The opportunity for reflection on the words of Sacred Scripture or even to meditate about Biblical characters is often within reach, readily available, and at arm’s length. The Breaking Bread Hymnals at both Our Lady of Peace and Notre Dame de Lourdes contain a wealth of songs, with an accompanying story that are often unexplored. If you look through the hymn selections, you will notice at the bottom of the page themes with which hymns on that page are associated. The hymns also carry copyright information that may include a reference to Sacred Scripture or the listing of text that inspired the lyricist.
Often, just the title of a hymn may draw you in a little deeper. Once I was looking for new material for our Holy Week commemorations at Little Flower. Paging through the hymnal I was struck by the title of an unknown song, “As I Have Done For You,” which is currently number 150 in the 2025 hymnal. The beautiful line in the refrain, “I who made the moon and stars will kneel to wash your feet” just spoke to my heart and soul. We included this song for our Holy Week celebration and inspired by it we incorporated the washing of the feet as part of the liturgy.
All this is to say a tremendous thank you to our Music Director, Kathryn McDermott, for an absolutely sensational evening of Sacred Music on Tuesday 7 October when Our Lady of Peace Church hosted Chris Brunelle for an evening of song and story. Chris reminded us of the joy, hope, and inspiration that is within our fingertips. Sacred Music is not so much a source of entertainment but an instrument of spirituality that will thrust us into the core of the Paschal Mystery and strengthen us to be the missionary disciples our Savior calls us and needs us to be.
Chris presented new takes on the familiar, such as The Prayer of St. Francis and showed how the familiar can be reimagined to awaken latent prayer experiences. Additionally, Chris offered Marian hymns, hymns of comfort and consolation, as well as reminding us that there are many facets to any story by presenting a hymn to an often-overlooked character in the Christmas story – St. Joseph.
Our Breaking Bread hymnals are a ready source of comfort, challenge, and curiosity. The opportunity for spiritual nourishment is truly at our fingertips. How Can I Keep From Singing?
On Monday 20 October we will have our first gathering with the parents of our young parishioners who are preparing for the Sacraments of First Penance and First Eucharist or preparing for Confirmation. These Sacraments will be celebrated at Our Lady of Peace in a few months. First Penance will be celebrated on 26 January; First Eucharist will be celebrated on 2 May, and we will welcome Bishop Chylinski for Confirmation on 26 February. Please keep our young parishioners in your prayers as they continue their preparations for these essential Sacraments of Initiation. Blessings for their teachers and catechists who are instructing them.
Mass readings with reflection questions for the 29th Ordinary Sunday Cycle C – 19 October 2025
Exodus 17:8-13 – Who supports you when you are tired? Whom do you support?
Psalm 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 – Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. The words ‘guard’ and ‘guardian’ are used frequently in this psalm. Do you find the Lord’s guardianship to be passive and distant, or active and alongside? How so? / What does the psalmist mean when he calls the Lord ‘your shade’?
2nd Timothy 3:14-4:2 – How does knowledge of Sacred Scripture make you competent and equipped for every good work? / With what aspects of Sacred Scripture are you most familiar? With what areas of Scripture would you like to explore more deeply? / When has being a disciple of the Lord been inconvenient for you?
Luke 18:1-8 – The squeaky wheel gets the oil. How squeaky are your wheels? In what area of your spiritual life do you need oil? / When the Son of Man comes, will he find you faithful? / These readings stress the importance of not growing weary in our relationship with God. The psalmist stresses that God neither slumbers nor sleeps. Then why does prayer require persistence? Why are our prayers not answered immediately?