26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A, 2014)

Sunday, 28 September 2014

 
Entrance Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
Kyrie Mass of the Creator Spirit (Ed Nowak)
Gloria Mass of the Most Sacred Heart (Jacob Bancks)
Psalm Remember your mercy, Lord (Paul Inwood)
Gospel Acclamation Salisbury Alleluia (Christopher Walker)
Preparation of the Gifts The Servant King (Graham Kendrick)
Sanctus, Acclamation A, Amen Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Agnus Dei Mass of the Creator Spirit
Communion Herein is Love (Macdonald/Bonighton)
Postcommunion Christus Factus Est (Felice Anerio, c.1560-1614)
Recessional Christ triumphant, ever reigning
 

The same breezier rendition of Anerio’s setting of Philippians 2:8-9 as on this Sunday three years ago, compared with a more solemn Good Friday version. One of today’s Communion antiphons, from 1 John 3:16 was

By this we came to know the love of God:
that Christ laid down his life for us;
so we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

The refrain for our Communion song:

Herein is love: God became one with us.

echoed this, and another line from the first letter of St John:

This is the love I mean:
not our love for God
but God’s love for us when he sent his son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
(4:10)

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A, 2014)

Sunday, 21 September 2014

 
Entrance Praise my soul, the King of heaven
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb) – Kyrie Eleison
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 144 (Martin Hall/James Walsh)
Gospel Acclamation Salisbury Alleluia (ChristopherWalker)
Preparation of the Gifts In bread we bring you, Lord
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Franz Schubert, arr. Proulx)
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer
Communion How good is the Lord to all (mcb)
Postcommunion Teach me, O Lord (Thomas Attwood, 1765-1838)
Recessional Praise to the holiest
 

Similar musical fare to three years ago. The Communion song reprised Ps 144(145), already heard as the Responsorial Psalm, celebrating – as did the parable of the vineyard labourers in today’s Gospel reading – the “absolute gratuitousness of the love of God”.

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (2014)

Sunday, 14 September 2014

 
Entrance The Glory of the Cross
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb) - Penitential Act
Gloria Psallite
Psalm Ps 77 (Eugene Monaghan)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia (chant) & Adoramus te no. 2 in G minor (Antonio Lotti, 1667-1740)
Preparation of the Gifts Behold the wood of the cross (Dan Schutte)
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen German Mass (Schubert, arr. Richard Proulx)
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Communion Forget not what God has done (Marty Haugen)
Postcommunion O Crux Ave (Rihards Dubra, b.1964)
Recessional At the name of Jesus
 

It’s unusual for us to have an elaborately choral Gospel acclamation, but the Lectionary text for today was virtually that of Lotti’s dramatic miniature. We preceded and followed it with the chant Easter Alleluia, so the whole thing, I trust, felt like a moment for the entire assembly.

Fr Michael’s powerful homily dwelt on the word behold, so Dan Schutte’s simple invitation to adore the Crucified was (fortuitously) well-chosen.

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A, 2014)

Sunday, 7 September 2014

 
Entrance All people that on earth do dwell
Kyrie Mass of the Redeemer (mcb) - Kyrie
Gloria Psallite
Psalm O that today (Chris O’Hara)
Gospel Acclamation Easter Alleluia
Preparation of the Gifts Make me a channel of your peace
Sanctus, Acclamation, Amen Missal tone
Agnus Dei Mass of the Redeemer (mcb)
Communion Where two or three are gathered (Liam Lawton)
Postcommunion Sicut Cervus (G.P. da Palestrina, 1525-1594)
Recessional O God our help in ages past
 

Back with a bang, even though we were few in number in the absence, for a couple of weeks more, of our student members. We were helped along by the Catenians of Number One Province, assembled as usual on this Sunday for their annual Mass. The opening and closing hymns shook the rafters.

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew 18 ended with the words

For where two or three meet in my name,
I shall be there with them.

We sang Liam Lawton’s reflection on these words, by turns stirring and thoughtful. As I think I’ve mentioned before, the uplifting refrain more than makes up for the rather plain and uninspired verses.