It is one of the most frequently asked questions during Advent: "Why is there one pink candle when all the others are violet?" Answer: "The pink or rose candle is for the 3rd Sunday in Advent representing JOY. Question: "Why do we focus on JOY for the 3rd Sunday?" Answer: "Because it's almost Christmas!" Well, not exactly...we focus on JOY for the 3rd Sunday, and the liturgical color is ROSE instead of violet, because it's "Gaudete" Sunday, named for the first word of the Introit for that day: Gaudete in Domino semper: iterum dico, gaudete. "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4). Since at least the 9th century - in other words, for over 1,000 years - the Church has sung these words from the epistle of St. Paul at the beginning of the Mass on the third Sunday. It is sad how many Catholics know almost nothing about the "Propers" of the Mass, the texts specially designated for every Sunday and holy day in the liturgical calendar. Most do not sing these texts at all, instead substituting favorite hymns or songs at the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion processions. Wearing rose vestments, lighting a rose-colored candle, and focusing on "joy," but NOT singing some form of "Gaudete in Domino" on the 3rd Sunday of Advent sort of misses the point! In truth, all of the ancient Propers in the season of Advent are rich in meaning and scriptural power. Let's look at just a few: 1st Sunday in Advent ("Faith") "To you I lift up my soul, O my God. In you I have trusted." (Ps. 25:1-2). This powerful Psalm of longing is used in both the Introit and Offertory antiphons. The theme of faith and hope is woven deeply into Psalm 25, and in the Communion antiphon, "The Lord will bestow his bounty, and our earth shall yield its increase." This is from Psalm 85 which will also feature prominently in the liturgy of the 2nd Sunday. 2nd Sunday in Advent ("Peace") Listen to the confident tone of the Introit: "O people of Sion, behold, the Lord will come to save the nations." (Isaiah 30:19). The Offertory antiphon moves deeper into Psalm 85, and our longing has moved into peaceful assurance: "You will turn to us, O God, and restore our life, and your people shall rejoice in you." Our belief now propels us to "stand upon the heights, and behold the joy which comes to you from God." (Baruch 5). 3rd Sunday in Advent ("Joy") As mentioned earlier, the joy of "Gaudete Sunday" overflows, changing the penitential color of violet to the lighter color of rose. The prophecy of Isaiah, another staple of Advent, calls us to spread joy to others: "Say to the faint of heart: Be strong and do not fear. Behold, our God will come..." (Is. 35:4). 4th Sunday in Advent ("Love") Here, the powerful imagery in the Introit (from Isaiah 45) likens us to the earth, open and ready to receive our Holy Bridegroom: "let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Savior." The object of our love is two-fold: the long-awaited Christ and his Blessed Mother. The Offertory rings out "Hail Mary, full of grace," while the Communion quotes Isaiah again: "Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a son; and his name will be called Emmanuel." In the Advent Propers, we hear the very scriptures which define the themes of the Advent wreath and its colored candles. We long, we believe, we rejoice, we receive. Faith - Peace - Joy - Love. May your Advent be filled with blessed expectation!
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Happy Thanksgiving! This is a time of the year when those two primary elements of life - food and faith - come together in surprising ways. Perhaps you've heard or read this famous story: a woman was dying of a terminal illness, and she met with her pastor to plan her funeral rites. The woman made a strange request. "Father, I'm going to have an open casket for the viewing, and I'd like to be lying in the casket holding a fork." "Why would you do that," the pastor asked, puzzled. The woman explained. "When I was a child, I loved going to church potluck dinners. I would sit next to my grandmother and, when they came to clear the dinner plates she would smile and whisper to me, 'keep your fork!' I would be filled with excited anticipation, because then I knew there was something special after dinner, some delicious dessert still to come." The pastor honored her request and, a few weeks later when she passed, she lay very serenely in the casket, smiling and holding a fork. When mourners asked why she held a fork, the pastor answered simply: "Because she knew the best was yet to come." This is a sweet story, and it reflects insight into Christian hope. The letter to the Hebrews states, "Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope, for he who made the promise is trustworthy" (Hebrews 10:23). The Lord promises life to those who believe. And living with a belief in life after death is not only hopeful, it is downright logical. Consider this thought experiment (again, forks and food are involved). If you hadn't eaten for days, you'd be hungry. Imagine a close friend shows you a closed door and tells you behind that door is a Thanksgiving feast with all your favorite holiday foods...OR NOT. If there is indeed a feast behind the door, you'll need to carry a fork with you, and you can eat to your heart's delight. If you don't have a fork, you can't eat. It's possible that there is not a feast on the other side of the door, but you won't know till you get there. The only logical thing to do is go through the door with a fork! If there is no feast there, carrying a fork is a very small burden, at best. But if a feast is waiting for us, having the fork is an enormous advantage. In Christian apologetics, this is a simple argument against atheism. If Christianity is false and death is the end of everything, it won't matter what you believed in life. But if Christianity is true, it matters a great deal. And we know that the fully-lived Christian life is not a burden at all – it can bring joy, freedom, and peace to yourself and others. And if, as we believe, there is a "wedding supper of the Lamb" (Rev. 19:9) on the other side of that door, we'll be glad to have come prepared. "Until the Lord shall come in His majesty, and all the angels with Him and death being destroyed, all things are subject to Him; some of His disciples are exiles on earth, some having died are purified, and others are in glory beholding "clearly God Himself triune and one, as He is." Lumen gentium, 49 (Second Vatican Council, 1964)
In this statement, the Church articulates what she has always taught: that our membership in the mystical Body of Christ exists in three "states."
