Music Reflections for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, October 26, 2025 Dr. John Michniewicz

The readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) emphasize the importance of humble prayer over pride, highlighted by the Gospel parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee.

• The opening hymn, “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven,” reflects the theme of God’s grace and mercy, drawing connections to the lectionary Psalm 34.
• At the 11:30 AM Mass, the choir will sing “Draw Us In the Spirit’s Tether” at the Presentation, connecting to the themes of humility and community prayer found in the readings.
• The Communion Meditation features the anthem Anima Christi (Soul of Christ), a 14th-century Latin prayer set to music by Fr. Marco Frisina, which is a humble plea for God’s mercy and salvation.
• The 10:00 AM Family Mass features the spiritual “Guide My Feet” at the Offertory, which aligns with St. Paul’s message in the second reading about “finishing the race.”
• At the Saturday and early Sunday Masses, the Communion meditation is “Wonderful, Merciful Savior,” a contemporary song that serves as a humble prayer for grace and mercy.

The readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, focus on the importance of prayer, coming from a place of humility rather than pride. The First Reading from Sirach shows that God hears the prayers of the poor, the humble and the oppressed. Then, the Psalm 34 response emphasizes this concept with its refrain: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor,” and continues, “the Lord is close to the broken hearted,” and saves those “who are crushed in spirit. ” The second reading from 2 Timothy, written by St. Paul, shows his strong faith, stating that he has “competed well” and has “finished the race;” “fought the good fight” and will receive “the crown of righteousness. ” In the Gospel reading from Luke 18, Jesus teaches the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. The Pharisee prays in self-congratulation, listing his good deeds, while the tax collector stands apart, beating his breast and pleading, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Jesus concludes that it was the tax collector, not the Pharisee, who went home justified. The tax collector, traditionally considered the lowest of the low in Jewish society, prays humbly that God will show him mercy. Jesus offers the humility of the tax collector as a model for the prayer of a disciple. The parable reminds us that when we approach God in prayer, we must recognize our need for God’s grace and that pride and self-importance leave no room for the working of God’s grace.
For the 30th Sunday in Ordinary time, our opening hymn, “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven” (W-610), reflects on the theme of God’s grace and mercy to all. This hymn focuses on the eternal goodness of God, as the King of Heaven, emphasizing dependence on God rather than personal pride and achievement. The hymn, based on Psalm 103, echoes Sunday’s lectionary Psalm. The first verse of Psalm 34 is a call to praise: “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD” which is echoed in the hymn’s opening lines: “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; to his feet thy tribute bring”. The hymn praises God for his “grace and favor,” and that God is “glorious in his faithfulness.”

The author, Henry Francis Lyte (1793-1847) was an Anglican minister in Devonshire, England. It was noted that Lyte “was known as a man frail in body but strong in faith and spirit.” John Goss, who composed the tune in 1869, served for 34 years and the Organist and Choirmaster at St.
Paul’s Cathedral in London, ensuring that Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven became and endures as one of the most widely sung hymns throughout the English speaking world. The hymn was sung at the State Funeral of President George H.W. Bush in 2018, and at the Royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, following the example of its being sung at Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding. It was also more recently featured during the Coronation of King Charles III.

At the 11:30 AM Mass, the Choir will sing “Draw Us In the Spirit’s Tether” at the Presentation. Composed by Harold Friedell, this selection connects to Sunday’s lectionary readings through its themes of humility, community, and receiving God’s mercy. The lyrics, emphasizing a humble approach to God, echoes the contrast between the Pharisee and the tax collector in the Gospel, while also reflecting the communal and grace-filled focus of the First and Second Readings.

Draw us in the Spirit’s tether;
For when humbly, in thy name,
Two or three are met together,
Thou art in the midst of them:
Alleluia! Touch we now thy garment’s hem.

As the brethren use to gather
In the name of Christ to sup,
Then with thanks to God the Father
Break the bread and bless the cup,
Alleluia! So knit thou our friendship up.

All our meals and all our living
Make as sacraments of thee,
That by caring, helping, giving,
We may true disciples be.
Alleluia! We will serve thee faithfully.

The lyricist, Percy Dreamer, was a London Vicar and later a canon of Westminster Abbey, where he worked with social programs for the unemployed. He was an editor of the English Hymnal in 1906, Songs of Praise in 1925, and the Oxford Book of Carols in 1928. Along with Ralph Vaughan Williams and composer Martin Shaw, he helped revive traditional and medieval English music hymns and folk tunes. He wrote or translated over 80 hymns. His texts are associated with the Arts and Crafts movement and with Christian outreach.

