Epiphany of Our Lord - Saint Louis, MO.

Centennial Mass

2011-12-29T10:48:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas all!

Just a reminder that our Centennial Mass with be celebrated on January the 8th @ 10:00 am. There will be no 9:00 or 11:00 am Masses those days. I hope you can join us for celebration. We will also have Mass Saturday evening at 5:00 & Sunday morning at 7:00.
Fr. Tom

PARISH MISSION - October 23rd - 25th

2011-10-19T07:31:00.001-05:00

Please join us for Parish Mission this coming week. We are delighted to welcome Grayson Warren Brown to our parish and look forward to how he will invite us to grow in our faith. The Mission will be held Sunday - Monday & Tuesday Evening beginning at 7:00 pm in our church. Each evening we will gather for prayer, song and inspirational presentations led by Grayson Warren Brown. Our gatherings will last about an hour and a half. On Tuesday evening we will conclude with a social gathering in our gym as well as a Festival of Ministries. The Festival will provide information about the various groups, committees and events that comprise the life of our parish. While not necessarily intended as as a recruitment tool, you may find yourself motivated to participate more concretely in the life of the parish.

Parish Mission

October 23rd - 25th

7:00 - 8:30 pm

Epiphany of Our Lord Church

Additional Sign-ups for Centennial Pictorial Directory

2011-10-11T14:21:00.004-05:00

Please contact our office if you missed your chance to sign up for the directory. Additional times and days have been added. Please call Trish at 314-781-1199

HOMECOMING 2011 DETAILS

2011-09-01T10:15:00.005-05:00

Homecoming 2011

Friday, September 16th - 6-11:00 pm

Saturday, September 17th - Noon-11:00 pm

Parade - Saturday @ 11:00 am

Dinners served Friday from 5-8:00 pm

& Saturday from 4-8:00 pm.

Homecoming is just around the corner! Set up will begin on Wednesday, September 14th @ 5:30 pm and will continue on Thursday the 15th @ 5:30 pm. Please set aside a few hours to help out. We are always looking for volunteers to help cleanup each night after homecoming at 11 pm for an hour and on Sunday starting @ 9:00 am.

The following booths are in need of help. Please contact one of the Booth Chairs to volunteer for a shift.

Theresa (Guempel) Yorker Alumni Booth treeza3321@yahoo.com
609-8229

Kathy Migneco Outside Food 781-0423

Trish Nerviani Inside Food 781-1199 or 647-5616

The inside food booth is particularly looking for a few teenagers to serve as hostess on Saturday evening.

Game Booths

Lisa Brinkmann Game Tickets 645-2116

Lisa Meyers Sucker Pull 645-8037

Barb Dilly Plinko 647-0673

Lori Harrison Bumper Car 645-6341

Julie Kozemczak Fun Wheel 647-0906

Patty Ellison Brown Rainbow Pitch 647-1127

Syndy Street String Game 920-1646

We are still in need of a chairperson for the Fish Game. This is a game played with fishing poles and magnets...NO REAL FISH. To volunteer to chair this booth, please contact, Mark Palardy at 645-6962.

Country Store Booth Needs You!!!

We are in need of homemade crafts and food items for the booth. Please help us, if you bake, can items from your garden, crochet, knit, bead, sew or have another craft you can share. Workers are also needed, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings. To volunteer to work at the booth call Kathy at 645-1596 or Peggy at 645-3856.

Homecoming Parade

It's not too late to sign up to participate in the parade!! Registration forms can be found in the front and back of church or the rectory.

This year we will also honor a parishioner (a person or couple) by bestowing the title "Grand Marshal" upon them for the parade. Think about someone who you feel has made a great contribution to the parish or selflessly serves the parish and helps keep it going! Nomination forms are at the entrance of church.

For more information, or to download any of the forms, visit www.epiphanyparade.shutterfly.com. For questions, contact Patti at EpiphanyParade@gmail.com or 314-884-8748.

Utilizing Twitter

2011-08-27T09:15:00.008-05:00

I don't know that many people utilize the blog for imformation, but I am hopeful that twitter will allow us to communicate to parishioners events that take place in parish that are not mentioned in the bulletin or covered in the blog. My main hope is to communicate to parishioners funeral information as well news from the Archdiocese and general reminders of parish activities. Most of the information on twitter will come from me, but the staff is welcome to utilize it as well as parishioners if there is something you wish to share or communicate. Please e-mail me @ Askpadre@aol.com. Our twitter account may be followed @ EpiphanySTL
Peace, Fr. Tom

Thank You Scott

2011-07-31T05:10:00.002-05:00

Dear Visitors,
Please join me in thanking God for the ministry of Scott Pluff. I will not forget the prayerful, beautiful and engaging liturgies that you helped us celebrate at Epiphany. We have been blessed to share in your gifts of music as well as your gifts of collaboration and personal development. There is always a temptation in leadership to make it all about us and to impose our vision upon the situation. At the same time there is the danger of having no vision at all and just drifting aimlessly hoping that the current will lead us somewhere worthwhile. Finding that right balance is an ever present challenge for those called to lead. Thank you for striking that balance and ministering to our choir, cantors, instrumentalists and all of us. I am confident that your contribution to the rich history of Epiphany's worship will empower us to move forward with the same desire to make our worship the true source and summit of our lives. May God bless you, your family and St. Teresa's as you begin your ministry there.
Fr. Tom Miller

Awesome Anniversay Mass!

2011-07-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

The Mass this past Sunday was outstanding! My only regret is that we did not record Bishop Stika's homily, it was personal, funny and very relevant to the celebration and life of our parish. I am hoping to put some pictures up soon from the celebration.

Two Easter Hymns

2011-05-09T21:35:00.002-05:00

The Easter season, stretching from Easter Sunday through Pentecost, is a season with great music to celebrate our Risen Lord. Here are two newer hymns that are quickly becoming classics of Catholic worship. Both texts have rich imagery based in scripture and both tunes are noble and beautiful.

Two Were Bound For Emmaus

words and music by Bob Hurd

Three Days

words by M.D. Ridge, tune by Gustav Holst

(Just for the record, our choir sounds much better than either of these recordings by other choirs!)

Here are a few other links to songs and acclamations we are singing this season:

Mass of Glory: Come to the River

Mass of Glory: Glory to God

Mass of Glory: Alleluia, Give the Glory

Mass of Glory: Holy

Psalm 118: This is the Day

Belated 1st Anniversary

2011-05-04T08:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Anniversary to our Blog! Sunday, May the 1st, was our actual anniversary, but I must have been too busy or distracted to post that day. Thanks to all of our visitors in the past year, and please check back frequently to see various postings on the life of our parish.

Three New Choir Anthems

2011-04-13T21:09:00.003-05:00

This spring, our choir is learning three new anthems, one each for Lent, Good Friday, and Easter. I invite you to prayerfully reflect on these expressions of our faith. While we are not set up for recording our choir at Mass, you can click on the titles to hear recordings of these pieces by other choirs.

Give Me Jesus

Traditional Spiritual, arranged by Larry L. Flemming

Oh, when I am alone, give me Jesus

You may have all the rest, give me Jesus

And, when I come to die...

And, when I come to sing...

The Seven Last Words from the Cross

by Anne Quigley

Refrain:

O vos omnes qui transitis per viam attendite et videte si est dolor sicut dolor meus. (Lam 1:12)

(tr. O all you who pass this way, look and see is any sorrow like the sorrow that afflicts me.)

Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. (Lk 23:24)

This day you will be with me in paradise. (Lk 23:43)

Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your Mother. (Jn 19:26)

I thirst. (Jn 19:28)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; from Ps 22:1)

Father into your hands I commend my spirit. (Lk 23:46)

It is accomplished. (Jn 19:30)

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)

Jesus Lives

by Chrysogonus Waddell, OSCO

Jesus lives, thy terrors now

Can, O death, no more appall us;

Jesus lives: by this we know

Thou, O grave, can not enthrall us. Alleluia!

Jesus lives: henceforth is death

But the gate to life immortal;

This shall calm our trembling breath

When we pass this gloomy portal. Alleluia!

Jesus lives: our hearts know well

Nought from us his love shall sever;

Life nor death nor pow’rs of hell

Tear us from his keeping ever. Alleluia!

Jesus lives: to him the throne

Over all the world is given:

May we go where he is gone,

Rest and reign with him in heaven. Alleluia!

