Music & Liturgy Musings
Saint Joseph: Our Spiritual Father
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 6/17/21
A happy and blessed Fathers Day! May all who exercise a fatherly role draw from the example, wisdom, patience, love, and strength of the greatest father who ever lived: Saint Joseph. We continue to celebrate through December 8 of this year the Year of Saint Joseph proclaimed by Pope ... Read More »
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time? How?!
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 6/11/21
Today is the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Two weeks ago I had someone ask, “How are we in the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time? Didn’t we just start Ordinary Time after Pentecost?” Yes and no! It’s a good question because the numbering system is confusing! Ordinary Time began ... Read More »
Corpus Christi
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 6/04/21
Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity: Christ truly and wholly present under the appearance of bread and wine. The Church has believed this mystery from its earliest days. Today we joyfully celebrate in a more profound way the mystery made present at each Mass. But, if we celebrate it at ... Read More »
The Sign of Peace
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 5/26/21
Next week, we will again be able to offer each other the Sign of Peace at Mass. With this restoration of the sign, we now have a great opportunity to re-examine the theological significance of the rite and what it means spiritually and practically. Too often, the sign of ... Read More »
All Things Caught Up in Christ
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 5/18/21
At the conclusion of Second Vespers (Evening Prayer II) on Pentecost, the Easter season officially ends. As the Spirit has been poured out in abundance on us, we are emboldened and sent forth into the world to proclaim the paschal mystery: Christ crucified, risen, and ascended into heaven. We ... Read More »
The Extended Pentecost Vigil
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 5/18/21
Friends, as I noted last week we have the great opportunity this Saturday evening to celebrate the extended vigil of Pentecost--a wonderful liturgical treasure of the Church revived in the most recent revision of the Roman Missal. A brief history: the Pentecost Vigil arose from an early Church practice of ... Read More »
Preparing for Pentecost!
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 5/07/21
Friends, in two weeks we will celebrate the third greatest feast in the Church year: the Solemnity of Pentecost. On Friday, the day after the traditional date of the Ascension, we begin the Holy Spirit novena in preparation for the coming of the Spirit. The nine days between the ... Read More »
Psalm 22
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 4/30/21
“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” becomes “I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people.” What a difference a few days can make! Our responsorial psalm this weekend is Psalm 22, which we also heard five short weeks ago on Palm Sunday. This ... Read More »
It's Hard to Be an Easter People
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 4/23/21
Saint John Paul II famously said “We are an Easter people and Alleluia is our song!” (Angelus, 30 November 1986). Let’s face it: it’s hard to be an Easter people. By the time we get to the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the initial joy we experienced of Christ’s resurrection on ... Read More »
Psalm 4
Posted by Anthony Gallina on 4/16/21
Friends, first I want to apologize for not having the Mass setting sheets for the Easter season in the back of the hymnal for last weekend. After coming back from a few days of time off post-Easter, making those inserts honestly slipped my mind. Rest assured they are printed ... Read More »