Hymn of the Day for Advent 3C

As some of the readers of Pray Tell know I am working on a project of attempting to create a Hymn of the Day inspired by the RC lectionary readings for the OF for the 3 year cycle of Sundays and Solemnities. I am here printing the text that I have created for Advent 3C. Unlike my earlier initiative at this blog, I am not seeking your critique of the text, but am simply offering it for your prayer this weekend. Although it was written in 2009, I find the text surprisingly appropriate in the light of this past week’s events in Newtown.

A people that in darkness walked
Yet hoped to find the light anew
Heard in John’s words the voice of God
And cried aloud: “What must we do?”

“What must we do as we await
The coming of the Holy One
To welcome Him for whom we long,
To welcome in God’s kingdom come?”

John told the crowds: “Renew your hearts;
Let those with plenty learn to give.
Hoard not your clothes, your food, your goods,
But kindly share and simply live.

Let those who serve the common good
Take justice as your guiding thought.
Do not extort; do not defraud;
To each their proper share allot.”

John’s challenge echoes down the years
As other issues come to view,
Till we in turn cry out to God,
“In these last days what must we do?”

“What must we do to heal the wounds
Our greed has gouged upon the globe?
What must we do to house the poor,
The hungry feed, the naked robe?”

“What must we do to end war’s curse:
The lives extinguished without cause,
The terror stalking innocents,
The harsh perversion of your laws?”

“What must we do to guarantee
A respite from unending strife,
Sustain a child’s security,
And cherish those at end of life?”

With Holy Spirit and with fire
Baptize us, God, set us ablaze;
Teach us to act what you desire
And so fulfill these Advent days.

Michael Joncas

Ordained in 1980 as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN, Fr. (Jan) Michael Joncas holds degrees in English from the (then) College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, and in liturgical studies from the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN and the Pontificio Istituto Liturgico of the Ateneo S. Anselmo in Rome. He has served as a parochial vicar, a campus minister, and a parochial administrator (pastor). He is the author of six books and more than two hundred fifty articles and reviews in journals such as Worship, Ecclesia Orans, and Questions Liturgiques. He has composed and arranged more than 300 pieces of liturgical music. He has recently retired as a faculty member in the Theology and Catholic Studies departments and as Artist in Residence and Research Fellow in Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Comments

9 responses to “Hymn of the Day for Advent 3C”

  1. Ellen Joyce

    Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Jeff Rexhausen

    +1.
    I plan to use this in prayer on Sunday.

    This event has turned my thoughts to the date that comes two weeks later. Perhaps you could share a song for the Feast of the Holy Innocents, if you have one (or decide to write one).

    May all those who grieve know God’s comfort.

    Reply
  3. Linda reid

    Amazingly appropriate, especially verses 4, 5 and 6!
    Thank you for posting!

    Reply
  4. Bill deHaas

    Thanks, Fr. Mike.
    Jeff, Fr. Komonchak at dotCommonweal also posted with a twist – today the slaughter of the holy innocents has come before the Feast of Christmas.

    Found the words and call by President Obama at Newtown this evening to be empowering and healing.

    And yet, am saddened by one of our usual commentors – realize that tragedy creates inner turmoil and every person handles grief differently but was truly offended by this blog as we, the nation, confront such an imaginable horror:

    From Southern Orders blog:

    CROCODILE TEARS CAN’T BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY UNTIL THE PRESIDENT CRIES FOR THE UNBORN WHOM HE SACRIFICES TO A WOMAN’S CHOICE TO KILL EVEN WITH PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION–HIPOCRACY (sp) TO THE NTH DEGREE!
    From the Commander in Chief, the most rabidly pro-choice president in the history of the nation…he then adds his own commentary:
    THE CARNAGE OF MILLIONS OF BABIES KILLED BY ABORTIONISTS WITH THEIR MOTHER’S CONSENT AS WE CAN SEE THE CARNAGE IN NEWTOWN, CONNECTICUT, WOULD WE HAVE 24 HOUR NEWS COVERAGE ON THAT?
    Pray for the conversion of President Barack Obama and all pro-choice politicians and mothers and fathers. Pray for the conversion of America!

    OR (connected to your compositions, Fr. Mike, see below)

    “…have excerpts of Faure’s Requiem based on the Extraordinary Form’s Requiem Mass. I also include the Gregorian Chanted Dies Irae, Day of Wrath.

    How much better do the words, if not the melody capture the sentiments of true Catholic theology at the time of death, especially tragic, senseless death.

    The Ordinary Form’s Funeral Mass might see the following replacing the actual liturgical words of the Requiem:

    1. In place of the Introit “Requiem Eterna” why not just sing “Be Not Afraid.”

    2. Let’s remove the Kyrie altogether from the Requiem Mass

    3. Let’s remove the Day of Wrath altogether from the Requiem Mass and sing Alleluia for the Gospel Acclamation

    4. Let’s sing “On Eagle Wings” in place of Pie Jesus

    5. Let’s get rid of Libera Me altogether and sing in its in its place “For All the Saints”

    6. Let’s get rid of In Paradisum and sing in its place “Going Home”

    When we do this sort of thing to the Liturgy, whether it is the Requiem, the Nuptial Mass or the typical Sunday Mass, can’t we see and experience how we have substituted banal tripe for authentic liturgical spirituality? Can’t we see how we have lost a sense of the sacred and made the Liturgy into horizontal confab?”

    Does anyone know this guy’s ordinary? This is offensive; has little to do with pastoral or even liturgical good sense. It is self-centered, egoistic, centered on his hobbyhorses rather than the grief and loss of the community. What does any of this have to do with God’s mercy, ministry, and service to the People of God? If you are a parent, is this what you expect from a catholic priest, much less a pastor? What does any of this have to do with the loss of a child? Compare that to Newtown’s Msgr, Bob Weiss – his presence and words these past three days. He begins 8 funerals tomorrow at St. Rose of Lima.
    As Victor Hugo said so well, “To have loved another person, is to see the face of God?

    Reply
    1. Jeffrey Pinyan

      @Bill deHaas – comment #4:
      “To love another person is to see the face of God” is from Les Misérables the musical, but not from Victor Hugo’s book.

      That is all.

      Reply
  5. Bill deHaas

    JP – sorry, you must not have read the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. That phrase is at the end of a dialogue and spoken by Jean Valjean to Fantine. Sorry – don’t have it in the *original latin*.

    Reply
    1. Jeffrey Pinyan

      @Bill deHaas – comment #6:
      I don’t see anything resembling the sentence you quoted in the 1887 Hapgood translation. You must have read the 1973 edition. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Bill deHaas

    JP – searching for my First Edition in the original French….then, that should help me figure out what *idiot* translator corrupted Hugo’s words and intent. Let’s call in Vox Clara and the *new* ICEL to help on this – we can start by writing a novelist version of LA.

    Reply
  7. Clay Zambo

    Comment on it? What could we say but “thank you”?

    Thank you. And amen.

    Reply

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