Category: Pastor’s post

Dear friends,

Well, this wasn’t the weekend I had planned on – but as several folks have pointed out, better now than Christmas weekend! Still, I am sorry to have missed out on Gaudete Sunday and being able to use my rose vestments. Ah well. I am grateful to Father Rob Evenson, who was happily available to substitute for me while I recuperated, and to our homebound ministers, who assisted him as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion during the weekend Masses.

Speaking of EMHCs, there will certainly be some question as to why we don’t use them more regularly. To answer that I would gently remind questioners of the instruction from Sacramentum Redemptionis (particularly nos. 154-160). While this weekend provided a temporary need (especially when it was unclear if an elderly priest would be available), the document is very clear:

Indeed, the extraordinary minister of Holy Communion may administer Communion only when the Priest and Deacon are lacking, when the Priest is prevented by weakness or advanced age or some other genuine reason, or when the number of faithful coming to Communion is so great that the very celebration of Mass would be unduly prolonged. This, however, is to be understood in such a way that a brief prolongation, considering the circumstances and culture of the place, is not at all a sufficient reason. (Sacramentum Redemptionis, 158)

In short, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion – at least for the Precious Body – are not something we have a need to use. On the flip side, EMHCs for the Precious Blood are something I would like to pursue. More on that after the new year.

In addition to being Gaudete Sunday, this Sunday was December 17 – the first day of the ‘O Antiphons‘. At Vespers (or Evening Prayer) of each day, the antiphon preceding the Magnificat starts with ‘O’ and then uses one of the titles of the Christ. One of the most popular Advent hymns – O come, O come, Emmanuel’ – uses these antiphons as the inspiration for each verse!

If your interested in doing a deeper dive, my friend Thom Ryng posts on the O Antiphons each year – you might enjoy reading about each antiphon as it comes up, as well as listening to the chanted antiphon. Check it out at his blog The World is Quiet Here.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. Saint Mark parish is offering extra confession times during Advent: Wednesday through Friday, from 5pm to 6pm and on Saturday from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.

P.S.S. This Friday is our last of our December movie nights – we’re watching The Santa Clause. I will admit that I was hoping this would make the list as it is one of my favorites 🙂

Dear friends,

As we enter into the second week of the new liturgical year, I hope that Advent has been going well for you so far. For myself, I find that even though the season is relatively straightforward the days move too quickly. And with the celebration of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Friday, it certainly was an eventful week!

This coming Sunday will be Gaudete Sunday – taking its name from the first word of the entrance antiphon: ‘Rejoice’! Marking the halfway point to Christmas, we will light the rose candle and use rose vestments. Its use is a neat visual mix of the coming Christmas season (whose liturgical color is white) and the current Advent season (whose liturgical color is violet) – put them together and you get rose.

This lighter moment is meant to be a retreat from the preparatory nature of Advent – but we ought not forget that Advent is a preparation. May we use this time well, both rejoicing at Christ’s coming and examining our hearts & lives, so that when He comes, He may find us ready.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. Saint Mark parish is offering extra confession times during Advent: Wednesday through Friday, from 5pm to 6pm and on Saturday from 3 pm to 4:30 pm.

P.S.S. This Friday we’re watching It’s A Wonderful Life. I hope you’ll join us! Our last movie night on December 22nd could still use your input – if you’re planning on coming then too, visit our online poll to vote on or suggest which movies we should watch.

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December 11 – Today is the memorial of Saint Damasus I. He was elected pope in 366 – which was particularly unusual due to the fact that he was a deacon at the time. Moreover, another group tried to select their own pope and violently enforce their selection! Despite the struggles of his pontificate, Saint Damasus I was able to accomplish a great deal, including establishing Latin as the liturgical language of the Church as well as working to preserve & restore much of the physical heritage of the Church. Read more at Loyola Press.

December 12 – Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. During my time in seminary, I had the opportunity to spend two summers in Mexico for Spanish language-immersion classes. While I was there, I was able to visit the shrine of Guadalupe – I am still grateful for having the opportunity to pray there and see the tilma on which Mary’s image was miraculously placed. Though we do not have Spanish-speaking ministry at Saint Mark parish, I hope you’ll join me in venerating the Virgin of Guadalupe! Read more at Word on Fire.

