Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

The Season of Lent is meant to show a stark contrast to the season of Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. We highlight that starkness through various liturgical signs and symbols – and even through the absence of certain signs and symbols. You will have noticed the lack of flowers on the altar. On the Fourth Sunday in Lent there will be flowers as the priest wears the rose-colored vestments, indicating that we have reached the midpoint of our penitential season and there is reason to rejoice. Otherwise, the church remains undecorated. We do not hang the violet banners on the wall, again reminding us of the starkness of the season. Of course we do not sing or recite “Alleluia” as that is reserved for the Easter season. We have also changed the music in the Mass, this year perhaps more dramatically than in the years past. Yes, we use the Latin chants as they place a more solemn tone to the Mass, but also to connect us more deeply to the universal church. Latin is the language of the church and still the “official” language of the Mass. Several recent liturgical documents from Rome ask that the faithful everywhere become familiar with the Latin chants. It is awesome when traveling, especially to Rome, to be able to participate actively in the Mass when you know the chant. One chant we have not incorporated is that of the Our Father (Pater Noster). Both Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have stated that every Catholic in the world should know the Pater Noster in Latin. Imagine standing in St. Peter’s Square with thousands of pilgrims from around the world, yet all speaking the same language as they call upon our Heavenly Father. I am not sure how we would or could do that in our parish, but it is a goal for some future time.

This year we have inaugurated the Entrance and Communion chants for Mass. Most Catholics do not realize that the church has in the liturgy for each day a chant for Entrance and Communion. Here in the USA we adopted the German Catholic custom of singing hymns composed for Mass instead of the chants. Hence, most of us are accustomed to what is called the Four Hymn Mass (Entrance, Offertory, Communion, Recessional). For Lent we have adopted the antiphonal chants which are sung like the Responsorial Psalm. This not only sets the somber tone, but it also ties the entire liturgy together thematically.

All of this starkness will then be upended with the majestic beauty of the Easter Vigil and the Masses on Easter Day. Speaking of Easter, we will be celebrating a 6:30 AM Sunrise Mass – weather permitting on the lawn – for the first time. It is a beautiful tradition in the church, and we felt that it would be worth bringing it here to St. Benedict.

As you notice various beautiful additions to the liturgy or the revival of certain customs to our parish celebrations of Mass, it grows in large measure from the parish liturgical committee headed by Father JM. We are also grateful to Ellen Remick for her hard work in learning the new chants, and to Tom O’Brien and the Contemporary Choir as well for their work in bringing the liturgy here to even deeper and more prayerful places.

The Mass is the celebration of our adoration and praise of God through the sacrifice of Jesus in the Paschal Events. All that we can do to draw us deeper into that celebration will serve to enrich our faith, as individuals and as a community.

Blessings,
Fr. Garry