"Play Before the Lord"

This past Sunday was the feast of Christ the King, and as such, the predominant theme in my choir's songs was that of praise and worship, extolling God's wonderful power, splendour, love, and generosity.

One of my favourite hymns in our repertoire was sung at Communion. It is entitled "Play Before the Lord". If you are unfamiliar with this song, here are the lyrics:

I will play before the Lord
I will sing to Him my melody
Stand among His people here
Telling of all His ways
I will sing before the Lord
Let us sing to Him our melody
Stand within His temple here
Telling of all His ways

Sing, people of God

Bless his holy name
Offering Him our joyful hearts
Joining in endless praise
Alleluia

Alleluia
Alleluia, Alleluia
Joining in endless praise


What does this song encourage us to do? How can we "play before the Lord"?

Stand Among His People, Telling of His Ways

Part of this song is more obvious. We are called to evangelize as we "stand among His people" and "[tell] of His ways" - to share with others the Good News of God's glory and love for us.

This is not always easy. Sometimes we are met with resistance, disbelief, or even hostility, and we may feel discouraged, saddened, or fearful. However, we are encouraged to keep heart and continue to spread our passion for our faith, in a way that is positive, uplifting, and humble.

Join in Endless Praise

This song also encourages us to find and then act on our gratitude unto God, not just when big, exciting things happen, but constantly. Small things are also worthy of our thanks. For example, getting to eat a favourite meal, or even simply getting a good parking spot can make a positive difference in your day. Why not take a moment to say a prayer of thanks for it? Let us strive to make gratitude and praise habitual. When we cultivate a genuine sense of gratitude for the many good things, situations, or people we encounter, we will in turn cultivate greater joy. This brings me to the next section of the song.

Singing Our Joyful Melody to God

Perhaps my favourite lines in the song are those that encourage us to "sing to Him our melody" and "[offer] Him our joyful hearts".

How can we do this?

What does it mean to sing our melody?

We are all given a unique set of talents, gifts, hopes, dreams, strengths, challenges, feelings, and ideas. We are all different, and can all offer the world, and the Lord, different beautiful and wonderful things. The key is to find a way to balance all the facets of our lives, and to do so in a joyous way; that is, to take what we are given and weave everything into a harmonious, happy melody.

In the post "Let Your Light Shine", we discussed finding what your God-given talents are, and utilizing them to the fullest in order to help others and glorify God. This is definitely a major part of singing our melody to God. Acting on our gifts in a positive, loving way is undoubtedly the best way to thank Him for them!

Further, when we do what we love, and what we are gifted at, we experience joy. When we experience, and then find ways to express joy, it is catchy! We never know who we may be able to inspire with kind, happy words and a warm smile!

I have to express gratitude to my wonderful fiance. Recently, he gave me a bookmark with some words by St. Augustine of Hippo. The quotation is quite similar thematically to the words of "Play Before the Lord", and reading it really helped me gain a greater appreciation for and insight into the message being put forth.

Here is the passage:

"Life's Song"

Don't let your life

Misrepresent your song.

Sing with your voice.

Sing with your heart.

Sing with your mouth.

But especially sing

With your whole life.

In other words, live authentically! Let us take what we are given and make something beautiful of it. Let our joy and love of God pour forth in all that we do!

May God bless you, today and always!

Karen

"The Love of the Lord Will Stand"

The Sunday, November 18 Gospel reading discussed the end of times, when everything physical would pass away out of being. A line near the end struck me most significantly:

"...[the] earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away."

That is, God is eternal, and no matter what happens, God's power, glory, and love will stand firm forever.

In keeping with this notion, my choir sang "Though the Mountains May Fall" for our Recessional hymn.

