Come to the water

I am behind on everything this week... so I will backdate this to Sunday lol... Steff found me the words to the hymn I was looking for (THANK YOU!!!) - no music this week, sorry. If I get the chance I will sing it for you sometime this week :P

Come to the water

Come to the water, you who are thirsty
Though you have nothing I bid you come
And be filled with the goodness I have to offer
Come, listen, live.

Why spend your money on what cannot fill
The emptiness deep in your heart
Listen to my word and you will enjoy
Goodness and peace in your heart. (ref)

Just as the heavens are high above earth
My ways and thoughts beyond you
Call me your father and know I am near
I will be Father to you. (ref)

Just as the rain falls to water the earth
Just as the seed becomes bread
My word upon you can never return
Until my longing is filled. (ref)

Hosea

I really enjoyed the challenge of learning a completely new hymn last week - though the words were much easier to get into my mind than the tune! I suspect the version I am now singing is more my own tune than the right one, so I will have to come back to the Canticle of the Sun again over time. This week, though, back to the tried and true.

It has been raining constantly for the last week (ever since I made the mistake of mentioning fire and praying for rain lol) so for this week's hymn I wanted "Come to the Water (you who are thirsty, though you have nothing, I bid you come...)" but I couldn't fnd the lyrics anywhere on the internet, and I can't remember the words to some of the verses, and with the sky falling and a public warning out for a whooping cough epidemic, Yeti vetoed taking Munchkin to Mass (where I could have looked them up in hymn book), so that one will have to wait!

Instead, I am looking forward to another favourite...

Hosea

Come back to me with all your heart,
don't let fear keep us apart.
Trees do bend, tho' straight and tall;
so must we to others' call.

Long have I waited for your coming
home to me and living deeply our new life.

The wilderness will lead you
to your heart where I will speak.
Integrity and justice
with tenderness you shall know.

Long have I waited for your coming
home to me and living deeply our new life.

You shall sleep secure with peace;
faithfulness will be your joy.

Long have I waited for your coming
home to me and living deeply our new life.

Canticle of the Sun

I have by no means reached the end of favourite hymns that I want to learn properly, but this week I felt like trying something new. St Francis is a huge favourite of mine, and it is SO sunny here - so I have chosen The Canticle of the Sun.

We spent today fire-prepping (clearing away all loose flammable materials, running the pumps to water the walls and surrounding grass/trees, packing bags in case we need to evacuate the boys). We have been incredibly lucky so far this year, not even a whiff of smoke on the horizon. But with daily temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius (that's 104F) everything is tinderbox dry. All we need is a spark to light it.

Victoria, where my sister lives, has not been so fortunate. So far there are more than 100 suspected deaths - 96 confirmed. It's quite horrific. For once I am glad my sister and her family live in the big city! and in case you are wondering - I'm keeping those bags I mentioned packed and ready for the rest of the summer - just in case!

Canticle of the Sun

Refrain:
The heavens are telling the glory of God,
and all creation is shouting for joy.
Come, dance in the forest, come, play in the field,
and sing, sing to the glory of the Lord.

1. Praise for the sun, the bringer of day,
he carries the light of the Lord in his rays;
the moon and the stars who light up the way
unto your throne.

2. Praise for the wind that blows through the trees,
the seas' mighty storms, the gentlest breeze;
they blow where they will, they blow where they please
to please the Lord.

3. Praise for the rain that waters our fields,
and blesses our crops so all the earth yields;
from death unto life her mystery revealed
springs forth in joy.

4. Praise for the fire who gives us his light,
the warmth of the sun to brighten our night;
he dances with joy, his spirit so bright,
he sings of you.

5. Praise for the earth who makes life to grow,
the creatures you made to let your life show;
the flowers and trees that help us to know
the heart of love.

6. Praise for our death that makes our life real,
the knowledge of loss that helps us to feel;
the gift of your self, your presence revealed
to bring us home.

Come as you are

Of all the hymns ever composed, this has to be one of the most tender and comforting expressions of God's love I have ever heard.

Come as you are

Come as you are, that's how I want you.
Come as you are, feel quite at home.
Close to my heart, loved and forgiven;
come as you are, why stand alone?

No need to fear, love sets no limits.
No need to fear, love never ends.
Don't run away, shamed and disheartened.
Rest in my love, trust me again.

I came to call sinners, not just the virtuous.
I came to bring peace, not to condemn.
Each time you fail to live by my promise,
why do you think I'd love you the less?

Come as you are, that's how I love you.
Come as you are, trust me again.
Nothing can change the love that I bear you.
All will be well, just come as you are.

(composed by Deidre Browne)

When I first started posting these hymns, my sister asked why I didn't check out some of the other Christian churches in the area. It has taken me a long time to answer her because I felt it was a very important question, not least because she chose me to be godmother to her daughters. I have started writing any number of emails in response, but in the end I have decided to post my reasons here for all to read.

I won't go into all the historical reasons for the separation of all the other denominations from the Catholic church. If you are interested, I am told (by my favourite internet nun) that Protestantism for Dummies, and The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Catholic Church are good resources. Leaving all those bygones in the past, there are two main differences between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations today.

