Music Notes

March 2010 

Kyrie, be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness,

in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt, and of my sin cleanse me.  

For I acknowledge my offense, and my sin is before me always;

against you only have I sinned,

and done what is evil in your sight.  

A clean heart create for me, O God,

and a steadfast spirit renew within me.

Cast me not out from your presence,

and your Holy Spirit take not from me.

Give me back the joy of your salvation,

and a willing spirit sustain in me.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.  

      -From a setting of Psalm 51 by Robert Schaefer.  

Dear Musicians,  

Restlessness abounds at this time of year.   We look at the dreariness outside, feel the chill and ache in our bones that won’t go away, and we are so thankful for any evidence of the sun!  Those sunny moments arrive as if God sees our restlessness, and gives us a gentle smile of sun to remind us warmer days are ahead. 

In this barrage of varying cold, through the tease of melting slush drawing ribbons in the remaining dirt and sand, we are ready for a change of season.  We are tired of shoveling, tired of kicking off mucky boots and looking for misplaced gloves.   We are ready for some relief, some mercy from the dull burden of winter.   

When the first snow falls, we see it as romantic, beautiful, a banner of white pealing out the season.  But over time, we cease to see the scenic and serene, and only tolerate it.  What else are you tolerating?  Is carrying sin not a little like this?  Is there something in your life that started out as only intending to make you a happier person, but has become something now that keeps you from being as holy as you could be? Is there some habit you’ve come to just accept about yourself that, upon some contemplation, you now see as a burden to keep shoveling out of your way?  What are those things that lie heavy on your heart, that you wish would just melt away?   

Saint Augustine says it beautifully: “Our hearts are restless, until we rest in you, O God.”  In the Church’s wisdom, we are given this oasis of Lent, a moment to recreate ourselves in anticipation of Easter, with the help of God’s mighty grace.   This is a time to allow Jesus Christ to heal each part of us, to purify our hearts, to burn away anything that is not of Him.  I can ask God to wash me of my offensiveness in the eyes of God, to soak my sordid soul in the blood of Jesus Christ, and to cleanse my heart so that I radiate only goodness and kindness.  In the psalm, we ask not just to be clean, but to be thoroughly purified, made complete and new in our hearts.  In this sincere plea for mercy, through our genuine repentance, grace will come to us, steadying our hearts, holding them in faithful hope of seeing the Son.   

May you find peace through the grace revealed in the sacraments, and may your prayer lead you ever closer to purity and holiness. 

Sincerely in Christ,  

Mary Woolf Pearson

Coordinator of Music, mary@saintmaryinbyron.org 

Children’s Choir:  Wednesdays at 6:30PM, March 10^th, 17^th, and 24^th – the 17^th, we will celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day with a story and lots of green! 

Adult Choir:  Thursdays at 7PM, March 4^th, 11^th, 18^th, 25^th.  Additional rehearsals for Holy Week TBA. 

MARCH 2010 MUSICIAN SCHEDULE:

*changed from February’s Newsletter 

February 28^th, 2010 -2^nd  Sunday Lent  

5P M. Pearson / B. Marshall, J. Mora, B. Grennan*

8A C. Lindstedt / S. Edwards, G. Balestrieri

10:45A JMondello /KMandzen, JPreston, BMandzen 

March 7^th, 2010 -3^rd Sunday Lent  

5P L. Ooyen / C. Lindstedt

8A C. Lindstedt / M. Pearson

10:45A M. Pearson / Choir 

March 14^th, 2010 -4^th Sunday Lent  

5P C. Lindstedt / B. Marshall

8A L. Ooyen / A. Thibodeau

10:45A J.Mondello / B. Grennan 

March 21^st, 2010 -5^th Sunday Lent  

5P L. Ooyen / G. Balestrieri, Men’s Choir

8A C. Lindstedt / KMandzen, KCrisham*

10:45A M. Pearson/ Children’s Choir 

March 28^th, 2010 -Palm Sunday

5P M. Pearson / A. Gleiter

8A C. Lindstedt / J.Desjarlais*

10:45A MPearson / JPreston, KMandzen* 

For HOLY WEEK – TBA!