Pope Benedict's perspective on Catholic liturgy

2011-02-23T08:15:00.002-06:00

You might know that Cardinal Ratzinger/Pope Benedict has made some critical comments about the state of Catholic liturgy, such as "I am convinced that the ecclesial crisis in which we find ourselves today depends in great part upon the collapse of the liturgy." Instead of celebrating the sacred mysteries, "the community is only celebrating itself." He sees "a need for a new liturgical movement to call back to life the true heritage of Vatican Council II."

The article linked below is very helpful for understanding how Pope Benedict views the state of Catholic liturgy. It offers a concise history and background of his views from an unbiased perspective. An excerpt: "Some claim that the pope is undoing the Second Vatican Council... others claim that he is working to implement faithfully the vision of the Second Vatican Council, which means undoing the mistakes and misinterpretations of the past forty-five years... the truth is probably somewhere in between."

Liturgy Under Benedict XVI by Anthony Ruff, OSB

Pray for Peace

2011-02-22T07:50:00.000-06:00

There's an old saying that you should pray with a bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. Last Sunday, the themes of the readings happened to coincide with the headlines:

You have heard that it was said,

You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5: 43-44)

Middle East and North Africa Erupt Against Dictators

Future of Egyptian Government Uncertain

Extremist Reaction Feared After Uprising

So at Mass we sang this prayer, a litany for peace:

Give Peace in Our Time, O Lord

by Martin Foster

Give peace in our time, O Lord,

in our hearts, in our homes,

in our land, in our world.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.

1. May the Church proclaim your gospel
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
to the poor and the oppressed:

2. For nations torn by conflict,
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
for countries broken by hatred:

3. For people starving for food,
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
for people thirsting for life:

4. For all scarred by abuse,
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
for all hurt by addiction:

5. For all waiting for news,
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
for all burdened by sin:

6. In the light of your resurrection,
(Give peace in our time, O Lord.)
in the hope of each new day:

Let's pray for peace in the world, and strive for peace in our homes and community.

Epiphany Song by Peter Hesed

2011-01-19T11:01:00.004-06:00

For our parish's Centennial Anniversary, we commissioned local composer Peter Hesed to write a new congregational song. Spanning several months, this project was a partnership between Peter, the parish musicians, and the Holy Spirit. The resulting song is beautiful in its words and music. We will sing this song at various times during the Centennial year, and it will become part of our permanent repertoire.

Many thanks to Peter, the parish musicians, the liturgy committee, and all involved.

Click here to view the premier of Epiphany Song from January 2, 2011

Centennial Mass Homily

2011-01-03T16:54:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary! Today we celebrate our parish feast day and with the beginning of this New Year we celebrate the founding of our parish. For a century we have been gathering as a parish family to celebrate Jesus Christ our Emmanuel. We have seen His star and have come to adore Him. Those words carved into the front façade of our church serve as a constant reminder that we are here seeking Jesus Christ. We make it clear today and throughout this year of celebration that it is Jesus who brings us together, it is Jesus who sustains our community, and it is Jesus who accompanies us on our pilgrimage of life.

We have seen his star and have come to adore Him. The Magi appear in Jerusalem looking for the new born king of the Jews. All of Jerusalem is surprised by the appearance of these men from the East. How is it that they have seen the sign and we have not? How is it that they have discerned the meaning of this event while business went on as normal in Jerusalem? Life goes on as normal for most people, Herod is disturbed and anxious, the chief priests and scribes are sent to find the meaning. Many different individuals seeking the same person, but not all seek with the same intention. Not all will be open to the true meaning of this phenomenal event. Most will simply miss it.

Mary & Joseph welcome Him with love, the Magi seek to offer Him homage, Herod seeks to end His life. St. Matthew situates the birth of Jesus in the midst of obscurity. Here is the fulfillment of promises made to Abraham, David and the prophets. Here is the one longed for after many centuries of return from exile. But it is neither a king that Herod desires, nor the type of king that the people desire. Herod wants no king other than himself; the people want a king like David and a kingdom that is powerful, autonomous and free of outside control. Jesus’ life will reveal who he is as Messiah, not a person of political influence, but as the new Moses instituting a new Covenant, seated not upon a throne, but the Cross.

Each of the Magi discerns a different aspect of this child and what the future holds for Him. We know the meaning of the three gifts. We have heard countless homilies, sung our various hymns and have personally reflected upon the gold, frankincense and myrrh. We have prayerfully reflected upon Jesus as our King, as our God and as our brother. We acknowledge that we appreciate the mystery of Jesus without completely understanding the fullness of the gifts. Our prayer at the altar before we enter into the Eucharistic prayer calls to mind that we do not come to offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but the sacrifice and food the symbolize, Jesus Christ. Bread and wine become His body and blood, to which we join our prayers and our lives in one sacrifice offered to the Father. We pray that the fruit of this altar will not be limited to this experience of worship but is carried into our daily life to transform it. We gather together with the Magi as a people called to adore Jesus and to offer our gifts in humble homage. They are the first representatives of the gentiles; we are the current members of the church.

We look back over the last one hundred years and remember those who first celebrated Mass in the storefront on Ivanhoe at Arloe station with a priest from Kenrick seminary. Fr. English’s was appointed pastor in September of 1911. We remember the nickelodeon that served as church and school during the following year and the final building of the “old school” in 1912. It would serve as both church and school until the building of this church in 1929. During those first decades of the parish, the life of the church and the life of its members were one and the same. There truly was a sense that your life as a person and as a Catholic revolved around the life of your parish. It was a reality for members of most parishes in the United States until the 70’s.

It was not easy in the early days of our parish to be Catholic and American. Hard to believe that at the founding of this parish that Catholics were often viewed with suspicion and most compromised the lower class of immigrant America. The parish became a place of belonging and source of refuge in a culture that was unwelcoming. Epiphany and the church in America “came of age” during the 50’s and 60’s and Catholics became part of mainstream life and entered into the middle and upper classes of our nation. Roles of prominence that had previously eluded Catholics were now accessible. A sense of prosperity that was unimagined by earlier generations was now becoming common for most Catholics.

As we look back over the changes in Catholicism and in our parish during this past century we want to discern what is good and sift it from what is not. Not all the changes of prosperity, of “arriving” are a blessing. One of the real challenges we face today as Catholic Americans is losing the distinctiveness of our faith. Faith is not one identifying element among many; it is the first and foundational element upon which the others must rest. While the parish may no longer be the center of our lives as we are pulled in countless directions, our faith must remain the compass that guides us in all of our other endeavors.

As people of faith we must constantly strive against the prevalent attitude that says our faith is a private affair meant solely for the expression of worship. Our faith is both a personal and communal affair that is meant transform our lives. We pray for an understanding of our identity that allows us to celebrate what is distinctively Catholic in a way that is both courageous and humble. For a century we have celebrated our faith at Epiphany embracing the challenge of the Gospel to live in the world, but not of the world. We pray that our adoration of Jesus is not limited to expressions of worship, and not minimized by an attitude that places personal preference and cultural convenience above matters of faith. We want Jesus to change us and our society with the light of His Gospel. If at one point we were excluded from the common culture, today we are called to be counter-cultural.

As we begin our centennial celebration this weekend, we remember fondly all those who have celebrated life at Epiphany. We remember family members, friends, neighbors, religious sisters, deacons and priests who have shared in our story and have left their impression upon our own faith. We pray that this year of grace will be a time of grateful contemplation and joyful anticipation. Here is where we come to adore Christ, at this altar we find the meaning of our lives; here we answer the call to discipleship. It is here that our Eucharistic Lord opens our eyes to His presence hidden elsewhere in our life. From worship we are sent forth into service. It is in service that the hidden presence of our Savior in our neighbors will grace us with gift of discipleship. The life of our parish, it’s past, present and future bear witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit animating and guiding the body of Christ. We have seen His star and have come to adore Him.

New/Old Mass Acclamations, part 1

2010-11-22T21:20:00.005-06:00

During the coming Advent and Lent, we will be singing a simple Latin chant setting of the Mass. Parishioners of a certain age may remember these acclamations from years past, while these will be new to some of us. The memorial acclamation is a newly composed setting to match the style of the older acclamations.

Whether you sing from the pew, in one of our choirs, or as a cantor, you will of course want to learn these. That goes without saying, right? Everyone in our parish sings at Mass, right? :-) So as an important and active member of our assembly, here's your homework:

Each of these has a link to a PDF file (to see the music) and an MP3 (to hear the music.)

