Planning Guide

Liturgical Spirituality KAY MURDY  Lent is a time to “hear” God’s word in Scripture and to “see” whether or not we are “doing” God’s work. We must each ask ourselves, Have I consciously or unconsciously taken on the attitudes of the world, or am I conforming my life to the pattern of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? Lent is an opportunity to have faith in God’s ability to transform us, to change our behavior, to be reconciled to God and to one another. This doesn’t happen overnight, but 40 days is a good beginning.  Ash Wednesday, March 1  Jl 2:12–18; Ps 51:3–4,5–6,12–13,14,17; 2 Cor 5:20—6:2; Mt 6:1–6,16–18 The prophet Joel charges us to open our eyes and ears to what is happening in the world around us. He mourns our failure to heed God’s word. The prophet demands whole-hearted repentance for our sins. Outward actions — rending one’s garment — are hollow if there is no internal rending of one’s heart in contrition. God will bless all those who repent and act with justice. Paul begs us not to “receive God’s grace in vain” but to be reconciled to God. “Now is the day of salvation!”  Jesus warns us that when we perform acts of almsgiving, prayer, and fasting to be careful not to act as hypocrites who are always looking for applause. They make a pretense of doing good deeds, but they are insincere. Jesus tells us not to let the “left hand know what the right hand is doing.” With the psalmist we privately lament our sins and beg God to cleanse us of our offenses: “A clean heart create for me, O God.” With hearts renewed we can be God’s messengers of mercy and justice and instruments of peace.  For Reflection: Do I perform good deeds only to win the approval of others? How does self-denial help me in my struggle with evil?  1st Sunday of Lent, March 5  Gen 9:8–15; Ps 25:4–5,6–7,8–9; 1 Pt 3:18–22; Mk 1:12–15 A rainbow occurs when rain is falling and the sun is shining at the same time. When seen with the eyes of faith, the rainbow is a sign of God’s protection from the storms that threaten to inundate our lives. Paradoxically, the way of escape is not to avoid the deluge but to go through it. In the waters of baptism we die to our former lives, yet we rise to a new life in Christ. This cleansing bath is no mere ritual. It is a pledge of God’s power to wash us clean of everything that corrupts us.  Jesus doesn’t just stand by the side as we drown in the water. He enters the murky flood of our sinful state. Victorious over the powers of evil, he emerges to announce the good news of God’s reign: “This is the time of fulfillment! Reform your lives!” If we look, we will see the light of Christ shining amidst the storm. The rainbow of God’s creation is made visible to those who walk in love and truth.  For Reflection: When have the storms of life put me to the test? What is the rainbow that helped me survive?  2nd Sunday of Lent, March 12  Gen 22:1–2,9,10–13,15–18; Ps 116:10,15,16–17,18–19; Rom 8:31–34; Mk 9:2–10 When we are ready to take the plunge, we’d better consider what it is we are doing. Abraham thought he knew, but he couldn’t envision the test that lay before him. Yet Abraham did not withhold anything from God. In laying his beloved son Isaac on God’s altar, Abraham also offered his heart and will to God. Similarly, God offered Jesus for the sake of us all. If God was willing to do that, we can be confident that nothing or no one can come against us. As God’s sons and daughters, we can say with Paul, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”  Jesus shows us how clear things can be in the midst of darkness. The light of his transfiguration is as bright as our own baptismal clothes. If we walk in the light of the Lord, then even in the darkness of our afflictions, we can hear God saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Can we hear him? Can we see him? Can we act on God’s promise?  For Reflection: When has my faith been tested by trials? How have I experienced God’s presence?  3rd Sunday of Lent, March 19  Ex 20:1–17; Ps 19:8,9,10,11; 1 Corinthians 1:22–25; John 2:13–25 In baptism we are named as God’s chosen ones, God’s very own. Because God is faithful, we owe obedience to God alone. We must honor the name of God, the one who saves us from sin and death. We must keep holy the Lord’s day and all the days that God sanctifies. Honoring our parents brings a reward. Killing, infidelity, stealing, lying, and cheating bring a penalty. God’s wisdom enlightens eyes that were in darkness; God’s precepts bring joy to hearts grown cold.  In the dense cloud of our human understanding, we miss the wisdom of God that Jesus shows us. Jesus overturns our notions of God and upsets our values. Jesus says that the temples we have erected to our pride, greed, and selfishness need to be torn down. In their place, God will build a true place of worship, the human heart, where God longs to dwell. In the light of Christ we must take a long careful look at the condition of that temple.  