Here is the refrain and two of the verses from this upbeat, inspirational song:

Though the mountains may fall
And the hills turn to dust
The love of the Lord will stand
As a shelter for all
Who will call on His name
Sing the praise and the glory of God

Could the Lord ever leave you?
Could the Lord forget His love?
Though a mother forsake her child
He will not abandon you

Should you turn and forsake Him
He will gently call your name
Should you wander away from Him
He will always take you back


This song speaks to not only the end of life on Earth, but to times when we feel as though it is the end of the world. We have all experienced difficulties and heartaches in which we felt hopeless, sad, and alone. This sense of loss and despondence can be very overwhelming. However, it is helpful to remember that we are never alone. God is always with us, loving us, watching over us, listening to us, and helping us. No matter what losses we encounter, whether social, personal, physical, financial, or anything else, God and His love always remain. God never wavers. He is always there.

Similarly, sometimes we feel removed from God due to sin and the negative feelings that accompany it. We may experience guilt, shame, sorrow, or anger, and these emotions can sometimes create a feeling of distance between ourselves and God. Even so, to repeat, God is always there. God never pulls away from us; it is only we who sometimes pull away from Him. If we feel we have created distance between ourselves and God, this distance is not irreparable. We can always work to strengthen our relationship with God and further develop our closeness to Him through self-examination and prayer.

Prayer is an incredibly powerful thing. Prayer can help us to make sense of and meaningfully deal with our negative experiences. Also, prayer is of significant benefit in positive times, too, as we are called to offer God our thanks and praise for the many gifts He gives us.

The bottom line is that no matter what is going on in our lives, whether good or bad, we are called to remember that God's love for us is eternal, unconditional, and all-consuming. While worldly things may come and go, God will never leave us. Let us strive to remember this truth, and find comfort and joy in it in every stage of our journeys through life.

May God bless you, today and always!

Karen

"Let Your Light Shine"

One overarching theme of the Sunday, November 11 Mass was that we should strive to not only be more receptive to the needs of others, but to also act on them in a positive, meaningful way.

In this vein, my choir sang Glen Campbell's "Less of Me" as our second Recessional hymn.

Here is a selection of lyrics from that song:

Let me be when I am weary
Just a little bit more cheery
Let me serve a little better
Those that I am striving for

Let me be a little meeker
With the brother who is weaker
Let me be more of my neighbour
And a little less of me


This song echoes the sentiment that it is beneficial to try to be less self-centred and more others-centred. It is easy to get caught up in our own problems, challenges, hopes, and desires and to lose sight of the feelings and needs of those around us. It is also easy to fall prey to the temptation to ignore or put off helping when others are in need, because we are distracted, stressed, ill, or fatigued. However, as Campbell reminds us, we can try to be "more cheery", to find inner strength and then cultivate joy as we help others.

Who are some people that might need your help? In what ways might you be able to assist them?

One important line in the song above is "Let me be a little meeker...", which alludes to the line in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth."

When we help others, we are called to be meek and humble about it. We are not called to make a big deal out of our good deeds and expect praise or reward. Of course, everyone likes receiving positive reinforcement. It makes us feel good and can motivate us to continue doing what we are doing. However, it is beneficial for us to work at being less concerned with praise and rewards for good deeds, and more focused on the fact that we should do good for two reasons:

1. Because it is the right, just, loving thing to do
2. Because it encourages others to give praise to the one who truly deserves it - God!

On the 11th, we sang two songs whose refrains clearly reflected this concept: "Beatitudes" and "We Are the Light of the World".

Here is an excerpt from each:

Beatitudes

Let your light shine
For all the world to see
The brightness of the life within
The peace that sets you free
Let your light shine
To fill your nights and days
And all will see the deeds you do
And offer God their praise


We Are the Light of the World

We are the light of the world
Let your light shine before all
That they may see the deeds that you do
And give glory to God


Indeed, we can contribute positively to the world by using our God-given gifts and talents to the fullest. When we do so, in a meaningful, but also humble way, we reflect well on our Catholic faith as a whole. Just like a well-behaved child inspires admiration for his or her parents, so can our genuine acts of charity and love inspire admiration for our Father. We never know when an act of kindness, as a Catholic follower of Christ, can move someone to praise God and try to emulate that behaviour. Similarly, when I experience an act of love or generosity, I try to always take time to offer God my praise and thanks.

