“Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.”
– St. Teresa of Avila (attributed)
For the past few months now, you may have noticed the way I’ve been formatting this column – I begin with a quote relevant to the topic I hope to address, speak on that topic, and close with a call to join in our growing music ministry program here at the parishes. This week, the focus is on the last paragraph – the invitation. By now, I hope you’ve read a bit more about me, how and why music plays such a vital role in the life of our parish liturgies, and understand the need for more volunteers to help bolster the mission of developing a culture where “full, active, and conscious participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else.” (SC 14) To that end I’d like to paraphrase the poem quoted above. (Some of you also may recognize this as the inspiration behind our frequent closing hymn at Incarnation; “Go Forth and Love.”)
The choir has no voice but yours. No sound, no heartbeat but yours.
Yours is the melody that echoes within these sacred walls,
Yours is the song that we lift in praise, while simultaneously lifting us up as well.
Yours is the harmony, joining the whole Church, angels, and saints, proclaiming “Hosanna in the highest!”
Yours is the breath, sweeping over creation and testifying for all to hear that it is indeed, good.
Please accept this invitation to participate more fully, more actively, in our parish’s music ministry. If you are interested in singing in the choir, leading the congregation as a cantor, or enriching our liturgy as an instrumentalist, email Shawn Gelzleichter at sgelzleichter@gmail.com or call the rectory at 781-662-8844.