December 13 – Saint Lucy – whose memorial is today – is one of the early Christian martyrs. Executed for her faith in the fourth century, her torturers first removed her eyes – but she refused to give in to their demands. For her faithful witness, she is not only venerated by the Church but included in the Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I). Read more at Franciscan Media.

December 14 – Today is the memorial of Saint John of the Cross. Due to the efforts of him and Teresa of Jesus, the first house of Discalced Carmelites was established – a joint effort to reform the Carmelite Order. Read more at the Vatican News website.

Dear friends,

With the beginning of Advent, I have only one thing to say: Here. We. Go! And what a start it was this weekend – the blessing of the Advent (not Easter, as I mistakenly proclaimed on Saturday evening 🙄) wreath, the launch of our Christmas Giving Tree, the beginning of the Saint John Vianney vocation prayer project, and (of course) the liturgical changes that come with the season. What a way to start!

One thing that kicked off this weekend was the change in the Mass setting we are using for the ordinary parts of the Mass. We moved from English chant (ICEL) setting to the Latin Kyriale XVII setting. I’ve been nervous about this all week – because I have to lead the Kyrie (‘Lord, have mercy’)! Especially for a new setting at our parish, I think it went very well. Nonetheless, I will be reviewing the Kyrie (‘Lord, have mercy’), the Sanctus (‘Holy, holy, holy’) and the Agnus Dei (‘Lamb of God’) over the coming weeks to get a handle on them.

Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed, I’ve found some resources that you may find helpful too! Below are YouTube videos and sheet music for the Kyriale Mass XVII:

• Kyrie (‘Lord, have mercy’)
  • Gregorian chant AND modern notation
  • YouTube video
• Sanctus (‘Holy, holy, holy’)
  • Gregorian chant notation
  • Modern notation
  • YouTube video
• Agnus Dei (‘Lamb of God’)
  • Gregorian chant notation
  • Modern notation
  • YouTube video

May the Lord bless you as we enter into this season of preparation, anticipating the birthday of Jesus!

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. Our December movie nights are coming up – if you’re planning on coming, visit our online poll to vote on or suggest which movies we should watch!

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December 3 – In addition to the beginning of Advent, today is the memorial of Saint Francis Xavier. A missionary to India, he dreamed of a life spent in academia and scholarship serving the Church. But after striking up a friendship with Ignatius of Loyola, he eventually became one of the original founders of the Jesuits. Read more at the Jesuits’ website.

December 6 – Today we celebrate the memorial of Saint Nicholas. There are a lot of neat stories about him, but it is his faithfulness and generosity that defined his life & ministry! Read more at the Saint Nicholas Center.

December 7 – Saint Ambrose, whose memorial we celebrate today, is known for his sermons – and his willingness to direct his oratory at those who set themselves against the Church, even up to the emperor himself. Read more at Franciscan Media.

December 8 – Today we celebrate the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this day we honor the role of the Blessed Mother in God’s plan for salvation and ask her to intercede on our behalf. We also praise God for His invitation to Mary and to all of us to participate in His work; we are not only recipients but co-workers with the Lord! Read more at Word on Fire.

December 9 – At 11 am at the school gymnasium, Saint Mark parish will be holding a feedback session about the new iteration of its proposed parish family configuration for Partners in the Gospel. I hope to see you there!

Dear friends,

Happy feast of Christ the King! Today we enter into the last week of Ordinary Time before gearing up for Advent. As we consider the end of the liturgical year, its worth reflecting on how all of its seasons serve a singular purpose: to prepare us for the coming of Christ and help us to welcome Him as our King.

This Sunday I mentioned one of my favorite quotes from the first book of The Chronicles of Narnia:

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)

And it’s true: Christ isn’t safe – and who would want Him to be ‘safe’ anyway?!? But He is good, and He is King. The only thing He is lacking is our invitation to demonstrate the goodness of His reign in our lives, here and in eternity.