Each week at Mass, I take time to pray and ask God to help me be the best person I can be, for the service of those around me, and for the glorification of God, not myself. As the song lyrics encourage, I want to be less focused on myself, more focused on others, and, especially, more focused on God.

To close, let me leave you with a question to consider.

What are your God-given talents, and how can you use them to best serve others and inspire praise for God?

I would love to hear your ideas in the Comments section! You never know how your words and actions can inspire others!

God bless you, today and always!

Karen

"Put a Little Love in Your Heart"

The predominant message in this past Sunday's Gospel was of God's two main desires for us: that we love God "with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength" and that we love other people as we love ourselves.

To love God and to love other people are not separate things; in fact, they are very much intertwined. How can we say we love God when we do not show love for his children? Remember that Jesus said that whatever we do, even to the "least of His people", we also do to Him. When we show love, generosity, and kindness towards others, we in turn show these things to God.

Some people are easy to love. These may include our families, close friends, and significant others. However, we are called to show love for everyone. This is not always easy. Some people "rub us the wrong way"; they may not be friendly to us, and may demonstrate traits we find unpleasant. Nevertheless, we are called to treat everyone with love and kindness. One principle I hold very strongly is that every single person has something special and worthy of love inside them. After all, everyone is a child of God! One's goodness can sometimes be difficult to see at first, but if we really try, we can find it. 

Some people have put up significant walls that shield their hearts and feelings from the world, perhaps due to past hurts and fears. They put on a tough, cold front and keep people out because they are afraid of being hurt again. This underlying vulnerability can be easy to overlook, and we can be quick to assume, "Oh, that person's just a jerk." Similarly, when people make mistakes and sin (and we all do!), the initial response is often to think that this person is an immoral, bad person. We do not typically see the whole situation and influencing factors surrounding the mistake, and we may come to dislike the person, rather than the action. 

Let us endeavour to see past people's defenses and mistakes and find their inherent goodness. Although it may be challenging, we are all worthy of this effort. We are all deserving of being treated with respect and kindness. 

In keeping with the theme of love for our fellow human beings, my choir sang Jackie DeShannon's "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" as our second Communion hymn.

Here are a video link and the words to this fun oldies song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acpLe00-0t8

Think of your fellow man
Lend him a helping hand
Put a little love in your heart
If you see it's getting late
Oh, please don't hesitate
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
Just wait and see

Another day goes by
Still the children cry
Put a little love in your heart
If you want the world to know
You won't let hatred grow
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
Just wait and see, wait and see

Take a good look around
And if you're looking down
Put a little love in your heart
I hope when you decide
Kindness will be your guide
Put a little love in your heart

And the world will be a better place
And the world will be a better place
For you and me
Just wait and see

People now
Put a little love in your heart
Each and every day
Put a little love in your heart
There's no other way
Put a little love in your heart
It's up to you
Put a little love in your heart
Come on and
Put a little love in your heart

As we can see from this song, love and kindness are not just a feeling, but a conscious decision to act. Let us work to show greater love to not only those dearest to us, but to all people, and by doing so, show greater love for our loving, wonderful God.

God bless you, today and always!

Karen

"Sing a New Song"

This past Sunday, the message that resonated most significantly with me was the call to glorify the Lord for the wondrous gifts He has given to us. In the First Reading, we were encouraged to "Sing aloud with gladness... raise shouts... proclaim, [and] give praise". Similarly, the Psalm response read: "What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad."

In keeping with this idea, my choir sang a traditional yet lively Processional hymn: "Sing a New Song" by Dan Schutte. For anyone unfamiliar with this hymn, here are some of the words:

Sing a new song unto the Lord

Let your song be sung from mountains high
Sing a new song unto the Lord

Singing alleluia

Yahweh's people dance for joy
O come before the Lord

And play for Him on glad tambourines
And let your trumpet sound

Indeed, we are called to give thanks and praise to our God, for He is truly an amazing, generous, loving God!

