SUNDAY XIII and WHAT'S IN A NAME?

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Have you ever been to a different church and hear a different terminology as to what each hymn is called at Mass?  I'm not talking titles, but instances - when the hymn is sung.  Here at Sacred Heart, we sing the Entrance hymn, the Offertory, sometimes a meditation hymn after Communion, and the Recessional.

But what terms do other parishes use to introduce their hymns or publish them in a Mass Guide/worship aid?

Many, especially those who thrive on those songs that Fr. Bucci would (rightfully) describe as "campfire songs written by some guy with a guitar and a marshmallow stick in his mouth" refer to the Entrance hymn as the "gathering hymn" or "gathering song".  Nothing says "me-focused" like a "gathering song."  There is NO SUCH THING.  If you are singing that first hymn while gathering, you're probably late for Mass.  I know, sounds snarky of me, but it's the only way I can put it.  Sorry, but not sorry. ;)

The proper term for that first hymn is the "Entrance chant," according to the current edition of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.  That is because, in all actuality, the first choice of what should be sung at the beginning is the appointed Introit (or Entrance Antiphon) of the day.  The word "Introit" comes from the Latin "intrare" meaning "to enter."  Some may remember from the Traditional Latin Mass the priest saying the words, "Introibo ad altare Dei," that is, "I will enter unto the altar of God."

Going back to focus, "gathering" seems to focus on the congregation getting into church and how happy we are to be there, and often tends to give in to very weak songs such as Gather us in and All are welcome.  "Entrance", however, shifts the focus to the priest entering the church "in persona Christi" ("in the person of Christ").  Our singing should focus on Christ, not "us".

The Offertory hymn is often referred to as the "Presentation" or "Preparation" hymn in modernist circuits.  Again, "Offertory" is what the General Instruction gives us.  The "Preparation of the Altar and Gifts" is the act taking place while the "Offertory" is sung.  No "me- or we- centering" in this error, but I feel the need to address it just the same.

Finally, the Recessional hymn.  Now, technically, the recessional hymn was never part of the Mass, not even in its current form, and the General Instruction makes no mention of one, though I think I can safely say over 90% of parishes in the United States (including ours) sing one by custom.  The modernists like to use the term "Sending Forth song", which sounds like utter nonsense, not to mention, another Happy Bunny moment (one of his favorite quotes is "Let's focus on me!").  Recessional at least focuses on the priest leaving the Church, again "in the person of Christ".  If there is an actual "sending forth song", it's very brief.  It's the dialogue in which the priest says/sings "Ite, Missa est/Go forth, the Mass is ended," to which we respond "Deo gratias/Thanks be to God."

And now, without further ado...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (Gloria, if sung)
Community Mass (Richard Proulx) (Sanctus, Memorial, Amen, Agnus)

ALLELUIA: Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB

The rest: (ALL hymns and Mass music will be found in the Mass guide which you will find with the bulletin at the entrances of the Church.)

Entrance hymn: Your hands, O Lord, in days of old ("Mozart")
Psalm 30: R./ I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me (Theodore Marier, 1912-2001, from his brainchild hymnal, Hymns, Psalms and Spiritual Canticles)

Offertory hymn: O Jesus, joy of loving hearts ("Wareham")

- NOTE: This tune is also used with another hymn we sing, "O wondrous type, O vision fair", which is often used on the Second Sunday of Lent and at the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Music during Communion: Ave Verum Corpus (see note...)

- NOTE: One of two settings will be used, depending on the availability of singers.  One is the plainchant (Mode VI) which will be included in the Mass Guide.  There may be a brief organ improvisation between each verse.  The other is the motet setting by Lorenzo Perosi, 1872-1956.  Father Bucci was a big fan of Msgr. Perosi's music.

Recessional hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise ("St. Denio")

Quod scripsi, scripsi!

BMP

SUNDAY XII

At the 9:00 Mass - the Most Reverend Richard G. Henning, Bishop of Providence will celebrate Mass and pray for the repose of the soul of the Reverend Richard A. Bucci, our pastor of nearly 23 years before his death on March 22, 2024.  Coffee An' will follow in the hall immediately after Mass.

