Lent begins this week, with Ash Wednesday. We associate Lent with a time of both repentance and hopeful renewal. The life of our Lord Jesus becomes a model for us to contemplate in a deeper way.

The first Sunday in Lent often includes the Gospel account of Jesus being led into the desert, where we has tempted by Satan, and fasted for 40 days and nights before beginning his earthly ministry.

This story is aptly portrayed in the Gospel Canticle Antiphon, Ductus est Jesus. This Mode I antiphon sticks to the lower part of the Modal range throughout, only touching on the Reciting Note LA three times, and never ascending above this pitch. It gives the piece a sense of gravity and mystery. One thing to note are the quilismas (saw-toothed notes) on the word Spiritu. They give an upward sense of energy to the text.

“Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit, that he might be tempted by the devil; and when he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry”.

Ductus Est Jesus (Antiphon Mode1 A) :trad.Chant

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

The earth is composed of layers: surface, crust, mantle, outer core and inner core. And so are we. I have a surface-self, carefully constructed of what I want others to see. Successive layers, less in my control, lead to the heart of the matter. Psalm 51:10 petitions, Create in me a pure heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. God promises in Ezekiel 36:26-27, A new heart I will give you; and a new spirit I will put within you. While I’m busy trying, God is busy transforming. And I hope He finds my heart, fallow ground, plowed and waiting for the essence of Christ to grow.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Detail of “The Presentation” by Fra Angelico

Tomorrow is the Feast of the Presentation, and it is one of my most favorite times of the Church Year. There is rich symbolism in the beautiful chants, with texts taken from the Psalms as well as other sources. This feast is thought of as the last day of the Christmas Season, coming 40 days after the celebration of Christ’s birth, and celebrates Jesus’ Presentation in the Temple. This is the time when the Church candles for the year are blessed. The connection between Christ and the “light”, represented by the candles, is very strong.

The Communion for this Feast, Responsum, takes its text from the book of Luke.  “Simeon had received an answer from the Holy Spirit, that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” This Mode 8 piece has a great sense of mystery to it, created by the use of  the lower part of the modal range, going below the home tone of SOL. Also there is an “undulating” effect created by what is known as the special torculus. The torculus is a three-note neum (low-high-low), where all three notes are normally equal. But with the special torculus, the first note is weaker and lighter, with the emphasis on the next two notes. This phenomena can be seen (and heard!) on the words accepit and Simeon. Finally, notice that the piece peaks only one time on the word mortem, on the reciting tone DO.

Communion: Responsum

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Spero

The entire life of a Christian is an exercise in holy desire.  St. Augustine

The Lauds reading this morning was from St. Augustine—about stretching our souls through holy desire.  He used the illustration of a wineskin, the forerunner of the wine bottle, that could be stretched to hold more wine. I’ve never had to stretch a wineskin, but I’ve put too much in a suitcase, and been very grateful for a top zipper that expands my space. So I understand the concept.

St. Augustine’s point is that we are containers, of one sort or another, that should expand and stretch so that God can use us more and more. We do this through holy desire. As we desire God, we are being stretched, to be able to hold more of Him. I suspect spiritual stretching is like physical stretching. It takes effort, it’s sometimes painful, but always worth it. Lord, help me to desire you more and more, and not be surprised when I feel the stretching.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Adore God, you, all His angels. Zion has heard and rejoiced, and the daughters of Judah exult. Ps. Verse: The Lord is king; let the earth exult, let the many isles rejoice.

Introit Adorate Deum

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Nun Other

I recently helped remove strands of Christmas lights from a forty-four foot fir tree. I had the simple job of plugging in each strand – close to one hundred of them – to test and eliminate any that were defective. The tree climbers expertly coiled ropes of light, then piled them beneath the tree. As I retrieved them, I noticed how much each circle resembled a crown of thorns. It was a fascinating physical transformation and conveyed a distinct change in emotion that I wasn’t expecting. We rightfully honor and proclaim Christ’s birth with our best attempts at majesty and beauty. But look closely. Tucked within the ancient story are reality reminders. His life was rugged, filled with conflict, rejection, and suffering.  All for us.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Listen to the monks of Solesmes as they chant this amazing Communion, including a psalm verse from Psalm 65.

Communion Dicit Dominus

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

A month ago today Yoshio Inomata, one of our vowed brothers, entered the paradise chapter of his life. Yoshio is from Japan, so in addition to the usual monastic traditions around the liturgies and proceedings, we knew there would be special touches – flowers in the church, food at the reception – from his homeland. At the graveside, we always have a special time of telling stories and placing flowers as we fill the grave. In the middle of December flowers are rare to be found, so some of us had the idea of having the kids make paper cranes for Yoshio. They did a beautiful job, and we had baskets full of the brightly colored birds they passed around to all of us gathered there. As I watched everyone place their birds in the earth with Yoshio, the antithesis struck me: Yoshio’s soul and spirit were flying to heaven even as his body was placed in the earth, and these birds—meant to soar—buried there with him. I suddenly remembered this poem that another of our members had written years ago. Requiescat in pace, Yoshio!

With hollow bones a bird learns how to fly
Not once despising frame all delicate,
But pushed without the nest his wings to try,
Fast finds the air till flight’s inveterate –
And pauses not to ponder nor to care
How fragile are his limbs amidst his flight,
But boldly lifts his wings against the air
And mounts the wind all ignorant of fright.
And so each day, until he dies, he lives.
He soars aloft, aloud, and all replete,
Content with gifts that his Creator gives,
His weakness making all his life complete.
                Who curses frailty wisdom needs implore,
                For only those whose bones are hollow soar.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Faithful Finch

I love it when things fall into place when I’ve been trying to figure something out. That happened for me today.
I haven’t been able to get the central work of Frammenti, our present art exhibit, out of my mind. It was like it was trying to tell me something, and I wasn’t hearing it. I knew that the cross was a traditional form that was associated with baptistries, and that there were bands of gold and red to suggest steps descending and ascending.
When I would go into church, I would look at our baptismal font and think about the steps going in and out of the baptismal water and associate it with the cross.
Last night, I went back and read the Frammenti book that explains the pieces in the exhibit. It says, “the baptismal experience itself evokes both a descent into the tomb and the triumph of resurrection,” and “that the resurrection is a daily movement as the confession of sin and the desire for renewal are met by the mercy of God.”

