Psalms
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St. Stephen Parish
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I am fascinated that in three of the last four churches which I have visited, including today's, the parish does Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours in addition to daily Mass. I think this is awesome. First of all, because Liturgy of the Hours is the prescribed prayer of the Church, but more so because I love the use of the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours.
Ever since I've been on pilgrimage, I feel that every song I hear is speaking to me in some unique way. Songs have a way of doing that. They channel the unique energy of life and emotion through words and music.
The Psalms of the Bible are really a collection 150 of the most popular songs from the people of Israel. Most of the Psalms are attributed to King David, though attribution in ancient times could mean one of two things. Either David actually wrote them, or someone wrote the song in honor of David. It is hard to tell, so most scholars just say "the psalmist" wrote them.
The Psalms hold collections of songs that range from elation…"For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord. I sing for joy at the work of your hands." - Psalm 92. To sorrow… "For my soul is filled with troubles; my life draws near to Sheol. I am reckoned with those who go down to the pit; I am weak, without strength." – Psalm 88. And everything in between.
I began today with the Psalms and I ended today with psalms… of a different type. I traveled to Pensacola Florida, to see my college friend Tom (on his birthday). He treated me to join him and his family to see the musical Cats. This collection of songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber also describe the joys and sorrows of life, through the life of the feline.
The moments of happiness . . .
We had the experience but missed the meaning
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness . . .
The past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
But of many generations - not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Whether in the Church or out of the Church, God makes his glory known. All you have to do is look for it. For me this is most evident in music. Music reflects the stories of life that need to be told and reveal to us the glory of God. I felt this whether in the Psalms of Morning Prayer or the theatrical extravaganza of Cats.
It was very touching to be at St. Stephen's parish today. Both of my brothers are in the military and last night, the Archbishop for the Military Archdiocese, Bishop John J. Kaising died. It just so happened that Bishop Kaising's home parish was at St. Steven's, where I attended Mass today. His sister was there worshiping with us and many parishioners came to comfort her in her sorrow. Reading the Psalms helped express the anguish the community felt over this tragic loss. (to see the pictorials of St. Stephen's parish, please click here. Make sure you have loaded Google Earth on your computer before doing so.)
But in the same day, I also had the experience of new life. My friend Tom and is wife Dominque have three beautiful young children whom I had never met before. Maria, Joseph, and Paul. In the same day, I was encountering both death and new life. It can sometimes be a little bit much to handle.
It helped to begin the day with the Psalms, but also to end the day with the musical Cats. The songs from the show helped to express both the sorrow and elation from the day. It brought balance to a day in which I had traveled just under 500 miles.
And maybe that is the key. Bringing balance. Music and poetry tend to do that. They help us deepen our understanding of the world in which we live and help us express our feelings when our feelings are too scared to find their own words.
I hope more parishes that I visit will celebrate the Psalms through the Liturgy of the Hours. I hope more parishes that don't already practice this form of prayer will adopt the practice. I feel that expressing this hope is a reasonable expectation.
Why you might ask? Well, I guess I feel this request is reasonable because it is more likely to happen than parishes doing a nightly production of Cats. Although, ever since the Second Vatican Council, who knows what parishes will try? Certainly most of us would be very amused in seeing a parish priest play the role of Rum Tum Tugger.
Ever since I've been on pilgrimage, I feel that every song I hear is speaking to me in some unique way. Songs have a way of doing that. They channel the unique energy of life and emotion through words and music.
The Psalms of the Bible are really a collection 150 of the most popular songs from the people of Israel. Most of the Psalms are attributed to King David, though attribution in ancient times could mean one of two things. Either David actually wrote them, or someone wrote the song in honor of David. It is hard to tell, so most scholars just say "the psalmist" wrote them.
The Psalms hold collections of songs that range from elation…"For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord. I sing for joy at the work of your hands." - Psalm 92. To sorrow… "For my soul is filled with troubles; my life draws near to Sheol. I am reckoned with those who go down to the pit; I am weak, without strength." – Psalm 88. And everything in between.
I began today with the Psalms and I ended today with psalms… of a different type. I traveled to Pensacola Florida, to see my college friend Tom (on his birthday). He treated me to join him and his family to see the musical Cats. This collection of songs written by Andrew Lloyd Webber also describe the joys and sorrows of life, through the life of the feline.
The moments of happiness . . .
We had the experience but missed the meaning
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness . . .
The past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
But of many generations - not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable
Moonlight, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin
Whether in the Church or out of the Church, God makes his glory known. All you have to do is look for it. For me this is most evident in music. Music reflects the stories of life that need to be told and reveal to us the glory of God. I felt this whether in the Psalms of Morning Prayer or the theatrical extravaganza of Cats.
It was very touching to be at St. Stephen's parish today. Both of my brothers are in the military and last night, the Archbishop for the Military Archdiocese, Bishop John J. Kaising died. It just so happened that Bishop Kaising's home parish was at St. Steven's, where I attended Mass today. His sister was there worshiping with us and many parishioners came to comfort her in her sorrow. Reading the Psalms helped express the anguish the community felt over this tragic loss. (to see the pictorials of St. Stephen's parish, please click here. Make sure you have loaded Google Earth on your computer before doing so.)
But in the same day, I also had the experience of new life. My friend Tom and is wife Dominque have three beautiful young children whom I had never met before. Maria, Joseph, and Paul. In the same day, I was encountering both death and new life. It can sometimes be a little bit much to handle.
It helped to begin the day with the Psalms, but also to end the day with the musical Cats. The songs from the show helped to express both the sorrow and elation from the day. It brought balance to a day in which I had traveled just under 500 miles.
And maybe that is the key. Bringing balance. Music and poetry tend to do that. They help us deepen our understanding of the world in which we live and help us express our feelings when our feelings are too scared to find their own words.
I hope more parishes that I visit will celebrate the Psalms through the Liturgy of the Hours. I hope more parishes that don't already practice this form of prayer will adopt the practice. I feel that expressing this hope is a reasonable expectation.
Why you might ask? Well, I guess I feel this request is reasonable because it is more likely to happen than parishes doing a nightly production of Cats. Although, ever since the Second Vatican Council, who knows what parishes will try? Certainly most of us would be very amused in seeing a parish priest play the role of Rum Tum Tugger.