INTRODUCTION

In the early Church, the 50 days of Easter were a time to reflect with the newly-baptized on the mysteries of the faith into which they had just been initiated.  This year, we are going to use these 50 days of Easter to reflect more deeply on our Church’s greatest prayer, the Mass.  I hope that by taking a brief moment each week to reflect on the meaning of the Eucharist, we will be able to enter more deeply, both as individuals and as a community, into the mystery which gathers us together, Sunday after Sunday.  Today, one of our musicians will help us to reflect on the first part of the Mass: the singing of the entrance hymn.

-- Father Michael G. Ryan

SINGING THE FAITH

          The Season of Easter began with a song.  One week ago, at the beginning of the great Easter Vigil, Father Ryan sang:  “Rejoice, heavenly powers!  Sing, choirs of angels!  Exult, all creation around God’s throne!  Jesus Christ, the King, is risen!  Sound the trumpet of salvation!”  How does the Church respond to the good news of Jesus’ resurrection?  With a song!
 
          We sing because we are people of the resurrection, not only on Easter, but every Sunday.  When we stand and sing together, we recognize that we are not an audience--we are a community, the body of Christ, called to take an active, not a passive role in the prayer of the Church.  Singing expresses our unity, and helps to strengthen it.  That is why we sing during the entrance procession; we sing as we are sprinkled with baptismal water; we sing our way through the entire Mass.  We sing ancient texts like the Gloria and the Sanctus, and we sing new songs as well.
 
          “Jesus Christ is risen!  Sound the trumpet of salvation!”  That Easter invitation to song is not just for musicians, but for everyone.  We all have a trumpet to sound.  Our trumpet is the voice God has given us.  No two voices are alike.  They are loud and soft, old and young, high and low, clear and throaty.  Every voice is needed for this chorus of praise.  So, tune your instrument and sound your trumpet.  Let us rise for the entrance – and sing!

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