First, let us consider what the marvels are that the Lord has worked for us.

What, or who, makes you truly happy?

What, or who, enriches your life? Inspires you? Moves you to be a better person? Gives you a sense of purpose?

I am incredibly blessed to have many wonderful people in my life, including a terrific family and group of friends. I am thankful for them every day. In addition, there have been two major developments for me in the last two years that have completely changed my life, 100% for the better, and have brought to fruition God's plans for me. The first was meeting the man who has since become my fiance. He is my soulmate, the person for whom God created me. Through his loving example, he has inspired me to better myself every day, in every facet of life, and to constantly strive to further develop my relationship with God. I have never known such profound joy as I have since being with this amazing man!

The second significant marvel in my life has been my teaching job. For the past 19 months, I have had the incredible privilege of working with a variety of fantastic students, ranging in age from kindergarten to high school. Where I work, we employ a "whole student" approach; rather than just seeing a subject or skill that needs to be taught, we see each student as a whole person with different academic, social, intellectual, and emotional needs, and we individually tailor our teaching for each one. Working with these tremendous students and seeing them learn and grow, not only academically but personally, has been an invaluable gift. I try my best to remember to pray before each session, asking God to give me the clarity and insight to see how to best help these students, and the patience, perseverance, energy, and positivity to do so in a way that is nurturing and empowering. To see a student light up with confidence and happiness upon learning a new skill or overcoming a difficult challenge is incredibly moving, and I thank God for the opportunity and ability to be a part of these students' amazing journeys.

Yes, we all undoubtedly have many things to be thankful for! Do we make that gratitude known? Do we sing unto the Lord, with glad tambourines and the sound of trumpets? Let us strive to take time each day to thank and glorify God for the many marvels He has given to us. This can be done in many ways. First, we can pray! We can offer a prayer of thanks when we wake up to a beautiful morning with a sunny, cloudless sky. We can say a prayer of Grace at mealtime to thank God for not only the physical nourishment, but also the spiritual nourishment with which we have been provided. We can pray at the end of the day, thanking God for all of the lovely things and amazing people we have encountered.

In addition to prayer, let us also show our thanks and praise unto God in more lively, outward ways! Let us be like the triumphant, joyous music mentioned in the song. Let us spread the Good News of Christ to others, to share with them the love and mercy of our Lord. Let us speak about God, sing about God, and yes, in today's electronic world, even post about God! It might sound silly, but we never know how significant something as seemingly simple as a Facebook status glorifying God can be; we never know who else might be inspired to look at his or her life and find reasons for gratitude and praise.

Let us always cultivate our love for and appreciate of God in our hearts, and in turn, share it outwardly, singing from the highest mountains!

May God bless you today and always!

Karen

"Bridge Over Troubled Water"

This past Sunday's liturgy had a significant theme to it: the need to overcome our dependence on and idealization of material things, and the value of making sacrifices in order to better serve others.

Of course, it is not to say that money and the pursuit of it is entirely bad. Of course, there are certain essentials that we all need, such as food, clothing, and shelter, which we need to earn money to attain. Also, we can all benefit from some fun times out with friends and family, or a movie or sporting event to unwind and relax once in a while. We should certainly appreciate these blessings that we do have!

The danger, however, lies in focusing too much on these material things, to the detriment of that which is more important. When we think too much about what we earn and what we possess, we in turn devalue more important, less quantitative things. Take, for example, someone who works night and day in order to save money for luxurious items, yet misses out on lovely family occasions. We also run the risk of becoming too concerned with others' opinions of our belongings. To be sure, it can be nice to receive compliments on your clothing, car, or TV; however, when gaining the admiration of others for our material possessions becomes an obsession, we lose sight of the truly positive qualities we should hope to be associated with: compassion, humility, kindness, and generosity, to name a few.

Thus far, we have looked at things that we can try to avoid. What positive things, then, are we encouraged to do instead?

