Strengthen your Lenten experience with the music of the season!

“Music plays an important role in many people’s lives. It reaches many in a profound way both by its beauty and lyrical message,” said Father Huemmer. “Utilizing the many beautiful Lenten hymns can deepen our experience of the mercy and love of God.”
 
We’ve created two Lenten Playlists--both Traditional & Gregorian Chants--on Spotify.com. The Traditional Playlist features liturgical hymns that sound more like what you'd hear at church with choirs and organs. The Gregorian Playlist features traditional Gregorian Latin chants. 
 
The Lenten Playlists are drawn from past and present Hymnals in an effort to get a wide sampling of the some of the known and unknown treasure in the church’s repertoire. The Traditional list includes some of the Lenten classics that are common in many parishes as well as some that were better know in the past, whose lyrics capture the heart of the Lenten season.

The Gregorian Playlist includes hymns from the Liturgy of the Hours and chants from the Masses of the Sundays in Lent. These chants, though in Latin, help to raise our minds and hearts to the Lord.

Our annual Lenten Day of Reflection is set for Tuesday, March 7, 2023 from 9 am to 3 pm. Fr. David Huemmer will lead a conference further exploring Lenten Hymns and the role they can play in strengthening our Lent experience.  
 
This retreat includes prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, a Keltie & Co. Catering lunch and time for hymn reflection. Following reconciliation, Fr. Huemmer will lead Stations of the Cross (indoor or outdoor--weather permitting) to wrap up the day. Carpenter’s Shop gifts will be open at the end of the retreat.  
 
The cost is $30, register HERE before March 3rd.

Once Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday April 2, tune in for Passiontide hymns. Though, many will begin with some of them on the 5th Sunday of Lent, formally the start of Passiontide. It is still a time when there is a noticeable change in the tone of the readings in the Liturgy of the Hours and even in the Lectionary readings at Mass.

Easter hymns are used during the Easter Season—from Easter (April 9, 2023) to Pentecost (May 28, 2023). The first 40 days of this season commemorate the time the resurrected Jesus remained on earth before departing at Ascension. Then, traditionally, nine days later is Pentecost.

“Easter Hymns are known for Easter Sunday, but tend to not get much “air time” after that,” said Father Huemmer. “They are rich in themes of resurrection, new life, and thus are meant to help us enter the season of rejoicing and alleluias not just for one day or a week, but rather for the 50 days of this glorious season!”
 
If you already have a Spotify.com account, search for the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center and 'follow' us. Be sure and 'like' our Lenten, Passiontide and Easter Playlists so you can listen throughout the season. You can also find links to our playlists on our website stjosephretreat.org.
 
If you don't already have an account with Spotify.com, it is easy and FREE to create at Spotify.com.