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS (All Masses)

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (Gloria, if sung)
Community Mass (Richard Proulx) (Sanctus, Memorial, Amen, Agnus)

ALLELUIA: Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB

The rest: (ALL hymns and Mass music will be found in the Mass guide which you will find with the bulletin at the entrances of the Church.)

Entrance hymn: O worship the King ("Hanover")

Psalm 107: R./ Give thanks to the Lord, his love is everlasting (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)

Offertory hymn: Eternal Father, strong to save ("Melita", aka "The Navy Hymn") (Listen)

Hymn during Commuinon: In heav'nly love abiding ("Nyland") (Listen)

Recessional hymn: Ye holy angels bright ("Darwall's 148th") (Listen)

- Same tune as another parish staple, "Rejoice, the Lord is King"

Quod scripsi, scripsi!

BMP

SUNDAY XI and THE HARVEST

Two of our hymns this weekend have a "harvest" theme to it.

The entrance hymn is Come, ye thankful people, come.  The second verse gives us, "First the blade and then the ear, then the full corn shall appear," which alludes to the passage in the day's Gospel in which Jesus speaks to the crowds, "Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade,then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.  And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come."

The offertory hymn is Behold, a sower! from afar.  Here the title alone alludes to the Alleluia verse just before the Gospel - "The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.  All who come to him will live for ever.  As you will see, the Alleluia verse identifies that sower.  While the tune is lesser known, it has been sung before here at Sacred Heart.  A listen link is provided within the list below to familiarize, or re-familiarize yourself with the tune.

During Communion, you will hear a lesser-sung tune of the hymn Jesus, My Lord, My God, My All, written by Mother Alexis Donnelly of the Sisters of Mercy.  It should be noted that there is a street in Cumberland, Rhode Island, next to the Sisters of Mercy convent, named after Mother Alexis (Alexis Donnelly Way, albeit it leads to the convent/health center and is not a public through street).  My wife Ann and I happened to stumble upon it one day while taking a scenic drive through the back roads of northern Cumberland (the area known as Grant's Mills) and part of nearby Wrentham, Massachusetts.

For the Ordinary of the Mass, we will revert to using sung English settings from here until the end of October.  For the next couple of months we will use A Community Mass by Richard Proulx for everything from the Sanctus through the Agnus Dei.  If we get to sing a Gloria, it will be that of my own Holy Angels Mass.  Here is a listen link, fresh from a St. Michael's Church in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Finally, the Mass Guide (attached to the bulletin as you enter the church) will include the text and melody for ALL the hymns.  There will be no need to search in any of the books (we have three different books in the pews, so this is my attempt to make life a little easier for all).  To the left above each hymn will be the title, to the right, the tune name.  Under each melody, the text.

And now, without further ado...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (Gloria, if sung)
Community Mass (Richard Proulx) (Sanctus, Memorial, Amen, Agnus)

ALLELUIA: Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB

The rest:

Entrance hymn: Come, ye thankful people, come ("St. George's Windsor") (Listen)

Psalm 92: R./ Lord, it is good to give thanks to you (Fr. Samuel F. Weber, OSB)

Offertory hymn: Behold, a sower! from afar ("Weymouth") (Listen)

Hymn during Communion: Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All (Mother Alexis Donnelly, RSM)

Recessional hymn: O worship the King ("Hanover") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!

BMP

THE THREE-DAY WEEKEND (Patronal Feast and Sunday X)

This Friday we have our patronal feast, that is, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Then the weekend Masses for the Tenth Sunday of the Year (or "Ordinary Time", or "Boring Time", according to someone Father Bucci once mentioned in a homily, or simply called "Sunday X" - the Roman numeral for "10", not like in "Gen X").

Much (not all) of the music for Friday will be repeated on Sunday.  The readings today, especially the first reading and the Gospel, both talk about driving out sin.  The Psalm for Sunday is Psalm 130 with the response "With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption."  This day can easily be linked to the Sacred Heart solemnity with that simple prayer, "Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us."  This also fulfills what Father Bucci would have done, and that's using the Sunday after the Solemnity as an "extended Solemnity" (readings and prayers differ, music remains mostly the same).

