#020: Ambassadors of Joy (with Jesse Manibusan)

Jesse Manibusan with the One Call Institute leadership team (Jes Garceau, Matt Reichert, Zack Stachowski, and Carmen Grace Poppert)

With the Independence Day holiday coming up this week, many of us are thinking about a day off. For me, I’m not thinking about a day off on Wednesday, I’m thinking about today. We have just finished our inaugural One Call Institute for young pastoral musicians and their advocates. An outstanding group of young people, adults in ministry who work with young people, and team members gathered for an incredible week of learning, prayer, formation, and fellowship on the campus of Saint John’s Abbey and University in Central Minnesota. 

I come away from the week inspired, filled with hope for the future, and – needless to say – exhausted. So, in place of our customary interview, today we are bringing you an audio program from the Open Your Hymnal podcast. Open Your Hymnal, cohosted by Zack Stachowski and by me, is a special project aimed at breaking open the best-loved and most-common liturgical music in the Catholic repertoire. Each episode explores one song and features conversation with the composer and, sometimes, special guests. 

We are pleased to present today our interview with composer Jesse Manibusan about his song “Open My Eyes.” This song has been a staple of parishes around the world. Yet, though you may know the song well, there are new corners to explore and messages to consider.Jesse was able to join the One Call Institute community this year as a guest artist for a special evening of song, celebration, and discipleship formation.

SHOW NOTES

For more information about Jesse Manibusan and his other compositions, visit his composer page at OCP. You can also visit his website: www.jessemanibusan.com. 

You can purchase a copy of the score and a copy of the song recording from OCP. Here you can also purchase the other Jesse Manibusan song you heard in the episode, "Malo! Malo! Thanks Be to God." The recording of "Take All the Lost Home" by Joe Wise can be purchased from GIA Publications.

You can purchase a copy of the instrumental piano recording of "Open My Eyes" (arranged and performed by Jon Sarta) from iTunes. 

You can read the article about the Westminster study that Zack referenced at the University of Westminster's homepage.

You can learn more about the One Call Institute at www.onecallinstitute.org. You can see photos and videos from the week by visiting the One Call Facebook page.

You can listen to more episodes of the Open Your Hymnal podcast at www.openyourhymnal.com.

The recordings of "How Can I Keep from Singing?" and "Give Us Peace" were produced by GIA Publications.

Visit NPM's digital resource library, referenced at the end of the episode. 

To join us this summer at the national convention in Baltimore, Maryland, visit the 2018 NPM convention website. 

All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.

#015: How Liturgy Transforms (with Msgr. Ray East)

Msgr. Ray East

Here we are, back in Ordinary Time. The color green once again graces our sanctuaries, and the rhythm of our ministerial calendars seems to slacken a bit (unless, of course, you include weddings). The very inclusion of the word “ordinary” is misleading. The season is anything BUT ordinary, filled with parables and miracles. And, let’s not forget, there is nothing ordinary about the Eucharist - every celebration is remarkable, every celebration is transformational. 

On a practical level, it is us who put the “ordinary” in Ordinary Time. Following marathon celebrations of the Lenten, Triduum, and Easter seasons and First Communions, Confirmations, and Ordinations we often tone down our celebrations. Coinciding with the arrival of summer, we pare down our music and liturgical ministries to accommodate vacations and travel. Now, these are understandable adjustments. But, often, the change in our practices during Ordinary Time can result in missed opportunities or self-fulfilling prophecies. Sometimes, it seems, we forget that “ordinary” is not exclusive of “transformation”. 

Today, we’ll hear from Msgr. Ray East. Recorded at the twenty-fifth NPM national convention in 2001, Fr. Ray speaks about the transformative nature of the liturgy. With his customary spirit-filled preaching, Fr. Ray reminds us how our ordinary, day-to-day work as pastoral ministers has the power to transform our communities, ourselves, and our world.

SHOW NOTES

For more information about Msgr. Ray East and his work, read the following articles: on African American Catholic spirituality; on Race and Religion; on the call to remember the poor. You can also watch Fr. Ray's keynote address given at the 2017 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress. 

The recording of "Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo" was produced by OCP. The recording of "Give Us Peace" was produced by GIA Publications.

Visit NPM's digital resource library, referenced at the end of the episode. 

To join us this summer at the national convention in Baltimore, Maryland, visit the 2018 NPM convention website. 

All content of this podcast is property of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians or its content suppliers and is protected by United States and international copyright laws. For information about the podcast and its use, please contact us.