I think I forget to climb back up the steps and come out of the tomb sometimes. Above the cross are fragments that hold such beauty and joy; beauty and joy that I forget are part of the process.
I had no idea that Sunday was the “Feast of the Baptism of our Lord” until I got to church. It felt like a real celebration — a celebration that if we will stay in that “river of grace”, He will bring us home.

A cross, part of the Frammenti exhibit by artists Susan Kanaga and Filippo Rossi

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Melodius Monk

Ever ask yourself the question, is this all life has to offer? Coming off the “holiday” season (you know the one that was supposed to make you feel peace and joy?) or the start of the New Year (when I realize that all of the grand resolutions I vowed to fix in my world may either be impossible, or not part of God’s timing)—perhaps this is a time when this question surfaces! It’s like when you work really hard planning a dinner party: the dinner happens—ends—and I’m left feeling disappointed. The party was fun, really fun in fact and enjoyed by all, but two days later I’m sad it’s over and start to wonder how long it will be until the next enjoyable moment in life. Instead of savoring the fun evening, I start to think if only I had prepared a little better for the party, maybe the feeling of satisfaction would have lasted a whole week instead of two days. Maybe next time I can buy better wine, or not invite so and so, or have the bruschetta just a little crisper, or add one more desert (even though we already had four, but I didn’t know my friend was off sugar)!

My guess is I’m not alone in this waste of time search for the ever elusive “more” in life.  In her story-filled book, Sister Bridget Haase answers my questioning with a swift and simple belief.  She writes, “You do not need to seek abundant life anywhere else. It is right here, right now, under our feet, and in the air we breathe. This is all there is to life and it is quite enough.”

This often inexhaustible search for more in life can manifest itself in small and large ways. God has planted within each of us exactly what we need for a full and abundant life. In her book Generous Faith, Sr. Bridget teaches us that this type of faith “compels us to mine, with integrity, fortitude, and abundance, the faith within each of us.” She continues; “We, too, are created to savor and enjoy every moment of life. Unfortunately we do just the opposite. When we shower, we plan the day’s schedule rather than simply feel the rush of water on our shoulders. When we smell a gardenia, we draw up future plans for a garden rather than just let the fragrance bless us. When we sit by a stream in a local park, we wish we were at a popular mountain resort, far away from our daily routine and duty, rather than hear the gurgling gift of flowing water. When we see flowering lilac bushes in the spring, do we begin a summer countdown or linger over the beauty of lilacs? When watermelon juice runs down our chin, do we wonder if mangoes would have tasted better?”

Though I believe Sr. Bridget’s words to be true, I need regular reminders that God makes no mistakes, and that in Jesus I will be given precisely what I need each day for a full and abundantly rich life.

“Roses” by Leonid Afremov

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

The second phrase peaks on the word venimus (have come), and again gently descends a 4th as it leads to its final resting place on the words adorare Dominum (worship the Lord).

Vidimus Stellam

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

We received a beautiful Christmas card with a picture of Mary & Joseph, and the shepherds huddled in light  around Baby Jesus and the words, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” I put it up on our bathroom mirror to remind me as I dry my hair to “prepare Him room.”  But how do I do that? I feel so small in the pains and inadequacies of my puny life as I scurry from thing to thing to make space for Christ the King. As I wash my face at the end of the day, and look at the beauty and simplicity of that card, I once again feel convicted from the words, “Let every heart prepare Him room.”  I say, “Ok, I want to get there. I do, but all I have to offer is sin and the pain that comes with it. I’m sorry. Help me.”

A peace comes on me as I realize that not one person in this Nativity scene came to “prepare Him room” without pain, without sacrifice, but with so much blessing. That’s what the preparing is all about: making room every day of the year.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Spero

The Christmas message can seem like a paradox. On one level, it’s the story of a young pregnant girl who is forced by her government to travel many miles in difficult and crowded conditions, and then give birth in the only shelter available—with the animals. It is also the story of great splendor—angels appearing on a hillside in all their radiance and glory, proclaiming tidings of great joy. The first sounds pretty grim, the second so extraordinary it is beyond description.

Which is real—the difficulty or the splendor?

The Christmas message is both. “A light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.” Darkness is real, but light wins. The angels are singing through the darkness, piercing it with light. The canticle for Lauds during the Christmas season is from Jeremiah 31 and contains these verses: “For the Lord will ransom Jacob and redeem them from the hand of those stronger than they;” and “I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.”

Christmas hope does not deny evil.  During the Christmas season, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents, the slaughter of young children who became martyrs for the sake of Christ. We can celebrate this event because we know that evil is overcome, and the message of the angels is true. No matter what the outward circumstances, we have heard “tidings of great joy.”

Bronze sculpture by Daphne du Barry, depicting Mary and innocents

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

The antiphon is a simple one: 4 notes in Mode 2, which are repeated and  give a “conversational ” quality to the tune, illuminating the dialogue.

Quem Viditis

?

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Il Fratello

What should I do with all this Christmas news
that dawns like fire-light on ice
that makes a change and says to change–
will I allow the pitiful child, born in a cattle pen
to steal upon the near-hardened strings of my callous heart?
let my eyes see what I at first don’t see
strain my deafened ears to listen once again
for small tender, deep down things?

or casually sleep the night, assuming it to be
like any other night. and say upon accounting
I never saw or heard or knew he came?

low, low, low, low down things
manure and straw, dirt floor and the cold draft
of winter ice-wind through barn boards
who will keep warm the infant savior of the world?
I even I, who most needs saving, can give my cloak
stand watch outside the door,
lean against the drafty wall and block the cold
get mary water, run for joseph’s gentle requests

in the balance of the night I will choose
to scoff or to love
to turn away or to help
to pass by or to stop
and let my heart be struck-smitten-cracked
open by the incarnation of Love

what wild song the angels sing
dancing on the breezes of the midnight star-sky
that calls to us a sweeter sound like
love-struck joy, like earth heaving
mountain ache of now rightly-set things.
They sing salvation come to us in darkest hour
a tiny King, his dawn is fire-light.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

In the fourth century, Christians were asked to mark December 17 as the beginning of a twenty-one-day period, ending at the Epiphany, in which they focused on the great mystery unfolding in the life of the church, the mystery of God incarnate in human flesh. They were asked to turn away from distraction, from either staying at home and losing themselves in domestic chores, or traveling and being continually stimulated by a change of scenery. Christians were to seek out the church as a place where they could gather as a community not merely to celebrate the birth of Jesus, but to allow the power of the Incarnation to pentrate their lives. How can we imagine such a thing? How can we make this season holy, when the world tells us that Christmas is over in just a day, and then we rush toward New Year’s Eve, and merchants begin putting out goods for Valentine’s Day? We might start, presently and simply, by picturing in our mind’s eye the great sign prophesied by Isaiah: “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.”

