Today we raise the Cross high in
celebration because of the saving work Jesus did for us. This day commemorates
the finding of the true cross by the Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helen, at
the Holy Sepulcher, the original church in Jerusalem on the spot where Jesus
died. For years, the cross was a symbol of shame, as the Roman governors
intended it, but the cross began to symbolize Christ’s victory over death
because death, sin, and suffering will never, ever have the last word.
The theme the Church draws out
of these readings is “being lifted up.” Moses made a bronze serpent seraph,
mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone bitten by a serpent looked at it in
prayer, he lived. Jesus, in the Gospel, talked silently with Nick at Night
describing that just as Moses lifted up the serpent, he would also be lifted
up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. This lifting
up, was the act of crucifying him on the cross. Paul, in Philippians, tells us
when we bow down to Jesus, we lift him up in the glory of God the Father.
If we continue with this theme
of lifting up, we turn directly to your ministry of singing. For those of you
who attended church yesterday, do you remember what the preacher said? Probably
not. However, one of the songs probably stayed with you a little longer. No one
ever goes home humming the words to the sermon. This stresses the importance of
good music in liturgy because it lifts up the people and gives them hope, joy,
and gladness that they came. I have often heard a person who is despondent
approach me after mass to say how much a particular song spoke to their
situation.
My job as a preacher and your
job as liturgical ministers is to save souls. That is the real mission of the
Jesuits and of Ignatius. We have to lift up the downtrodden, inspire the
complacent, confront the arrogant, and bring hope to those are ready to lose
it. When we go to mass, we have to think of others’ situations. Imagine if this
is the last mass of a person’s life. What do they need? What if this is the
first time someone comes to mass? What is it that you want to provide them as a
gift? This is serious business. It is about how I can serve the larger
community.
I was fearful of singing because
everything that is inside of me is exposed. There is nothing to hide behind
when you open your mouth in song or blow your breath into a trumpet. Breath
sustains life. Your breath will give life to those who need it. Music is a
self-conscious place, but when we think of the service we are called to give
others, we become less self-preoccupied. An important rule to remember is that
everyone wants you to do well. Not a single person wants to criticize you or
bring you down. Therefore, offer your breath, freely given, and make each note
the most beautiful note that you can.
How do you give this gift? Let
your body smile. Look at the congregation. Connect with them. Show them the
emotions that the composer imagined. Convey the message of salvation. You are
the instrument Christ is using to reach someone who is unaffected by the
homily. Christ will use every power in his resources, especially music. What is
the message then that you are to convey?: That God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that the world may have eternal life. You, too, have to
give your whole selves to others in song so the people may grasp the truth that
eternal life is meant for them. Let your music be that which is lifted up so
that anyone who gazes upon you and hears your notes of beauty will be wrapped
up in the divine mystery. Lift up your voices. Lift up your breath. Lift up
your hearts – because someone today needs to hear that God deeply cares for
them – through you.
No comments:
Post a Comment