For Reflection: Have I shown by the way I live that I am one of God’s chosen ones? What am I doing to cleanse my inner temple?  4th Sunday of Lent, March 26  2 Chr 36:14–17,19–23; Ps 137:1–2,3,4–5,6; Eph 2:4–10; Jn 3:14–21 We sit in darkness, longing for the light of God. The songs of joy we once sang are silent; our music is still. We recall God’s fidelity, sending messengers to warn us of our infidelity, but we ignored their counsel. Too late we mourn our loss. Yet God is rich in mercy. We are brought to life when we were dead in sin.  With Christ we are raised up to heavenly places. Jesus reminds us that it is out of great love for us that God sent him to us. The outrageous sign of this love is the cross. Moses gave us a glimpse of what that means when all those wounded by sin cried out to be saved. All who looked at the instrument of affliction that Moses raised up were healed. We must look at the sin that hung Jesus on a cross and know we are saved. We have a choice to die in the toxic poison of our sin or to turn to the light of Christ’s love. There is healing in that wonderful light. For Reflection: Am I an instrument of God’s love? What healing do I need to bring to others?  5th Sunday of Lent, April 2  Jer 31:31–34; Ps 51:3–4,12–13,14–15; Heb 5:7–9; Jn 12:20–33  When what appears to be a lifeless seed is planted in the cold earth, it seems to die, yet what springs up is new grain. The new bears little resemblance to the old. Something even more incredible happens when tablets of stone become hearts of flesh. When our hearts are broken open, God’s word can be placed deep within us. Then we can understand our sacred partnership in a way that cannot be taught.  When the hour comes for Jesus to pass from this life, he prepares his disciples for this eventful moment. This is his “hour” of glorification, when he will be lifted up, not in self-glorification but on an inglorious cross. Jesus does not plead to be saved from this hour; it is for this very purpose that he came. He knows that holding on to life serves no one. To love one’s life to the exclusion of all else is to lose it. To let go of one’s life — like the seed buried in the ground — is to gain something of infinite value. The lifeless grain of wheat bursts forth with much fruit: the countless generations that serve and follow Christ.  For Reflection: Where do I see signs of transformation in my life? What do I still need to let go of in order to achieve new life?  Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday), April 9  Is 50:4–7; Ps 22:8–9,17–18,19–20,23–24; Phil 2:6–11; Mk 14:1—15:47 Eyes open to see the sin; ears open to hear the lie; mouths ready to speak the truth; backs willing to take the blow. This is the fate of anyone with courage to speak for God. Though others decline to act, true prophets let nothing deter them from their call. Despite the many hearts closed to their message, prophets proclaim God’s word to the assembly.  This is the attitude of Jesus, who did not regard power and authority as something to be grasped at and held with a tight fist. Rather he emptied himself, poured out his humanity, becoming a servant to his brothers and sisters. Jesus humbled himself, a word derived from humus, the ground that is walked upon, beaten beneath our feet. Unlike Jesus, we are not always submissive; we walk on the backs of others. At the table we betray him, daring to say “Amen” with little understanding that we are saying “Yes” to suffering and death. He who bound his will to God will not turn away, even from a disgraceful death on a cross. Obedient in all things, Jesus willingly drinks of the chalice and pours out his blood on our behalf. Now we clearly see this is the Son of God! Every tongue proclaims to the glory of God: Jesus Christ is Lord!  For Reflection: When have I remained silent before oppression? How can I offer hope to a hopeless world? Shaping the Ritual  SUSAN WALKER  As you prepare for the Sunday liturgies of Lent, consider carefully the Lenten message you will represent and how you will fully involve the faith community in the true meaning of discipleship. This is an opportune time to invite every member of the community to enrich his or her prayer life and to reach out to others, expressing the primary eucharistic foundation in deeds. Try to discourage the “me” aspect of “giving up” things, and encourage instead the discipleship of reaching out to others and focusing on spiritual enrichment, which may include stepping outside our normal lives. Simplicity, of course, is a key element in finding a focus in prayer. Stripping away the superfluous is helpful here but shouldn’t be construed as “taking away” so much as it is “preparing” for something more spiritually meaningful.  