By Kathleen Norris

Excerpted from God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas, Edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe (Paraclete Press)

The Madonna of the Book (c.1480) Sandro Botticelli

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Jesus is coming as a thief in the night – “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven…” (Matthew 24:36)

“But how the heck can you be ready for something you don’t know is coming? How can we be ready for the unexpected? Well, we can’t.

“So maybe being awake and alert and expectant—all themes of Advent—has nothing to do with knowing or certainty or prediction, but has a lot to do with being in a state of unknowing. My instinct is always to use me knowingness—my certainty I’m right….—as a sort of loss-prevention program, a system by which I protect myself from the unknown and the unexpected. Which works approximately none of the time.

     “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” (Matthew 24:42-44)

“Here’s the thing; like the house owner, knowing what to look for as a way of avoiding being robbed is only advantageous if we assume being robbed is a bad thing. But perhaps having an unknowing brain allows us to be taken unaware by the grace of God, which is like a thief in the night. Maybe it’s good news that Jesus has been staking the joint and there will be a break-in. The promise of Advent is that in the absence of knowing everything, we get robbed. There was and is and will be a break-in because God is not interested in our loss-prevention programs but in saving us from ourselves and saving us from our culture and saving us even from our certainties about God’s story itself.

“This holy thief wants to steal from us, and maybe that is literal and metaphoric at the same time. Perhaps, during Advent, a season with pornographic levels of consumption in which our credit card debts rise and our waistbands expand, the idea that Jesus wants to break in and jack some of our stuff is really good news. There’s just a whole lot of crap in my house—again, both literally and metaphorically—that I could well do without.”

I pray that we are caught unaware by the grace of God this Advent—that this thief be allowed to rip into our houses, and steal from us the hurts, fears, jealousy and wants, and replace these with love, peace, and Joy.

Scripture from NIV; other all other quotations from Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber, Copyright 2015, Crown Publishing/Convergent Books.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Spero

One of the most hopeful verses I’ve ever read is in the Lauds Canticle on Sundays during Advent. It is from Deuteronomy 32: “In a desert land he found him, in a barren and howling waste.” The passage refers to God coming to Jacob, but in the layers of meaning in all Scriptures, it is also about us. This is where God finds us, or we find him. Not in plenty, or when we are feeling good about life, but when it seems like a desert.

How good of God, and the ancient chant compilers, to remind us in Advent, the great season of preparation, which is often hectic and full of activity–that although he may give us gifts of celebration, family and presents, he finds us when we feel barren, and in a howling waste. This is also the message of Christ’s birth–in a stable when there was no room at the inn. This is the hope that when we feel most forsaken, we will be found.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

V)  Be comforted, be comforted my people; your deliverance will come quickly. Why are you consumed with grief, that your sorrow has been renewed? I will save you, do not be afraid; I myself am indeed the Lord your God, the holy One of Israel, your Redeemer.

Rorate Caeli Desuper

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Paul gives us an astonishing understanding of waiting in the New Testament book of Romans, as rendered by Eugene Peterson, ” Waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectany.” With such motivation, we can wait as we sense God is indeed with us, and at work within us, as he was with Mary as the Child within her grew.

Though the  protracted waiting time is often the place of distress, even disillusionment, we are counseled in the book of James to “let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete.” Pain, grief, consternation, even despair, need not diminish us. They can augment us by ading to the breadth and depth of our experience, by enriching our spectrum of light and darkness, by keeping us from impulsively jumping into action before the time is ripe, before the “the fulfillment of time.” I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I hope.

By Luci Shaw

Excerpted from God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas, Edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe (Paraclete Press)

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Salvation to all that will is nigh;
That All, which always is all everywhere,
Which can not sin, and yet all sins must bear,
Which can not die, yet cannot choose but die,
Lo! faithful Virgin, yields Himself to lie
In prison, in thy womb; and though He there
Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet He’ll wear,
Taken from thence, flesh, which death’s force may try.
Ere by the spheres time was created, thou
Wast in His mind, who is thy Son, and Brother;
Whom thou conceiv’st, conceived; yea, thou art now
Thy Maker’s maker, and thy Father’s mother,
Thou hast light in dark, and shutt’st in little room
Immensity cloister’d in thy dear womb.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

The Advent hymn for Vespers is a wondrous combination of simplicity and depth. We do not know the author of the text, but it was most likely composed in the 9th century, or even earlier. The themes of preparation for both the coming of Christ at Christmas and the Second Coming on the last day of judgment are woven throughout the verses, along with the theme of light in darkness. The tune is simple, syllabic, and wonderfully balanced, an example of Mode 4 using the lower part of this Mi Mode. Listen to the Monks of Solesmes in France chant this serene hymn and ponder the meaning of the text as we prepare for His coming.

Kind creator of the stars, eternal light of those who believe,
O Christ, Redeemer of all, hear the petitions of your suppliants.

You are the one, having compassion that the race should perish in the destruction of death, who saved the fainting world, giving the remedy to all things.

When the world’s evening drew to an end, as the spouse from his chamber,
he came forth from the most honored womb of a Virgin Mother.

To whose almighty power all are bowed on bended knee,
things of heaven and earth, acknowledging themselves submitted to his command.

O you, Holy One, we ask in faith, O coming judge of the world,
preserve us in our time from the dart of the treacherous foe.

