May 4: 3rd Sunday of Easter

At the Cathedral, 5 PM. Check back for updates. Published now so you can get a jump start on the April 29 rehearsal, the only one before this Mass.

Introit: Jubilate Deo

Vidi Aquam

Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei: Mass VIII

Credo III

Offertory: Lauda anima mea
At The Lamb's High Feast

Communio: Surrexit Dominus (mp3 only)
Surrexit Pastor Bonus
Regina Coeli

Closing: Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

High Praise From The Pastor

Fr. Larry Morrison is the pastor of St. Rose of Lima and the gracious host of our choir for rehearsals. He does not hand out accolades left and right. Yet after our Good Friday service, he told Kathy:

"In my 35 years as a priest, that was the most memorable Good Friday service I've been part of, and it was because of Regina Pacis Cantorum."

Just doing our ministry, Fr. Larry, but thanks! Also, a family stopped Sandy and me on the parking lot to say how they thought our music really enhanced the Good Friday experience.

Resurrexit sicut dixit

A happy and blessed Easter to one and all in RPC.

And thanks for dealing with the close quarters in the Cathedral's choir loft today.

Take The Week Off

There will be no rehearsal on Tuesday, April 22. Enjoy the night off!

More Prayers Please

First, for bass JP DeChambeau. In his own words from Facebook today:

Going to St. Mary's for my heart again. My heart starting skipping beats badly at work and I almost passed out twice. 

[Later] At least my heart has calmed down... Now it's hurry up and wait [That's when he took the above picture]

[Later] FINALLY saw a doctor after an almost four hour wait. They will do blood work and give me a prescription for more heart meds. Hopefully I can rest tmrw [Saturday]

[A friend asks] Atrial fib?
[JP replies] I have had super ventricular tachycardia for years. This episode was a bit... Different.

[Later still] So everything checks out for now. They gave me a slightly different medicine and are sending me on my way tonight. What a fantastic experience..... Not

Speaking of basses under the weather, Kathy tells me one reason we haven't seen much of Andon Major Dansie is that he has been quite sick, so he can also be added to the (way too long) RPC prayer list.

Are We The Stars?

I never like to say that Regina Pacis "performs" at a Mass. That's not our function. If our music isn't integrated with the liturgy and doesn't help the congregation to be lifted toward God, we're there for the wrong reason. That's why I loathe being applauded at the end of Mass also; we're just ministers.

I should know. I, Paul, have led "worship" both privately and at Mass. While singing and playing guitar, I could sense when I was adopting something of a rock star mentality (when does Guitar Hero: Oregon Catholic Press come out?) and trying to steal the spotlight from God in the name of "worship" based solely on emotion. I did that as a lector also, over-dramatizing Scripture so that it was more the word of Paul (and not the one from Tarsus) than the Word of the Lord. These were tough but necessary lessons in humility for me.

With that in mind, I link to a great Chant Cafe post by Adam Wood about that viral video of a priest singing a song called "Hallelujah" by noted liturgist Leonard Cohen to a newly married couple in Ireland. I've seen reactions to it such as, "Wow, isn't this cool?" to "Pope Francis is making this possible." I'm not saying you can't admire the priest's singing ability, but Wood brings up a simple point: Whose wedding is it, anyway?

The first big problem is that the wedding liturgy is about the couple, not the priest. (It's about God, first. But, whatever, right?) The singing drew attention away from the couple and directed it toward the priest. This is selfish and narcissistic, and robbed the couple of what is rightfully there's [sic: sigh].

Priests tend to forget how a wedding functions in the life of the couple. For a priest - he may preside at hundreds or possibly thousands of weddings in his lifetime. A couple gets married only once. It doesn't matter if the priest is bored, or has heard all the prayers before, or has to do this same thing again tomorrow. Each wedding is a unique event in the life of a couple, and a priest should not impose his own personality onto that.

It's important to remember that the priest merely officiates at the wedding in the Catholic rite. In his presence, the couple administers the sacrament to each other (CCC 1623).

We sing at a number of weddings, including one next month. At any Church function we're part of, may we simply add to what God is doing in our midst and not become the focus of the event.

Prayers Please

For Kathy, who has lost a number of people close to her in recent weeks.

Dearest Jesus, who wept at the death of your friend
and taught that they who mourn shall be comforted,
grant us the comfort of your presence in our loss.
Send Your Holy Spirit to direct us
lest we make hasty or foolish decisions.
Send Your Spirit to give us courage
lest through fear we recoil from living.
Send Your Spirit to bring us your peace
lest bitterness, false guilt, or regret take root in our hearts.

