Lenten Session III

Since last week's reading was rather long, I thought it would be good to do a little song analysis instead. The hymn we'll be analysing will be Fill My Cup, Lord. We'll go through the hymn two lines at a time.

"Like the woman at the well, I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy"

The nameless woman at the well had an appetite. She had had five husbands and was living with another man when she first met Jesus. We could even assume she was rather attracted to Jesus, which prompted her to make conversation with him, a Jew. At heart, this woman with a bad reputation was simply lonely and looking for love in all the wrong places. Like this woman, often we find ourselves wanting things we do not need. We fill holes in our lives with material possessions in the hopes that they can make us happy. But material things are not permanent. Eventually, they lose their value, and cannot provide happiness. They do not satisfy.

"But then I heard my saviour speaking:
'Draw from my well that never shall run dry!'"

The words in this hymn are a little different from what Jesus said. Jesus said that 'whoever drinks the water I give will never thirst again'. Nonetheless, the point here is that Jesus speaks to us. He offers us this everlasting water, and he offers us himself. Why is this important? Because, at the end of the day, Jesus is always first. Had he not made the first move, had he not made the initial offer, we would be left wanting and forever thirsting, no matter how great our faith. This new life Jesus gives is not our birthright. We do not deserve it. Jesus offers it because that's how much God loves us.

"Fill my cup, Lord! I lift it up Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul!"

Now that Jesus has offered us the living water, we have one more important thing to do. We have to accept his invitation, and we have to want it with all our heart and soul. There is no point accepting a gift when it's going to be thrown aside. God's gifts cannot be wasted. We have to want it, to thirst for it. We have to lift up our cups and ask God to quench our thirst.

"Bread of Heaven, feed me till I want no more
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!"

Now at last we arrive at the true focal point of this hymn, and of our very religion. What can really quench 'this thirsting of my soul' is the Bread of Heaven. We find God's greatest gift again and again each Sunday in Holy Communion, when the host becomes the true Body of Christ. If we partake of this feast and be witnesses of Christ and his Holy Spirit, we can find true happiness even in the face of adversity.

And that is the Spring of Living Water.

Lenten Session II

Last Sunday, we learned about Christ's magnificent transfiguration and the effects it had on the disciples who were there to witness it. Jesus was transformed into an image of splendour and beauty, and through this change, the disciples, too, were changed.

There is so much in our world and lives that requires that which the disciples experienced: change. Nations wage wars, sin is ever making its presence known, and somewhere in our lives, someone is lonely or sick or depressed. There is so much for us to do, so much for us to make right. But none of this is possible until we exact this change on one very important thing: ourselves.

Before we can set out to carry out God's work, we must first be transfigured as Christ was. This means our very attitude and outlook on life must be reshaped to fit God's will. In this life, intention is everything. Are we doing good deeds so others might notice, or are we doing them because it is the right thing to do, and we genuinely want others to be happy? Are we befriending others so they can be our latest 'pet project', or because they provide us with some sort of advantage?

Likewise with our Lenten penance; if we give up the world, but refuse to give our hearts to God, then our resolutions will be for naught.

So as we journey together in this season of Lent, let us take a step back and rethink our intentions. Only when our hearts are open and our intentions pure can we truly be transfigured and start changing the world and people around us for the better.

Lenten Session I

Before he began his ministry, Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness. The trials he faced, along with his 40 days of fasting, are synonymous with the season of Lent.

Jesus was not alone in the desert. The devil was also with him, desperate to tempt Jesus into breaking away from his Father's will. Much like himself, Jesus' temptations were far from ordinary. He was asked to turn stone into bread, to jump from a great height and be rescued by angels, and to worship Satan for all the possessions of the world.

As Berenice so aptly put it, Jesus' temptations represent very real trials in our lives. Often we go out of our way to obtain things we think are necessary for our happiness; but Jesus, who was aching with hunger (YOU try fasting 40 days), refused to be swayed despite having the power to turn stone, not just into bread, but into a grand feast for himself. Don't ask God for more than you need; instead, be grateful for what you have and seek the Kingdom first in all that you do.

The second trial represents our tendency to test God's love for us. When situations seem hopeless, or when we want something we cannot get, we pray. Which is fine and dandy, except that a lot of us make 'deals' when we pray. "God, if you give me this, I'll do this and that..." Is that truly necessary? God asks nothing more from you than your faith and trust in His will, however dire a situation may seem. He doesn't need to 'prove' his love for us; we should know how much He already loves us. Jesus rebuked the devil: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." We should do well to remember those words.

Finally, the third temptation is one we've all faced: idol-worshipping. Wealth, power, fame. It is not just the obsession or the pursuit of it; how often have we treated a person better because they are richer, famous, or in a position of power and authority? God is the only being worthy of our worship, and Jesus reminds of this when he says, "You shall not have any other god except the Lord your God."

The way of Christ is not easy, but we know it is achievable because Jesus, who was as human as you and me, managed to do it. Isabel and Michael mentioned that perhaps Jesus had an unfair advantage; after all, he is the Son of God, and possessed the knowledge of what was to come. But very often, we, too, know the consequences of our actions. We can differentiate between right and wrong, so why do we still sin? It is our human inadequacies that prevent us from focusing on what is beyond the here and now, driving us to seek immediate gratification instead of long-term goals. This, I believe, is also a weakness that Jesus faced, and so brilliantly overcame.

So as Lent begins, let us all pray that the Spirit (which both we and Jesus have access to) will lead us on our road to salvation. Pax Vobiscum.

*Based on STAC Lenten Session I*

Easter Vigil Song List

Hi all. This is the song-list for Easter Vigil, provided by Leonard.

Ordinaries & Misc.:

• Exultet
• Service of light
• Gloria (ray repp)
• Kyrie elesion (same as Christmas)
• Alleluia (2 years ago)
• Litany of the Saints (by flowing waters)
• Our Father (normal one)
• I Saw Water
• Springs of Water
• Holy Holy (Christmas)
• Memorial Acclamation (Creation )
• Doxology (Great Amen)
• Lamb of God (St. David)

Offertery:

• To Be Your Bread
• Take My Life and Let It Be

Communion:

• Panis Angelicus
• At the Lamb’s High Feast
• I Know that My Redeemer Lives (soper)

Recessional:

• Ye Sons and Daughters
• Regina Caeli Laetare (chant)

Please prepare your scores! =)