Of course, looking down the road isn’t only about the Four Last Things! One of the preparations for Advent is transitioning to a new Mass setting. For this Advent (and later on, Lent), we will be using the Kyriale Mass XVII. Though it is more complex than the Mass setting we’ve used in the past (called the Missa Primitiva [Latin] in our Source & Summit missals), it’s not too difficult!

I’ve been doing some practice (the priest leads the Kyrie, so I’ve had some homework) and it definitely has some handy repetition and patterns, particularly in the last half of each ‘eléison’. I highly recommend the video above, along with the modern notation (which is what is in our missals). Rest assured that I’ll be pitching things a bit down – and keeping the pace up. Singability is just as much my priority as anyone else’s! I’m excited to learn this new setting with you all.

May the Lord bless you as we move into the new year. Rest assured of my prayers for you.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. Our December movie nights are coming up – if you’re planning on coming, visit our online poll to vote on or suggest which movies we should watch!

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November 26 – Today is the final Sunday in Ordinary Time – the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The celebration is relatively new, established in the early 20th century by Pope Pius XI as a response against growing secularism. Read more at the Vatican News website.

November 30 – Today is the feast of the apostle Saint Andrew. We know relatively little about him: that he was Saint Peter’s brother, that they were called together, that he was the one who spoke up about the boy who had the loaves & fishes. Legend has it that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross, thus his depiction holding a X-shaped cross. Read more at Aleteia.

December 1 – Its our first movie night! We’ll be watching Last Holiday – one of my favorite Christmas movies – in Sullivan Hall at 6:30 pm. I hope you’ll join in the fun!

December 2 – Today is the Saint Mark Catholic Classical School Cookie Exchange & Bake Sale! If you the baking type, there are two ways you can take part – exchanging baked goods you’ve made for others and/or purchasing baked goods. It should be a tasty time 🙂

Dear friends,

Happy Thanksgiving! This week’s pastor’s post is more than a little late to the party, but at least it gives me the opportunity to wish you and your loved ones many blessings we celebrate this holiday. I hope that you’re reading this well after a day full of family, friends, and fellowship. I’m looking forward to the same with my family & friends.

Our music director (Greg Teeter) pointed out that Thanksgiving this year is a bit of a unicorn – it lands before Advent starts rather than after it has already begun! I guess I’d never paid close attention to it before, but I’m glad he highlighted the occasion – it just feels right to have Advent happen after Thanksgiving (and well after, at that)!

But before we just into Advent, we have the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! Colloquially referred to as ‘Christ the King’, this is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. The Church takes this last week to orient Herself towards the Four Last Things (death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell) – not in a fearful way, but in anticipation. The Lord is coming – and we hope to welcome Him, and help others to do the same.

Even as we enjoy the blessings of this life – especially its feasts! – let us ask God to help us to use them wisely, forging new bonds of friendship between mankind and building up Christ’s kingdom on earth and, one day, in heaven.

yours in Christ,
Father Maurer

P.S. December movie nights are coming! Check out the poll and vote for (or suggest!) the movies we should watch together.

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November 21 – Today we celebrate the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Tradition tells us that Mary was presented to the Temple according to Jewish tradition to be offered to God. Read more at the Vatican News website.

November 22 – The memorial of Saint Cecilia is one that I particularly enjoy – not least because my mother is an organist! If you visit a parish with stained glass windows, you will often find one of Saint Cecilia near the choir loft – this is due to a legend about her appreciation of the organ and her love of singing. Aleteia has a brief article about lessons we can learn from Saint Cecilia’s life.

November 23 – Happy Thanksgiving! May we take this day to both enjoy the blessings of food, family, and fellowship but to praise God for His goodness!

November 24 – We celebrate today the memorial of Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and companions. Though only one of them is named, there were a total of 117 Vietnamese faithful who gave their lives in witness to Jesus Christ – and those are only the 117 we know about! Thousands unnamed more were martyred during this time. Read about them and their witness at Franciscan Media.