To you, O Christ, king most loving, and to the Father be glory
with the Spirit, the Paraclete, for everlasting ages. Amen.

Conditor alme siderum

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

The slowest of pilgrims, I have come to see how my own faith, fragile as it is, is assisted and sustained by the calendar, by the lectionary – by the seasons of the Church. I want to share my growing understanding that our participation in this cycle is one way we might, as they say, redeem the time. “The days are evil,” writes Saint Paul, imploring us to do something about it. By deliberating attaching our given days to their holy antecedents, we are able to glimpse an eternal significance embodied in our every moment – redeeming our days from what might otherwise be a melancholy emptiness.

For most of my life, I have assumed that each of us must struggle at his or her faith internally, intellectually, and, for the most part, alone. More recently, however, I’ve suspected that such a solitary journey is nothing short of an aberration – even if it is a very common one – and that we fail to appreciate our connections to – our mutual dependence on – one another, we risk lanquishing in a faith half-realized, more or less sleepwalking.

This error is in some measure remedied by our observing the common calendar together: the calendar provides daily reminders that Christ literally walked the earth, and that centuries of his Saints have found his presence available to them at the every moment since. In attending to the calendar, I have come to appreciate how Christ and his saints encourage me, not simply by my thinking of them, but by my living with them- remembering their feast days, recollecting their exemplary lives of prayer, praying to live likewise.

By Scott Cairns

Excerpted from God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas, Edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe (Paraclete Press)

Church of the Transfiguration Advent 2015

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Spero

One of the beauties of Gregorian chant has nothing to do with music. By singing the psalms over and over, chant penetrates the soul, and the psalms take on layers of meaning. Monks and nuns for centuries have known this and have experienced the insights that bubble up from the psalms during the Daily Office. This is one example.

For years I have read the translation of Psalm 118:11-12 during Sunday Lauds. “They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them off. They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns.” I always thought of this as a description of war. But last Sunday I realized it is a description of peace. Even though the enemy (thoughts, emotions, addictions) surround like buzzing bees, they disappear quickly—in the name of the Lord. This could be a definition of Christian peace, based on the reality that bees of one kind or another will always be buzzing around us. Christian peace, not based on calm or absence of conflict, but peace based on the knowledge that when we call on the name of the Lord, there is victory.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

I look from afar and behold, I see the approaching power of God and a cloud touching the whole earth. Go out to meet him and say, “Tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.” vs. 1) And who is of the earth, and a son of men, at the same time and in one person, both rich and poor. vs. 2) You who rule Israel, listen; and you who lead out Joseph like a sheep. vs. 3) Lift up your gates, O princes, and be raised up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will come in. vs. 4) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Aspiciens A Longe

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

I look from afar and behold, I see the approaching power of God and a cloud touching the whole earth. Go out to meet him and say, “Tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.” vs. 1) And who is of the earth, and a son of men, at the same time and in one person, both rich and poor. vs. 2) You who rule Israel, listen; and you who lead out Joseph like a sheep. vs. 3) Lift up your gates, O princes, and be raised up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will come in. vs. 4) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Aspiciens A Longe

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

I look from afar and behold, I see the approaching power of God and a cloud touching the whole earth. Go out to meet him and say, “Tell us if you are the one who is to reign over the people of Israel.” vs. 1) And who is of the earth, and a son of men, at the same time and in one person, both rich and poor. vs. 2) You who rule Israel, listen; and you who lead out Joseph like a sheep. vs. 3) Lift up your gates, O princes, and be raised up, you eternal doors, and the King of glory will come in. vs. 4) Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Aspiciens A Longe

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Faithful Finch

I’m finding that being a docent at the Church of the Transfiguration, I learn new things all the time! I was researching the vow of conversion. This is the demanding vow for everyday change from self, to be more like Christ. What I found was the push for change in conversion balances the vow of stability, and keeps us from becoming stagnant. In stability, we put down our roots; in conversion of life, we spread our branches in growth. Stability is always content, while conversion of life is always curious.

It made me think of the mosaic professional path of our church, which is a Tree of Life. At the end of the tree blossoms the three Benedictine vows of Conversion, Obedience, and Stability, each of them balancing the other.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Birth: Wonder…Astonishment…Adoration. There can’t be very many of us for whom the sheer fact of existence hasn’t rocked us back on our heels. We take off our sandals before the burning bush. We catch our breath at the sight of a plummeting hawk. “Thank you, God.” We find ourselves in a lavish existence in which we feel a deep sense of kinship – we belong here; we say thanks with our lives to Life. And not just “Thanks” or “Thank It” but “Thank You.” Most of the people who have lived on this planet earth have identified this You with God or gods. This is not just a matter of learning our manners, the way children are taught to say thank you as a social grace. It is the cultivation of adequateness within ourselves to the nature of reality, developing the capacity to sustain an adequate response to the overwhelming gift and goodness of life.

Wonder is the only adequate launching pad for exploring this fullness, this wholeness, of human life. Once a year, each Christmas, for a few days at least, we and millions of our neighbors turn aside from our preoccupations with life reduced to biology or economics or psychology and join together in a community of wonder. The wonder keeps us open-eyed, expectant, alive to life that is always more than we can account for, that always exceeds our calculations, this is always beyond anything we can make.

Excerpted from God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas, Edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe (Paraclete Press)

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing
By James Weldon Johnson

Lift ev’ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand.
True to our God,
True to our native land.

Jennie Augusta Brownscombe, The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, 1914, Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sunset Septuagint

One of my favorite things to contemplate in the Church of the Transfiguration’s mosaic apse is the New Jerusalem above Christ in Glory. The tesserae sparkle in brilliant shades of red, blue and gold. Buildings of different sizes line the path, and lead to a tiny door (almost like Alice in Wonderland) in the top center of the apse.

I look at all the buildings and wonder: will my whole Community family be in one big building, or will I be in one of the tiniest ones that look so welcoming? I do know one thing. God will be with me, and will wipe away every tear from my eyes, and there will be no more mourning or crying or pain. (Revelation 21:3, 4)

But how to get there? One of the clergy gave a little sermon about giving up everything to follow Jesus. He described a man who went to heaven carrying only a small suitcase of his most treasured possessions. He was welcomed at the door and given a new robe to put on. But the suitcase would not pass through the sleeve of his robe, so he had to leave it at the door.

