“What are God’s servants but His minstrels, who must inspire the hearts of men and stir them to spiritual joy!”
- St. Francis of Assisi
On Thursday, December 2, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah began. On that day I traveled with our organist, Ginny Ambrose, to Swisshelm Park Studio owned and operated by Michael Mazzei, sound engineer and singer of the group, “The Interior Castle”. We recorded a 50 minute auidio CD entitled, “The Heart of Christmas… Christ’s Love: The Message, the Meaning and the Music of Christmas." I was given a set of earphones and instructed to wear them throughout the taping. I was also told to keep the “popping noises” down to a minimum as I spoke — meaning that every letter “B” and “P” would have to be minimized. It took close to three hours to record fifty minutes of material with little or no breaks in between. It was an exhausting effort. (Water never tasted so good!) Upon completion of this, Michael, the sound engineer said, “It’s time for Fr. Ron Lengwin to move over!” I don’t think I’m ready for “Amplify” which has aired on KDKA 1020 AM for the past thirty years.
I was inspired by Pope Benedict XVI in the year designated “The Year of the Priest” in which he encouraged priests to herald the message of the Good News through modern technologies. Sometimes in life it just takes an ounce of encouragement to set one’s life to be more inspirational. An upcoming reflection is scheduled to appear in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Friday, December 17, of an article I wrote entitled, “All I Want for Christmas." There will be an ad along with the article for anyone who may be interested in purchasing this new CD. It is the perfect Christmas gift; a gift for the soul and for the heart.
On the inside cover of the CD I wrote, “As a priest, I strive daily to keep God’s love at the center of my life. I try to be, ‘a lifelong learner’ and ground my life in good friendships, prayer and the sacraments, so that I might experience God’s love in my own faith journey and thus be able to share that love with others in all I say and do. God’s love is freely given to all of us despite our sinfulness and weakness. God’s love inspires us when things are good and keeps us going when times are rough. The wisdom of an early church father wrote, ‘To know ourselves has always been the greatest of all lessons. For, if we know ourselves, we will know God. And, in knowing God, we will become like God’ (Clement of Alexandria, 150-215). May 'The Message, Meaning and Music of Christmas' stir in us touching and tender graces. Let His love, hope, joy, and peace reign in our hearts and lives. Then we will reflect His presence and holiness through sharing His ‘marvelous’ love. May the ‘real’ spirit of Christmas fill your heart with His promises.”
These CDs can be purchased for $10 after all Masses in December or picked up at the rectory. For $12 they can be mailed. Call 412-264-6162 to order or for more information.
- St. Francis of Assisi
On Thursday, December 2, the Jewish festival of Hanukkah began. On that day I traveled with our organist, Ginny Ambrose, to Swisshelm Park Studio owned and operated by Michael Mazzei, sound engineer and singer of the group, “The Interior Castle”. We recorded a 50 minute auidio CD entitled, “The Heart of Christmas… Christ’s Love: The Message, the Meaning and the Music of Christmas." I was given a set of earphones and instructed to wear them throughout the taping. I was also told to keep the “popping noises” down to a minimum as I spoke — meaning that every letter “B” and “P” would have to be minimized. It took close to three hours to record fifty minutes of material with little or no breaks in between. It was an exhausting effort. (Water never tasted so good!) Upon completion of this, Michael, the sound engineer said, “It’s time for Fr. Ron Lengwin to move over!” I don’t think I’m ready for “Amplify” which has aired on KDKA 1020 AM for the past thirty years.
I was inspired by Pope Benedict XVI in the year designated “The Year of the Priest” in which he encouraged priests to herald the message of the Good News through modern technologies. Sometimes in life it just takes an ounce of encouragement to set one’s life to be more inspirational. An upcoming reflection is scheduled to appear in the Pittsburgh Catholic, Friday, December 17, of an article I wrote entitled, “All I Want for Christmas." There will be an ad along with the article for anyone who may be interested in purchasing this new CD. It is the perfect Christmas gift; a gift for the soul and for the heart.
On the inside cover of the CD I wrote, “As a priest, I strive daily to keep God’s love at the center of my life. I try to be, ‘a lifelong learner’ and ground my life in good friendships, prayer and the sacraments, so that I might experience God’s love in my own faith journey and thus be able to share that love with others in all I say and do. God’s love is freely given to all of us despite our sinfulness and weakness. God’s love inspires us when things are good and keeps us going when times are rough. The wisdom of an early church father wrote, ‘To know ourselves has always been the greatest of all lessons. For, if we know ourselves, we will know God. And, in knowing God, we will become like God’ (Clement of Alexandria, 150-215). May 'The Message, Meaning and Music of Christmas' stir in us touching and tender graces. Let His love, hope, joy, and peace reign in our hearts and lives. Then we will reflect His presence and holiness through sharing His ‘marvelous’ love. May the ‘real’ spirit of Christmas fill your heart with His promises.”
These CDs can be purchased for $10 after all Masses in December or picked up at the rectory. For $12 they can be mailed. Call 412-264-6162 to order or for more information.
