All Saints Evening Prayer

On Sunday, November 1 at 5 p.m. the Madison Diocesan Choir will join musicians from the Luther Memorial Choirs for an ecumenical celebration of Evening Prayer.

Luther Memorial celebrates Evening Prayer on All Saints Day each year and this year the director of music, Bruce Bengston, invited our Diocesan Choir to join them. The combined choirs will sing two anthems together. Both the Youth Choir and Bell Choir of Luther Memorial also will provide music.

The liturgy will be celebrated in the beautiful Luther Memorial Church on University Avenue and starts at 5 p.m. It will last less than an hour. All are welcome.

They Follow the Lamb Wherever He Goes

Sunday is All Saints Day, one of the great solemnities of the Church. When solemnities of the Lord fall on an Ordinary Time Sunday, they normally take precedence over that Sunday (as All Saints does this year).

As early as the fourth-century, there is evidence that there was a feast of all martyrs. Contemporary accounts show that this feast was celebrated on May 13 in some locations. In others it was celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost and still others on the Friday after Easter.

Around the year 609 Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon (a former pagan temple given to him by the emperor) to the Blessed Mother and all of the martyrs. May 13 was the date of the consecration and reports show that 28 wagonloads of bones were brought to the Pantheon from the catacombs. The Pantheon, of course, still stands today with altars to the saints encircling the rotunda.

In the eighth century Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Old Saint Peter's Basilica to All Saints. At some point (perhaps because of this), All Saints began to be celebrated on November 1. [The source for all this info is The Liturgical Year: Its history and its meaning after the reform of the Liturgy by Adolf Adam (tr. Matthew J. O'Connell).]

One of my favorite Latin motets is O quam gloriosum est by the Spanish priest-composer Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611). The text continues to be part of our liturgy, as the Magnificat antiphon for Evening Prayer II for All Saints Day.

How glorious is that kingdom where all the Saints rejoice with Christ
clothed in white robes, they follow the Lamb wherever he goes.

I hope that you enjoy this rendition!

For Christ Will Be His All

I received the following email from MorningStar Music Publishers this morning:

Beloved composer, organist, and church musician Dr. Paul Manz passed away in St. Paul Minnesota on Wednesday evening, October 29, after several weeks of hospice care. He was 90 years old. He died surrounded by his family while they sang his famous motet "E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come." Funeral services will be held in St. Paul on Sunday afternoon, November 8. Paul's many compositions, recordings, and hymn festivals have influenced the art and practice of church music in the United States since the 1960's. His playing and teaching has influenced untold numbers of organists throughout this country who considered him a mentor and friend.The staff at MorningStar has had the privilege of working with Dr. Manz over our 22 year history, and we will miss him greatly.

More information is available at the MorningStar Music Publishers' webpage.

May the angels lead him into paradise,

May the martyrs come to welcome him

And take him to the Holy City,

The new and eternal Jerusalem.

May he have eternal rest.

Images of God in the Roman Missal

A little over one month ago, the St. John's College Seminary hosted their annual "Godfrey Diekmann, OSB Lecture" on the images of God in the new translation of the Roman Missal.

The major presentation was given by Msgr. Bruce Harbert, Executive Director of the International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL) and the mover and shaker behind much of the new translation. A response was given by Rev. Dr. Carl P. Daw, Jr., best known to many for his wonderful hymn texts and as Executive Director of the Hymn Society. Both talks are available online. Both talks are worth reading.

Msgr. Harbert spoke in detail about the philosophies of the new translation, citing many specific instances. "Retranslating the Missal," he said, "is like cleaning the Sistine Chapel: the work enables us to see riches that have been previously hidden." Examples discussed (the translations of digneris, dignatus, benignus, pius, pietas, etc.) were well-documented and showed a desire to ensure an appropriate attitude toward God--one which acknowledges him as Creator and us as Created; one which confirms his consistent justice and mercy and our need for that mercy.