The great celebrations at this end of the liturgical year help us focus on each state of the Church. The Solemnity of All Saints (November 1st) calls us to celebrate the Church Triumphant, both to honor their holy lives and witness, and to ask them to intercede for us. We ask friends and family to pray for us all the time! The angels and saints in heaven are our friends and family too, and by their proximity to the throne of God in heaven, they are in a better position to bring our needs to the One who can fulfill them. The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed or All Souls' Day (November 2nd) calls us to pray and offer sacrifices for those who have died who are not yet purified. A soul in heaven has no need of our prayers! However, a soul in purgatory can no longer help themselves by prayer, fasting, and alms-giving, the "spiritual and corporal works of mercy" which we offer in life to join ourselves to Christ's self-offering. The Solemnity of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (November 9th) recognizes not only a building in Rome, the "Mother Church" and the seat of the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis. It also points to the Church on earth where we "are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit," with "Christ Jesus Himself as the capstone." (Eph. 2:20, 22). Prayer and sacrifice, growing in faith and charity, these constitute the mortar which binds us and allows us to join ourselves to the capstone. Truly, this is the "circle of life!" We in the Church Militant are DISCIPLING, offering ourselves in prayer and service for others, especially those in the Church Suffering who are PURIFYING, being made perfect by the merciful cleansing fire of Christ so that they may take their place in the Church Triumphant whose members are INTERCEDING for us, and the cycle continues. This great circle of the Church continues in three states until Jesus Christ comes again in glory as Eternal King. We look to this future event with the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe or Christ the King, the final Sunday of the liturgical cycle (November 22nd this year). Blessings, and Happy November! At most of the parishes where I've served over the past thirty years, my job title was "Director of Music and Liturgy." I expect everyone could give some definition of the word “music,” but can we do the same for “liturgy?” We use the word often: “Liturgy of the Eucharist," “Liturgy of the Hours," “liturgical ministers," etc. The word “liturgy” comes from the Greek word λειτουργία (leitourgia) which literally means “public work.” The Church’s liturgy is how we worship “in public,” but even more importantly, it is how God works in our midst. Through liturgical worship we truly encounter God in action. For this reason, the “how to” of liturgy, the forms and materials prescribed for worship, are especially important. Much of the “how to” of Catholic worship comes from our Jewish heritage, which emphasized Scripture readings (especially the Psalms) and the offering of a sacrifice. Jesus himself gave his disciples the “how to” of prayer (“Our Father”) and the Eucharistic rite (“do this in memory of me”), among other rites. In addition to those prescribed in the Scriptures, the Church has based its liturgy on Sacred Tradition, passed down from the Apostles to our own day. The basic form of our Mass has been essentially unchanged for almost 2000 years! Around 150 A.D. St. Justin (Martyr) wrote a description of a Sunday liturgy very similar to our own: readings from the prophets and apostles, a Gospel reading, homily, presentation of bread and wine and prayers over the gifts, and partaking of what was clearly understood to be the actual Body and Blood of Christ. Since our faith calls us to public worship, the “how to” of liturgy is extremely important. The music we sing, the vestments we wear, the books we read from, the sacred vessels we raise, the gestures we make, when we sit stand or kneel, all of these things are not matters of personal preference but sacred actions prescribed for worship. Each act in our “liturgy” brings us closer to God, just as He is coming to us in the sacraments. Have a question about liturgy? Leave it in the comments here - maybe the next blog will give you the answer! Blessings! Have you heard of "laughter yoga?" It's not yoga in the conventional sense like the popular version rooted in traditional Hindu spirituality. It is a recent phenomenon, developed by an Indian doctor in the 1970s. The principle is this: laughter is good for you, and it relieves stress. Therefore, the physical act of laughing even when you are not amused - in other words, pretending to laugh - can produce in the body the same physiological health benefits as real laughter. Isn't that amazing? Have you ever tried fake laughter with a group of people? Next thing you know, you're laughing for real - you can't help it! It's contagious. We're hardwired for laughter and our bodies respond positively to it. Practitioners of "laughter yoga" know that the mind, body, and spirit will respond predictably to particular stimuli. A smiling, open mouth...raised hands...deep inhalations and forced exhalations saying "Ho Ho!" or "Ha Ha!"...all of these can trick the mind, producing the release of endorphins, decreasing stress hormones like adrenaline. It's great therapy, and everyone in the group has a good time! In a similar way we're hardwired for worship. God designs us with material bodies and immaterial spirits, and He wills that they work in tandem with one another. When we use our bodies prayerfully, we can enter more quickly into a spiritual state of prayer. Look at the famous 1859 painting "The Angelus" by Jean-François Millet - it is filled with suggestions of the physical senses integrating with the spiritual senses:
Our minds, bodies, and spirits are irrevocably intertwined, for good or for ill. This is why it is so important for us to follow the teaching of the Church on even little physical gestures during the liturgy. For, "he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater." (Luke 16:10) Blessings! יִתְגַּדַּל וְיִתְקַדַּשׁ שְׁמֵהּ רַבָּא "May His great name be exalted and sanctified." בְּעָלְמָא דִּי בְרָא כִרְעוּתֵהּ "in the world which He created according to His will!" The Aramaic text above is the beginning of the Kaddish, a Jewish hymn of praise to God, an ancient type of doxology. Ah, more Greek words...
