ROAMIN'
CATHOLIC
By Stanford Espedal2005 ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
December
November
October
September
July/August
June
May
April
March
February
January
ARTICLES
Little Notes
Letters
Confessions
Talk About Movies
Follow Me
Contents © 2005
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.
ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
June 2005
THE IMMACULATA, UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
The Immaculata, dedicated to the greater glory of God in 1959, is without doubt the grandest parish church in the diocese of San Diego. Situated on the hilltop campus of the University of San Diego, the white basilica's blue dome and soaring bell tower are city landmarks.
I attended the 11:00 a.m. Mass here on May 15th, Pentecost Sunday. Father Matthew Spahr, the parish pastor, celebrated. An eleven-member ensemble provided contemporary liturgical music; instruments included piano, two rhythm guitars, electric bass guitar, and drums.
As the sanctuary party processed the band struck up David Haas' Send Us Your Spirit. The congregation joined in enthusiastically. A crucifer carrying a "John Paul II" style crucifix led five altar servers: two female and three male — one an older man bearing a censer. All were vested in beige robes. A deacon carried the gold Gospel book. Father Spahr followed, wearing a chasuble with red and violet sections divided by a beige stripe.
Upon reaching the altar and kissing it, Father Spahr began censing the altar while the song continued. The solemn censing accompanied by this ditty performed in a soft rock style typified the incongruent juxtaposing of traditional Catholic elements with novelties inspired by secular culture. I noted in the service folder that Come Holy Ghost, Creator Blest had been sung at 9:00. "Far more fitting for this ritual," I thought.
After censing the altar, Father Spahr spoke for a moment about the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters at creation, and sanctifying the waters of baptism. (A large bowl-shaped baptismal font stood at the base of the altar). He then went through the church sprinkling all of us from an aspergillum.
The singers belted out the Jones setting of the Gloria. The guitars and drums pounded out the refrains in a driving dance beat.
A lectoress in long skirt, sleeveless blouse, and red straw bowler hat delivered the first lesson: the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost as recorded in the second chapter of Acts. The singers and instrumentalists responded with verses of Psalm 104 and an upbeat rendition of the refrain: "Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth." Another lectoress in dark skirt and suit jacket read the second lesson, from First Corinthians, in which Saint Paul tells us that we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body. Then the lead singer took the Sequence for Pentecost as an unaccompanied solo. She delivered this thirteenth-century hymn to the Holy Spirit, set to a modal melody, with a beautiful voice and prayerful manner. It was the musical moment of grace in this Mass. The moment ended as the guitars introduced the Gospel Acclamation with a high-powered "A-a-lay-ay-LOO-oo-oo-yah!" Then the deacon, who will soon be ordained to the priesthood, proclaimed the Gospel, John 20: 19-23, in which Jesus, after his resurrection, breathed on the apostles and said "Receive the Holy Spirit;" and gave them the power of binding and loosing sins.
Father Spahr began his homily with the observation that many teens whom he has prepared for Confirmation, when asked what they know about the Holy Spirit, respond with a blank stare — "You know; the stare a parent gets when asking the young person to take out the garbage." The people laughed. He then said that the Holy Spirit's role in our Christian life is indispensable and began a biblical catechesis on the Spirit's work. Beginning with creation, he recalled how the Holy Spirit hovered over the unformed elements, creating order out of chaos. But before the Holy Spirit came upon them the elements were called "empty and void." Mary's womb was also empty and void, but when the Holy Spirit hovered over it and entered it, her womb became fruitful and Christ was formed in her. Again, the disciples were, in a manner of speaking, empty and void until the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they became the Church: a body of fearless witnesses to Christ. In the same way, our souls are void and empty — chaotic — until the Holy Spirit enters and transforms us from a condition of chaos into the living image of God. He concluded with an appeal to seek the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to effect this transformation, fulfilling the purpose of our creation.
During the Sacrifice, Father Spahr used Eucharistic Prayer III. At the Our Father everyone joined hands, filling the aisles to do so. During communion all sang John Foley's One Bread, One Body. New Testament allusions abound in this song, yet in its musical feel and emphasis on "we," — "One bread, one body/ One Lord of all/ One cup of blessing which we bless/ And we, though many, throughout the earth/ We are one body in this one Lord" — it seemed almost an expression of communal self-worship.
The sanctuary party recessed to the singing of "Send down the fire of your justice/ send down the rains of your love/ Come send down the Spirit/ breathe life in your people/ and we shall be people of God."
The people of God applauded vigorously.