At our parish there are four liturgy teams who put together the prayers and choose the music. The team for the first week of the month have chosen these songs for this weekend:
Entrance: Gather Us In (Haugen) AOV 1/12
Psalm: Jesus You Are Bread For Us (Walker) AOV 1/42 as a response
Gifts: I am the Bread of Life (Toolan) AOV 1/49
Communion: River of Glory (Schutte)
Be Not Afraid (Dufford) AOV 1/114
Recessional: Companions on a Journey (Landry) AOV 1/188
Yes, the one from Godspell, written by Stephen Schwartz. We have used this liturgically and it’s fine, especially from a participation point of view as there are no words to remember. This is the movie version, with baptism in the fountain. This is from a stage version. This group has done it as part of a Christmas carol service.
My backing stops the melody once it isn’t needed, so just keep singing!
© The Herald Square Music Company and New Cadenza Music Corporation, 1971.
Another Brian Boniwell song for advent about John the Baptist.
It always struck me as a very country and western song.
There was a man of God whose name was John.
He came to speak for the Light.
The voice of one in the wilderness.
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Chorus
Prepare the way of the Lord (x4)
Verse 2
Mountains and hills shall be brought to ground.
The winding paths be straightened.
And all mankind shall see his face;
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Chorus
Verse 3
He’s the Lamb of God and you must follow him.
Who takes the sin of the world,
For he has come to give you life;
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Chorus
© Brian Boniwell
Brian Boniwell, last heard of on the Gold Coast (Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Clear Island Waters), wrote this advent song that we have used on and off over the years, and it works very well. I’m afraid his music does not seem to be available to buy on the net.*
Verse 1
Prepare the road of justice, make straight the way of peace.
Receive the new forgiveness, embrace the coming light.
Patiently we wait for the coming of our God,
The Saviour of all nations, the hope of the world.
Refrain
A Virgin is with child, our God has come to us.
Come, O come Emmanuel, Christ be born in our time.
Verse 2
A voice cries in the wilderness, “Behold the Lamb of God”.
The Spirit moves upon the one who teaches in God’s name.
Burning with the fire, and healing with his touch,
Gathering a people to be his very own.
Refrain
Verse 3
The blind will see, the lame will walk, the outcast sing for joy.
The good news of salvation, proclaimed to everyone.
All who seek the truth, will know the loving flame
Burning deep within them, bringing forth new life.
Refrain
© Brian Boniwell, 2000
*
This is no longer true. Contact Brian at boniwell@aapt.net.au to ask about purchasing this song in a collection Spirit of Love.
This is an old song by John Foley from the seventies based on Ps 103. You can hear a sample and buy the music at OCP here. YouTube has the whole song here. I had no idea it was meant to sound like that as I always had heard it done as a traditionally styled hymn.
My backing is a little more jazz than pop.
1… Praise the lord, my soul,
Let fire and rain give praise to Him,
Give praise to Him who is merciful, slow to judge;
Bless the lord, O my soul!2…Bless the Lord, my soul,
Let all I am give praise to Him,
And not forget he is kind, He forgives our sins;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!3… Merciful and kind,
He knows that man is made of dust,
And like the flowers that flourish he soon must die;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!4…Glory to our God,
Let all that is give praise to Him,
Give praise all you creatures who live His love,
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
© John B. Foley SJ and North American Liturgy Resources, 1975, 1979.
This song by Cesareo Gabarian is the next song in the miscellaneous pile of have been neglecting and was coincidentally just requested by Tina. We have sung it occasionally in a rather awkward English translation. The first one below seems an awful lot better than what we have been using.
You can hear an excerpt and buy the music here. This small choir does a nice version as does this church.
My backing only goes for three verses.
1. Tú has venido a la orilla,
no has buscado ni a sabios ni a ricos;
tan sólo quieres que yo te siga.Estribillo
Señor, me has mirado a los ojos,
sonriendo has dicho mi nombre,
en la arena he dejado mi barca,
junto a ti buscaré otro mar.2. Tú sabes bien lo que tengo;
en mi barca no hay oro ni espadas,
Tan sólo redes y mi trabajo.3. Tú necesitas mis manos,
mi cansancio que a otros descanse,
Amor que quiera seguir amando.4. Tú, pescador de otros lagos,
ansia eterna de almas que esperan,
amigo bueno, que así me llamas.1. Lord, you have come to the seashore,
neither searching for the rich nor the wise,
desiring only that I should follow.Refrain
O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.2. Lord, see my goods, my possessions;
in my boat you find no power, no wealth.
Will you accept, then, my nets and labour?3. Lord, take my hands and direct them.
Help me spend myself in seeking the lost,
returning love for the love you gave me.4. Lord, as I drift on the waters,
be the resting place of my restless heart,
my life’s companion, my friend and refuge.
Neither the Spanish version nor this English translation are used at our church. Here is the English translation we have used:
Verse 1
Here at the edge of the sea,
Notwithstanding the wise and the wealthy,
You came to summon for me to follow.
Chorus
O Lord, with a glance you embraced me:
Then you smiles and whispered my name.
I’ve abandoned my boat in my harbour;
Close to You I will seek other shores.
Verse 2
Here in this vessel I own
There’s no treasure, no weapon of war;
Just gear for fishing and years of toil.
Chorus
Verse 3
Here are the arms you require:
Tired branches to shelter the wearied;
A love that’s striving to grow and blossom.
Chorus
© OCP Publications, 1979,1980.
Kate has a wonderful site with her own mass settings and Psalms that is wonderful gift for us all. I’m going have to sit down and go through her mass setting when I get time.
Visit her here.
Tina requested this song by Rory Cooney. The net is full of hate for this song as heretical. If real presence means anything though, an aspect of it is captured poetically in this song and people should lighten up. I’ve never sung it and had to get chords by playing a snippet from the net through BIAB. You can hear a snippet and purchase it from OCP here.
Refrain
I myself am the bread of life.
You and I are the bread of life.
Taken and blessed, broken and shared by Christ
That the world might live.
Verse 1
This bread is spirit, gift of the Maker’s love,
and we who share it know that we can be one:
a living sign of God in Christ.
Refrain
Verse 2
Here is God’s kingdom given to us as food.
This is our body, this is our blood:
a living sign of God in Christ.
Refrain
Verse 3
Lives broken open, stories shared aloud,
Become a banquet, a shelter for the world:
a living sign of God in Christ.
Refrain
Rory Cooney
© 1987, North American Liturgy Resources, Published by OCP Publications
The liturgy team for this week has selected these songs:
Entrance: We Are Called (Haas) AOV 2/60
Psalm: The Hand of God Shall Hold You (Haugen) as a response before and after the psalm
Gifts: One Body (O’Brien-Watts) AOV 2/146
Communion: Bread, Blessed and Broken (Lynch)
Something Wonderful (Kerr) AOV NG 115
Recessional: You Are the Voice (Haas) AOV 2/80
The liiturgy team for this week has chosen these songs:
Entrance: You Are Welcome (Leo Watt)
Psalm: The Lord is My Shepherd “Crimmond”
Gifts: Like a Shepherd (Dufford) AOV 1/160
Communion: Table Song (Haas)
Come As You Are (Browne) AOV 1/31
Recessional – Lord the Light of Your Love (Kendrick) AOV 2/59