The composer, Harold Friedell, was respected and appreciated for his dozen years of service to New York City’s St. Bartholomew’s Church and as an inspiring faculty member of composition and improvisation at the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary. By 1946 Friedell had established himself as one of the foremost church musicians, organists, and teachers in New York. The tune associated with this hymn and anthem is known as Union Seminary. Union’s School of Sacred Music trained thousands of church musicians, before transferring to New Haven where its legacy continues as the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.
Friedell was one of the notable East Coast American church musicians of the mid-20th century and wrote an attractive melodic and harmonic setting for Dreamer’s text, before his passing at the age of 53 in 1958. Michael Hawn reflects that: The text beautifully links the present believer with the disciples who gathered with Christ at the table (Matthew 18:20). The “spirit’s tether” also refers to the spiritual connection that unites believers, not just during the sacrament of Holy Communion, but also in their daily lives, making “all our meals and all our living” into acts of worship. The hymn encourages a commitment to a life of caring, helping, and giving, thereby serving as true disciples of Christ. Hawn continues: “Thus, the hymn begins in the upper room with the disciples and comes full circle as we join them around the table and are nourished to serve others in the world.”

Here is a link to Draw Us In the Spirit’s Tether: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsLmxGzJhBA&list=RDKsLmxGzJhBA&start_radio=1

At the Communion Meditation, the choir will sing the anthem: Anima Christi, in a musical setting by Fr. Marco Frisina. This anthem, sung in Latin, reflects the lectionary’s focus on humble prayer, God’s mercy, and salvation, which align well with the texts’s themes of seeking purification, protection, and eternal life through Christ’s Passion. The text is a humble request for God’s mercy and cleansing, which echoes the tax collector’s prayer in the Gospel. In the selection, there are references to the “Body of Christ,” “Blood of Christ,” and “Passion of Christ” showing the believer’s prayer for sanctification, strength, and salvation. This also resonates with Paul’s perseverance in the Second Reading and the salvation promised to the humble in the lectionary readings.

Anima Christi is a 14th-century Latin prayer, likely of unknown authorship. St. Ignatius of Loyola, helped popularize it by including it in his Spiritual Exercises. Historical evidence shows it existed in early manuscripts and was inscribed on the gate of the Alcazar of Seville during the 14th century. Today, it continues as a popular eucharistic devotional prayer that is used after receiving communion.

Anima Christi, sanctifica me.
Corpus Christi, salva me.
Sanguis Christi, inebria me.
Aqua lateris Christi, lava me.
Passio Christi, conforta me.
O bone Jesu, exaudi me.
Intra tua vulnera absconde me.
Ne permittas me separari a te.
Ab hoste maligno defende me.
In hora mortis meae voca me.
Et iube me venire ad te,
Ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te.
In saecula saeculorum.
Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me.
Within your wounds conceal me.
Do not permit me to be parted from you.
From the evil foe protect me.
At the hour of my death, call me.
And bid me come to you,
to praise you with all your saints
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The composer, Fr. Marco Frisina, was born in Rome in 1954. He studied music at the Conservatory of St. Celia in Rome, and was ordained a priest in 1982 after studying Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. His melodic and tuneful compositions reflect his belief that liturgical melodies should assist prayer and should be memorable and distinctive in style and tone. His diverse repertoire also includes oratorios, film scores, opera and musical theater and spans both religious and secular themes. His musical style has been likened to both Miklos Rozsa and Ennio Morricone, the great Italian film composer.

Here is a link to Marco Frisina’s musical setting of Anima Christi: https://enclavemusicoral.com/2021/03/06/anima-christi-frisina/

At the 10:00 Family Mass, the Mass Through Music children’s choir will sing at the Offertory: “Guide My Feet.” This Spiritual, with roots in the African American religious tradition, reflects the second reading, where Paul’s letter to Timothy tells how he has “finished the race.” “Guide My Feet” is sung in churches and by gospel and folk artists, who continue to draw on its powerful message of divine guidance and the pursuit of a just life.

1. Guide my feet while I run this race, Guide my feet while I run this race, Guide my feet while I run this race,
   for I don’t want to run this race in vain!
2. Hold my hand…
3. Stand by me…
4. I’m Your child…

Here is a link to an inspiring version of “Guide My Feet:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFCA-nVLtOI&list=RDGFCA-nVLtOI&start_radio=1

During the Communion meditation at the Saturday evening and early Sunday Masses, the selection will be “Wonderful, Merciful Savior,” by Dawn Rodgers and Eric Wyse. The text shows a humble prayer for grace and mercy, in an attractive contemporary and meditative setting by the husband and wife musicians and composers. Written in 1989, the song received the 2002 award for “Inspirational Song of the Year” by the Gospel Music Association, and appears in many current hymnals.

Wonderful, merciful Savior, Precious Redeemer and Friend,
Who would have thought that a Lamb Could rescue the souls of men?
Oh, You rescue the souls of men.

Counselor, Comforter, Keeper, Spirit we long to embrace,
You offer hope when our hearts have Hopelessly lost our way.
Oh, we’ve hopelessly lost the way.

You are the One that we praise, You are the One we adore,
You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for.
Almighty, infinite Father, Faithfully loving Your own,
Here in our weakness You find us Falling before Your throne.
Oh, we’re falling before Your throne.

You are the One that we praise, You are the One we adore,
You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for.

You are the One that we praise, You are the One we adore,
You give the healing and grace Our hearts always hunger for. Oh, our hearts always hunger for.

Here is a link to a version of Wonderful Merciful Savior: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk4Mvovu4Aw&list=RDnk4Mvovu4Aw&start_radio=1

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