With that, I present to you...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

Ordinary of the Mass:

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:

Messa Popolare "Laus Tibi Christe" (Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei)

adapted from the same Mass setting (Memorial Acclamation and Amen)

ALLELUIA: setting by Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB (1905-1992)

The rest (BTW, when I say "Sunday", that means the anticipated Mass on Saturday as well):

Entrance hymn:

- Friday: O Sacred Heart, O Love Divine (in Mass Guide)

- Sunday: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven ("Lauda Anima"/Pew Missal, #230)

Responsorial Psalm:

- Friday: Isaiah 12, R./ You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. (Sam Schmitt)

- Sunday: Psalm 130, R./ With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption. (Sam Schmitt)

The rest is the same for all Masses, Friday and Sunday:
Offertory hymn: To Christ,the Prince of Peace ("Narenza"/Worship hymnal, #491)

Communion hymn: Cor Jesu Trinitatis ("Gott Soll Gepriesen"/refrain in Mass Guide)

Meditation hymn (Friday only): All you who seek a comfort sure ("Kingsfold"/Pew Missal, #81)

Recessional hymn: To Jesus' Heart, all-burning ("Cor Amoris"/in Mass Guide)

Please consult the Mass Guide for where to find all hymns and Mass music.  They will be at the entrances of the Church on Friday and attached to the bulletin on the weekend.

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (aka, "Corpus Christi")

This Solemnity, known in the modern Mass as "The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ" is a merging of two feasts.  The first, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, that is, the Body of Christ, until 1969 was celebrated on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.  The second, The Most Precious Blood, until 1969 was celebrated on the fixed date of July 1.  For a number of years, the newly-merged Solemnity was still known as Corpus Christi.  It has since been re-named "Body and Blood of Christ" and later "The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ," in accordance with the 1974 Graduale Romanum, which could legitimately be called the "official hymnal of the Roman Catholic Church."

Included in this weekend's Masses is the Sequence, which is chanted immediately following the second reading.  Unlike the Sequences of Easter Sunday and Pentecost Sunday, the Sequence for this weekend is optional and comes in a long and short form.  This weekend we will chant the short form.  The melody and text (in English) are provided in the Mass Guide that is attached to the bulletin.

Speaking of Mass Guides, please remember to refer to said Mass Guide for all music references for the day.  This keeps the liturgy flowing much more smoothly.  And feel free to sing out, even if you're tone-deaf.  The organ will guide you. ;)

At the 11:15 Mass, we have two CCD students receiving their First Holy Communion.  Congratulations and God bless!

Last, but not least, don't forget that this coming Friday (June 7) is our Patronal Feast, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Mass will be in the Church at 6:00 PM.  Bring friends, especially those who we have not seen since COVID.

And now, without further ado...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:

Messa Popolare "Laus Tibi Christe" (Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei)

adapted from the same Mass setting (Memorial Acclamation and Amen)

ALLELUIA: setting by Dom Anthony Gregory Murray, OSB (1905-1992)

The rest:

Entrance hymn: Alleluia! sing to Jesus! ("Hyfrydol"/Pew Missal, #84)

Psalm 116: R./ I will take the cup of salvation and call on the Name of the Lord. (BMP) (PDF)

Sequence: Lo! the angels' food is given (Chant, Mode VII/in Mass Guide) (Listen)

- NOTE: In the listen link, the choir featured is chanting the sequence in Latin.  We will be chanting it in English, but using the melody in the listen link.)

Offertory hymn: Lord, who at thy first Eucharist ("Unde et Memores"/Pew Missal, #190)

- The tune name, "Unde et Memores" begins the second half of the Roman Canon, that is, the first Eucharistic Prayer, immediately following the Mystery of Faith (Memorial Acclamation).

Communion anthem: Panis Angelicus (Cesar Franck)
Meditation hymn: Tantum Ergo (Oreste Ravanello)

Recessional hymn: Holy God, we praise thy Name ("Grosser Gott"/Pew Missal, #155)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP