Weekly Column by FR. TONY

This weekend’s Gospel has Jesus concerned with people
choosing places of honor. Honoring is one of the reasons
why I ask the musicians to sing all of the verses of a song.
First, I want to honor the writer and the composer who
wrote it by singing all of his/her verses. By stopping the
song short and not singing all of them is not honoring their
work. Secondly, oftentimes the verses all tie together. If
we leave out a few verses we are leaving out the complete
message that was intended when it was written. Finally,
the song is oftentimes scripture or a prayer, and I do not
want us to be breaking up God’s message to us or our
message to God. The busyness of our lives does this
enough already.

Secondly, I also encourage our musicians to repeat the
Alleluia verse before we do the verse so we can sing after
the cantor or choir sings through it the first time. Whether
we are familiar with the verse or not, by singing it a second
time before the verse is said or sung will allow all of us
some consistency. Any questions, please do not hesitate to
ask. Speaking of singing, enjoy:
After church one Sunday morning, a mother commented:
"The choir was awful this morning." The father commented:
"The sermon was too long." Their 7-yr. old daughter added:
"You've got to admit it was a pretty good show for a dollar."

St. Augustine Once Said, “He Who Sings, Prays Twice!”