Okay, that's out of my system--for a few paragraphs, anyway.
This week, our Gospel was about the wedding at Cana. The hosting couple run out of wine, Mary suggests that Jesus do something about that, and good times are had by all. Father David's homily added a bit more to the story, though.
The wedding feast and celebration in a community was also a symbol for that couple's life with each other and within the community. Running out of wine didn't just mean people went home early--it was a sort of omen. The joy in the couple's marriage was short lived--and Jesus extended that joy, by asking the servants to serve the water in those jars as if it was wine, and see what happens.
Eventually, we lose steam. Our enthusiasm wanes, things (and people) we were once passionate about become familiar, maybe even tedious. We can ask for Christ to carry us through these times, but if we live as if we are carrying love and Jesus to everyone in our lives--when we do what we do out of service and love, then what we do is gratifying again. Think back to every time a friend thanked you for being there for them when they needed you. Remember times when someone sincerely thanked you for your performance at work. Don't those moments enliven you? They certainly get me through the day, most Mondays.
It's one of the reasons I sing in choir at church, I suppose. I enjoy singing--but I can understand that after some time, if I knew all the music, then the whole routine could become...routine. But every time our director tells us that someone stopped him after Mass to compliment us, every time I hear that our music makes a difference to someone in the congregation, it makes a difference to me, too.
We had some tempting (ba-dum, ching!) songs to chose from this week (the first week, you know, of Ordinary Time). And because I'm less familiar with the choir's library and have a rather terrible memory, I'm not going to give you a list. However! We had an old favorite as our closing hymn. I didn't know it until this week, being unfamiliar with Paul Desmond's Take Five (made famous by Dave Brubeck) until recently, but Sing of the Lord's Goodness seems highly influenced by that jazz tune.
All I know is I rather dislike directing in 5/4 time, and it's basically required of me to sing the word "dancing" with a British accent.
