Most people hear the word "green" these days in an ecological sense. "Going green" as in "saving the planet" and related causes.
"Going green" takes a different meaning when it comes to gaming. My wife Ann for a long time played an online computer game called "Toontown" (yes, adults play this game too), though after her longtime "Toontown" partner died, she hasn't played as much. But anyhoo, "Going green" in "Toontown" has a negative spin to it. It means that your character ran out of energy and died.
To help demonstrate my age, "Sesame Street" was in its premiere season when I was in kindergarten (or as we called it then, "junior first"), and occasionally the teacher would wheel the TV into the classroom. Kermit the Frog used to sing this song during that season called It Ain't Easy Being Green.
It really ain't easy being green (and contrary to popular opinion and proper grammar, "ain't" is a word in my dictionary). Unless you've been experienced with the liturgical calendar (most likely as a priest, catechist or even a musician in a Catholic church), you may not know what to expect as to the "theme" of a given day's Mass, that is, what Scripture gives us for the day during what is often known as the "green season", that is, Ordinary Time, or, in fidelity to what the Roman Missal calls it in Latin, "Time through the Year" (literal translation).
What gives Ordinary Time the "green season" nickname is not "going green" in an ecological sense or even in a gaming sense. It's not being that famous "Sesame Street" frog who went on to host "The Muppet Show". In the liturgical sense, green is the vestment color worn by the priest celebrating Mass during Ordinary Time. And considering Advent only has four Sundays, Lent five Sundays, Easter eight Sundays (including Easter Sunday itself and Pentecost), and Ordinary Time has 32 Sundays (numbered 2-33, Week 1 begins on the day after the Baptism of the Lord, which is a Monday or Tuesday, and Sunday 34 is Christ the King, in which the priest wears white), The priest wears a green vestment for Mass for more than half the Sundays throughout the liturgical year.
Two "seasonal hymns" in "green season"???
In last week's Gospel reading (Baptism of the Lord), we heard Matthew's account of John the Baptist's announcment that Jesus is coming to be baptized. In this week's Gospel reading (Sunday II through the Year), we hear John's account of the same. We begin today's Mass with the hymn On Jordan's bank, which begins "On Jordan's bank the baptist's cry announces that the Lord is nigh." Though On Jordan's bank is often considered an Advent hymn (the second verse definitely has Advent themes), it is really fitting for the Baptism of the Lord and even this Sunday.
Another hymn that may appear to be off-season also fits well, Songs of thankfulness and praise (normally fitting for Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord), with its second verse which begins, "Manifest at Jordan's stream, Prophet, Priest and King supreme."
That said...
MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS
ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen
PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Breaking Bread hymnal, page 61
Psalm 40: R./ Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. (Richard Proulx/Joseph Gelienau, SJ)
Alleluia I for Ordinary Time (BMP)
Hymns, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #41 On Jordan's bank ("Winchester New") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: #368 Shepherd of Souls ("St. Agnes") (Listen)
Hymn during Communion: #678 Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All ("Sweet Sacrament") (Listen)
Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP
BMP