Kyrie PDF MP3

Sanctus PDF MP3

Mem Acc B PDF MP3

Amen PDF (sorry, no recording for this one)

Agnus Dei PDF MP3

Why are we learning a Latin chant setting of the Mass? I'll leave you with that cliffhanger--tune in next week to find out. (Hint: it has something to do with preparing for the new English translation of the Mass coming 12 months from now.)

What's Happening to the Mass?

2010-09-23T15:05:00.006-05:00

My other office, the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University, is sponsoring a presentation on the upcoming changes to the words of the Mass. Jerry Galipeau, the presenter, is an acquaintance of mine and a great speaker. I invite you to attend, it will be very informative and enjoyable.

*****

ST. LOUIS—The words of the Roman Catholic Mass will undergo significant changes in the coming year, and a program offered by the Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University will help Catholics to prepare for what will be a different experience of the Mass. “What’s Happening to the Mass? Preparing to Pray and Sing the New Translation” is open to the public.

Two sessions will be offered: one on Friday, Oct. 8, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at All Saints Parish in St. Peters, Mo., and one on Saturday, Oct. 9, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at St. Francis Xavier College Church on the SLU campus. The cost is $10 per person in advance or $15 at the door. Registration is available online at liturgy.slu.edu/missal or by calling 314-977-7200.

Last month the U.S. Catholic Bishops announced that the new translation of the Mass will be implemented on the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 27, 2011. The revised wording will introduce a number of noticeable changes to the ritual text, especially the responses, prayers and musical settings of the Mass.

Jerry Galipeau, associate publisher at World Library Publications in Chicago and a nationally recognized speaker on Catholic liturgy, will address how and why the changes are being made, how the new words might affect one’s experience of the Mass, and how individuals and parishes can prepare. Each session will include a preview of new and revised musical settings of the Mass. Attendees will gain a greater understanding of the new missal and renew their appreciation of the Catholic Mass.

The Center for Liturgy at Saint Louis University enlivens, enriches and deepens the celebration of the Eucharist by enabling Catholics to participate more fully in the Mass, by advancing the composition of liturgical music, and by teaching students about the riches of Catholic liturgy. For more information, visit liturgy.slu.edu.

Centennial Choir

2010-09-17T16:40:00.004-05:00

Dear Epiphany Musicians and Friends of Music:

The hundredth anniversary of our parish is a cause for great celebration – a time to “pull out all the stops” with our liturgical music. Our centennial celebration will include an opening Mass on January 2, 2011, a Mass with Archbishop Carlson on January 16, a mid-year Mass in summer of 2011 including all of the priests and religious from Epiphany over the years, and a closing Mass on January 6, 2012. We are also looking into the possibility of an ecumenical prayer service with the Lindenwood churches.

These centennial liturgies call for a program of glorious music. The music for the opening and closing Masses, celebrated in the church, will be fairly traditional while the mid-year Mass, celebrated in the gym, calls for more contemporary music. To serve these special musical needs, we will form a Centennial Choir for these liturgies. If you currently sing in one of our choirs or cantor you are invited to join the Centennial Choir. If anyone else is interested, you are welcome to join following a brief audition.

The Centennial Choir is an opportunity for those who want to do something above and beyond our usual Sunday choirs. We will be learning a good deal of new music, to a higher standard of performance than a typical Sunday. Every one of our current choir members has the ability to learn this music—if you are willing to invest the time and effort needed. This may require working on your parts on your own between rehearsals. Some items of note:

• The rehearsal schedule for this fall is: Wednesday October 13th, November 10th, and December 8th and 29th from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. The opening Mass is Sunday January 2 at 10:00 a.m. and the Mass with Archbishop Carlson is Sunday January 16 at 9:00 a.m. We will also meet on Wednesday January 12th for a brief rehearsal and a social. In addition to the rehearsals, there will be a CD recording of all choir pieces including individual voice parts (soprano, alto, etc.) Rehearsals for the mid-year Mass and closing Mass will be determined later.

• We will have a shared expectation of attendance at rehearsals. If you miss a rehearsal you will need to make up that material before the next rehearsal. If you are not able to keep a strong commitment to the schedule and have not learned your parts before our final rehearsal, I may ask you to sit out.

• Whether you read music or learn by ear, we will expect every choir member to know his or her parts before the December 8th practice. December 29th will be the full rehearsal with instruments.

• For the opening and closing liturgies the choir will sing from the choir loft. With a sizable choir, handbells, and brass, woodwind and string instruments the choir loft is the only space that can hold us. If you are not able to climb the stairs, you are still welcome to sing for the mid-year Mass in the gym, the ecumenical service, and of course all of our regular Sunday Masses.

• The mid-year Mass in the gym will be different in style than the other two liturgies, but will also require dedicated preparation. This music will be led by guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, and various other instruments.

If you would like to join the Centennial Choir, please email me at epiphanymusic1@gmail.com, call me at 314-977-7213, or talk to me after Mass.

I am really looking forward to working with you on these liturgies. Together, we can make some great music for these great celebrations.

In Christ,

Scott Pluff Director of Music Ministries

Welcoming children and families at Mass

2010-09-08T13:22:00.005-05:00

Here is an interesting editorial from another website: Small children at Mass? We need more of them.

Epiphany tends to be a welcoming and supportive community, but we can all use a reminder from time to time.

Sometimes people say that children are the future of the Church. In a way this is true, but even more than that: children are the Church, right now. Every baptized person is fully a member of the Body of Christ--including babies and kids. They are called to participate in the Mass in their own way.

For more information on fostering children's participation in liturgy and the Church, visit Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.

Let's sing a new song to the Lord

2010-08-28T18:30:00.007-05:00

In planning for our centennial year, one of the popular ideas is to commission a new liturgical song for the celebration. Not only can we sing this song for the big centennial celebrations, but it can also become part of our permanent hymn repertoire. I think this will be an exciting project.

Initially, I've met with three local experienced composers who are interested in the project. Each of them brings a unique perspective and musical style. So far, we have discussed these general guidelines:

1. a liturgical song (for the whole congregation to sing plus harmony parts for the choir)

2. newly composed words and music

3. words based on themes of the Epiphany of Our Lord, possibly including Our Lord's three manifestations (appearance of the magi, baptism in the Jordan, wedding feast at Cana) or how we today manifest Jesus Christ to the world

You are invited to a meeting this Wednesday September 1 at 7:30 in the Assumption Room.

I'd like to get input from our parish musicians and interested parishioners. We will discuss the project and hear a sample song from each composer to give an idea of their writing style. (We will discuss each composer anonymously so we can speak openly about them). Your input will help me and Fr. Tom decide which composer to work with.

If you have ideas but can't make the meeting, please call or write anytime. You can reach me at 314-977-7213, epiphanymusic1@gmail.com, or anytime after Mass.

Hope to see you then!

Scott

How Hymns Work

2010-08-17T07:35:00.000-05:00

This summer, we learned a new hymn tune (Abbot's Leigh) and two hymn texts to go with it (Lord, You Give the Great Commission and God is Love Let Heaven Adore Him).

Have you noticed that many tunes or melodies in our hymnal have more than one text? Think about Love Divine, All Loves Excelling and Alleluia Sing to Jesus. Or God of Day God of Darkness and Healing River of the Spirit. How does that work?

Metrical hymns are a kind of metered poetry. Just like a Haiku poem has a certain number of syllables per line, metrical hymns follow syllabic patterns.

For example, the new hymn tune we learned this summer is called Abbot's Leigh (the name of the melody, not the words.) The tune follows a pattern: 8 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the next line, then 8, then 7, then 8, then 7, then 8, then 7. This pattern is abbreviated 87 87 D (D for double). Following that 87 87 D pattern of the tune, an author can write a text to match. In our case, we have sung this tune with the texts Lord, You Give the Great Commission and God is Love, Let Heaven Adore Him.

So, one hymn tune can have multiple texts that match it. This is a practical way of expanding a congregation's repertoire-singing multiple texts to a well-known hymn tune. With me so far?