The first is The Real Presence. As Catholics, we believe that when the priest consecrates the bread and wine at the altar, they actually become the body and blood of Jesus, including his soul and his divinity, as he intended us to receive them at the Last Supper. Words can't express how special that is.

One of the things I love about being a Catholic, is that we don't try to rationalise and explain how this happens. We accept that it is a mystery - a miracle in which we personally can participate every time we go to Mass. Other churches don't seem to have the same belief in God's loving generosity and ability to perform the impossible. For them, the Eucharist is simply a symbolic recreation of the Last Supper. In other words, instead of a holy sacrament, communion becomes just a show put on by humans with no direct participation from God. I prefer the awesomeness of trying to contemplate Christ's physical presence on the altar and inside me!

The other big difference between the Catholic church and other Christian denominations is the primacy of the Pope. We believe there is an unbroken line of succession from Peter ("on this rock I build my church") to Pope Benedict. Other Christian churches tend to be run by committees. To quote one Anglican Bishop: "Unlike the Church of Rome, with its admirable clarity of decision-making, the Anglican churches are messy and often disagree with each other." Due to this authority structure, the Catholic church doesn't change quickly to meet modern ideas, and can seem out of touch and old fashioned. However, when it comes to choosing a solid place on which to stand while building a self and a family, the Catholic church offers a guaranteed stability.

Catholics are often accused of being hypocritical, or uncaring, or unfriendly or any number of other things and there is sometimes a lot of truth in that - but it is the people, not the church - I think you would find the same wherever you went and if anything it is our responsibility to change such perceptions through our own behaviour. One small pebble can create a landslide, after all. Priests are human and often have their problems, but I have found, even with the ones I can't really relate to, very often God surprises me by putting words in their mouths that I needed to hear.

I am by no means a perfect wife. I have my faults, my bad days and I know for a fact there are times when I am just plain unlovable. Despite this, my husband constantly forgives me and delights in our relationship. In the same way, the Catholic church is the bride of Christ. Would we really want Him to forsake her for a younger model?

Ok, I am stepping down from my soapbox now - but before I go... I couldn't find any music for this week's hymn, and since I was being brave and putting my heart out on my sleeve anyway, I decided to go one step further! I hope you like it :)



Come as you are - from our kitchen at 2:30am, with a little help from Munchkin.

Thanks to my sister, Steff, Sister Mary Martha and the mothers of the 4 Real Forum, for challenging me to put my faith into words. I appreciate it!

Be Not Afraid

We didn't get to Mass this week, despite our best-laid plans. Yeti's car is out of rego and needs some rust-spots repaired before it can pass inspection. The filler for the rust gives you 6 minutes to do the job at 20C. It has been over 30C every day this week except for a thunderstorm lol... so the job has to wait for the right conditions. There is my car - but when we went to start it, not only was the battery flat, it was completely dead! It has to go for its rego inspection next week, so I will buy a new battery for it then - when the mechanic can also check for electrical faults that may be causing the problem.

Oh well, at least Wombat LOVES his new bible - I finally found a children's bible with text I can bear to read as it gives some life and detail to the stories instead of just a sentence or two. He has been demanding at least a half-hour reading from it every day :) Funny story about that - it was delivered during one of those awful hot days when nobody felt like walking to the mailbox. Then the thunderstorm came and it rained all night. When we checked the next morning, the box of books was sitting in a PUDDLE of water, totally sodden. There was no plastic wrapping around the books, just the sopping cardboard box - and the books were completely undamaged! Perfect condition! Guess he was meant to have them!!!

Still enjoying working my way through hymns where I love the chorus but don't remember all the verses. This week's hymn is:

Be Not Afraid

You shall cross the barren desert,
but you shall not die of thirst.
You shall wander far in safety,
though you do not know the way.
You shall speak your words in foreign lands,
and all will understand,
You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.

If you pass through raging waters
in the sea, you shall not drown.
If you walk amidst the burning flames,
you shall not be harmed.
If you stand before the pow’r of hell
and death is at your side,
know that I am with you, through it all

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.

Blessed are your poor,
for the Kingdom shall be theirs.
Blest are you that weep and mourn,
for one day you shall laugh.
And if wicked men insult and hate you,
all because of Me,
blessed, blessed are you!

Be not afraid,
I go before you always,
Come follow Me,
and I shall give you rest.

Here I am, Lord

I was talking to Yeti about my church-going dilemma, and he came up with a brilliant solution! Out of the blue, he offered to start taking us to evening mass on Saturday nights in the big church - the one with all the singing. Evening mass is less crowded and there are less disruptive children, so I have more chance of keeping Munchkin healthy and Wombat focussed, especially if we can get there early and find a seat up the front :) It is a great time of year to start making this a habit, as it is still light until about 8pm (Mass is from 6:00 - 7:00pm).

We went for the first time today. Monday is predicted to be another scorcher with extreme fire danger, so Yeti had to get the pumps on and the sprinklers going before we left. This took longer than expected, so we were about 15 minutes late - but baby steps - at least we got there! Yeti didn't come in with us this time - he hadn't had time to shower before racing out the door, so didn't feel comfortable about it. I am praying that as time goes on, he will join us.

