Holy Week 2012

Holy Week is upon us, and this year I'll be experiencing the passion and death of our Lord Jesus like never before.  "Why?" you may ask.

Because at the very moments I should be participating in the Mass and Good Friday liturgy, I'll instead be providing music for a non-Catholic church who thinks I'm worth having around.

This is not what I want.

Every once in a while I'll see someone from my "home parish" who asks if I'm still going to church.

REALLY?  Did you ever know me?  They must've forgotten about my über-Catholicity, and I'm not even sure how that's possible. Geez.

So now I'm thinking I'll get a year in at this job, then see if there's a Catholic church within a 1 1/2 hour drive that wants some actual Catholic music, not OCP crap, from a competent organist and singer.  If not, then perhaps I'll just become a recitalist or....whatever.

At this time, I think a motivational speaker is appropriate.

Really, I just wanted an excuse to post that video.

Other than that, life is progressing pretty much on track.  I received A's in all my classes last quarter, and was especially happy about the 98 I received on my final counterpoint composition. The class had 17 students last quarter, and only 6 this quarter.  And, as it turns out, the only person for whom the third quarter of counterpoint is required is ME. Heh.

Despite the depressing tone of this post, everything is really just fine.  An upside to all of this churchy-stuff is that the family and I can attend anonymously in any number of parishes.  And I like that.

Timeless Words

I picked up Youngest Son and hugged him tight.  It was his 9th birthday.  As I squeezed him I said, "You're getting so big!  I'm going to have to stop calling you 'Little Guy'!"

As he continued hugging me, he said, "I will always be your little boy."

Scenes (part one)

Scene location: A hippie store in a university town

The beautiful burgundy North Face jacket hung enticingly on the rack. The logo was the same color as the coat, thank goodness (the author is too old to proudly sport logos) and the fabric was dreamy fuzziness. I scrunched it between my fingers then checked the tag. Not only my size, but on sale too! I could hardly believe my luck as I glanced high on the wall only to see a display of "goddess" banners. One of them resembled Our Lady of Guadalupe, except this figure was featureless. I guess goddesses don't have eyes. The coat fit perfectly. I carried it over my arm and decided to look at the jewelry before buying the coat. "What's that -- it's a pentagram. Hmmm...well, there are lots of pagans around here after all. What else do they have? No crosses, but WOW that's a lot more pentagrams." I walked back to the clothing rack, hung up the coat, and left the store.

Scene location: My almost dead computer (which needs either an exorcism or a sledgehammer. Maybe both.)

There's a 2010 prediction by Cardinal Francis George (Yes, I know the traditional way of referring to a Cardinal is "Firstname Cardinal Lastname"): ‘I will die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square.' Probably most of us feel that this is not an outlandish prediction. Certainly this is the direction our country and world is headed, the most recent evidence being the HHS mandate and the failure of the Blunt Amendment to pass. I dread what my children will endure.

Scene location: music library

As I sat with staff paper and straight edge in hand in order to make the counterpoint assignment as neat as possible (which paid off, by the way -- I received a 97), a table of female students was close by and rambling about whatever was of interest to them. Amid their random conversations was a bit about "yeah, they were trying to give condoms to everyone, and I was like, 'Get away from me!'" Daughter had told me earlier about the planned parenthood (can't bear to give them capital P's) student branch having a booth in front of the student center, so I put two and two together. I was quite heartened by the students' response. Maybe there is hope.

Scene location: Mary's brain

I believe that Facebook is an attempt by "forces" to keep extremely close tabs on the lot of us. And I don't have any interest in letting anyone know who all my relatives are, so I probably offend those who ask me to identify myself as cousin, niece, etc. by ignoring the requests. Hey - I'm anonymous on Facebook for a reason! And remember: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't out to get you. :-)

Quotes from the other side.

I have been waiting...no...GIDDY WITH ANTICIPATION for Lent to come. Why?

Well, aside from my usual failed attempt at fasting, and becoming a holier person in general, I have been waiting for this moment - as an opportunity to introduce more profound, introspective and meditative music at Mass: Gregorian chant!

Now, I know what the scholars say. "Don't introduce chant during Lent, for you run the risk of people inadvertently connecting chant to this 'penitential,' 'sad' season and thus ruining the prospect of it ever being thought of as 'beautiful,' or 'uplifting.'"

I wholeheartedly agree. But desperate situations call for desperate measures. And I have tried, to no avail, to introduce it at other (cheerier! yay, happy, yay!) times of the year. Although I received some positive feedback - I also received an equal amount of negative. My emotional life became a rollercoaster ride of complacent acceptance of H/H-type music to fervent martyrdom for the cause of better music. Honestly, during the weeks of complacently - I was generally a happier person! Not because I was being fed spiritually or musically, but because I just "accepted my fate," and turned the other cheek.

But two weeks ago, the coaster again took a sharp turn. We were blessed enough to have a Benedictine monk come speak at the parish on "Benedictine prayer and spirituality." He did none other than lead us in a chanted Vespers! It was breathtakingly beautiful. And afterwards, when hoards of people came out of the woodwork to talk to me and demand, "why don't we sing chant like that?" I was THRILLED! (Aside from also being slightly annoyed that duh, I have been TRYING for months, and that these same people will probably ask for Eagle's Wings at their near-future funerals.) THIS seemed like the answer to prayer I had been waiting for. So I resolved right then and there, that when Lent began, things around this place were going to CHANGE. Enter: Giddy anticipation!

However, as we all know: reality defers dreams. My visions of  flowing introits, communion psalms and a feeble attempt to improve evening prayer have been brought to an abrupt halt. In a string of e-mails the past week and a half, I have had to come to terms with the fact that people who don't like something sure are vocal around here. Although I have received an equal if not greater amount of positive feedback, those people are generally the ones who come talk to you after Mass, or approach you in the hall and offer a verbal affirmation. The heated "activist" types are more apt to troll from behind a screen. And so...in an effort to laugh off the recent ridiculousness...a few quotes from this "educated" lot:

"music at St. _______ has become far too traditional in style - not the music I grew up knowing at St. ______ Parish while I was in grade school there. Yes, I am one of "those people" who love the music of MJ, MH, and DH [sic] (I can just see you shuddering - sorry!)"


"A well-rounded variety of spiritual/liturgical experiences make for a strong faith"


"I remember seeing in the bulletin at St. (traditional parish down the road) a few weeks back a memo saying that for their weekly evening prayer during lent, they would be having...benediction. And I literally remember thinking to myself..."Oh, that traditionalistic St. (traditional parish down) Pastor - I am so happy to be at progressive St. ____where we will have a contemporary evening prayer service."


"I am just concerned with a change like this that uproots our own "mini-tradition" at St. _____ in favor of being more 'liturgically traditional'"


and the kicker, from today:


"the prayerful dance is a beautiful experience that is not common enough in the Catholic church"

*Sigh.*