To make it even more interesting, 87 87 D is a fairly common hymn meter. The hymn tune that we know by the hymns God of Day and God of Darkness, Healing River of the Spirit, and Holy Wisdom Lamp of Learning? 87 87 D. Alleluia Sing to Jesus and Love Divine All Loves Excelling? Also 87 87 D. How about Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the 9th symphony that we sing as Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee and Sing With All the Saints in Glory? You guessed it, 87 87 D. Sing a New Church? God We Praise You? Blessed Feasts of Blessed Martyrs? There's a Wideness in God's Mercy? In fact, any of these texts can be sung to any of the others' tunes, since they all follow the same syllabic pattern. Try switching them around with one another, they all fit. Some may sound funny, putting the wrong emPHAsis on the wrong sylLABle, but they still fit.

If you look at the fine print after a hymn in our hymnal, you can learn more about it. A hymn tune has its own name (Abbot's Leigh, Hyfrydol, Beach Spring in above examples) and a composer of the tune. The hymn text is usually written by a different author, sometimes centuries apart from the tune. Many tunes and texts have interesting stories behind them, easily found with a Google search.

By contrast, consider the other song we learned this summer, Gather the People. It's not a hymn since it doesn't follow any established metrical pattern. Dan Schutte wrote the melody and the text to go together, and neither the melody nor the text are meant to be used apart from the other. This allows a different kind of creative freedom, especially with its syncopated rhythms. Thus, it is a "liturgical song" but not technically a hymn.

City-County Champs!

2010-08-02T06:46:00.001-05:00

Congrats to our 4th & 5th Grade girls, their coaches and parents on this awesome finish to their season and bringing home a final winner for Epiphany!

New link added: Patheos

2010-07-28T06:55:00.001-05:00

I became aware of Patheos only recently through my frequent visits to The Anchoress. I have not had a lot of time to explore the site yet, but I am always in favor of trying to understand the religious and spiritual beliefs of others. While my primary focus will always be Catholicism, I do not want to naively dismiss the beliefs of others nor discount how their own religious experience shapes their lives.

Founded in 2008, Patheos.com is the premier online destination to engage in the global dialogue about religion and spirituality and to explore and experience the world's beliefs. Patheos is the website of choice for the millions of people looking for credible and balanced information or resources about religion. Patheos brings together the public, academia, and the faith leaders in a single environment, and is the place where people turn on a regular basis for insight into questions, issues, and discussions. Patheos is unlike any other online religious and spiritual site and is designed to serve as a resource for those looking to learn more about different belief systems, as well as participate in productive, moderated discussions on some of today's most talked about and debated topics.
As evidenced by the company founders' story, religion and spirituality continue to be an important part of American life, with more Americans today than ever before identifying themselves as spiritual. In fact, according to the Pew Internet Project, more than 82 million Americans and 64 percent of all Internet users utilize the Web for faith-related matters. The importance of religion and spirituality coupled with the growing use of the Internet for religious matters, point to the ongoing need for an online resource for religious and spiritual engagement and dialogue. Patheos fulfills this need.

Patheos connects seekers, students, and believers to faith communities, scholars, and resources for deeper exploration and greater understanding of faith practices, wisdom traditions, and spirituality.

Tres vidit, unum adoravit — He saw three, he adored one.

2010-07-20T10:32:00.003-05:00

The three visitors to Abraham and Sarah. The story is of course about hospitality, but the Church has come to view the scene as the first indication of nature of God's identity and being. Here is the first inkling of God who is one as something more than one divine person. God the Father is in gold, Jesus is centered in the middle and pointing to the cup in the middle and seated on the right is the Holy Spirit. For more information on the icon please go here: http://www.stjohnscamberwell.org.au/Sermons/ExplanationofTheTrinityIcon.htm

The King of Pasta - Mac & Cheese

2010-07-16T06:11:00.000-05:00

Here's the proof: http://www.cheese-ology.com/

I have yet to visit the new restruant, but I can't wait!

Hobby blog - Quotes

2010-07-13T05:57:00.003-05:00

Because I like quotes! Feel free to post your own @ http://quoteathon.blogspot.com/

6 years ago today. . .

2010-07-12T09:05:00.002-05:00

I celebrated my first Mass @ Epiphany and then concelebrated a funeral later that morning. While some days and weeks dragged on seemingly forever, these 6 years have gone by quickly and I have been abundantly blessed in my assignment at Epiphany. May God bless all those who have made my life as a priest so joyful.

Catholic Church teaching on racism

2010-07-11T07:01:00.005-05:00

The teaching of the Church on racism is clear. "Racism is a sin: a sin that divides the human family, blots out the image of God among specific members of that family and violates the fundamental human dignity of those called to be children of the same Father." (Brothers and Sisters to Us, statement of the U.S. Catholic Bishops)

In April of 2000, the bishops of Illinois wrote a joint statement on the challenge of racism in modern society called Moving Beyond Racism: Learning to See with the Eyes of Christ Brothers and Sisters in Christ. It's well worth reading.

Behind the homily 7-11-10

2010-07-11T05:59:00.001-05:00

       The parable of the “Good Samaritan” presents us with the question of who is my neighbor. As our Lord tells the parable one can draw the conclusion that anyone we encounter is our neighbor. If a Samaritan can help a Jew, two groups with intense animosity and disregard for each other in first century Palestine, then all are called to imitate the compassion of the Samaritan traveler.

       Yesterday I was talking to a married couple I am friends with and I mentioned this weekend’s homily and said we all have to continue to pray for conversion. Our conversion to greater discipleship in Christ never ends in this life. We pray for our own continuing conversion and the conversion of those we love. One of the challenges of marriage, parenting and family life is to pray for that continued experience of conversion and spiritual growth. I think that all of us want to be holier, without becoming holier than thou. We want to love God more and more, but we wonder where it will all lead in this life. We know where we hope it leads in the next life, but where will it lead between now and then. The perpetual temptation is to want to settle for “enough.” We have grown, converted or changed enough in life so that we can now take a break or cease growing.

       The “good enough” temptation is one I have to fight again and again in my life. I know that Jesus owes me nothing. I know that I have nothing to offer Jesus that He doesn’t already possess. The only thing I can offer Him is my loving worship, something He refuses to receive from me without my consent and desire. He expresses that invitation and reception with such simplicity: “Follow me.” Most of us are like the Apostles, we spend our time with Jesus and we are slowly changed into men and women of faith. Sometimes the changes are so slow and imperceptible that one may wonder if we are changing at all. Every now again we meet a “St. Paul” who has a profound change in life and they are on fire with their new found faith. Such people can be a bit overwhelming, but if they have the patience they can appreciate the different paths of conversion that others walk.

       The Gospel this week invites us to examine who is our neighbor. Who are the individuals or groups that we to exclude from being our neighbor? Jesus is not calling us to be BFF (Best Friends Forever) with the entire world; He is calling us to live with charity and compassion. Who are the individuals on the fringe of my compassion, who are the people least likely to be treated as a neighbor? How will I invite the Holy Spirit to grace that border and make it more permeable, less defensive, less exclusive of my charity, compassion or understanding?

Back Home

2010-07-10T09:05:00.002-05:00

I had a wonderful vacation in Colorado, but it is good to be back home. This picture is the view from the front porch of the home I was staying at in Fairplay, Colorado. I had a great time reading, sleeping, and walking while on vacation. The last few days I drove up to visit my friends Randy & Mary who were letting me stay at this home outside of Fairplay.

Epiphany Buildings Go Smoke Free

2010-06-13T15:45:00.004-05:00

starting July 1. Until then, smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

Happy Birthday Trish!!

2010-06-09T07:54:00.002-05:00

A little artwork from Uncle Al Nerviani:

Father Tom and Terry Signaigo playing air guitar while Al Nerviani works diligently at his desk. . . .

How to post a comment

2010-06-03T14:11:00.002-05:00

To make a comment on the blog, first click on the COMMENTS link below the story, then type your comment, then under the dropdown menu titled COMMENT AS, choose either "Name/URL" or "Anonymous." If you choose "Anonymous," please type your name at the end of your comment.

If you have an active profile of one of the other types, you can use your Google, LiveJournal, WordPress, TypePad, AIM, or Open ID profile. If you're not sure whether you have one of those profiles you probably don't. These can be useful if you're going to be active participants in this and other blogs, but these IDs are totally optional.

I encourage you to make comments on the blog, I'd like it to be an interactive format.

Take care,

Scott

I am sorry, Thank you, I love you.

2010-05-30T09:56:00.005-05:00

Final School Homily

There are three things that we must learn to say and understand in life. These three things are essential because they are the very things we will say to Christ if we are saved. The first one is the last change we make as individuals. When we see Jesus face to face, if we are saved our first words will be. I am sorry. For at that moment we will understand how much our sins have cost Jesus, exactly what our choices did to Him and just how much He loves us. That He loves us after we see the cost of our sins will be humbling and surprising. The sorrow of that moment will purify us, cleanse us and make us whole. I am sorry.

