost commission to go out and be living witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ.  The readings in ordinary time are a continuing instruction in how to do this.....coming directly from the Old Testament, the New Testament letters from the early church, and words of Jesus himself through the Gospels.   The music, as always, directly reflects these readings.

NEWS:  On this coming Tuesday, July 18th, we will have a Concert and Blessing of the new Baby Grand Samick piano at 7:00PM at the church.  All are welcome.  Our guest concert pianist will be Dr. Valentino Piran who is the Music Director at St. Jude, Fort Wayne.  He will play original improvisations in many different music styles of our hymns, and will ask the audience also to suggest hymns for his improvisation.  Should be a beautiful and inspirational evening.  There will be a free will offering.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

We have celebrated Jesus as Living Water (Third Sunday of Lent) and Jesus who heals the blind and brings light into darkness (Fourth Sunday of Lent).  Now we enter into the final week of Lent and Jesus proclaims in the Gospel,  "I am the resurrection and the life".

During this time of Lent we had a beautiful gift given to the parish of St. Therese.  An anonymous donor gifted a baby grand piano with a beautiful sound which supports the singing of the assembly and brings another dimension of beauty and prayer into our liturgy.  Thank you to this donor!!

Alleluia Sunday

We are at the last Sunday before Lent begins this coming Ash Wednesday.  It is our last weekend
to sing "Alleluia" for about 6 weeks.  The music for this week reflects the readings, but also includes Alleluia as much as we can.  ALLELUIA!

Gathering Hymn:  All Creatures Of Our God and King  No. 611
Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of Gifts music:  Seek Ye First - No. 658
Communion Hymn:  No. 695  You Are Near
Closing Hymn:  Alleluia, Sing To Jesus  No. 949

The beautiful readings this week speak of the tender love of God who holds us and cares for us.
"Can a mother forget her baby, or a woman the child within her womb? Even if these forget, I will never forget you.."

The bake sale this week to raise money to repair the chimes was a tremendous success!   So many yummy baked goods...thank you to all who baked and contributed. 

Shine forth and show the merciful love of God!

As we continue to move through Ordinary Time and it's focus on leading lives that shine out
to the world, you are bringing that light to our parish in so many ways.  As assembly, you nurture and support the liturgical life of our parish in your singing (very good assembly singing!) and praying, in your welcoming of the visitor, and in your support of one another.

In the ministry of music, you cantor, you are members of the choirs, you play guitar and flute and chimes.  You are prayerful and your music is beautiful.

The Entrance Antiphon for this week is an acclamation of trust in a loving God: 

“O Lord, I trust in your merciful love; my heart will rejoice in your salvation.   I will sing to the Lord who has been bountiful with me.”  Our sung hymns flow from the readings and from this opening antiphon.  One very strong statement in today's readings commands us "You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart."  In the Gospel, Jesus says "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."  What beautiful and powerful statements of the mission of our lives, to shine forth into the world in love.

Gathering Hymn:  Love Divine, All Love's Excelling  No. 641

Our Mass setting is the Heritage Mass

Responsorial Psalm:  "The Lord is kind and merciful"  No. 1110

Alleluia:  Mass of Light

Hymn at the Preparation of the Altar:   Where Charity and Love Prevail  No. 706

Communion Hymn: Dwelling Place No. 678

Closing Hymn:  Here I Am, Lord  No. 777

Thank you to all for your prayerful presence and beautiful music.

NEWS FLASH:   There will be a bake sale the weekend of February 25 and 26 to raise money

to continue to repair the chimes.  We almost have enough people for chimes....need 2 more

chimes players.  It's not hard and it is fun. 

"Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord"

This Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time continues the theme that threads through all of these weeks before Lent begins.We are called to be children of light, and the way that we live our lives matters.
We are to live in the Wisdom of God, and not in wordly wisdom. 

Our music for this coming weekend of February 11 and 12:

Gathering Hymn:  No. 656 Lead Me, Guide Me
Hymn for the Preparation of the Altar and Presentation of Gifts:  No. 651 Open My Eyes, Lord
Communion Hymn:  No. 728  Eye Has Not Seen
Closing Hymn:  No. 606  Glory and Praise To Our God

WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE CHIMES MEMBERS!

We have a beautiful set of 25 chimes.  They are lonely in the music room, and want to the played at Mass.  However, we need more chimes members.  We rehearse on Wednesday evening from 6:30 - 7:30 in the choir room of the church.  Here is the schedule for the Spring:
February 8, 25, 22   March 25 and 29   April 5 and 26  May 10 and 24    End of Chimes season.

If you are interested, please contact me!    Beverly

Living Ordinary Time as People Living the Light of Christ

We are now in Ordinary Time....living the message of Christ our Light, and being light to the world.

Our Choir has resumed rehearsals and singing for Sunday Mass.  Our Chimes Group (Saint Therese Ringers) will begin rehearsals on February 8th.

Saint Therese Music Ministry is always open to new members.  If you have wanted to be a part of the music ministry (maybe it was a New Year's resolution) don't hesitate to contact me.

Music for this coming weekend, February 4 and 5..Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Responsorial Psalm:  Psalm 112    "The just man is a light in darkness to the upright."
Mass setting - Alleluia from Mass of Light; Holy, Memorial Acclamation, Amen, Lamb of God - Heritage Mass
Gathering Hymn:  Sing A New Church   No. 743 Gather
Hymn at the Preparation of the Altar:  As A Fire Is Meant for Burning  No. 744
Communion Hymn:  Let Us Be Bread  No. 946
Closing Hymn:  Bring Forth The Kingdom  No. 730

Advent is Coming!

This morning we woke up to much colder weather and also probably the first snow.  This is a sure sign that the season of Advent and Christmas is just around the corner.  Advent is a very busy time for anyone who works in the church, but it is a beautiful time.  The music is soft and reflective and speaks to the readings of the Advent Sunday.  We hear of the end times, and of John the Baptist, and especially of Mary during the last two weeks of Advent.

Mark your calendars for a very special event being presented for the first time at St. Therese. A Festival of Lessons and Carols is Monday evening, December 19th, at 7PM with string quintet music at 6:45PM.

Lessons and Carols is a beautiful candle-lit service which is presented around the time of Christmas.  It has a long history, beginning in England in the early 1800s, and continued to this day.

Lessons and Carols is not precisely a Christmas Concert, although you will experience beautiful Advent/Christmas music. 

The audience is invited to sing throughout,

but it is not a Christmas Carol sing-a long either.

The lessons are six readings from the Old Testament and the New Testament, concluding with the reading of Joseph taking Mary into his home. 

After each lesson, there is music:  solos and also Advent/Christmas hymns for you to sing with the choirs and instrumentalists.

After A FESTIVAL OF Lessons and Carols,

you are invited to a reception in the Parish Hall.

No charge, but a free will offering will be taken up

to benefit the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Saint Therese Parish.

Mark Your Calendar!

Come and bring your family and friends!