The Lord has given.
The Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.
Amen.

O sweet mother Mary, who knew the sadness of mourning those your heart loved most,
Jesus, your Son,
and Joseph, your devoted spouse,
pray for us in our time of loss.

Amen.

This Just In

Lots of stuff happening:

1. At tomorrow's (Apr. 8) rehearsal, Immaculate Heart Radio will be there to record us singing the Regina Caeli. Please be on time if at all possible.

2. This and the April 15 rehearsal will be dedicated to rehearsing Good Friday and Easter Sunday material.

3. Kathy has selected a schola to sing on Holy Thursday at Holy Spirit Mission because of the change in call time to 5:15 PM. It will have a separate rehearsal.

For Holy Thursday and the next two Tuesdays...

Please let Kathy know ASAP if you cannot make the new call time of 5:15 PM at Holy Spirit Mission in Washoe Valley on Holy Thursday, April 17. This will determine whether all (or as much) of RPC will be singing or just a schola. Regardless, prepare for the next couple of rehearsals to run late, or for the possible scheduling of another rehearsal.

And remember to pray for Kathy's IT situation, and to take her off all your spam e-mail lists. Bill Gates will NOT send you $5,000 if you forward his image to her, I guarantee it.

He's A Poet, And the RNR Knows It

Congratulations to bass Tim Rhodes, whose following poem was one of only 12 published in the Reno News and Review's recent poetry contest!

This is the Last Day of the First of Your Life
By Timothy Michael Rhodes 

There is no end, there is no beginning
toaster waffles bury the city of angles
missionaries assume the position
fork you, fork me
they wield their steely blades
we defend with plastic spoons
we are the beating heart of the beast
the hands, the feet
and if we fail, break down,
who needs necromancy
replacements are plentiful
and cheap
“Out of my way”
the Great White Sale has begun
from the hills of Afghanistan
where blood red poppies soothe our souls
through the rest of the world
who cares how much blood is spilled
as long as black ink
continues to flow
to the bottom line?
New Madrid & San Andreas
cry out “It’s not my fault”
no, not theirs but ours,
yours, mine, we are the king makers
who look the other way
wrapped up in the latest from
the evil empire
what hungry children you have
the better to cloud your vision with
what stupid children you have
the better for cannon fodder
we’ll leave no child behind
what a large military/industrial complex you have
the better to crush you all to dust
dust to throw into our eyes
dust that must be cleaned up
by underpaid imported wage-slaves
eating frozen waffles
and preaching the gospel of capitalism
demonic voices in the city of angles where
there is no beginning, there is no end

Tim has regularly supplied RPC members with his Urban Hermit calendar, filled with his poetry.

3-Hole Punch Magazine Holders

These are what Kathy recommends for holding the booklets and folded music we use in our black binders. They're almost never found in stores, so you'll have better luck ordering them through the web. Here's one aggregator source, which has different quantities and prices.

And if you don't already have them, plastic sheet protectors are also a must. Those you can find at OfficeMax (and say hi to JP!), Staples, Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's, etc., or you can get them through the web also.

Reaching Out

 

"And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" --Matthew 25:40

(Updated 4/9 with corrected name and link)

I'm grateful that, through the jobs and services rendered by members of RPC, we have opportunities to reach out and help others in our Northern Nevada community.

A couple weeks ago, soprano Leslie Kuc (who unfortunately has had to leave the choir for the remainder of this season) told us about her social work for Koinonia Family Services, which provides foster homes for children from troubled backgrounds. She says there are all sorts of needs for the kids: school supplies, computers, software, books, binders, etc. If you're unsure whether she can use what you have in mind, you can ask her at rehearsal or via Facebook (after Easter, because she and her boyfriend, tenor Ricky Delacruz, gave it up for Lent). So far, the response from RPC has been most generous; thank you! And God bless and guide you, Leslie, in this often difficult work.

Likewise, alto Phyllis Young works for C*A*R*E* Chest of Sierra Nevada. If you have medical supplies and equipment that's still usable by someone else, arrange with her to make a donation. I gave the crutches I used after my hip surgery a couple years ago. God bless you for your service also, Phyllis!

If there's anyone else in RPC who works or volunteers with the needy and can use donations of various sorts, please let me know.