We shouldn’t wait for that moment for those words to form in our mouths. So today, I tell all of you that I am sorry. In the six years that I have been here I am aware of people I have hurt through my words or in my actions. I am sure there are many I am unaware of the pain, sorrow or frustration I may have caused. For that I am truly sorry. I am sorry that the humanness of Tom Miller interfered with my vocation to show Christ to you. In particular, I want to begin with our school staff, I know this year has been difficult and the last two months culminating in this final week have brought even more sorrow, stress or aggravation into your lives. For that I am sorry. That certainly wasn’t the intention or the desired result. In bumping up against my humanness some of you have encountered my sharp edges. God knows the rectory staff has seen me at my best and at my worst. For all those moments of impatience, sharp words or exaggerated responses I can only offer my apologies and the desire to learn from my mistakes. While you are free to think what you want, I hope you pray for me in the midst of all of that.

To our school families, if I have ever come across as indifferent or unresponsive, please accept my apologies. If my humanness has become a barrier to you living your faith, I am sorry. To our students, many of whom I tease or joke with , my apologies if my words have ever been hurtful or created any sort of doubt or sorrow. I like to joke, and I try to stay in the realm of being goofy, but sometimes what I think is goofy and harmless may not be that way to you. We all live and learn.

To all of our staff, you have affected countless lives. Students, parents and other staff members have experienced your humanness over the years. If there is anyone you need to make amends to, don’t waste time. Time is short. Take this summer to think of anyone you might want to contact or at the very least pray for in the desire to be forgiven and reconciled. I have rarely found that easy, but I know I cannot face Jesus if I lack contrition and the willingness to be accountable for all my thoughts, words and actions. For all of us, if there are people we need to be reconciled with; don’t let time pass without an effort to heal the wound. Doesn’t mean everything is fine or that the wrong is now rendered acceptable, or that you have to be friends. But you have to be willing to see the person as something more than the offender and choose to no longer allow that experience to be the defining moment.

One little footnote, on “I am sorry.” There may be no bigger barrier to our salvation than our own inability to forgive. We will not be able to approach Jesus for forgiveness if we fail to forgive others. We need to remember that we can only seek forgiveness if we are willing to offer it to all who have injured us. That can be one of the most difficult things any of us can do in life. The pain, hurt, humiliation or possible shame associate with someone who has wronged us is powerful. Life is too short to live with grudges. Our grudges give power to people who are unworthy of that influence in our lives. Nothing will ruin our capacity for joy and peace like resentment. The greater the hold of resentment, the less joy will be found in our lives. Let us pray that any resentment is a quick process in our lives and not something we hold onto in a vain effort to protect ourselves from the trials of living. I am sorry. Simple phrase, so essential and so powerful for what comes next because it opens the door for our purpose in life.

I believe that the next thing we say to Jesus is part of what we will experience for eternity. It is a simple phrase: Thank you. Thank you. There is so much to be thankful for in life. It’s hard to believe that when we sit here and mourn our loss and realize that there is a real finality to today. But let me share my thanks with all of you. My life has been blessed immensely by my assignment to Epiphany. To all of you I say, Thank you. Every time I celebrate Mass I think of the people, experiences and life of this parish that make me proud to be here today, at this time. We are called to be people of thanksgiving. For eternity to thank Jesus, today we are called to practice that with one another. I am thankful to Bishop Rick Stika, then Monsignor who recommended that I be assigned here. I am thankful for Sharon Morganthaler who called me in June of 2004 all nervous about the prospects of a new pastor and amazed at how young I was.

To all of our staff, I am profoundly thankful for your witness of faith during our time together at Epiphany. I could not ask for a more dedicated and generous group of co-workers in the parish. To our parents & students, remember all of our staff. These last few years have been made possible through their sacrifices and commitment to you. There is so much to be thankful for at Epiphany. I know it has not been easy, I know there were times of high stress and uncertainty about the future, but your sacrifices gave us so much. Do not let today and the experiences of this past year overshadow what is at the heart of your ministry and commitment. Lives of generous service. Sin would have us all believe that our efforts were in vain because we could not avoid closing. Beware of that sin, don’t let it take root in our thoughts and bear bad fruit. It will rob of us our strength and poison our memories. I know it may be difficult to do today, but think of all the things you are thankful for in life. Remember all the ways that God has blessed you.

To our parents, parishioners and alumni, you have my thanks for the support and commitment you have made to our school over the years. For your desires to have our children educated and formed in the faith, you have my thanks & gratitude. Two of the greatest gifts you provide to our children are faith and education. Both have the power to change our lives. Both are rooted in the present, mindful of the past and oriented toward the future. If these children and all those who have preceded them for the last 98 years accepted and used those two gifts, they and the world are better for it.

To our students, I am so thankful for you presence in my life and priesthood. You help keep my young as I become more and more aware of my age. I look forward to seeing where Jesus will lead you and how the Holy Spirit will use you to make all of us better by your presence. I know I nag at times, and you older students know my favorite nagging topics, and by the way, I am not sorry for those. I nag because I care and I pay attention to you because you matter to me. I hope I have balanced those nagging moments with recognition of the good you do, and there is so much good that you do.

May all of us think of the people, experiences and things we are thankful for in life and make that thanks known. It’s OK to weep and at the same time be thankful. Many of our tears today come from those experiences and individuals who have blessed us, who have made us better people. What better tribute to our gratitude than our tears. We are sad to lose something that has brought us so much pride and joy over their years. We are sad to see a community united by a common purpose of education disperse and be led on different paths by the Spirit. Thank you. Those words should roll off our tongue with little effort. They should take root in our heart and permeate our actions. Thank you.

Finally, accompanying that expression of thanks is the most important thing we say to Jesus. Jack Shahuri, if you are out there, what is the answer? LOVE.

I love you. For eternity we will experience the meaning of that with God and all the Redeemed. What that is like, we haven’t the foggiest idea to be honest. When I get a glimpse of Jesus' love for me, I am overwhelmed. The love of Christ is so powerful, so beautiful and so real. I complain to Him so often and too often complain about Him to His face and yet He still loves me, you, all of us. I am surprised by that love again and again in my life. That surprise is what really led me to priesthood and here. I pray it always guides my life.

I love you. Those words should be spoken often and sincerely. Not some exaggerated statement or forced by compulsion. Not even said looking for a response, but said because we want to say it, because it reveals our heart and speaks the truth. I love you, not easy to say because it is accompanied by vulnerability and immense trust. We don’t like being vulnerable, and we have been disappointed & hurt by trust. But we are called to love. Love one another as I have loved you are the words seared upon our hearts if we are true disciples. Crosses everywhere remind us of what that phrase really means. To love like that is the goal we strive to make our own. That type of love is something far greater than our feelings of affection, any thoughts of romance and deeper than the most personal friendship.

I love you. To our students, I hope you know how much I love and how much joy you bring to my life. All of my goofy little nick names, my funny expressions and all the things that I do for a laugh are an expression of that love for you.

To our staff, with all of my admiration and gratitude for the gift you are to Epiphany, I hope you know of my love for each of you. What I say for the students, applies double for you. My quirky little traits, my humorous expressions and little rituals that are part of my weirdness are all done for love and a smile. Life is too short not to laugh, and there is plenty to cry about today and any day. I don’t deny the sorrow, but I prefer the laughter. No day is wasted on which you laugh. There is a real fondness I will carry in my heart for years because of the love we have shared in our work here. The sorrow that fills us today was created by the space love enlarged in our hearts. That is not a bad thing, just difficult. Difficult is OK, that is why we are here to support one another. I love you; say those words often and with meaning. If we can express those words with frequency and sincerity to the people who are important in our lives we will have few regrets at the end of life.

I know this homily is long, but I have just a few closing comments. There is a temptation to think of the “glory days” as something behind us. The school and parish were at their peak in the 1960’s and it is tempting to think of those days truly as the good old days. Nothing wrong with sentiments for the past and a longing for things that time has changed, but as people of faith we always believe that good old days are yet to come. Only the fulfillment of the future is our true glory. That moment of seeing Jesus Christ face to face is the fulfillment we all long for as a people of faith. That truth applies to us individually and collectively. Our best days are before us, not behind us. Beware of the temptation to identify the past as some golden time because we were larger or had different concerns. For people of faith, the future is always leading us to fulfillment. Remember the past and cherish it, but live in the present and work for the future.

