View from the pew
Our parish music director, aka the piano man, was MIA at Sunday Mass a couple weeks ago after eye surgery. We had just switched back into Ordinary Time and were past the familiar sing-along music of our 18-day Catholic Christmas festivities.
Singing a cappella was no problem for the fantastic Samoan choir. But us folks in the pews were a bit squeaky and/or flat as we tackled unaccompanied hymns of the day, especially those oldies dating back to the 19th century or beyond.
I do get the point of finding a hymn that reflects the liturgy of the day. Why not pick more current, singable, familiar post-Vatican II songs, I often wonder. File that thought under “future columns.”
At the finale of Mass, the congregation got our chance to belt out “How Great Thou Art” with gusto. I thought at the time that the cantor chose to boost participation with a selection everyone knows.
Whether performed by Elvis Presley, contemporary Christian musician Matt Redman or country music star Carrie Underwood, it must be familiar to all ages of Christians. I personally channel Mahalia Jackson, the greatest Black gospel singer of all time, when I sing it. That’s my fantasy!
It was particularly meaningful timing for me, and I think my teary performance embarrassed a couple of friends close by. This is the time of year when both my parents left their life on earth. My dad loved “How Great Thou Art,” and the lyrics literally reflect his life as a Wisconsin game warden working outside in the world of nature.
We sang “When through the woods and forest glades I wander / and hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees; / When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur / and see the brook and feel the gentle breeze.” I can imagine what personal memories he had when he heard that musical poetry.
A shared moment like that melodic hymn of praise to God bonds our congregation, and makes me regret that most of us are not personally acquainted with our fellows chiming in from adjoining pews. We should be working to correct that.
My relentless stream of consciousness connected that thought with an item in the parish bulletin. We were all invited to an upcoming Prayer for Christian Unity service at Newman Center/Holy Spirit Parish in Manoa. I’d wager that most Catholics — make that most Christians — are clueless about that concept.
Yes, unity sounds like a good theory, but what can you actually do? Probably we avoid talking about religion because it might make friends nervous, or make our younger generation defensive since they stopped going to church or upset the in-laws to compare our ancient traditions with their born-again Christian thing. Awkward!
Ancient but relevant tradition
The worldwide observance of an annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was launched two centuries ago by the World Council of Churches. That global organization chooses a scriptural theme each year and produces reams of suggested prayers and program format.
For years here, the Orthodox Christian, Catholic and Protestant denominations took turns hosting the faith-sharing event in their own places of worship. The dramatic formality of the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace was the venue when it was the Catholic turn.
In 2014, the Hawaii diocese changed the location to the Newman Center. Retired Chaminade professor Jon James inspired the parish to adopt a format from the ecumenical (meaning multiple denominations) Taize monastery in France.
The Manoa location is a humble meeting house kind of place. Subdued lighting, glowing candles and shared meditative reflections, prayers and music — and absolutely no preaching — provided a serene spiritual experience that led to the ecumenical agreement that Bishop Larry Silva would host the annual service ever since.
This year, invitations went out to 109 clergy in different Christian traditions, said Father Alfred Omar Guerrero, director of the diocesan offices of Worship and Vocations and former Newman Center pastor. In answer to a question, he said the turnout has dwindled since COVID-19 curtailed crowds; however “we get about 60 people.”
I cherish the memory of a past service when a crowd of more than 100 Christians of all sorts joined in an ancient Gregorian chant, “Ubi Caritas.” Never mind that not even us Roman Catholics use Latin language much anymore, everyone understands the sentiment: “Where charity and love abide, God is there.”
It has become a refrain that floats through my stream of consciousness frequently; sometimes I’m applauding an observed kindness, but more often these days I’m mourning that a lack of charity and love seems apparent in our society and our government.
This year’s unity theme is taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling.” (Find the whole epistle online or in your Bible.)
The World Council of Churches held its annual World Conference on Faith and Order in October in Egypt, hosted by the Coptic Orthodox Church. I doubt that the event ever made news stories, but it addressed topics ripped from the headlines.
“We are conscious that here in Africa and the Middle East, as in other places across the world, many people, including Christians, are today facing persecution and suffering horrific violence, existential threat, dehumanization and utter disregard for human rights,” the organization said in a public statement. “In a world marked by violence and war, and by apathy and complicity in the face of the resulting injustices, Christ’s call to unity remains as urgent as ever. That call challenges us to seek out this unity in faith and in mission and to begin to live it out.”
Pope Leo XIV marked the beginning of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in his Jan. 18 public audience in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
“I invite all Catholic communities to intensify their prayer during these days for the full, visible unity of all Christians,” he said.
He shared St. Paul’s words to the Christians in Ephesus nearly 2,000 years ago which are used as this year’s unity theme. And he recalled that, 100 years ago, his namesake predecessor Pope Leo XIII “strongly encouraged” joining in the worldwide unity prayer by suggesting the Catholic Church begin an Octave of Prayer for the unity of Christians.
Perhaps Catholic congregations somewhere heard Sunday homilies about Christian unity. The subject did not come up where I sat, listening to a deacon’s homily about one of the readings of the day.
It would have been perfect timing and an opportunity to raise awareness of the wider world of Christianity and explore ways that we could become part of moving toward the unity Jesus taught his followers, as in John’s Gospel: “Be one as you and I are one.”
Above: Bishop Larry Silva, second from right, prayed around the Taize cross Jan. 21 with other religious leaders during the ecumenical Prayer for Christian Unity at Newman Center/Holy Spirit at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. (Courtesy Dann Ebina)