As Jesus told the young man and His disciples in the Gospel, we should put away our material goods and be prepared to follow Him. So, let us try to focus on walking down the path that God would want us to, by living in a Christlike way.

Jesus was in every way incredibly generous. He gave freely and willingly, never thinking of Himself but only of the needs of others. He did not see this self-giving as a tiresome, undesirable sacrifice; rather, giving to others was something beautiful, wonderful, and not only desirable, but necessary.

As we have discussed in earlier blogs, making loving sacrifices can seem difficult to us at the time, because it can sometimes involve delayed gratification of own wants or needs. Prayer can be of benefit here. We can ask God to help us be more attuned to the needs of others, to find a more genuine willingness in our hearts to help them, and to be able to cultivate a more humble, selfless attitude. When we can increase our focus on others and decrease our focus on the self, things previously perceived as sacrifices will seem less difficult and more natural and wonderful.

Let us all try to commit ourselves to walking hand in hand with Jesus down the path of life and giving more of ourselves to others. This giving may be monetary, certainly; we can try to give more to the Church and various noble charities, and can donate things like toys, canned goods, and clothing to the less fortunate. We can also be more giving of our time. We can volunteer; there are a multitude of wonderful causes out there that we can be a part of. We can also more freely give our time to our loved ones, particularly when they are experiencing tough times and are in need of a listening ear, a kind smile, and a reassuring hug. Sometimes something as simple as that can make a whole world of difference. 

In keeping with this last idea is the song that my choir sang for our second Communion song this past Sunday: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. It is a song that embraces the theme of loving self-giving in a beautiful, moving way. Here are the lyrics:

When you're weary 

Feeling small 

When tears are in your eyes 

I will dry them all 

I'm on your side 

When times get rough 

And friends just can't be found 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will lay me down 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will lay me down 

When you're down and out 

When you're on the street 

When evening falls so hard 

I will comfort you 

I'll take your part 

When darkness comes 

And pain is all around 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will lay me down 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will lay me down 

Sail on silver girl, 

Sail on by 

Your time has come to shine 

All your dreams are on their way 

See how they shine 

If you need a friend 

I'm sailing right behind 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will ease your mind 

Like a bridge over troubled water 

I will ease your mind

And here is a link to a video where you can listen to this lovely song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjNgn4r6SOA

May the love of Christ give you warmth and light your way, today and always.

Karen

Sin and Self-Awareness: A Positive Approach

This past Sunday's readings focused on the topic of sin. This can often be an unpleasant and uncomfortable topic to consider, as negative feelings often arise when thinking about what one has done wrong. However, the examination of conscience can actually be a positive experience when looked at through a proactive lens. The key when dealing with one's sins is to do so with a genuine and meaningful sense of self-awareness.

When it comes to actively and positively dealing with sin, there are three important and related questions to be asked:

1. What was my sin?

2. What led up to my sin?

3. How can I avoid this sin in the future and instead, replace this negative action with a more positive, loving one?

Let us look at these three questions more closely now.

Acknowledging Our Sins

Sometimes, we do not even realize we have sinned, because we have indeed not committed any of the "big sins". That is, we might look at the 10 Commandments, and as we "go down the list", think, "No, I haven't killed anyone, or stolen anything, or committed adultery. I'm good." Well, it certainly is good to have avoided committing these acts. However, as a local priest once said, the 10 Commandments are not the only guidelines for how we should and should not behave; they are merely a starting point. We must also be conscious of the "little sins" that may begin to pervade our lives.

"Little sins" may be things like speaking negatively about someone, expressing anger and frustration at a loved one, or failing to lend a hand to someone else because it isn't convenient for you at the time. It may involve being prideful and working to take credit for something, perhaps at another's expense. It may involve putting material things at a priority, telling a "white lie", or refusing to grant forgiveness to someone seeking it.

