Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • April 28, 2023 8 It gets me every year. On Holy Thursday, the ringing of the bells during the sung Gloria never fails to put a lump in my throat. I am not sure why. Yet, this year, as always, it moved me to hear the glory of the bells before the solemnity of Good Friday moved in. It also moved me to hear the haunting solemn chant of a lone acapella cantor during the Good Friday ser- vice. Yet again, when the joyful strains of “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” rang out on Easter morning, it captured in voice, organ and trumpet the glory of Christ’s Resur- rection in a way that mere words could not. The common thread, of course, is that our music has such an important part in our worship and in the ways in which we give glory to God through all the seasons of the year. It is at Easter and the carol-filled Christmas season that I appreciate this the most. Yet, it is through the whole year that music forms the backdrop of so many of our religious celebrations. At First Communion Masses being celebrated throughout the spring, children’s voices will be lifted in the words of songs that try to capture for their young hearts the mystery they are about to share. At weddings, couples carefully choose hymns that, hopefully, express not merely their love -- sacred as that is -- but their devotion to the God who loved them first. I can still remember rehearsing for my Confirmation in my school’s cafeteria and wonder if those same songs will be sung by young adults today as they prepare for the same sacrament to fill their own hearts and souls. At funeral Masses, sacred hymns comfort the living and ask God’s mercy for those who have passed away. In advance of my own par- ents’ funerals, I remember the love with which parish staff helped me to select the hymns that would best ex- press my deepest hope in the midst of my deepest grief. It is also on those days we call “ordinary” that the music of our liturgies and celebrations can capture so much that lies in our hearts. How often do the words of a familiar song bring back comforting memories of a childhood faith? How often does a song remind us of a loved one for whom it was a favorite hymn? How often does a melody -- and the words that ac- company it -- ring through our minds long after we have heard it sung or played? How often does a hymn sung by a talented singer move us to reflect on the glory of a God who bestowed such a gift? How often does a hymn sung loudly and de- cidedly off-key by a young child or an enthusiastic adult move us to reflect on the glory of a God who inspired such devotion? In the Easter season and throughout the spring, there will be many special celebrations that will often be filled with music. After that, when summer and autumn roll around, there will be the days called “ordinary” when music will still fill our churches, our hearts, and our souls until the hymns of Advent and Christmas return. Throughout the year, my deepest gratitude goes to those who, in the tradition of St. Cecilia, use the talents God gave them to give glory to Him -- and help us all to do the same. May God bless you in this season of Easter Joy -- and in all the days of ordinary time. Lucia A. Silecchia is a Professor of Law and Associ- ate Dean for Faculty Research at the Catholic Univer- sity of America’s Columbus School of Law. “On Ordi- nary Times” is a biweekly column reflecting on the ways to find the sacred in the simple. Email her at silecchia@ cua.edu. On Ordinary Times Silcchia The Music of Ordinary Time We continue to celebrate Eastertide throughout most of this month of May. This period of time that began with the Resurrection and lasts until Pentecost can be transfor- mative when we allow ourselves to enter deeply into its meaning for us on a personal level -- and for our Church as a whole. We know that Jesus walked among the Apostles after the Resurrection, and it seems He made a point of interacting with them in ways that met their own specific needs of faith, such as answering Thomas’ doubts when He appeared to him and said, “Put your finger here, and see My hands; and put out your hand, and place it in My side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Just after this account in John’s gospel, we read, “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book,” so we know that other special moments occurred during that first Eastertide. We are also given a picture of a larger purpose at work in these beauti- ful interactions, a purpose revealed in what has come to be known as the Great Commission, when Christ said to the disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.” In these varied encounters that Christ had with the dis- ciples after His Resurrection, we see a reflection of how He speaks to each one of us today. His interaction with Thomas demonstrates that Christ will always justify our faith. All we need to do is have the courage to continue our walk towards Him, and we will constantly be invited into a deeper understanding of God’s miraculous hand at work in the world. And the Great Commission shows us that there is always a larger pur- pose beyond ourselves. Those who have faith within their hearts have been blessed abundantly by Christ, and part of that blessing we receive is the commission to reach out to others to kindle the fire of faith in the world. Christ’s Ascension into heaven marks a high point of joy because it revealed to the Apostles the fullness of God’s plan for humanity. Up until that point, they had been experiencing fear over how the authorities would react to news of Christ’s Resurrection. The Ascension showed them that Christ had not only conquered death but had created a path for us all to enter heaven. It was a mo- ment when the theology of the afterlife was manifested as an undeniable reality, and fear could no longer overcome their joy. In the book of Luke, we read that, after the Ascension, the Apostles “worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.” Several days later, the Holy Spirit descended upon them at Pentecost just as Christ had promised. It was at this point their lives turned completely outward to evangelize the world. The historical reality of the Resurrection, the Ascen- sion, and the miraculous occurrences at Pentecost are certainly confirmed by the fearlessness with which the Apostles proclaimed these things after being empowered by the Holy Spirit to do so. And this is the fearlessness we are all called to in our daily lives. We are called to let go of ourselves and take the blessings God has bestowed on us to serve others. When we do this, we walk in the footsteps of Christ and the Apostles, and we can overcome all fears with the joy that is in our hearts. Fr. Ed Dougherty, M.M., serves on The Christo- phers’Board of Directors. For a free copy of the Chris- topher News Note, GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP, write: The Christophers, 5 Hanover Square, New York, NY 10004; or e-mail: mail@christophers.org . To kindle the fire of faith Light One Candle Fr. Dougherty