A hand-painted street sign in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. I have decided to follow Jesus  is a song that comes from the Assam region of India. It was made popular in the United States by Dr. Billy Graham. The song’s origins are unclear. One legend attributes it to the last words of an Indian Christian martyr, who is said to have recited these words as he died. His words were later made into a hymn by an Indian missionary, Sadhu Sundar Singh. Another source credits an Indian mi

Josef Gabriel Rheinberger (public domain image via Wikimedia Commons) This week’s Lenten Music Highlight is Kyrie  from Josef Rheinberger’s Cantus Missae (Sung Mass)   for double choir in E flat. Josef Rheinberger (1839 – 1901) was from Liechtenstein, one of the smallest countries in Europe. He showed early talent for music. At age seven, he was already serving as the organist at the parish church in Vaduz, the capital city. Although his father initially opposed his desire to

Lately, I've been wondering about what it means to do Lent in the Jubilee Year of Hope. Right before Lent started, Father Scott mentioned this in his homily. He said he had the sense that Lent in the Jubilee Year of Hope would be filled with exceptional graces. Something about the way he said it made me take note - it hung in the air for an extra second, like it had more weight than the sentences around it. I've been thinking about this a lot. Extra graces. Does that mean ext