"I've been ordained a priest for over 10 years, and I keep experiencing firsts! This past Easter, for the first time, I sang the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil at the Visitation Monastery. . . . When done well, it is a beautiful song that pivots the liturgical tone of the Easter Vigil from darkness to light, gloom to glory, and death to life. When done poorly, I always feared it would have the opposite effect.
"I have many gifts but singing is not one of them. Prior to the Vigil, I met with the sacristan of the Visitation Monastery to practice the liturgy. I asked about the Exsultet, 'Sister, what are we going to do about the Exsultet?' She simply replied, 'You are going to sing it.' I didn't need to respond because my answer was written clearly on my face. Sensing my hesitancy, she looked me in the eye and said, 'It's just us here.' She reached my heart, and I shifted my response, 'Of course, I'll sing it, it's just us after all.' The closeness I felt in that moment gave me the courage to say yes."
In
a recent commentary based on the writings of St. Francis de Sales, Father Joe Newman,
OSFS, reflected on God's closeness to us..
To access Fr. Newman's complete post, please visit:
De Sales Weekly: Provincial Reflection: "It's Just Us Here" (18 APR 24)
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