In general, there is an attempt to "elevate" the language. "Those who claim that the liturgy should follow the patterns of ordinary speech," Harbert said, "overlook the existence of a silent consensus that liturgical language should have a degree of formality."

Rev. Daw's response addressed many of these points. He spoke of the roots of the English language and the influence other languages have had on our own. He expressed concern regarding some conflicting points in Liturgiam Authenticam (the document governing the translation) and addresses inconsistencies in the way some phrases are translated. The issues he cites are not simply nit-picking the work of another. He addresses underlying theological concerns in a very thoughtful matter. In conclusion, he says,

I can fully appreciate the impulse to lend dignity to the language of the liturgy, but I am concerned about the attendant implication that God works only in situations removed from ordinary existence. It seems to me that the language of the liturgy ought to avail itself of every opportunity to affirm that God can make the common holy, can redeem that which seems least promising, can turn persecutors into proclaimers, can transform what seems worthless into something beyond price.

As I stated earlier, these presentations are both interesting and insightful. They show that translation is not a science. Often many words are available and the translator must sort through appropriate words and, ultimately, translate them as best he or she can within the guiding philosophy. However, when all is said and done, regardless of one's praises or critiques of these translations, we will have a Roman Missal that some will love and some will hate--but we all must use! And this prayer is the prayer that expresses and forms our unity as the Body of Christ!

On a final note, the namesake of this lecture, Fr. Godfrey Diekmann, OSB (1908-2002), is a prominent name in the liturgical movement. He was one of a handful of scholars who assisted in preparing liturgical material for the Second Vatican Council and he taught for decades at St. John's in Collegeville. His unswerving confidence in the aims of the reform were infectious.

Fr. Diekmann taught many of my friends and colleagues. I met him (briefly) about ten years ago when I was attending a meeting in Collegeville with other directors of Offices of Worship from the Midwest. I still recall that he waited outside the chapel for us one day after Morning Prayer enthusiastically greeting us and encouraging us to keep working! I was so very impressed that this brilliant and influential man was humble enough that he'd wait around just to say hello to a bunch of diocesan employees! He, like Christ whom he tried to imitate, was greatest because he made himself least of all.

The Madison Diocesan Choir

The Madison Diocesan Choir's Christmas CD, "With Joyful Steps" is available for sale and can be ordered online or by emailing the choir.

This is a live recording of the Choir's 2007 Lessons and Carols. Soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine and cellist Karl Knapp are the featured soloists, and their performances (which include selections from Mozart's Great Mass in C-minor and Handel's Messiah, as well as favorites such as Gesu Bambino, Fantasia on Greensleeves and Ave Maria) are beautifully done. The Choir teams up with Jamie-Rose for The snow lay on the ground and Gustav Holst's Christmas medley, Christmas Day.

The Diocesan Choir is composed of nearly 70 singers from numerous parishes in our Diocese. I have had the privilege of conducting this ensemble for over 17 years. While it sounds like a cliche, they are like a family and are always there for each other in both the good and bad times. The Choir is partially funded by the Annual Catholic Appeal, but members support the Choir through donations. They also pay their own expenses when traveling to the far-flung corners of the Diocese to sing for parish or diocesan events.

The Diocesan Choir has a long and rich history. Founded in 1972, the group has had a quiet impact on the Madison music scene. They originally formed as a group whose sole mission was a tour of France. Of course, they all loved it and continued under the auspices of the Diocese. They were then named the Diocesan Festival Choir. In 1975 the choir split into two distinct groups--the Diocesan Choir, which was funded in part by the diocese and sang for diocesan liturgies, and the Festival Choir, which became a prominent Madison concert choir under the direction of David Lewis Crosby. The Festival Choir is still active and performs unique and quality programs.

The Diocesan Choir also developed a children's choir. At some point, the diocese ceased funding this and the group struck out independently as the Madison Children's Choir which eventually was incorporated with the Madison Boychoir as the Madison Youth Choirs.

