Domestic Violence, Disabilities, Gather Us In

For the third Sunday in a row, someone from my parish's Peace & Justice Committee right before the announcements spoke out against domestic violence. This past Sunday, the Peace & Justice member addressed any abusers in the congregation and told them where to get help, so they can change their behavior.

Very good that this issue is being addressed since domestic violence is often a secret. Nothing has been said about this being Respect Life Month except to pick up the baby bottles to fill with spare change. However, abortion is a form of domestic violence.

Our cardinal did write a letter in our bulletin about Respect Life Month with an emphasis on welcoming and helping our neighbors with disabilities.

I'm not sure who wrote the following hymn, but I thought of it for this post because of the second stanza:

Gather Us In Lyrics
Here in this place, new light is streaming
now is the darkness vanished away,
see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in the lost and forsaken
gather us in the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken
we shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young – our lives are a mystery
we are the old – who yearns for your face.
we have been sung throughout all of history
called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in the rich and the haughty
gather us in the proud and the strong
give us a heart so meek and so lowly
give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water
here we will take the bread of new birth
here you shall call your sons and your daughters
call us anew to be salt of the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion
give us to eat the bread that is you
nourish us well and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

Yesterday, Awareness Month, T-Shirt, John Michael Talbot

It's Domestic Violence Awareness Month. At least that is what the Peace and Justice Group member announced before Mass started yesterday

It's also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Why do we have to be reminded of scary breast cancer? Oh, wait - it's to raise money for the Susan G. Komen fund. That's the organization that reportedly gives money to Planned anti-Parenthood. It would be nice to know of other organizations that help fight breast cancer.

Lastly, it's Pro-Life month. Baby bottles were passed out at church for us to put our spare change in. We are suppose to bring the bottles filled with change back to church Oct. 22-23. The money will go to a crisis pregnancy center.

I was a communion minister yesterday. A teen-age boy came up to communion wearing a t-shirt that said, "Talk Nerdy to Me." As my friend Beth would say, "Did he have no other shirt he could've worn to Mass?"

Finally, some ladies and I traveled about 40 minutes to see John Michael Talbot. A week ago I didn't know he existed. It was two hours of preaching and music. I'm glad I went. I do like hearing classical guitar.

During one song, he said to breathe in the name of Jesus and breathe out anything that is not of God. Let go of that which troubles you. So on every exhale I visualized my phone and electronic bill going up to Heaven for God to take care of. I let go of the frustrations I felt with some of my family members. Maybe I should have let go the distraction of the talk nerdy t-shirt.

On the way home, there was upsetting talk of politics and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Well, there went some of the spiritual peace I was feeling.

Breathe in
Breathe out

Oh, Jesus, please take care of me.

Two Priests, Canticle of the Turning, Unemployment

Really, I ought to take notes during Mass, so I can get the details rights except I don't think we should be taking notes during Mass.

We had two visiting priests say Mass today. Priest A introduced himself and the other priest (Priest B). Father A said Father B is not only ordained in the Western Rite, but is also approved to say Mass in the Eastern Byzantine Rite. I wonder how he got approval. Did he attend a special training session? I wish I had asked him after Mass.

Today's recessional song was "Canticle of the Turning," which I like for it's liveliness. I'm pasting the lyrics here:

1. My soul cries out with a joyful shout
that the God of my heart is great,
And my spirit sings of the wondrous things
that you bring to the ones who wait.
You fixed your sight on your servant's plight,
and my weakness you did not spurn,
So from east to west shall my name be blest.
Could the world be about to turn?

Refrain
My heart shall sing of the day you bring.
Let the fires of your justice burn.
Wipe away all tears, for the dawn draws near,
and the world is about to turn!

2. Though I am small, my God, my all,
you work great things in me,
And your mercy will last from the depths of the past
to the end of the age to be.
Your very name puts the proud to shame,
and to those who would for you yearn,
You will show your might, put the strong to flight,
for the world is about to turn.

3. From the halls of power to the fortress tower,
not a stone will be left on stone.
Let the king beware for your justice tears
ev'ry tyrant from his throne.
The hungry poor shall weep no more,
for the food they can never earn;
There are tables spread, ev'ry mouth be fed,
for the world is about to turn.

4. Though the nations rage from age to age,
we remember who holds us fast:
God's mercy must deliver us
from the conqueror's crushing grasp.
This saving word that our forebears heard
is the promise which holds us bound,
'Til the spear and rod can be crushed by God,
who is turning the world around.

The lyrics speak to me too.


Finally, I pray to God that someone, somewhere is impressed by my resume.

“The King of glory comes, the nation rejoices”

I wish we would sing "The King of Glory" at Mass. Back in 1972-1973, we sang it A LOT at church. It is really spirited and a great summary too. It's meant to be sung loud and not slow. I'm not sure what the proper musical word is for fast or even regular speed.

So far this century, I've heard it sung once at my parish. The lead singer likes to pretend she is an opera singer and sang it s-l-o-w-l-y.

There's a line in there about visiting the cities and villages. Well, fake opera singer made the trip sound exhausting.

But back in the day, during the guitar Mass we sang with gusto. We sang it with so much gusto that it sounded like we were still rejoicing. Not only that, I felt so energized by the song that I was ready to walk to cities and villages, but I was a young child and had to stay very close to home.

I miss that song.

And I've never been to an opera, but watched a few minutes of it on t.v.I don't know how else to describe the way she sings.

I know the music people at church can't please all of the people all of the time, and we all have different tastes. Blah, blah, blah.

"The King of Glory comes, the nation rejoices

Open the gates before Him, lift up your voices.

Who is the King of Glory? How shall we call Him?

He is Emmanuel, the promise of ages.

In all of Galilee, in city or village

He goes among His people, curing their illness.

Sing then of David's Son, our Savior and Brother

In all of Galilee was never another.

He gave his life for us, the pledge of salvation,

He took upon himself the sins of the nation.

He conquered sin and death; He truly has risen.

And He will share with us His heavenly vision."

 Proper credit needs to be given to the songwriter.