OFFICE FOR WORSHIP
  • Home
  • WHAT WE OFFER
    • Courses and Workshops >
      • Certificate of Pastoral Liturgy
      • The Eucharist unit
      • Music Workshops
    • Missal and Lectionary
    • Liturgical Assistance >
      • Liturgical Templates
      • Confirmations
    • Liturgical Music >
      • Lit Music - Year A Psalms
      • Lit Music - Year B Psalms
      • Lit Music - Year C Psalms
      • Copyright
    • RCIA (Becoming Catholic)
    • Guidelines
  • Publications
    • Seasonal Publications
    • Southern Cross Articles
    • RCIA Newsletters
    • Liturgical Calendar
    • Stations of the Resurrection
  • Resources
    • Lenten Resources
  • Adelaide Archdiocese
  • Links
  • Contact Us

Articles from the Southern Cross

What's in an Antiphon?

29/5/2018

 
Author: Jenny O'Brien
The beautiful funeral liturgies that marked the passing to eternal life of Archbishop Leonard Faulkner demonstrated very clearly the important role that our Catholic rituals play within the faith community. The coming together of so many people from throughout our diocese and beyond was “cemented” by the prayers, the readings, the songs and hymns, the actions in which we all joined. 
As we sang the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm at both the Vigil service and the Mass of Christian Burial I was reminded of the power that these short but meaning-filled sentences carry.

At the Vigil we repeated the consoling words that Jesus spoke to his disciples when he appeared to them after his resurrection: “My peace be upon you forever, my love be within your heart, my Spirit will keep you safe all your days”(cf. Jn 20:21-23). Even if we do not recall the words of the psalm verses that follow, this antiphon remains with us to remind us day after day of the gift that Jesus brings to each of us: the gift of his deep peace and the enduring and unfailing presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Psalm antiphon at the Mass was much more exultant in tone: “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord!” Although we mourn Archbishop Faulkner’s death, we know that he is now in the loving presence of God for all eternity.  He has “gone rejoicing” to his true home.  Once again, even without knowing the verses of the accompanying psalm, we can carry the words of the antiphon in our minds and hearts and take comfort from it.
This practice of carrying through the week the Psalm antiphon of each Sunday’s liturgy is a good one to cultivate.  You might be surprised at how many of these little refrains you already know.  Certainly, the most widely known – “The Lord is my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want” – is a constant reminder that Christ, the Good Shepherd, is our ever-present guardian and provides all that we need. Another well-known antiphon – “The Lord is kind and merciful” – is a great reassurance when we fall short of the mark, whether that be in our relationships with family members or in some other situation. There is nothing we can do that will remain unforgiven, so long as we turn back to our kind and merciful God.
On those days when the world seems particularly beautiful or life seems good, the antiphon, “Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord” might spring to mind. Gratitude is a very attractive characteristic, and awareness of all the great gifts bestowed upon us by God can make our spirits soar and our hearts (if not our voices) sing.  The joy we then radiate to those around us draws them too into the “goodness of the Lord.”
“Lord, you have the words of everlasting life.”  This antiphon encourages us to truly listen to God’s word, especially as it is proclaimed at Mass, but also in our daily reading of Scripture.  The nourishment that comes from a daily diet of Scripture helps us to live our lives in a way that befits disciples of Christ and builds the relationship with God that will come to full fruition when our earthly lives have ended and we join the Risen Christ and all the faithful who have gone before us.
Take a moment each week to really attend to the antiphon of the Responsorial Psalm. It is surprising how much wisdom, inspiration and encouragement is packed into these short sentences.  They are easy to remember and can be a great way to keep us in touch with God throughout our day.

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Advent
    Archbishop
    Becoming Catholic
    Catechumens
    Celebration
    Christmas
    Easter
    Family
    Feasts
    Gospel
    Holy Spirit
    Hymns
    Jesus
    Lent
    Liturgical Calendar
    Liturgy
    Marriage
    Mary
    Multicultural
    Pentecost
    Prayer
    Psalms
    RCIA
    Rites
    Sacraments
    Saints
    Service
    Traditions
    Word Of God

    Archives

    December 2021
    November 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    December 2017

Picture
Picture
Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide
cco-reception@adelaide.catholic.org.au

​+61 8 8210 8210
Office for Worship, Adelaide SA
worship@adelaide.catholic.org.au
​​+61 8 8210 8130
​
  • Home
  • WHAT WE OFFER
    • Courses and Workshops >
      • Certificate of Pastoral Liturgy
      • The Eucharist unit
      • Music Workshops
    • Missal and Lectionary
    • Liturgical Assistance >
      • Liturgical Templates
      • Confirmations
    • Liturgical Music >
      • Lit Music - Year A Psalms
      • Lit Music - Year B Psalms
      • Lit Music - Year C Psalms
      • Copyright
    • RCIA (Becoming Catholic)
    • Guidelines
  • Publications
    • Seasonal Publications
    • Southern Cross Articles
    • RCIA Newsletters
    • Liturgical Calendar
    • Stations of the Resurrection
  • Resources
    • Lenten Resources
  • Adelaide Archdiocese
  • Links
  • Contact Us