Munchkin was perfectly behaved the whole time - awake, but lying quite still and listening like the little angel he is. Wombat, however... well, for a two-year-old, he was pretty well-behaved. I had to pick him up and hold him on my lap to get his attention, and there was a bit of arm pulling and rolling around on the floor (him, not me). For the first 20 minutes he kept saying. "It's finished now. All done. Let's go!" but he really loved the sign of peace (shaking hands with everyone in sight) and going up to communion with me was a highlight for him. I think he'll do much better next time, especially if he can see more (since we were late I sat towards the back of the church and there were too many other people to look at instead of what was going on up at the altar)!

I also had a good week enjoying my singing a new song :D For this week's hymn I am choosing one of my all time favourites - another one where I know the chorus off by heart but never remember the verses - there are lots of them, so it should be good for rocking Munchkin off to sleep. This one was actually set as the entrance hymn for today's Mass, but since we got there late, I didn't get to sing it. I'll make up for it by singing it all week!

Here I am, Lord

I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin,
My hand will save.

Chorus:
Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Chorus

I, the Lord of snow and rain,
I have borne my people’s pain.
I have wept for love of them.
They turn away.

Chorus

I will break their hearts of stone,
Give them hearts for love alone.
Who will speak my words to them?
Whom shall I send?

Chorus

I, the Lord of wind and flame,
I will send the poor and lame.
I will set a feast for them.
My hand will save.

Chorus

Finest bread I will provide,
'Til their hearts be satisfied.
I will give my life to them.
Whom shall I send?

Chorus

If you want to sing along with me, you can listen to the music here.

Sing a new song

I am ashamed to confess it, but it is getting to be a long time since I last went to Mass - I didn't even get to a Christmas service. Towards the end of the pregnancy, when I could no longer lift Wombat, it just got too difficult, then I wasn't allowed to drive for six weeks after the caesarean, and there were any number of other excuses, even with a baby as easy-going and well-behaved as Munchkin. Even today, the boys' car seats are in Yeti's car, which I am not comfortable driving. The excuses are sounding pretty hollow, even to myself, so next week I am going to make a proper effort to get there regardless.

That leads me to another dilemma. There are two churches I can go to - both half-an-hour's drive away but in opposite directions. One is small, with a grumpy old priest and no music. The other is huge and crowded, with glorious music - singing most of the Mass - but also lots of misbehaving kids and coughing adults. Call me paranoid, but I am just not comfortable making a new baby sit amongst sick people for an hour, and Wombat watches the naughty kids and copies, so my joy in being there is outweighed by these distractions.

As a result, the choice is easy. I will be going back to the small church. But I do so love singing hymns. When I was pregnant with Wombat, Yeti sent me for a retreat at the local Schoenstatt shrine. One afternoon when there was no-one else around, I sat by myself with a hymnal and sang every song I knew. It was one of those moments which provides "life and food / For future years" (to quote my favourite Wordsworth poem). So what am I to do?

Around Christmas, Playing with Legos came up with the idea of posting a song a week. I quite enjoyed the concept of singing the same song for a week, thus teaching it to the boys - and surprisingly, I learnt that Felize Navidad and Auld Lang Syne make great lullabies - at least, Munchkin thinks so. When Wombat was born, I surrounded him with music. I had Mozart and other classical music playing almost every minute of the day. With Munchkin, I hardly ever even remember to put on a lullaby cd! I feel like I am sadly neglecting him.

Rolling all these issues into one big ball, I have decided that every Sunday I will choose a hymn to sing for that week, and I will sing it at every opportunity. This is a simple idea that makes me feel really happy and will hopefully benefit the boys as well! If nothing else, it gives me an alternative to grouching. When I find myself starting to respond with irritation, I sing instead. Surprisingly effective. Also, it piques Wombat's curiousity, so we talk about what I'm singing, why I'm singing it, what the words mean... and before I know it Wombat is singing his own little lalala songs as well. It adds harmony to our lives.

In the future I hope to extend this idea to encompass new hymns that I would like to learn, but to start with, I am going to choose some old favourites that I love - often I have the chorus by heart, and one or two verses, but it would be nice to have the whole song. This one, for example, I know well, but still often get the verses mixed up, or substitute lines from other hymns and the third verse is almost always forgotten.

Sing a New Song

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Yahweh's people dance for joy.
Oh come before the Lord.
Play for him on glad tambourines,
And let your trumpet sound.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Rise oh chidren from your sleep.
Your Savior now has come.
He has turned your sorrow to joy,
And filled your soul with song.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.

Glad my soul for I have seen
the glory of the Lord.
The trumpet sounds; the dead shall be raised.
I know my Savior lives.

Sing a new song unto the Lord
Let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord
Singing alleluia.



I have been reading a bit about choosing (or being chosen by) a patron saint for the year, and thinking it was a lovely idea. I guess mine has chosen me - welcome to a Brand New Ending, St Cecilia!