Theo Tigno - News and Notes

We Are The Church

Sat, 06 Sep 2014

Here's the newest song that I'm extremely excited about:

(link: http://youtu.be/QGZluIm5RmQ) We Are The Church

The idea for this song has been brewing in my mind for a while. I thought about those who have to act against their conscience here in our country because the government. I thought about those who have to endure ridicule because of their stances on abortion and the definition of marriage. I even thought about the time we came out of a movie theater and someone ripped off our "Support Marriage" sticker.

Yet, the idea of the song took on a greater meaning when I heard about the persecution of Christians in Iraq. I saw the images of the horror and tyranny that is being inflicted from Islamic extremists on to Christians. I dared to see some of the images and it broke my heart.

The morning we wrote the song came after we prayed for those who are suffering persecution in the Middle East. We were praying the St. Michael Novena for them. It was that morning in which I decided that waiting to write this song has taken long enough.

This song is a reminder that our Church family has endured persecution and yet we still stand. We continue to be a home for the lost, the broken and the sick. We have sheltered those who are persecuted. We treasure the poor.

We are the Church.

Contemporary Antiphons

Sat, 11 Jan 2014

I haven't updated this website in a while, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been busy working on new compositions.

Interestingly enough, I have been working on modern, contemporary settings for the entrance antiphons (introit) and communion antiphons.

We have been using the new compositions at The Church of the Resurrection in Tempe, Arizona. If have been posting the audio on SoundCloud (see the home page) but I stopped posting them simply because I maxed out of the free account. So I have been posting links for the parish through either Google Drive or by a simple MP3 download.

If you're interested in getting the audio and the charts for these modern takes on the antiphons, please contact me and I will send them. God bless!

16th and 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mon, 22 Jul 2013

Here's the latest compositions for the Mass of the Immaculate Conception.

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Introit and Communion Antiphon:

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Introit

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Introit and Communion Antiphon

Fri, 12 Jul 2013

A few weeks ago, I went to Mass with my wife and friends, the Castillo's, to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Scottsdale, AZ. We were there to honor a good friend, Fr. Chad King, who celebrated Mass for the last time there as Associate Pastor for the parish.

When I wrote the (link: http://missalsetting.com/) Mass of the Immaculate Conception it was in adoration at OLPH. That Sunday, I heard a prompting to start composing a musical setting for the Introit and communion.

It took a couple of weeks to start composing one, and by now I'm posting this a little late (it is 10:22 Friday evening) ...

It was written this week but for the first time I had a chance to sit down and do a quick recording of it on my phone.

The Church, in her wisdom, has given us the Entrance and Communion antiphons. Why not cooperate with her wisdom?

Novena for Greg Thirkhill

Thu, 11 Jul 2013

Hello everyone! We are trying to put together a 24-hour a day novena for the full recovery of Greg Thirkhill and for strength for the Thirkhill family. The novena will begin on Saturday, July 13th and end on Sunday, July 21st 2013.

We are imploring the intercession of Servant of God Cardinal Van Thuan, who is up beatification. We ask that a miracle can be done through his intercession.

Bishop Thomas Olmstead wrote, in regards to Cardinal Van Thuan:

"The heroic Vietnamese Archbishop, Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, who was forced unjustly to spend 13 years in Communist prisons, 9 of these in solitary confinement, said that in that situation of seemingly utter hopelessness, what kept his hope alive was the fact that he could listen and speak to God. Still, his hope was constantly tested by his many years of total separation from human contact. During these times, Cardinal Van Thuan said he could find no words within his heart to cry out to God; and his mind was like a blank slate. The one thing that allowed him to continue praying was the Church's prayer. So, he would recite from memory, over and over, the Our Father, the Hail Mary, and the prayers of the Sacred Liturgy. In these years of terrible suffering and darkness, he said that he learned how prayer must involve the intermingling of public and personal prayer; prayers that the Spirit stirs up within our hearts and prayers that the Church gives us in the Sacred Liturgy.

