Pastoral Message – April 14, 2024
Hey y’all!
Happy Easter Season!
For the next few weeks we’ll be in the liturgical season of Easter. Because of Jesus’ action at that original Easter – His resurrection – and because the later understanding of the revelation that Easter caused, the single day’s Feast grew into a whole Season. And from that initial revelation that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, theology was thought out, reasoned out, fleshed out, and eventually lived out and given as the central message of Christian faith, hope and love. What I just wrote in a few lines developed over many generations and many ages of human history. But one of the best ways to come to know this developed history is to go to Church and sing it.
Every feast of the Church has hymns whose lyrics encapsulate the theology we celebrate. For example, take the first hymn we’ll sing today, “At the Lamb’s High Feast”. The musical tune is called “Salzburg”, but the lyrics are a translation from a 7th century Ambrosian hymn. That original hymn started with the first line – Ad regias Agni dapes, which literally means “To the royal Lamb’s gifts”. But the Translator of this ancient Ambrosian hymn was a 19th Century Scottish Minister, named Robert Campbell. In 1849 he freely translated and reworked the lyrics into English. The original use of this hymn was meant for the long Easter Vigil on Saturday night into Sunday morning. (Back in the day, they stayed up all night y’all. None of this Mass in 47 minutes business.) This hymn was used in the Church in Milan (thus the “Ambrosian” title – St. Ambrose was a Bishop of Milan). After their baptism, the new Christians, or “neophytes” were robed in white garments and ushered into the Church for their first “banquet of the Lamb”.
Knowing this history, the lyrics make sense in their original context. But they also connect us with a eucharistic theology that has survived in our Church for the last 1400 years or so. This theology is both Easter and Eucharist and has gone from patristic Italy to 19th century Scotland throughout the world to today in Huntington Beach. I find that pretty amazing. And I can only attribute that longevity, that cultural cross-over, that unbroken train of thought to an eternal truth. An eternal truth in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. An eternal truth in the real and living presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. An eternal truth in God’s revelation of grace and His gift of the Holy Spirit working through theology and the Church.
Well, I’m theologically nerding out now. But, think about this a little bit. How great is God and all that we celebrate when we worship, and sing, and give thanks, and humbly adore in Jesus Christ. This Easter season, let’s get into the theology we might take for granted. Let’s really read the words we sing. Let’s really pay attention to the Scripture we hear. Let’s really feel and know and experience our risen Lord in the glory of His Body and Blood. That’s what makes us Catholic Christians. And that’s what gives us life in abundance, now and for ever.
Finally, I only told you the story of one of today’s hymns. But if you’re interested, google some of our other songs today or from last week or from next week. All of them at a pretty good insight into the theology of our Church. But they are also a pretty good way to touch our heads, our hearts and our souls.
God bless y’all,
Fr. Reynold