Fortunately, most of us are not called to give up all our worldly possessions all at once, but we are a long way from one small suitcase. The more I unpack here, the less I’ll have to leave at the threshold of that tiny door to the New Jerusalem — and the more room I’ll make for Jesus.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

It never fails to amaze me that the texts chosen for a particular week in the Church Year have layers of meaning for us. This final week before Advent begins is no exception. The Introit takes verses from Psalm 85: “He will speak peace unto His people and to His saints, and to those who turn to Him in their hearts.” (RSV) The Latin actually says, “and on those who are converted to Himself.” On this threshold we receive assurance that if we are turned toward Him, that He will speak peace to us in the gift of His Son. The psalmist invites us to expect and prepare for the Prince of Peace.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Melodius Monk

“Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.” This is a most suggestive beatitude. If we had been writing it, we would have said, “Blessed is he who never has sinned.” But if it read thus, it would have no comfort for anyone in this world, for there are no sinless people here.
-J.R. Miller

The language of this psalm can be so commonplace to church-goers that we easily run right past its true meaning. If we pause a moment and think about the phrase, “Blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven,” it’s mind-blowing. What do we do to forgive our sins? Nothing! It’s pure gift. And in addition to this gift, we are blessed. What type of God is this who blesses those who tell Him what they did wrong? If I stole something and then turned myself in, I would still be guilty of that crime; but with God this is not so. When confessed, our sin is covered, obliterated, and never used against us. Do we live in gratefulness to this love? I think the answer for most of us most of the time is, “Sadly, no.” But what a privilege this gift of sin-covering is. It’s a gift that promises us a hope and a future. It’s a covering that allows us to not live in fear. Ever since our first ancestors hid from God in the garden out of fear and guilt, we have followed suit. Perhaps I can be courageous enough today to step out of hiding toward God, and gratefully accept my blessing.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Last week I had the privilege of touring the magnificent Siena Cathedral in Italy, where there was an entire library off to the left of the main sanctuary containing chant books from the 15th century. The whole room was outlined with book after book of the most beautiful Graduals and Antiphonaries filled with stunning illuminations. The amount of beauty and detail in these jewel-toned miniatures took our breath away. But perhaps the greatest blessing for the two brothers and me as we went from book to book was being able to recognize and softly sing the chants that have become so beloved and familiar to us over the years. This wonderful experience made the sense of joining a living tradition of worship even stronger.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Rachel Srubas

When the time comes for one of the divine offices to begin, as soon as the signal is heard, everyone must set aside whatever they may have in hand and hurry as fast as possible to the oratory. . . The essential point is that nothing should be accounted more important that the work of God. — Chapter 43, Saint Benedict’s Rule

A singular, demanding note,
the bell of disciplined devotion,
intervenes in the day. Didn’t I already pray?
What more is there to say, so soon?

You. Your name,
the ancient phrases of the faithful
fill my mouth. My mind,
the most defiant part of me,
lingers over what I set aside
to hurry to this work.
To aspire to ceaseless prayer requires me
to live as though you were my highest priority.
I say you are, yet I resist, internally preoccupied
while singing psalms so seemingly sincerely.

Help me. I’m a master of little but self-division:
my body is present, apparently, prayerful;
my attention, anywhere but here.
Find me and remind me whose I am,
what my deepest joy is,
why I need much practice
as well as your forgiveness.

Excerpted from Oblation: Meditations of St. Benedict’s Rule, published by Paraclete Press.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Hummingbird

My little four-legged friend has upbraided me for not heeding him, and tells me that I have been far too serious for too long. He wants to say that love overcomes all.

Indeed it is true, and he is right. Love is the only unconquerable power and the all-conquering power. I try to imagine, as I look at him, how small a world his eyes see in comparison to mine, and yet it is his whole world. I see his short four legs and how little of the world he could experience on his own. Heights of any greatness are denied him under his own power; closed doors are a barrier to any progress. Water or snow more than six inches deep could mean death. Yet he has traveled far, gone high, passed through many doors, seen much, and endured great depths of water and snow. How? I carry him. He goes with me. Why? Because I love him.

So it is with our Savior. It is his love that carries us in much the same way. Our small world, our littleness—the closed doors, the great heights—are available to us because we go with him. His love overcomes our lack. He show us that loving others with his love is a conquering power over all troubles, all darkness. No barrier exists to his love. In the end, we must succumb to his love. He waits for us to be a vessel for his love to others.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Hummingbird

My little four-legged friend has upbraided me for not heeding him, and tells me that I have been far too serious for too long. He wants to say that love overcomes all.

Indeed it is true, and he is right. Love is the only unconquerable power and the all-conquering power. I try to imagine, as I look at him, how small a world his eyes see in comparison to mine, and yet it is his whole world. I see his short four legs and how little of the world he could experience on his own. Heights of any greatness are denied him under his own power; closed doors are a barrier to any progress. Water or snow more than six inches deep could mean death. Yet he has traveled far, gone high, passed through many doors, seen much, and endured great depths of water and snow. How? I carry him. He goes with me. Why? Because I love him.

So it is with our Savior. It is his love that carries us in much the same way. Our small world, our littleness—the closed doors, the great heights—are available to us because we go with him. His love overcomes our lack. He show us that loving others with his love is a conquering power over all troubles, all darkness. No barrier exists to his love. In the end, we must succumb to his love. He waits for us to be a vessel for his love to others.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

I recently had the privilege of working with a small group of people for a day’s workshop on Gregorian Chant. We started with a brief review of some basics; the four line stave, the square notation, etc. After singing some simple chants, we launched into a more complex piece from the Graduale Triplex, and discussion ensued about the light hieroglyphics that appeared above and below the square notation. As I explained that these were the original neums from the early manuscripts, they were intrigued. I fortunately had included a snippet from an actual manuscript, and we were able to chant the opening of the piece straight from that. One woman piped up and said it was easier to sing from the original notation, than from the square neums. I then asked them, that judging from the appearance of the ancient neums, how did they think the chant must have sounded back then. They all agreed that it must have been light and speech-like, with places of emphasis. We also talked about the value of the square notation that showed us the actual note relations. We concluded that to have both…the “best of both worlds” so to speak, gave us the best possible way to study, interpret and chant these divinely inspired songs of prayer.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