From the last post we know that "orthos" means right or straight, and that "doxa" means teaching or doctrine, praise or worship, or glory. So "orthodox" means right teaching, right worship, right glorification. Easy, right? "Doxology" is another word from that "doxa" group, using the familiar Greek suffix "λόγος" or "logos," meaning word/reasoning/knowledge. We see this root used all the time: "Theos" (God) + "logos" = theology, the study or knowledge of God. "Psyche" (mind or soul) + "logos" = psychology, the study of the mind, thinking, etc. So it follows that a "doxology" (noun) would be a word of doctrine or word of praise/glory (to God). And "doxological" (adjective) would be something which exhibits those characteristics. Catholic worship should be doxological, oriented toward the praise and glorification of God. A frequent error in Catholic liturgy, particularly in the choice of music used in Mass, is singing "songs" which are oriented toward ourselves instead of God. Examples include "WE are the light of the world," or "Let US build the City of God," or "Let US...sing a new Church into being," to name just a few. There are countless similar songs in modern Catholic hymnals. The Church provides the proper orientation for Mass right from the beginning. After the Introit or Entrance Antiphon (typically a verse stating that God is great, awesome, mighty, and merciful), we say/sing the Penitential Act (indicating that we are small, sinful, weak, and in need of mercy). Then, in most seasons of the year, we launch into a great doxological hymn of praise, "Gloria in excelsis Deo":
Holy Mother Church, in her wisdom, places on our lips the Greater and Lesser Doxologies at precisely the right moments, to remind us of the primary purpose of right worship - the praise and glorification of God, not of ourselves. We worship to be sanctified (made holy). Giving glory to God in right worship is just one means of our sanctification on earth, so we might, in turn, be glorified in heaven. Blessings. Welcome! Thank you for visiting and reading this inaugural post in the "/rīt/worship" blog. I should explain the title. First, let me confess that I'm a "word nerd." I love puns and crossword puzzles, poetry and beautiful prose, and I'm known to occasionally shout out Greek root words like Gus Portokalos in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." I'm also a Catholic liturgical musician, passionately in love with my Lord, the liturgy, and sacred music. I'm deeply interested in orthodoxy - in my faith, in worship, and in musical art. Did you know the word orthodoxy comes from TWO GREEK WORDS? (you knew I would go there, right?)
orthós (ὀρθός) means "right" or "straight," as in ortho+dontics (straight teeth). doxa (δόξα) originally meant "belief/doctrine," but after the 3rd century BC it came to also mean "glory" and "worship." So orthodoxy = "right belief" and "right worship," the subject of this blog. Not "Orthodox" with a capital "O" (the branch of Christianity which separated from the Catholic Church in the 11th century), but "orthodox" as in authentic/straight/right worship, glorification, and doctrine about God. The phonetic spelling "/rīt/" also applies to the word rite. The study of liturgy concerns rite/worship in the Church, celebrated faithfully (right doctrine), correctly (right worship), and reverently (rightly directed toward God). In fact, the orthodox rites of the Catholic Church have the power to transmit orthodox theology. In turn, orthodox theology leads one to desire orthodox worship. It's all of a piece. Finally, "/rīt/" also applies to the word write, another passion of mine. In this blog, I'll write about worship in the Catholic Church, and hopefully something I write will inspire you, dear reader, to desire right worship - in this life, and the next. Feel free to comment. If you have burning questions about Catholic liturgy and doctrine, I'll try to answer them. Give me a topic, any topic, I show you how it relate to Greek word orthodoxy! Blessings. |
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December 2020
CategoriesAlex E. HillCatholic husband for 36 years. Catholic father of 6. Catholic musician, published Catholic composer. Lover of authentic Catholic liturgy and music, in line with Catholic teaching. Did we mention Catholic? |