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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Solemnity this Thursday, August 15, which is a holy day of obligation, commemorates the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven - a foretaste of our own bodily resurrection at the end of time.
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The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The observance of the Solemnity is transferred from December 8 to Monday, December 9, due to December 8 falling on an Advent Sunday.
However, December 9 is not a holy day of obligation.
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St. Joseph named in Eucharistic Prayers
The Vatican has approved the inclusion of St. Joseph's name in Eucharistic Prayers II, III, and IV.
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Year of Faith
speaker series
"Faith That Transforms Us: Living the Creed"
Cardinal Donald Wuerl Thursday, Sept 19
7pm-9pm
Holy Rosary, Edmonds
"Deepening Our Sense of the Liturgy in the Year of Faith"
Father Jeremy Driscoll, OSB
October 16 at St. Benedict, Seattle
October 23 at St. Joseph, Vancouver
presented by the Office of Catholic Faith Formation
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Music in Celebrating the Mass
webinar series
NPM is providing an exciting lineup of timely educational sessions conducted by knowledgeable and respected presenters. Each one-hour webinar explores an important aspect of our Mass celebrations that is of interest to musicians, liturgy coordinators, clergy, and other pastoral leaders today.
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WELCOME ARTICLE FROM ANDREW |
Transfiguration | 6 August 2013
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Andrew Casad
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I want to express to you my joy and thankfulness for the warm welcome I have received as I begin my ministry with you as Liturgy Director for the Archdiocese of Seattle. It is a pleasure to be able to serve Archbishop Sartain in the apostolic mission entrusted to him who shepherds us, the faithful of the Archdiocese of Seattle.
On this the Feast of the Transfiguration it seems appropriate to reflect on the importance of seeing with new eyes that reality of God at work in our midst. It occurred to me on the Second Sunday of Lent this year when we had proclaimed, as we do each year, the gospel account of the Transfiguration of the Lord that the Transfiguration is a moment of liturgical catechesis par excellence. But how the Lord led me to this insight is, I think, as instructive as the insight itself. The previous Sunday, the First of Lent, the elect with whom I was blessed to minister celebrated the Rite of Election thus entering into the most profound moment of their formation as they approached the font of rebirth. And the three Sundays afterward were set aside for the celebration of the scrutinies by which the elect, by the grace of God, wrestle victoriously with the reality of evil. So why, I began to wonder, did we not do anything for these, our elect, on this the Second Sunday of Lent? After listening to the same Lucan account we hear today of Jesus being transfigured, revealing here and now a glimpse of his heavenly glory, I caught sight of our two elect, for the first time in more than eighteen months not dismissed prior to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. These young women, having been formed in dialogue with the law and prophets were, this day, lead up the mountain and given a glimpse of what was to come. In the liturgy they were lead to an encounter with the living God who is working out salvation in and through them by means of the liturgy. And their encounter became for me and for others a witness of God's mighty saving actions. From what seemingly was a lack of anything in particular having been scheduled for the elect, I came to see that these elect were seeing the Lord for the first time with their now well-formed sacramental eyes. Remaining, as they were for the celebration of the Eucharist for the first time but merely weeks away from participating therein following their own scrutinies and crossing of the Paschal threshold, they beheld Christ transfigured. Those chosen few whom Christ had called up the mountain with him to share in his life, death, and resurrection encountered here and now his heavenly glory into which their baptism was also to plunge them. And is it not the same with each of us each time we too are invited to the Eucharist if only we are able to see with the eyes of a renewed faith? God is made visible and, rousing us from our sleep, reveals the dazzling brilliance of his love to which we likewise are called. We need the Transfiguration to be given new sight so that we might see the divine reality that underlies all that may otherwise seem ordinary. And so it is that the liturgy, the celebration of the sacraments, trains us to see the whole of creation with these same eyes of faith, to see the transfigured glory of all creation being pulled toward renewal, to discern God acting in the world for salvation.