I recently had the privilege of working with a small group of people for a day’s workshop on Gregorian Chant. We started with a brief review of some basics; the four line stave, the square notation, etc. After singing some simple chants, we launched into a more complex piece from the Graduale Triplex, and discussion ensued about the light hieroglyphics that appeared above and below the square notation. As I explained that these were the original neums from the early manuscripts, they were intrigued. I fortunately had included a snippet from an actual manuscript, and we were able to chant the opening of the piece straight from that. One woman piped up and said it was easier to sing from the original notation, than from the square neums. I then asked them, that judging from the appearance of the ancient neums, how did they think the chant must have sounded back then. They all agreed that it must have been light and speech-like, with places of emphasis. We also talked about the value of the square notation that showed us the actual note relations. We concluded that to have both…the “best of both worlds” so to speak, gave us the best possible way to study, interpret and chant these divinely inspired songs of prayer.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Faithful Finch

In February, I visited the Donatello exhibit at MOBIA in NYC. Monsignor Timothy Verdon spoke about each sculpture in depth. In addition to the Donatello sculptures, there was Giovanni d’Ambrogio’s “Gabriel of the Annunciation” and the “Virgin Mary of the Annunciation.” I found “Virgin Mary” especially provoking, as Mary appeared to be a young man.

Monsignor Verdon explained that d’Ambrogio had sculpted her this way to communicate that God so loves and respects each and every person, whether man or woman, that if we will say, “yes” as Mary did, He will send His Son to live inside of us. How simple but profound!

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Hummingbird

My dog continues to teach me about the love of God.

The latest lesson came one day when he was displaying the customary surrender a dog gives its pack leader or the human he loves: roll over and expose the soft underbelly. This is where he is most unprotected: death could come quickly with the inner organs perforated or destroyed by exposure. There is no hard bone here between victim and predator. This is also the spot he most likes scratched and petted when we have “love-in” moments.

As I watched this small creature display his trust and dependence on me, I felt such a yearning to be this trusting of Jesus Christ—opening to Him the soft vulnerable places of my life. I thought about how many times I try to put hard bone over these places, hardening my heart to God and everyone. In so doing, I deny myself the experience of the tenderest of loves. Here in the vulnerable hidden parts of my life, love of my savior would bring security, comfort and a strong foundation of peace. If God loves these parts of me, then I will know I am truly loved. If I can trust him in the risk of rejection, then I am truly forever safe in the heaven of His arms. May I have the spiritual courage to greet you, as your small creature greets me.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Excerpt from Eyes Have I That See: Selected Poems by Fr. John Julian
(Available at Paraclete Press or Priory Gifts)

Soul of Christ, O, consecrate me;
Flesh of Christ, emancipate me;
Blood of Christ, intoxicate me;
Water from Christ’s side, repair me;
Sufferings of Christ, prepare me;
O good Jesu, deign to spare me;
In thy wounded bosom bear me;
From thy presence never send me;
From the Enemy defend me.
When I come to die, protect me,
And to join thee, Lord, direct me.
With thy blessed saints upraise me,
That forever I may praise thee. Amen.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Introït: Requiem (6è mode)

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Yesterday we celebrated All Saints’ Day, one of the major feasts of the church year.  There is evidence that this feast goes back at least to the 4th century. In 998, November 2nd became the day that All Souls Day was added to the Church Calendar.  We can trace its existence back to the famous French Abbey of Cluny, where the Benedictine Abbot declared a day in which the monks commemorated all the dead of the Monastic Order.  Soon this Cluny practice was adopted by the whole of the Western Church as a general commemoration of all those who had died.

The Mass for the dead contains some of the most beautiful music in the Gregorian repertoire.  These important prayers are well known because they were chanted and prayed so often.  The name “Requiem Mass” comes from the Introit for the Mass of the Dead, “Requiem aeternam.” This beautifully simple Mode VI chant is a prayer for the faithful departed. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  The psalm verse is translated: A hymn, O God, becometh thee in Zion, and a vow shall be paid to Thee in Jerusalem.

Introït: Requiem (6è mode)

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Simple chants of only 2 or 3 notes, that circle around a single pitch, are most likely very ancient.  However, over time, the final pitches began to descend, and we see an expansion of range from the Reciting Tone to the Home Tone. Below are 3 brief antiphons—all beginning very similarly on LA and SOL.  But look at the endings!  The first ends on LA—obviously one of the very early ones..  The second antiphon descends to a MI.  We know this as Mode IV;  and the final antiphon descends to RE, which gives us the formula for Mode I.

Here is a very simplistic “snap shot” of some of the changes that took place in the Gregorian repertoire over the centuries.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Nun Other

I’m told by a sister of Chinese heritage that I practice feng shui. And I thought I was merely rearranging furniture! I convinced her to join me, and, as we worked together, I periodically asked, “What’s that called again?” Feng shui, pronounced “fung shway,” the study of the relationship between environment and human life.  It’s composed of two Chinese words, feng (wind) and shui (water), two life sustaining natural elements that flow and circulate throughout the Earth. It is also referred to as the art of placement: how to place furniture, possessions, and yourself within your surroundings to best achieve balance, comfort, and harmony. The wing of the Convent, where my Chinese sister and I live, leans toward early American design. Matters not what your particular decorating taste is. With prayerful consideration, we can create a space of beauty that reflects God’s presence in our lives.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Spero

In the Lauds service this morning, I noticed that the psalm verse familiar to me as “Let me hear of joy and gladness” (Psalm 51:8) was translated  “Let me hear joy and gladness.”   At first I thought it was a mistake.  But then I considered—is this what the Psalmist really meant.  Not—“ let someone come to me with good news,” but “let me hear joy.”  Hearing joy has nothing to do with outward circumstances.  It is an act of the will to listen to the joy that is surrounding us.  The heavens declare the glory of God. (Psalm 19:1)  The heavens praise your wonders, LORD (Psalm 89:5).  The Scriptures that that it is there. Do I listen for joy?  Do I open my ears to catch it? Not often. But is it possible if I set my will to listen for it?  Yes!

