How Great Thou Art!
This weekend, Fr. Ed Shea graces Resurrection with his presence and will lead us in a Lenten parish mission entitled How Great Thou Art: Celebrating the Moments of Grace. One of the gifts Fr. Ed brings is a unique blending of music and story, hence the title of the missions and it's relation to one of the most popular church hymns of all time.
How are familiar is your Church of the Home with this classic hymn? Initially written as a poem by Carl Boberg, the inspiration behind this song comes from a moment of awe as a storm popped up in Sweden. Boberg was walking home from church when thunder and lighting appeared in the distance. A rainbow and a peaceful calm followed the storm. The poem was then put to music and spread in Europe. In 1931, British missionary Stuart K. Hines heard the song in Russian and was inspired to create the English version of "How Great Thou Art" with additional verses he wrote.
Today, "How Great Thou Art" has been recorded over 1700 times and has become a familiar element of our culture. We hear this song sung at Mass, funerals, on TV, in movies, and beyond. When we truly listen to the lyrics of the song, we are reminded of the greatest of God. It calls us to stop and stand in awe of all the God as done, through his creation of nature and through the actions of Jesus.
Join Resurrection and Fr. Ed Shea this week in celebration the moments of grace as we turn towards the greatness of God. We invite your Church of the Home to join the parish mission with Fr. Ed. The theme of the first night is "Open Our Eyes" and we encourage you to open your eyes to your Church of the Home. Share how great each member is and what uniqueness/gifts they bring to the family. Other ideas for your Church of the Home:
Take time to listen "How Great Thou Art" as a Church of the Home, followed by reflection and discussion of the lyrics. What message does each family member hear in the song? What makes your soul sing? Could you write additional verses like Stuart K. Hines?
Take a walk as a Church of the Home and admire God's beauty in nature. Say a prayer to God in thanksgiving for the greatness you experience.
Because "How Great Thou Art" is one of the most popular song at funerals, reflect on those who have passed that brought grace to your life. What greatness did they possess and how can you continue it?
Resurrection Steps of our Lenten Journey
Daily reflections by Roger Vanden Busch on the Scripture readings for Lent
We begin our daily Lenten journey with Jesus. Along the way, we go to an “out of the way” place to encounter His presence in Readings, Reality, and Prayer.
Daily Reflections :
Join us for Mass at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, or on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.
READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES
VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION
This past week we celebrated Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday on the same day. How did you see the conjunction of these two events? While it could be seen as an inconvenience to celebrate the two Holy Days together, in actuality, it was a perfect way to start the Lenten season. Join Sister Marla as she reflects on growing in love during this season of Lent.
Auditio Divina
Drawing upon the steps of Lectio Divina, Auditio Divina brings this ancient prayer practice into today’s world. It breaks open the lyrics of modern songs to help individuals listen with heart.
Katie and Tony, hosts of the Revealed Podcast, break open "Temptation Eyes" by The Grass Roots as it relates to the Sunday Gospel.
This Weekend's Bulletin
(click to read)
Families
Parish Lyceum
The Parish Lyceum will feature a variety of topics, guidelines, and relevant information to nurture the PIESS of our lives – physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and social.
Welcome to the Newest Member of Our Family Faith
Announcements
Ruby & Res
Guess who got a new collar! It's puppy fashion week at Res.
