Weekly Update from Fr. van Dooren 3.6.26
Dear members and friends of our parish,
We continue our Lenten devotions of the Stations of the Cross and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament tonight at 6:30pm, and we will continue throughout the Fridays of Lent. Both devotions are prayed within the frame of an hour, and it is a sacred hour, indeed! Please join us for at least one of the Fridays.
And on this upcoming third Sunday in Lent, after setting our clocks ahead one hour for Daylight Saving time, we will pray the Great Litany as we did on the first Sunday in Lent with responses harmonized by Thomas Tallis. Again, it is a spiritual exercise of both endurance and of deepest blessing! It is a long prayer that lovingly guides our prayer attention to needs and conditions that would otherwise lie far beyond our casual notice. We sing it in procession, and how dear to watch the younger children of the choir come to love the litany as they sing and walk and pray these ancient words.
The Gospel passage and sermon text highlight the powerful story of the Samaritan Woman at the well (John 4:5-42). While it is a story known by most Christians, and famously sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary, we sometimes fail to recognized the story’s theological depth, value and beauty. The unnamed woman, who was given the name Photini by Christian tradition, was the first to whom Jesus revealed his Messianic title. Her spirit and faith have been gifts for the ages!
The music for this Sunday will feature the Mass setting and anthem, Drop, Drop Slow Tears by the English Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons. Our first two hymns this week are Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and Blessed is She Who Believes. Our choirmaster, Claudia Dumschat, did some research on our final hymn, When Jesus Wept, and shares with us the inspiring words of Executive Director of The Hymn Society, Rev. Dr. Mike McMahon: "The Early American composer William Billings created a canon, When Jesus Wept, that draws singers into Jesus’ response to the death of Lazarus and in so doing also gently challenges us to weep and groan with those who suffer. Click here to hear a recording. 'When Jesus wept, the falling tear in mercy flowed beyond all bounds. When Jesus groaned, a trembling fear seized all the guilty world around.'"
During Lent, the Adult Education Committee is leading a discussion of The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis on Thursday evenings at 7:00-8:00 PM on Zoom. Please email the parish office (parishoffice@littlechurch.org) to receive the Zoom link. We recommend this modern translation by Peter Northcutt. The group will meet weekly until Thursday, March 26.
The Holy Rosary will be prayed in the Family chapel at 9:30am this Sunday. We will pray the Sorrowful mysteries throughout the season of Lent.
We continue to live-stream each Sunday’s mass at 11:00am, and a link is sent out each Sunday morning at 8:00am. We live-stream on Facebook and YouTube. Please email the parish office (parishoffice@littlechurch.org) if you would like to pray the morning and evening offices with us by Zoom.
Thank you for your continued faith, support, and love for the parish.
Fides Opera
With loving wishes,
Fr. van Dooren