Reinforce the idea of Lent as a time of enrichment and preparation through parish-wide involvement. Identify a charity or other organization that assists those in distress or transition, and develop a campaign of sharing for that organization. Whether it’s the local food bank or soup kitchen or a national relief organization, identify a “cause” for the season. Encourage the community to use a box, jar, can, or other container into which they will make daily deposits — perhaps whatever they might spend on a trip to the coffee shop or vending machine, on lunch or dinner in a restaurant, or on a trip to the movie theatre. This should be a practice that is deliberate and visible and truly takes the place of the otherwise normal consumption of resources.  One way to make this visible and deliberate is to include this sign of sacrificial giving on a “home altar.” Encourage each member of the community to prepare a special place for prayer in every home. Prior to the First Sunday of Lent, set up a “model” of a personal prayer space on a table in the narthex near the entrance to the worship space. Include a Bible, crucifix, candle, flowers, and other items for personalization of a home altar, including a receptacle for sacrificial giving. Place baskets or boxes of tea lights (and/or receptacles for giving) nearby for members of the community to take as the first element(s) for their home altars.  Another Lenten focus would be to engage the community in the faith journey of the catechumens and candidates. Anyone who has worked with the catechumenate or has been a sponsor can vouch for how richly it shaped his or her own faith life in the process. Here is an opportunity to enrich the faith of the Sunday worshipers by connecting them to this journey. In addition to adding significantly to the true meaning of the Lenten season, your community will begin an intimate relationship with those who are on the path to initiation into their faith family. You never know, you might even increase participation in the celebration of the paschal Triduum too!  In most places, the rite of election takes place on the First Sunday of Lent and is the beginning of a period of purification and enlightenment. What a perfect example of the Lenten theme! In the preparation of the liturgies, use an integrated approach to keep the worship community aware and involved in this journey. Here are some ways to incorporate this focus:  Provide the names of the catechumens and candidates in the parish bulletin or in some other format. Encourage every member of the community to keep the list of names on the home altar and include them in his or her daily prayer.  The Lenten homilies should always include a reference to the journey of the faithful, including those preparing for initiation rites.  The prayer of the faithful should include the intention of the community’s walk with the catechumenate in prayer throughout the week.  Encourage the community to keep a diary to reflect on and connect prayerfully to their faith journey and that of the catechumens and candidates.  Post photos of the catechumens and candidates in a book or on a banner that the community will pass as they come and go to worship and other parish activities.  Choose the optional (year A) readings on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays in Lent for all the Sunday liturgies, even though the catechumens and candidates are only celebrating the scrutiny rites during one of the Sunday liturgies. This will keep the entire community connected to one another and to the catechumens.  In the final prayer, pray for the catechumens and candidates as they are sent to continue their preparation and presentation rites during the week.    Music Planning  DEANNA LIGHT and PAUL A. TATE  Return to the Lord  When we gather on Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of our celebration of Lent, the first words we hear proclaimed by the lector are a call to return to the Lord with our whole hearts. This invitation sets the tone for the Sundays that follow, in which we reflect on God’s covenant relationship with his people and on the events of the earthly ministry of Jesus leading up to the crucifixion.  