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Wednesday Praise Psalm V3

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Today, in celebration of Phyllis Tickle’s life, we share with you an open letter, written in thanksgiving for her friendship, guidance, and love over the last twenty years.

Dear Phyllis,

What can we, at the Community of Jesus, say about you?  How much of a friend you were, how we miss you terribly now and feel a hole in our days when we let ourselves think of you, and all that you have meant to us and done for the church?  

We remember your great laugh and your warmth of spirit, how you would encourage and challenge us to think beyond what we knew, to what is unknown, and maybe uncomfortable, but possibly something new to consider.  Where do we get this kind of friend?  A friend who would stick her neck out — knowing she was throwing some people into a frenzy of confusion, and yet, at the same time, feeling it’s a necessary duty.

We know you also enjoyed those moments.  You didn’t hide the twinkle in your eye when your probing had moved one of us off our chess spot, so that we bumped the Knight next to us and now saw the Queen from a completely different angle.   Yes, there were some very crafty moves, and yet, you weren’t just crafty, you were interested in the growth of an individual and its direct effect on the church.  Open the doors of the mind, let there be new ideas, let our words speak to a church in need, not a church we wish existed.  These were your words, and you were an evangelist and advocate, eager to live out your faith on the hoof with great intention and integrity.   

We miss you, friend.  We see your hand at Paraclete Press, and you will always be with us as a reminder to keep our sights on the future and the needs of a hurting world — of which we are a part — and to live out that vocation in the market place.

We miss you, friend.  We remember your words and your impassioned plea that the theater of the church be vital and full, retelling the great stories of faith and the riches of God’s promises to his people.  Elements Theatre Company owns this charge.

We miss you, friend.  We hear your chortles and southern twang as you tell stories and enjoy a visit with friends and colleagues, believing that at the basis of relationships, commitment and faith were paramount.

It has been our great privilege to know you and work with you, to sit with you and talk with you, to be a part of the church together and serve its future.  

With our great love and affection,
Your friends and family at the Community of Jesus

And flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.  Hamlet V,ii

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Today, in celebration of Phyllis Tickle’s life, we share with you an open letter, written in thanksgiving for her friendship, guidance, and love over the last twenty years.

Dear Phyllis,

What can we, at the Community of Jesus, say about you?  How much of a friend you were, how we miss you terribly now and feel a hole in our days when we let ourselves think of you, and all that you have meant to us and done for the church?  

We remember your great laugh and your warmth of spirit, how you would encourage and challenge us to think beyond what we knew, to what is unknown, and maybe uncomfortable, but possibly something new to consider.  Where do we get this kind of friend?  A friend who would stick her neck out — knowing she was throwing some people into a frenzy of confusion, and yet, at the same time, feeling it’s a necessary duty.

We know you also enjoyed those moments.  You didn’t hide the twinkle in your eye when your probing had moved one of us off our chess spot, so that we bumped the Knight next to us and now saw the Queen from a completely different angle.   Yes, there were some very crafty moves, and yet, you weren’t just crafty, you were interested in the growth of an individual and its direct effect on the church.  Open the doors of the mind, let there be new ideas, let our words speak to a church in need, not a church we wish existed.  These were your words, and you were an evangelist and advocate, eager to live out your faith on the hoof with great intention and integrity.   

We miss you, friend.  We see your hand at Paraclete Press, and you will always be with us as a reminder to keep our sights on the future and the needs of a hurting world — of which we are a part — and to live out that vocation in the market place.

We miss you, friend.  We remember your words and your impassioned plea that the theater of the church be vital and full, retelling the great stories of faith and the riches of God’s promises to his people.  Elements Theatre Company owns this charge.

We miss you, friend.  We hear your chortles and southern twang as you tell stories and enjoy a visit with friends and colleagues, believing that at the basis of relationships, commitment and faith were paramount.

It has been our great privilege to know you and work with you, to sit with you and talk with you, to be a part of the church together and serve its future.  

With our great love and affection,
Your friends and family at the Community of Jesus

And flights of Angels sing thee to thy rest.  Hamlet V,ii

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Nun Other

We did some fall housecleaning last night, starting with kitchen cupboards. Threw out some “lids to nowhere,” a melted turkey baster, and an old plastic measuring cup. It feels good to have dust-free, clutter-free cupboards, and a mental inventory of what’s available. I sometimes wonder what Mary’s house looked like. As Jesus’ mother, her life was always eventful, with an expectation for the unexpected. I imagine her home to be clean, orderly, and ready to welcome. But then I have a reputation for obsessive neatness. I prefer to think of it as stress avoidance. Friends with busy lives sometimes ask for advice, and it’s very basic: remove clutter, which I define as anything not necessary or beautiful. Beautiful is up to you—could be children’s art—or any number of things. To truly save time, avoid short-cuts—an oxymoron but true.

Psalm 84 tells of God’s lovely dwelling place, a place of peace and beauty that draws our weary hearts. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. “Selah.” Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Nun Other

We did some fall housecleaning last night, starting with kitchen cupboards. Threw out some “lids to nowhere,” a melted turkey baster, and an old plastic measuring cup. It feels good to have dust-free, clutter-free cupboards, and a mental inventory of what’s available. I sometimes wonder what Mary’s house looked like. As Jesus’ mother, her life was always eventful, with an expectation for the unexpected. I imagine her home to be clean, orderly, and ready to welcome. But then I have a reputation for obsessive neatness. I prefer to think of it as stress avoidance. Friends with busy lives sometimes ask for advice, and it’s very basic: remove clutter, which I define as anything not necessary or beautiful. Beautiful is up to you—could be children’s art—or any number of things. To truly save time, avoid short-cuts—an oxymoron but true.

Psalm 84 tells of God’s lovely dwelling place, a place of peace and beauty that draws our weary hearts. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. “Selah.” Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

We have taken a “romp” through the eight Church Modes over these past weeks and, for each mode, we have talked about the principal pitches, the Reciting Tone, and Home Tone.  There is always a “descent,” to the Home Tone at the end of the chants we have looked at, which gives it a feeling of “settling,” or completion.