As I begin my new role as Director of the Office for Liturgy in service to you, the faithful of the archdiocese, I pray that we all may, through full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy, be enlightened by the eyes of faith in order to see the transfigured glory of God at work in us as both the reality and the promise of salvation.
Andrew Casad
Director, Office for Liturgy
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"First of all, whatever good work you begin to do, beg of the Lord with most earnest prayer to perfect it"
(Prologue to the Rule of Saint Benedict).
As we begin the new school year in our parishes and campus ministries now is an opportune time to call upon the Lord to send out his Spirit and renew our efforts as a participation in his ongoing work of salvation (see Psalm 104).
Many of our educational venues throughout the Catholic Church mark this beginning of the school year with a Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit. So check your local calendar and find a date on which you can celebrate a votive Mass (i.e., a date that is not a solemnity, feast, or obligatory memorial). You will find the options for the
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Seattle University faculty don their academic regalia at their 2011 Mass of the Holy Spirit at Immaculate Conception Church
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prayers and Preface in the Roman Missal: Votive Mass 9. The Holy Spirit (pages 1338 - 1345) and the options for the
readings may be found in the Lectionary, using either nos.
62-63 (from Pentecost) or nos. 764-768 (Ritual Mass for Confirmation). As indicated in the Roman Missal, red Mass vestments are worn. In many academic communities faculty will don their academic regalia during the entrance procession and remain so attired in their participation in the liturgy as a sign of the unity of our "love of learning and desire for God" to cite a phrase from Dom Jean Leclercq. Hymnody in keeping with our theological, pastoral, and aesthetic guidelines should echo the festivity of the occasion and highlight the newness being brought forth in our midst while binding the diverse members of the one Body called together by Christ to worship the Father in Spirit and truth.
Above all, let our fervent prayer be that of Christ for the coming of that Holy Spirit who "will teach you everything" (John 14:26) and "guide you to all truth" (John 16:13a).
"Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful.
And kindle in them the fire of your love."
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| A PASTORAL MUSICIAN'S REFLECTIONS |
As ministers of the Church, it is our challenge to stay engaged, current and spiritually-centered in our duties. I know, for myself, as a Church musician and with my own responsibilities, it is often difficult to reach beyond the four brick walls of my parish to network with other parish musicians and be exposed to a myriad of worship styles.
It was recently posed to me, "Why do you go to the NPM convention?" It is the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM) that directly helps me tackle this challenge in my life, both socially and professionally, and the national convention is one of NPM's most efficient means of accomplishing this challenge.
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2013 NPM national convention
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During the last week of July, the NPM held its 36th annual national convention in Washington, D.C. I returned from our nation's capital rejuvenated, enlightened, encouraged, and inspired in music ministry. Nearly 2,400 choristers, music directors, organists, instrumentalists, priests, religious, composers, youth ministers, liturgy coordinators, and many others representing approximately 70 chapters from all over the United States attended. Of course, there were beautiful morning and evening prayer, as well as daily Mass enhanced by music of every style and language. There were breakout sessions and certification programs lead by the best in their fields in the US Church today. Each day nationally respected plenum speakers addressed the challenging topics that face us in the Church today further energizing our theme celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Vatican II and our roles in music. I returned home on August 2nd with a suitcase full of materials from the convention vendors, and an airplane weight-limit in free music, resources, and literature which were abundantly given by all the major publishers. I saw old friends and made new ones. But the best part of going to convention is that the whole experience served to remind me of how much my heart is on fire for our God and how passionately I wish to serve the Church through music. You don't have to attend convention to reap all the benefits of membership in NPM. I encourage you to visit the NPM website and take some time to familiarize yourself with all it has to offer. Please don't hesitate to contact me for all the ways the NPM Chapter can benefit you and/or your parish, and to receive email updates on coming local events sponsored by the chapter! Susie Fujita Director, NPM Chapter Music Director and Cantor, St. Charles Borromeo, Tacoma
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