The Gathering Song
The Gathering Song is one of the most important pieces of music of the Mass. This is because it sets the whole tone for the liturgy in a similar way that the overture sets the mood for an opera or … Read More
What Lies Beneath: Finding Easter in Christmas
Stare at a Christmas tree sometime. Or step back from your front door and take another look at your Christmas wreath. Once you get past the initial thought of “yet another Christmas season,” what do you see? Do you see … Read More
Comfort: It’s not about you
Readings for the Second Sunday of Advent, Year B After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the cities along the Louisiana coastline, a Christian church wanted to bring comfort to the people living there. The parishioners saw homes lost to flooding and people … Read More
Marian songs and devotions at Mass
Before you schedule the “Ave Maria” or plan to pray the Hail Mary during Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption (or any Marian feast day), read the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments’ document called … Read More
Music Ministry – Tip #2: Receive Communion with the Assembly
Here is one simple thing you can do to make your parish’s celebration of Mass even better: Share in Communion when the Assembly is sharing Communion. Long ago, when I was still a baby music minister, our choir would finish … Read More
Music Ministry – Tip #1: Start the Communion song immediately
Here is one simple thing you can do to make your parish’s celebration of Mass even better: Start the Communion song immediately. When I first became a music minister, our choir didn’t want to begin the Communion song until “after … Read More