The "little sins" may seem rather harmless in isolation; one might think, "No one was really hurt by it." However the problem with little sins is that they can build up and, over time, become habitual. When "smaller" sins become habitual, we grow accustomed to them and accept them as normal. In turn, they  extend themselves and grow into bigger sins. For example, if a little white lie here and there becomes more and more commonplace, it becomes easier to lie about bigger and more important things, and then the pattern of dishonesty proliferates even more.

It is easy to spot our "big sins" because they are so noticeable; it is not so easy to recognize our little sins. We can think of sins as snowflakes. A "big sin" such as killing someone can be thought of as a huge blizzard that arrives with a bang and builds up quickly. This is certainly hard to ignore. On the other hand, "little sins" are like the tiny, wispy snowflakes that arrive with a whimper and fall slowly. We do not think much of this type of snow; "It's only a dusting. Everything will be fine." However, if this "insignificant" snow continues to fall for an extended period, before we know it, it will accumulate and cover up our grass, trees, roads, and so on, just the same as that big blizzard did.

Let us try to always be cognizant of both our "big" and "little" sins, before they start to build up to the point where we are buried by them.

Factors Precipitating Sin

Once we have acknowledged the things we have done wrong, it is helpful to examine what might have led us to sin. This is not to say that we are looking for someone or something else to blame; rather, we can look for internal factors that may have combined to make sin more likely.

By and large, negative emotions and cognitions can set the stage for sin. Anger, frustration, desperation, fear, jealousy, or embarrassment, just to name a few, can all play in a role in our behaving in ways we normally wouldn't.

Consider a student (let's call her Student A) who sees other kids picking on someone (Student B). Student A likely knows that this behaviour is wrong. However, Student A may be fearful that if she doesn't 'go along with the crowd' in being mean to Student B, she too will be ostracized; as such, Student A chooses to make fun of Student B, too. Fear of social exclusion or ridicule can be a powerful trigger for making poor decisions.

Similarly, feelings of stress and frustration can often lead one to say things one shouldn't. These feelings can be overwhelming at times, and tend to bubble over to the point where one vents one's anger in another person's direction, whether or not this other person had anything to do with it. In one's stress and anger, which are strong self-focused feelings, one might not even notice the hurt the other person experiences as a result. This is an unfortunate but rather commonplace situation.

As I have said, however, determining the precipitating factors of sin is not meant as a means of justification for our wrongdoings. One should not think, "Oh, I was feeling stressed and anxious about work, so I'm off the hook for snapping at my brother." Rather, we should use this self-awareness as a means for avoiding the repetition of our mistakes. Herein lies facet #3 of our sin self-awareness.

Replacing Sin with More Loving Actions

Once we have determined the areas in which we have struggled, and the internal factors involved, it is time for the third, and, I'd argue, the most important step: to actively work to avoid making the same mistakes again and to instead choose to act in a more Christlike way.

For example, once the student realizes that her mean social behaviour stems from a fear of others' opinions of her, that student can try to work on building her self-confidence and independence, so that if a similar situation arises, she will feel better prepared to stand up for what is right, rather than taking the easier route of joining the crowd. Likewise, once the person in our example understands that he lets his work stress spill over into his personal life, he can work to deal with this stress in more proactive ways. For instance, the next time he is in a situation where he is already in a bad mood and hears his brother say something 'annoying', he can take the "take a deep breath and count to ten before responding" approach. It sounds simple and perhaps a little cheesy, but it is effective!

All in all, when we have sinned, we can use these three facets of self-awareness to help us turn the feelings of shame we may experience into a positive, loving commitment to do better in the future.

Let me leave you with two songs for your listening pleasure: "Heaven Help Us All" by Stevie Wonder and "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. My choir did these songs for our second Communion hymn and second Recessional hymn respectively. Both discuss the topic of sin, albeit in different ways; "Heaven Help Us All" mentions several different types of sin, such as racial discrimination and violence, for which one might need forgiveness; "Dust in the Wind" describes the folly of putting material goods on a pedestal. Enjoy!

"Heaven Help Us All" - Stevie Wonder

"Dust in the Wind" - Kansas


May God bless you today and always!
Karen