In some of the older books for the Divine Office and the Mass, you will see some chants with no Mode listed in the customary place to the left of the piece.  If you look carefully at the Agnus Dei posted below, here is a case in point!  This Agnus Dei begins on Sol.  It goes above and below this pitch, but then, instead of descending to a lower pitch, it returns to the same pitch it began on.  It is almost as if the melody were “circular” —returning to its start!

There have been many studies done on Modality over the years, and it has been discovered that some of the melodies that have the same Reciting and Home Tone are very ancient—the beginnings of the chant melodies.

We’ll be looking into some of these discoveries in the weeks to come!

(No audio this week.)

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Nun Other

I did laundry the other day, and noticed a drip or two of liquid detergent on our new washer. A Christmas gift from a sister’s mother, it’s beautiful, state-of-the-art, and eco-friendly. It even plays a little tune when you open the lid, six musical notes that somehow convey how great clean laundry is. As I reached for a cloth and spray cleaner to remove the drips, I was reminded of an early lesson I received.

The lesson was about a grateful heart, and the teacher was my sister, twelve years older than I am. She had asked for my help at the laundromat, and we had several baskets full. After the last load was neatly folded, my sister added one more task: she cleaned and polished both the washer and dryer she’d used. I asked her why, and her reply made a deep impression. She explained that because she and her husband struggled financially, they were unable to afford a washer and dryer for their home. But she was grateful for the laundromat and the opportunity it provided. Why not treat their machines as if they were her own. It was a lesson about expressing love and gratitude in a practical way, for ordinary things. For me, a grateful heart is a concept with its feet on the ground.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

The feast of Simeon is celebrated on October 8^th. Simeon is one of my favorite saints. We know him only from his welcoming the infant Jesus, and his mother and father, into the temple. But the words of his welcome have become immortalized in what we know as the Nunc dimittis. For centuries the Nunc dimittis has been joined with the Magnificat to provide the outline for evening worship. Composers throughout the history of the Church have set it to different melodies to allow us to join in that very special moment of worship in the temple in Jerusalem.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Melodious Monk

I met a new friend this week, Welsh poet R. S. Thomas. While recently feeling a little lost and tired of looking for God with seemingly no answer back, I went to a shelf of poetry books in hopes that someone else’s words might open my eyes a bit differently.

Perhaps it was Paul Powis’ colorful illustration on the front cover of the R. S. Thomas collection that caught my attention, but every poem of R. S. Thomas that I read I find compelling, thought-provoking, and profoundly mysterious.

One such poem is titled, “the empty church. “ I spend a significant amount of time in an empty church here at the Community of Jesus– either cleaning, doing maintenance work, or praying alone–so, in quickly glancing through the index, this poem’s title leaped out at me as one to read.

The Empty Church

They laid this stone trap
for him, enticing him with candles,
as though he would come like some huge moth
out of the darkness to beat there.
Ah, he had burned himself
before in the human flame
and escaped, leaving the reason
torn. He will not come any more
to our lure. Why, then, do I kneel still
striking my prayers on a stone
heart? Is it in hope one
of them will ignite yet and throw
on its illumined walls the shadow
of someone greater than I can understand?

In the short time I’ve spent with this Anglican priest’s poetry, I have found a strong sense of the knowledge of God’s presence when, and perhaps especially when, He is not tangible to us. I often ask God why this road through life has so many components that often feel pointless or at cross-purposes with one another. I think Thomas might say that our inability to understand God in our lives is not something to be afraid of. At the end of his poem Emerging, Thomas reminds us that God has destined us for good.

There are questions we are the solution
to, others whose echoes we must expand
to contain. Circular as our way is,
it leads not back to that snake-haunted
garden, but onward to the tall city
of glass that is the laboratory of the spirit.

Poetry by R. S. Thomas. Artwork by Paul Powis

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

A look at our antiphon shows us many things.  The opening intonation outlines the key structural pitches, SOL and DO.  There is recitation on the DO on “Nolite timere” at the beginning of the second line.  This piece reminds us of Mode VII (which recites on RE), as it rises in several spots above the DO to the upper pitch, reminding us that these modes are closely related, linked by their shared Home tone.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Sunday, October 4th is the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the world’s most popular saint! 

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sunset Septuagint

Last week, we had a funeral for one of our earliest religious Sisters.  At the burial site, someone mentioned her love for the desert. That struck a chord with me, because I have had a love for the desert ever since I traveled one day over the desert from Amman, Jordan to Cairo, Egypt, and then another time from the North to the South of Israel. I felt the power of the desert, the force of shifting sands, the strength to survive that only God can give, I also saw the beauty in the desert, often in small and hidden plants dependent on God for their blooming. I was reminded of several scriptures from Isaiah: the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom. . . . they shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. . . I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Listen to this uplifting chant, followed by recitation of Psalm 114 in Mode VII.  You’ll notice how the Psalm Tone goes above and below the Reciting Tone at the mediant cadence, and then returns to the RE at the ending –  a wonderful example of the sense of “ascending” that can come with Mode VII!

Antiophon and Psalm 114: In paradisum

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

On Monday we celebrated the life of one of our earliest Sisters. Sister Christina became a sister in 1971 and had a lifelong love of beauty, poetry and art. Here is one of her poems, inspired by the Pascal (Easter) candle.

Paschal fire

O Christ
the springtime
of my heart,
You did not wait
my turn to light,
You overruled
My wintered days
that they might
receive your
untimed spring.
The early Paschal fire
Has burned
My way to joy.

Sr. Christina

Her full obituary is online at the Cape Cod Times.

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org

By Sr. Fidelis

Today is the Funeral for one of our older sisters, Sister Christina. She requested that the simple Requiem Mass be chanted.  The Kyrie is a perfect example of Mode 6—the next in our brief “tour” of the Modes and their characteristics. Mode 6 has a narrow range, reciting on LA with a home tone of FA.  As we can see (and hear) in the opening Kyrie, the melody passes seamlessly between these structure pitches.  We often see the flattened TI, or TAU, in Mode 6 pieces as well. The opening motive is often described as a sigh or lament.

Mass I – Kyrie XVIiib

Follow us
https://www.facebook.com/communityofjesus.org