The Choir also supported (through the loan of our handbells) the foundation of the popular Madison Area Concert Handbells, conducted by our former accompanist and assistant director, Dr. Susan Udell. They also assisted the Diocese of Superior as they founded their own diocesan choir through the loan of music and consultation with their founders. The Choir was instrumental in the founding of our own Diocesan Hispanic Choir, conducted by former member Toni Kellor. This first-of-its-kind ensemble began in 2001 and the two choirs performed together on occasion. Unfortunately, this choir was eliminated in the budget cuts of this past summer.

In my mind, the Diocesan Choir is one of the success stories of our Diocese. It has supported the prayer and musical formation of the people of our diocese for nearly 40 years and it has been involved with community and ecumenical outreach from the beginning. It has received the support of the bishops of Madison but is guided by a dedicated Board of Directors (all members) who help sustain and grow the Choir. Retired members continue to be part of the choir family and support the choir in many different ways. I'm glad they have put up with me these past 17 years!

A Real Head-Scratcher

At many of the workshops that I present, I often like to share this story, so forgive me if you have heard it before.

One of the first presentations that I ever gave as a parish liturgist/musician many years ago was to candidates seeking initiation through the RCIA. After spending some time with what I thought was a magnificently detailed and inspiring presentation on the Mass, I asked if there were any questions. A hand went up and a woman asked: "Why do Catholics scratch their heads before the Gospel is read?"

It took me a moment to grasp what was being asked. Then I explained that many people use their thumb to trace the sign of the cross on their foreheads, lips and hearts. Some older Catholics learned a prayer to go with this, but the basic idea is that we remind ourselves (before Christ speaks to us through the Gospel about to be proclaimed) that we desire the cross of Christ to be on our minds, lips and hearts.

The following Sunday I watched people in the congregation before the Gospel, and it did indeed look as if everyone (including myself, I suppose) had an itch at the same time! It was a moment of conversion for me. How often have I done this gesture (which, interestingly, is not prescribed by the General Instruction of the Roman Missal) without a thought? How often have I genuflected, bowed, dipped my fingers in the baptismal font, or done any number of gestures without a thought? How often have I said "Amen" without fully hearing the prayer? How often have I prayed the Lord's Prayer with more thought to asking forgiveness than for the grace to grant it?

This list could go on and on.

The visionary Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (no. 11) reminds us that while God grants graces to all freely, those that "cooperate" with this grace will reap its full effects.

But in order that the liturgy may be able to produce its full effects, it is necessary that the faithful come to it with proper dispositions, that their minds should be attuned to their voices, and that they should cooperate with divine grace lest they receive it in vain...

The U.S. Bishops made it even clearer in their original 1972 document, Music in Catholic Worship (3):

We are celebrating when we involve ourselves meaningfully in the thoughts, words, songs, and gestures of the worshiping community ‑‑ when everything we do is wholehearted and authentic for us ‑‑ when we mean the words and want to do what is done.

Both texts remind us that our participation isn't an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. Our gestures and words aren't simply part of a magic formula. They both express and shape our belief. If I think about tracing the cross on my forehead, lips and heart, maybe I will listen to the Gospel more attentively. Maybe I will pray more fervently to live my faith. Maybe each day I will find my mind turning more readily to God, my lips more likely to proclaim his life-giving words, and my heart softening to his will. This simple gesture thus expresses my desire for faith and shapes it! What a gift we have in the Church's liturgy--when we choose to "cooperate with divine grace."

Preparing to Prepare

Believe it or not, there are only four more Sundays left before the beginning of Advent! Now is the time to consider how best to help the people of your parish celebrate Advent in a way that really helps them prepare a place in their heart for the Word Incarnate.