I want to say a special word of thanks to our Transition Team and its members as well as all those who have served on past School Boards. You have been outstanding parishioners and staff to work beside in the effort to serve our school. These last six years have not been easy, from the Deanery Study that was concluding when I was transferred here, to the direct appeal and launch of Epiphany Forever to last year’s flourish of meetings to look at possible ways to preserve the school. It has been a rough ride, but I hope a meaningful one. I want to commend you on working with me to look at various alternatives and as those choices became increasingly out of reach for having the courage to face this last year with its tough decisions. The news is full of daily headlines of people or corporations who forfeit their responsibility, and live as if problems can be magically cured by ignoring them. People who expect others to pick up the pieces or pay the bills when their neglect caused the disaster. We should take pride that we did not go down that path. We have been good stewards, and that is what Jesus is asking of us.

As our Gospel encourages this morning, let us turn to Jesus to find rest in His company.

Thank you God for past and present

2010-05-28T12:53:00.007-05:00

Over the past several weeks, our parish has been singing this hymn--often at school Masses and occasionally at weekend Masses. The words are by Brian Wren, a very talented hymn writer.

Fr. Tom, Sr. Marie, the liturgy committee and I chose this hymn very specifically. As we are going through a difficult transition with the closing of our school, these words seem to express where we are as a faith community. Thankful for the many years of our school. Rooted in the past but living fully in the present. Trusting in God's plan for our future.

I invite you to spend a few minutes with these words. See what images come to mind. What can this text express about the closing of our school? About the gifts and talents of our community? About the future of Epiphany parish?

Thank you, God, for past and present,
for a future yet unknown
and for countless gifts and talents,
ours to use, but yours to own.
Thank you for our best traditions
richly able to endow
ventures new to find and follow
where your love is leading now.

Send us out to work and witness
with a message glad and clear:
"Jesus Christ, God's Word and Wisdom,
lives, and moves among us here.
Though we fail, fall short, and falter,
Christ redeems the way we live
as we learn to care and listen,
be forgiven and forgive."

Reconfigured and translated,
joy in Christ, our common hope,
shines through varied forms and faces,
rich in detail, vast in scope.
Give us, as we serve your mission,
faith that welcomes and explores,
guided by a common vision --
open hearts and open doors.

If you would like to share your thoughts, please click on the Comments link below.

Peace,

Scott

P.S. We will continue to sing this hymn occasionally in the coming year. It can give us words to express ourselves as we look back at 100 years of history and look forward to the next 100 years with confidence, hope, and trust in God's plan.

Happy Pentecost!

2010-05-22T14:42:00.004-05:00

Happy Pentecost! This feast is the culmination of the Easter season, and in a way the culmination of the program year for our choirs. (Actually we start our summer schedule after Corpus Christi Sunday, but I digress.) For Pentecost we pull out all the stops musically: a 4-voice schola at 5pm Mass, choir and handbells at 9am, contemporary ensemble at 11am. We’ll have plenty of good music this weekend.

A couple of folks have seen me around church this week and seemed surprised. Most people see me when I’m playing a Mass or directing a rehearsal, but those hours are really a fraction of what I do here. Out of curiosity, I tried to count up everything needed just for the music this one weekend. Between 5pm, 9am and 11am, we will have:

15 hymns

3 psalms

21 acclamations

3 choir anthems

5 handbell pieces

2 organ instrumentals

That’s 49 pieces of music in one weekend. (That’s not counting yesterday’s graduation Mass or today’s wedding, that’s probably 30 more.)

Some of the music repeats at each Mass, but there are many differences from one Mass to another. For example, we will switch to the Mass of Creation at 9am because the handbells have parts for that Mass and not for the Mass of Glory. And this particular weekend we have different hymns at 5, 9, and 11 based on what instruments are coming and giving each Mass its own unique style.

For each of those 49 pieces of music, it’s not like the printed music just falls from the sky into the musician’s hands. At any given time, there are around 30 pieces of music inside each of 25 choir folders, probably 20 in the each of 6 handbell folders, and maybe 10 in each of 16 ensemble folders. (30x25) + (20x6) + (10x16) = 1,030 pieces of music in circulation at any given time, which continually rotates in and out of the files during the year. Plus all the books to keep track of—lots of filing.

Then there’s the planning/organizing. I’ll spend up to 10 hours per week just planning the congregational music, choir music, who sings on what verse, who is the cantor for each Mass, what instruments are playing at which Masses and on which songs, copying music for each of them, making packets, making recordings of new music, planning the rehearsals, sending email reminders, on and on. That’s time spent at a computer, on the phone, in meetings, or arm deep in file cabinets: none of which involves me touching a musical instrument. Practicing the actual music takes hour or two of my own practice time plus 3-6 hours of choir rehearsals each week. Oh, and I spent an hour yesterday adjusting the sound equipment upstairs for the ensemble.

Add to that time spent on long-term planning, working on improvements to our music space, various committee meetings, budgeting, applying for grant funding, meeting with wedding couples, continuing education for many of our musicians and myself, going to regional music meetings, just to name a few. (That’s all in addition to my full-time job at the Center for Liturgy.)

Why do I do it? Because God calls me to do it. And because I love God, I love the liturgy, I love music, and I love the people of Epiphany.

If I stagger out the door at noon on Sunday, you’ll know why.

Congrats to the Class of 2010!

2010-05-21T22:16:00.004-05:00

Please join me in congratulating our students as they complete their years of education at Epiphany and head into High School. This was their "theme song" for the year. I remember the year this came out while I was at Sacred Heart in Florissant. As songs go for graduation, I consider it as good as any. When our class graduated from grade school we wanted Pink Floyd, the Wall. One of teachers asked, "Is that the song that says we don't need no education?" VETOED We went with some lame 38. Special Song.

While Billy Joe Armstrong is singing about his girlfriend that left him, it is still a great song about choices and remembrance. Please pray for our graduates, life is full of choices and it is unfortunately easy to ignore Christ. His patience and humility will often permit us to wander into all sorts of dangers that can have irrevocable consequences. At the same time, if they choose to walk with Him, their life can be opened up to more potential and fulfillment than we imagine. The human spirit is animated by God, and His creativity seeks to express itself in each of us. Pray that they continue to allow God's creativity to shape their lives and find expression in their decisions. If they do, their joy will be complete, if they ignore it, their lives will be empty and dull. God wants them and all of us to share in His fullness. However, He rarely grants it to the disinterested or preoccupied.

"It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life."

In the early hours of the morning, I think of You O Lord.

2010-05-21T05:43:00.001-05:00

Taken from my iphone around 5:30 when I had just finished praying Office of Readings. It is perhaps the most quiet and peaceful time in my day. There is just enough light for me to pray by as I make my rounds. I like to walk when I pray. After walking, then kneeling, finally sitting. I find that if I sit still by myself for too long, I tend to fall asleep. I am not adverse to kneeling either, but my body tells me that 20 less pounds makes standing back up less painful. One day I will listen.

Nice mention on another local blog.

2010-05-20T05:24:00.000-05:00

http://stlrising.blogspot.com/2010/05/old-time-st-louis-alive-and-well.html

Great comments about the church and our neigborhood! STL Rising has some great postings on other attractions in St. Louis.

Stewardship

2010-05-19T08:54:00.003-05:00

This weekend as we celebrate the Solemn Feast of Pentecost we bring our Easter celebration to its conclusion. This is also the weekend of our stewardship appeal. Too often it is easy for us to associate stewardship solely with monetary contributions. While “treasure” is important to what we do at Epiphany, it is time and talent that are vital to the life of our parish. While our deepest concerns can be financial, the most daily pressing ones center on time. Does anybody have enough time? If you are a family with children in school, you can often find yourself running a nonstop taxi service as you try to meet your son or daughter’s schedule. You certainly don’t have to have children to be busy; there are plenty of demands upon time that can affect any of us no matter what our state in life is.

I know of few people who aren’t busy. I think it has almost become a phobia to not be busy. Being busy comes with its own level of importance. To not be busy can often be viewed as being either lazy or unimportant. I can certainly relate to that temptation, but being busy is neither a sign of importance nor a necessary indicator of hard work. I don’t equate busyness with being important or hard working. One can be busy and have important things to do, but for me many things seem to fall into the “what’s next” category of busyness. Some are important, many are deadline obligations, and most are just trying to keep pace with the flow so things don’t pile up into a mess. That image of Lucy working the ever increasing assembly line comes to mind. Slowing down that assembly line of life is one of my constant goals. Sometimes I am even successful.