The series of readings from the Old Testament are a masterfully constructed reflection on the covenant. The First Sunday of Lent takes us back to God’s promise to Noah that “the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all mortal beings.” We hear of Abraham’s faithful willingness to sacrifice his only son on the Second Sunday of Lent and the setting down of the commandments on Mount Sinai on the Third Sunday of Lent. The account of the Babylonian Exile on the Fourth Sunday of Lent shows us the separation from God implied by deviation from the covenant, while the Fifth Sunday of Lent reminds us of God’s promise to “make a new covenant with the house of Israel” — the fulfillment of which we will begin to taste in Palm Sunday’s account of Christ’s Passion. In addition to traditional hymnody, several contemporary songs complement the Lenten Scriptures. From OCP, check out Chiusano’s “I Will Be Your God” or Cooney’s “Now,” whose refrain text (taken from the readings for Ash Wednesday) reminds us that “this very day there is salvation.” GIA has many strong Lenten musical offerings, including new pieces by Haas, True, Light, and Tate (see the charts below for specific songs and usages). WLP’s Lenten selections include Berrell’s setting of Psalm 25 as well as an upbeat setting of the Hommerding text “Benedictus” by John Angotti. Choose music for Lent that will help your assemblies meditate on the call to return to that covenant relationship with the Lord. Liturgical music during the season of Lent doesn’t have to be dark, slow, and in exclusively minor keys. The Scriptures’ call to faithfulness and a deeper relationship with God should be reflected in hymns and songs that sing of God’s great mercy and love for his people, a love that is often found in tunes in major keys and moderate tempi! Celebrate the covenant, then, and the love of our God — a God of reconciliation, healing, and hope.  Ash Wednesday  Ashes (Conry) BB122, GC852  Dust and Ashes (Wren/Haas) GC392  From Ashes to the Living Font (Hommerding) GC402, WC507  Hosea (Norbert) BB683, GC405, WC653  Misericordia, Señor/Be Merciful, O Lord (Tate) GIA  Now (Cooney) S&S194  Psalm 51: Be Merciful, O Lord (Pishner) GC39  Remember You Are Dust (Tate) GC391  Remember Your Love (Balhoff/Ducote/Daigle) BB690, GC851  Return to the Lord (Haas) GC415  Return to the Lord (Tate) GIA  Without Seeing You (Haas) GC842  1st Sunday of Lent  Bring Us Home (Light/Tate) GI Forty Days and Forty Nights (Traditional) BB126, GC411, WC516  Gather Us In (Haugen) BB312, GC743, WC853  I Have Loved You (Joncas) BB617, GC504  I Lift My Soul to You (True) GC562  I Lift Up My Soul (Manion) BB751  Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley (American folk hymn) GC406, WC510  Let Us Worship the Lord (Berrell/Tate) GIA  Now (Cooney) S&S194  Now in This Banquet [Lenten refrain] (Haugen) GC825  Turn to the Living God (True) GC408  We Are Faithful (Bolduc) VAO96  You Are Strong, You Are Holy (Dunstan/Tate) GC700  2nd Sunday of Lent  Benedictus (Angotti) WLP  Benedictus (Hommerding) WC434  Beyond the Days (Manalo) BB137, S&S101  Change Our Hearts (Cooney) BB687, GC414  Here I Am (Booth) BB453, S&S180  I Will Walk in the Presence of God (Haugen) GIA  Journey for Home (Bolduc) VAO50  Let Us Worship the Lord (Berrell/Tate) GIA  The Love of God (Tate) VAO89  Transform Us (Dunstan/Haas) GC770  3rd Sunday of Lent  Again We Keep This Solemn Fast (Traditional) BB140, GC407, WC504  Be with Me (Macek) GIA  Deep Within (Haas) GC419  Faith, Hope and Love (Haas) GC609  I Will Be Your God (Chiusano) BB142  If You Love Me (Light/Tate) GIA  In Remembrance of You (Tate) GC819, VAO46, WC642  In These Days of Lenten Journey (Manalo) BB132  Lord, You Have the Words (Bolduc) VAO62  Strength for the Journey (Poirier) S&S204, VAO87  Turn to Me (Foley) BB688  4th Sunday of Lent  All That Is Hidden (Farrell) BB494, GC654  By the Waters of Babylon (Tate) GC573, VAO13, WC424  Coventry Litany of Reconciliation (Warner) WC660  From Ashes to the Living Font (Hommerding) GC402, WC507  God So Loved the World (Tate) VAO27, WC789  Journey for Home (Bolduc) VAO50  Kyrie (Haugen) GC418  Our Father, We Have Wandered (Nichols/Hassler) GC849, WC655  5th Sunday of Lent  Be with Me (Macek) GIA  Beyond the Days (Manalo) BB137, S&S101  Deep Within (Haas) GC419  I Will Be Your God (Chiusano) BB142  If You Love Me (Light/Tate) GIA  Misericordia, Señor/Be Merciful, O Lord (Tate) GIA  Now (Cooney) S&S194  Turn to the Living God (True) GC408  Unless a Grain of Wheat (Farrell) BB490, GC699  You Are Strong, You Are Holy (Dunstan/Tate) GC700  Passion Sunday (Palm Sunday)  All Glory, Laud and Honor (Traditional) BB152, GC421, WC522  Awesome God (Mullins) S&S169, VAO7  Crucify Him (Tate) WLP  Crux Fidelis (Warner) VAO19, WC530  Hope to Carry On (Mullins) S&S181  Hosanna (O’Brien) GC425  Hosanna to the Son of David (Schutte) BB150  Jesus, Remember Me (Berthier) BB391, GC422, WC221  Jesus, the Lord (O’Connor) BB733, GC403  Palm Sunday Processional (Cooney) GC420  Ride on King Jesus (Spiritual) BB149  Sing Hosanna to Our King (Angotti) WLP  Tree of Life (Haugen) GC401  Tree of Life and Glory (O’Brien) GIAML   What do YOU Think? 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