Liturgy Training Publications (LTP) has a booklet, available in English and Spanish, called "What Am I Doing for Advent This Year?" This affordable booklet ($1 each, with significant discounts available for 25 or more copies) would be a wonderful gift for parishioners. Rather than adding one more thing to people's hectic schedules, this allows them an opportunity (on their own schedule) to reflect upon how they will use the days of Advent to prepare for Christmas.

LTP also recently released "Keeping the Seasons / Celebremos los tiempos litúrgicos: Reproducibles for Advent-Christmas 2009 - 2010." This seems to be the heir of their popular Welcome Yule series of bygone days. As the title states, this resource provides handouts with text and graphics that can be used in parish bulletins, newsletters, or in any number of interesting ways. Since it is available on a CD-ROM, the material can be manipulated to the specific needs that you have.

For children, "Build Your Own Bethlehem" is an activity book to help the Gospels come alive. Two new publications, "Advent Calendar Activity Sheet" and "Create Your Own Christmas Season Booklet Activity Sheet," provide an opportunity for families to come together during the season and talk about faith.

LTP has other resources for Advent and Christmas at www.ltp.org. Advent comes upon us like a thief in the night!

Can you drink the cup that I drink?

This past Sunday's Gospel (Mark 10:35-45) provides, in my mind, one of the most compelling reasons for offering Communion under both species. The sons of Zebedee wanted a prestigious place in heaven, seated on the right and left of Jesus Christ. In short, they wanted to be great.

Jesus answers with a question: "Can you drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" This question foreshadows Jesus' prayer in the Garden: "My Father, if it is not possible that this cup pass without my drinking it, your will be done!" (Matthew 26:39)

Humility--submitting wholly to God--is an active pursuit, always done with God's help. We carry our own cross, drink from the cup of suffering, die to our own ambitions and seek God's will.

Many seem opposed to Communion under both kinds. I suppose the argument is that it is not necessary, since the Catholic Church teaches that "Christ is present whole and entire in each of the species and whole and entire in each of their parts" (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1377). Others are worried about profanation because of the possibility of spilling the consecrated wine. There also are concerns regarding health issues, particularly for individuals with suppressed immunity. All of these issues must be considered and addressed so that if Communion is offered under both species it is "preceded and continually accompanied by proper catechesis" (Redemptionis Sacramentum no. 100).

But current liturgical documents state (although in an increasingly guarded manner) that Communion under both species shows the Eucharistic banquet through a fuller sign (see General Instruction of the Roman Missal nos. 85, 283; Redemptionis Sacramentum nos. 100-107). I also would add that it provides us with the opportunity to answer Jesus' question ourselves, "Can you drink from the cup that I drink?"

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus instructed the Apostles on greatness. It is not about status, power or control. It is about service as the "slave of all." This is the prize for those who drink from the cup of Christ.

Can we be "Simply Catholic?"

Cardinal Francis George, OMI, the cardinal archbishop of Chicago, has written a book called The Difference God Makes: A Catholic Vision of Faith, Communion and Culture. I have not yet read the book but it sounds as if it would be a good read for those of us concerned about polarization within the Church.

When interviewed for the National Catholic Reporter, Cardinal George noted that he believes we are losing our proper focus as Catholics:

For both [liberal and conservative Catholics], bishops take on an importance that’s disproportionate. Liberals and conservatives both define themselves vis-à-vis authority...

Liberals are critical of [authority], although they’ll use it when they’re in power. Conservatives would tend to be less
critical, but equally dependent upon it.

Consequently, when you get into the church, you get the conservatives unhappy because bishops aren’t using power the way they’re supposed to, the way they want them to. You get liberals who are unhappy because [the bishops] have any power at all. Both of them are defining themselves vis-à-vis the bishops rather than vis-à-vis Christ, who uses the bishops to govern the church. It’s not a Christ-centered church, as it’s supposed to be, it’s a bishop-centered church.

According to press reports, he goes on to speak about being "Simply Catholic," helping those in need and living a life steeped in prayer. Sounds like a great idea!