Finally, if you have talents that you would like to share, please consider filling out the stewardship form and making an inquiry as to how your gifts might be offered to the parish. Any variety of gifts can be shared with the parish. Filling out the form does not mean that you sign away your time or become involved in a commitment that is overwhelming. Sometimes we need to test the proverbial waters to see if our involvement with a particular element of stewardship is what we are really called to do. While I want to encourage generous and solid commitment, I don’t want any of our commitments to become burdensome. There will be times when any given stewardship commitment may be stressful. Deadlines, availability of volunteers and numerous loose ends can add to momentary stress overloads. While I am not happy with such overloaded moments, they seem to be part of any worthwhile endeavor. It is when the very thought of a commitment becomes dreadful that we need to reexamine our involvement. I have never had a problem with people taking a break or stepping back from a commitment. Better to take time off than to end in exhaustion or resentment. Difficult things are not meant to be a cake walk, but they should be worthwhile. I’m a big fan of fun, but meaningful matters more. There are numerous things I do that are not fun, but are very meaningful and irreplaceable in my priesthood. They are often the moments I am most joyful in my vocation. I hope that others think and feel the same way about their own vocation. Pray, discern, respond.

Alumni Mass & Tour

2010-05-18T01:33:00.006-05:00

The view from the altar was about 250 people in attendance. Our Dominican Sisters would be proud, the assembly was active and vocal at the Mass. I know there were alumni or former staff who did not know of this celebration, to all of them I offer my apologies. The oversight was not intended, we can only work with the names we have from the database. The best way to ensure you are counted in the database is to register for it at homecoming. Please come to our next homecoming!
The Mass was wonderful, and I deeply appreciate Sister Marie for playing and arranging the cantoring for the Mass. It was a prayerful and beautiful celebration.We were tempted to mourn the occasion, but the response was to celebrate and rejoice. God has been generous to Epiphany, and the best way to respond to such generosity is to rejoice. There is no denying the sorrow accompanied by our closing, but that cannot be the only and primary response to our school's glorious history. We rejoice in the gift God has given us, and we celebrate His magnanimous generosity.
The same loving Father who provided for us in the past, continues to provide for us now. We are called to open our eyes and our hearts to see His blessings. The blindness that is sadly typical of humanity we strive to overcome. We want to know, love and serve Jesus the Christ. He is the sole reason for our rejoicing! Without Christ, life is nothing. That I know and profess. Others may not have come to that epiphany, but I can say with St. Peter, "We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God."
May our Lord continue to guide us, and may we humbly accept such guidance and growth to become more than we presently are. The greatest adventure of all is Christian Discipleship. May all of us say Amen to Jesus when he calls us to sacrifice and service.

Choir anthem for Pentecost Sunday

2010-05-17T22:19:00.002-05:00

Let's sing something different for Pentecost this year. This is a real classic: click here

Transfers & Reassignments

2010-05-17T07:01:00.002-05:00

It’s that time of year again; I imagine that this coming week in the Review we will see news of the transfers and reassignment for different priest in the Archdiocese. Some guys know early on who is going where and speculate as to why. I’ve never really cared for the “wash-woman” network and unplugged from it early in my priesthood. My thoughts are fairly simple, I hope the priest is happy with his new assignment and I hope the new assignment is happy with him. As I mentioned Saturday evening, I am not in this round of transfers. I took the time to write a letter to the Personnel Board and explained a number of things going on in the parish that I would like to tend to before being put in the mix. I know that such a letter is at best a suggestion. Having been on the board for five years prior to my assignment to Epiphany I do remember how it works. The Personnel Board does its best to make a good fit with assignments, and most pastors can expect to be somewhere at least six years and sometime as much as twelve. Emergencies of course can change anything, both the Personnel Board and the Archbishop look towards the good of the Archdiocese and on rare occasions a priest can be reassigned within the course of a week if the need necessitates it. I know of only one time that has occurred since I have been ordained. For the most part, assignments usually occur around the time of ordinations to the priesthood, new men are assigned to parishes, some retire, others get moved for different reasons. Please pray for those men who are being reassigned, for any communities that are mourning their transfer, and for the new men being assigned. Few things are more difficult in priesthood that moving on from an assignment you love.

Why then do they do it that way? There are a number of reasons, with the main one being the good of the Archdiocese. In the seminary we would joke about being exiled to the country if you messed up something on an assignment. The Archdiocese would minimize the potential damage Fr. Dudley Doright could do. I don’ think that is true, but it is not always easy to find a “good fit” for a particular priest. Our priests are like any of us, some are incredibly talented, some are moderately blessed, and others are good men with just a few gifts. My prayer for any of the brothers is that they love their assignment and that the find the support they need to continue giving their best to their assignment. While most serve parishes, priests are also involved in education, special ministry, mission work in Bolivia or Archdiocesan administration. I pray also that their humanness, which none of us are without, does not become an obstacle in others coming to Jesus Christ. I firmly believe that part of the methodology of parish assignments is to help members of the laity encounter at least one priest (if not more) in their lifetime who draws them closer to Jesus, who encourages them to embrace their faith, or supports them in the midst of life’s demands. I hope that those who don’t connect with a particular priest at least pray for him. It is easy to criticize, we are public figures, and our constant presence in front of the community can make us subject to all kinds of comments. That constant presence in front of the community also exposes many of our foibles, ticks, and personality traits no matter how much we try to manage them through self-awareness. I am sure there are things I do at Mass that individuals notice in my behavior or in my words that have become part of the Fr. Tom ensemble. Well I’ve rambled enough; pray for all those effected by this recent round of assignments.

Last night's celebration

2010-05-16T05:47:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to all who made last night’s Appreciation Potluck such an enjoyable evening! It was wonderful seeing the gym packed with so many of our school families and parishioners. We were planning on 300 or so participants and we easily had that many present if not more.
I want to thank again our Home & School , ESA and School Board for their dedication and generosity that made last night possible. Your love of Epiphany is evident and we are blessed by your service. Last night was truly a celebration of our parish family. A family that is experiencing a profound loss in the closing of our school, but one that continues to come together to celebrate our faith.

Profound thanks to our staff for the selfless dedication in their varied vocations to our parish family. All of us have been blessed and inspired by your example of faith during these last five years. It is too easy to dismiss, forget or minimize the significance of your sacrifices. I don’t. From the end of the ’04-‘05’ school year when all of you took a pay freeze to help manage expenses to this last round of even more dramatic sacrifices, your example of love has illustrated your faith and witnessed to your hope. Above all it has revealed your love for our students and the family of faith that is Epiphany. Every day when I do the prayers that are part of the daily rhythm of my priesthood, thanks for your witness is near the top of my list of gratitude. There is so much to be thankful for in our lives.

For those of you who couldn’t make it last night. Ms. Torlina (Computer and Pre-school teacher) put together an awesome video of the history of our school and a special look at this last year. The video runs 49 minutes long and was a true labor of love. I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it was, both the physical sorting and compilation of the pictures and the emotional intensity of working on it in the midst of our closing. I know it could not have been easy, but it is a beautiful testimony to our 98 years of parochial education. Ms. Torlina puts her heart and soul into her projects, and we benefit from the fruits of her labor. I hope you consider purchasing one through our school. I believe the videos are being sold for ten dollars apiece.

Thanks to Mr. Will Horton for his generous service to the parish, Will has provided many of the graphic designs for our Run for the Stars and the logo you see below. If you would like a t-shirt with the design on it, please contact me at my e-mail address askpadre@aol.com to order a shirt. They are five dollars apiece. The current design is red on white, but I think I am going to order a white on red shirt or two to wear.

Early launch of the blog

2010-05-13T18:50:00.003-05:00

My intent was to launch the blog at the beginning of June. I thought that I would need more time to arrange all the elements, however I was able to get most of the work done late at night or early morning when I wasn't getting sleep. Welcome to all of our visitors, I will be announcing the launch of the blog this weekend at Mass as well as putting the address on the cover of the bulletin. Sleep deprivation does have some perks.

