Reflection

This weekend’s Gospel is presented with two options for proclamation: the long form (20 verses) and the short form (8 verses). My guess is that many parishes will hear the short form, but there are good reasons to read and reflect on both. The Sermon on the Mount, which we hear over several weeks, speaks to the challenge of our doing more than the minimum of what is asked, to that of going beyond the letter of the law. At its core this Gospel passage’s message is clear in that Jesus asks us to follow a different and more rigorous and demanding standard than that of the world.

This Gospel as related to our responsibilities of serving as a pastoral musician can elicit an examination of conscience: "Is how I plan, rehearse, and execute music for the liturgy the minimum, or do I strive for excellence in these areas? Am I relieved that the cantor got all the notes right but did not seem to connect with the text? Do I rely on plans that have worked in the past, or do I look for new music, new ways to grow my own skills and that of my musical groups? Can I inspire and challenge those in music ministry to look beyond the notes into what the liturgy is asking us to do personally and professionally?"

Prayer

Loving God,
our eyes have not seen,
our ears have not heard what God has ready for those who love Him.
Spirit of love, come give us the mind of Jesus,
Teach us the wisdom of God.
Amen.

Prayer taken from “Eye Has Not Seen” by Marty Haugen, © 1982, GIA Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission via ONELICENSE.net, License # A-730124. All rights reserved.

Joanne Werner
Director of Liturgy and Music
St. Michael Catholic Church
Bedford, TX
 

Tom began accompanying Mass at St. Michael in 1994 and took on the Music Director role in 1999. Tom received his B.A. in Music Composition and Theory from VCU and earned an M.A. in Theology from Notre Dame in 2008. 

Tom met his wife Lori when she joined the choir in 1994. They were married in 1997 and currently reside in Rockville with their two teenage sons, Jack (lector) and Sam (drummer). Together, they all care for their beloved family dogs, Jazz, & Louie. Tom has a daughter Macy, who, along with her husband Matt, is raising two young daughters in San Diego CA. Tom's parents, Jack and Rita, moved to Short Pump in 2017 and attend mass regularly at St. Mikes. 

Tom enjoys time with his family, gardening, golfing and long walks with Lori. Originally from Wisconsin, Tom and Lori, along with their entire family (nuclear and beyond) are green-and-gold-blooded Packer fans.  
  Joe Sarver is one of the more in-demand bass players in the Central Virginia area.  He has been playing the bass professionally since the age of 12.  A native Richmonder, Joe has spent the better part of his musical career working with many of the most notable musicians in the Central Virginia region in every venue imaginable.  Over the years, he has been fortunate enough to have some wonderful musical associations with great veteran jazz players on the Richmond scene, as well as a number of key figures in the jazz world of national prominence.  Joe is a National Endowment of the Arts award recipient for Jazz Studies.  He has a passion for Brazilian music, especially Brazilian jazz.  St. Michael is so fortunate to have Joe in our Music Ministry. 

To get to know Joe and his musical endeavors, visit his website at joesarver.com.
  Hunter has been playing guitar with this ministry since 2019. He is very active with this parish’s Knights of Columbus Council (11172). While not working as a Commissioning Engineer at M C Dean in Ruther Glen, VA, Hunter enjoys doing yard work, farm work, and Revolutionary War re-enacting. He is also a diehard Baltimore Ravens and Orioles fan.
 
St. Michael's Music Ministry became part of my world in 1999 when I started substituting at the keyboard  for Tom Kaczmarek when he needed relief or was on vacation.  Being coached/mentored by TK for the past 23 years has been a huge blessing in my life.  It has been a privilege to accompany so many talented cantors over the years (starting with Melanie Coddington way back in the day, to our current team of Jenny, Sandi, Laura, and Julia).  

My "Church Music Career" began when I was 12 years old and the accompanist at our church left for college (she happened to be my older sister).   My Dad was quick to let the Priest know, "I have another daughter who plays!"  For the next six years until it was my turn to go off to college I learned by trial and error how to lead congregational singing (back in the late 60s we had no cantor and no choir).  Fast forward to the 1980s, I was the organist and helped with the choir for St. Anthony's Maronite Catholic Church.  

Over the years I have substituted at many of the churches in the Richmond Diocese (including St. Mary's, St. Ann's, Redeemer, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Patrick's, St. John's) and have enjoyed learning how each church is a little bit different in how they do things.  From a non-music "job" perspective, I retired in 2019 after a 42 year career as a Registered Nurse. Husband, Tom, and I live in Goochland with our German Shepherd, Lexi.  We travel frequently to Raleigh to visit with our daughter, Sara, and her family (husband Steven and our precious Grand-boys Charlie and James). Terri and her husband, Scott, relocated from the Chicago suburbs to Richmond in 2018 for Scott's job.  They joined St. Michael and the music ministry almost immediately. Terri has been involved in pastoral music and liturgy for most of her life, beginning as a parish song leader in the 1970s. She worked and volunteered at parishes across the Archdiocese of Chicago as a cantor, director, and pianist, including directing the Chicago Catholic Charismatic Music Ministry for a number of years. Prior to moving to Richmond, Terri was the Director of Music and Liturgy for St. Margaret Mary Parish in Algonquin, Illinois, where she oversaw the activities of 300+ liturgical volunteers including several adult choirs, children's choirs, the youth choir, and the parish school's weekly mass music preparation. Terri now directs the St. Michael the Archangel Cherub choir and assists as a piano accompanist. For her day job, Terri works at St. Bridget's as the parish receptionist and administrative assistant. Terri says, "I love the Catholic Church. Serving God through the Sacred Liturgy has always been my passion. I am blessed to be able to share my gifts with the St Mike's community."