Liturgy and Life

2010-05-13T00:00:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the Epiphany blog! I think this will be a great way to communicate. Fr. Tom asked me to write for the blog, which I’m very glad to do. I hope this can be a two-way conversation: starting with blog posts, but continuing with your comments, questions, and discussion.

What will we talk about? Faith, hope and love, of course! (I bet you thought I’d say liturgy and music.) OK, we can start there. Vatican II proclaimed that liturgy is the “source and summit” of the Christian life. Liturgy is not just one activity of our life as disciples—it is “ the summit toward which all activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows.” (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Vatican II)

In other words, the church’s liturgy is the start and end points of everything that matters in life: God’s revealing of himself to us, our union with God and one another, morality, justice, spirituality, the meaning of life & death and more. It’s all in there.

If our faith and our worship are strong our parish will be strong. Everything that Epiphany is, was and is becoming is rooted in what we do for one hour on Sunday morning (or Saturday evening).

The coming months will be a time of transition in several ways: the closing of our school, celebrating our 100th anniversary, and building a shared vision for the future of our parish. We’re all in this together. Let’s talk, let’s sing, let’s live!

To post a comment, click on the “comments” link just below this section. Your comment will appear after it has been approved.

Congratulations Scott Pluff!

2010-05-12T05:56:00.006-05:00

Last weekend, Scott Pluff graduated from the Aquinas Institute of Theology with a Master of Arts in Liturgical Theology. He successfully completed his comprehensive examinations in the areas of scripture,
church history, systematic theology, moral theology, and liturgical theology. His major paper focused on the role of the assembly as active participants in the paschal mystery of Christ.

We are blessed to have Scott at Epiphany and I hope we are blessed with his talented and generous ministry for many years to come. The most important time during my week is our Sunday Liturgies and Scott is integral into making so many of them expressions of prayer, beauty and joy. It's not easy to strike a proper balance between engaging the assembly without turning it into a liturgical production with the assembly as little more than spectators. A prayerful celebration acknowledges the assembly without focusing on the assembly. It's not about us, but about the Lord. We join our hearts and minds to His, it is through Him, with Him and in Him that we dare to approach the Father and offer our worship. It is the Holy Spirit that has summoned us for before the altar, opened for us the Sacred Scriptures and entrusts to us the miracle of the Eucharist.

I am sure Scott has more to say on this, so keep checking back here and in the bulletin for more liturgical formation and reflection.

KIDS@

2010-05-11T05:49:00.010-05:00

Yesterday I was at a gathering of the principals and pastors in our deanery to celebrate and honor those who are retiring or moving on to new jobs at the end of this academic year. Of course one of the topics was the closing of our school. All expressed their sorrow and concern at the closing and inquired where the students were attending school next year. Most (at least 50%) were already registered with St. Raphael and various smaller numbers with our neighboring parishes. It is difficult to figure out how many are as of yet unregistered in any school. Some may be going through a difficult discernment process and delaying a decision, others just procrastinate registering anywhere else just like they did here.
One of the things I mentioned yesterday and have been thinking about for a while is a kids@ section for the bulletin and on the blog and web site. Kids@__________ would enable us to keep informed of the various activities and keep in contact with the students in their new schools. It would also enable us to include our students who are going to schools other than just parochial schools. My guess is that most information would be included on the blog & web site with a monthly high-light section included in the bulletin.

The calendar at the bottom of the blog could also include events at various schools and allow us to remain informed about various activities. Part of the work I will have cut out for me is finding a contact person for each school and keeping in e-mail contact with them. I will naturally ask some of the members of our Transition Team to serve as a contact for the different schools their children might be attending. One of the real challenges will be keeping in contact with the schools that may only have one child attending them. I hope no one gets accidently lost in the shuffle.

Run for the Stars '10

2010-05-08T07:27:00.009-05:00

Today Epiphany of Our Lord will host the fourth annual Run for the Stars. The Run was started as one of the events created as part of Epiphany Forever. Thanks to strong leadership, dedicated volunteers and our generous patrons the Run continues to be a success and attract more participants each year. Thanks to all who helped make this year's run another success for our parish and school.

A special word of thanks to Lisa Brinkmann and Sue Kitchell for all of their work and leadership. They have been with the Run since its inception and its success is a reflection of their dedication and love for Epiphany.

Regarding Comment Moderation

2010-05-05T11:25:00.013-05:00

Comment moderation on this blog has been set so that all comments are reviewed by one of the moderators before being published to the blog. My reason for doing so is to address any potential issues in comments before a possible flame war is started on the blog. While the internet is an intentional community of participants this blog has a real connection to a community that exist independent of whatever connections this blog may foster. I’ve been on the internet since 1996 with AOL and remember how chat rooms worked at the time. It was a wondrous mixture of magic and malice in human communication. It was magical that I could chat with individuals from around the world. Back then I frequented the Catholic chat rooms on AOL. I met some amazing people during that time and also experienced firsthand some of the malice that is sadly typical of internet conversations. Individuals would take random shots at others or myself in the midst of the chat sessions or open conversation. The malice in those words would never be expressed in a face to face conversation. The anonymous nature of the internet allowed maladjusted individuals to find their forum to spew their venom. I’ve seen a few intentional communities implode because of comments that brought nothing but division. Seeing words in print has power.

This blog is meant as a service for our parishioners and as a welcome to any visitors or guest inquiring about the parish or about Catholicism in general. I don’t intend to allow a maladjusted individual or person of ill intent to use it as a forum for trying to find a public audience for their message. If they want an audience, they can start their own blog. If you have a real pastoral concern for the parish, stop by my office, call me or e-mail me. If you have something critical to voice, you are still welcome. I may not thank you, but I will do my best to listen and be receptive to your comments.

All comments are welcome, please be patient in our approving them for posting on this blog. I don't think any of us mind spirited debate or discussion about a given topic, just no personal attacks or careless generalizations meant to take a discussion off topic. A good general rule for blog comments and most communication is avoiding SALT. If you are feeling, sad, angry, lonely or tired chances are your comments are better off left unsaid until you have addressed those feelings.

Of blogs & web sites

2010-05-03T23:22:00.008-05:00

Call this an entry for the archives, but I’ve talked with Trish Nerviani and Scott Pluff and it looks like work on our future web site is something that may take place a little bit after this blog makes its public debut. It’s hard to gauge the impact a blog and web site can have, but in this age of instant communication I can only think that such a thing is a step in the right direction for the new age of evangelism. We are exhorted by the Church to use all the means at our disposal to further the message of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that our parishioners and visitors will find this to be helpful and engaging. If our efforts are guided by the Holy Spirit in this endeavor as they are in other areas of faith, it will bear fruit.

I can’t help but get excited about this quote from the Holy Father’s recent address on the Internet and digital media. "Without fear we want to set sail for the digital sea, facing the open waters with the same passion that has governed the ship of the church for two thousand years." The pope made his comments during an audience with participants of a national congress on digital media organized by the Italian bishops' conference. The congress, which ran April 22-24, was titled, "Digital Witnesses. Faces and Languages in the Cross-media Era."

Few things excite me more than the imagery of adventure which I think is so essential in our discipleship to Jesus Christ. The Lord has invited us to undertake the grand adventure of living as men and women of faith who engage the world with the humble truth of the Gospel. We preach a message of conversion, not perfection. We profess to be disciples, not flawless witnesses to the truth. In acknowledging our own sinfulness, we open our hearts to the healing mercy of God. We seek the truth of the Gospel and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to inform our thoughts, words and actions in every age and in every medium.

This humble bearing of the truth does not mean that we remain silent and timid servants of the Gospel. We are called to proclaim Christ to the world, with joy, courage and genuine conviction. We celebrate the gift of faith and believe that it is a gift that God desires to impart to all. The gift is not something to be coerced from others or forced upon them, but rather elicited through our message and witness, celebrated in our worship and strenghtned through the teaching of the Church.

Welcome to Epiphany's Blog!

2010-05-01T15:40:00.004-05:00

Greetings all! Welcome to our humble little blog. For those who make use of the internet we hope that this blog will allow you to become more connected with the parish. While the best way to communicate with us is still in person or by phone, we hope that this blog will be an instrument in the means of sharing life @ Epiphany! For those who want to know, I started this blog on the 1st of May and intend to make it public in June.

I pray that this next month goes well in the midst of all of our sorrow over the closing of our school. It is hard to lose someone or something we love, and we will all be grieving in our own individual ways during this coming month. May God shepherd all of us with His loving care and encourage us to support each other during this time of change and sorrow.