"Prayer truly is a school of hope. When we priests pray with our people, when we continue to pray in tragedy and in hardship, we help them and also ourselves to be wiser than despair."

To sign up, you can fill out the form: (link: http://goo.gl/ljzyW) http://goo.gl/ljzyW

There is the ability to select two times you can sign up for. Please note that the greater need will be for the hours from 10pm - 4am (AZ time) so it would be greatly appreciated for prayers during this time. The final schedule will be posted on PrayerIntention.com Friday evening.

Here is the novena prayer that we will be praying:

Prayer for the Thirkhill Family
Dear Lord, please,
through the intercession of Cardinal Xavier Van Thuan,
we ask as one of the miracles toward his beatification
would be to help the Thirkhill family.
Pray the Lord grant full remission
of any effects of Greg Thirkhill's accident,
as well as complete and full healing and restoration
of all Thirkhill relationships.
Give complete recovery of Greg's body, mind, and soul
and full providence and financial coverage for his injuries,
as well as provision for any financial needs
accrued before, during, and after this accident.
Cover his wife, Ann, and their children
and make up for what is lacking, 100 fold!
Carry Ann and give her the R&R
and all the consolations she desires
in and through all of these hardships.
Grant her the wisdom, support and compassionate staff
she needs to know how to proceed
and abundant blessings in and through this situation
that aren't in disguise.
We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer for Beatification of Cardinal Van Thuan
O mighty and eternal God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
I offer thanks for giving to the Church
the heroic testimony
of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân.
The suffering he experienced in prison,
which he united with the crucified Christ
and commended to the maternal protection of Mary,
is for the Church and the world
a shining witness of unity and forgiveness,
and of justice and peace.
His loving person and his Episcopal ministry
radiate the light of faith,
the enthusiasm of hope and the warmth of love.
Now, my Lord,
through his intercession
and according to your will,
grant me the grace I am imploring
[for Greg Thirkhill's healing and for support for his family]
in the hope that he will soon be elevated
to the honour of sainthood.
Amen. (written by the Most Reverend Giampaolo Crepaldi)

Recording Day Thoughts

Sat, 22 Jun 2013

Today, on the Feast of St. Thomas More, I'm excited about recording the Mass setting written by my mother-in-law, Mary Brown. The setting she wrote is entitled "Mass of God's Kingdom" and it was recently approved by both ICEL and the USCCB.

It has been a long time since I have some recordings for public listening. I guess the last time was during Lent while recording the (link: https://soundcloud.com/dawgsthought) Lenten Reflections from Dawg's Thought. That, though, was simply putting a Shure SM58 in front of me and hitting record.

Why am I blogging about this after not blogging for a while? Well, it may be a part of something ... an idea ... that started while I was journaling in front of a pastry cafe in Rome at the Bologna stop. While I was there, I thought about starting something called "Holy Face Music". I purchased the domain a while ago but I haven't done much with it.

The website would be a resource for Liturgical music.

I was reminded of this when I saw the lastest email from worshiptogether.com. They were marketing their latest song, Christ Is Enough. Looking at the title alone, I was saddened by the fact that Christ was reduced to merely being "enough". The One who can command demons to flee ... the Alpha and the Omega ... The King of Kings and Lord of Lords ... is beyond enough.

The problem with a lot of music being written and published today is that the disposition of the song is written from the point of view of the writer. In a way it does an injustice to Who God is.

If we look at the opening lines of the song ...

-:Christ is my reward,
And all my devotion
Now there's nothing in this world
That could ever satisfy:-

The first line almost feels like a mockery. Christ is YOUR reward? It is an objectification of a loving God Who we should worship and adore. How is He YOUR reward? I wouldn't dare say that about my wife, let alone God Himself!

In contrast, if we read the first lines of the Gloria (tying it back to the Mass setting):

-:Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to people of good will:-

Yes, the phrasing is different than we are used to, but the first line places God in proper disposition. We the people proclaim "Glory to God" instead the former which treats God as a mere object.

To objectify is to use. The late Blessed John Paul the Great said in his book, Love and Responsibility, that the opposite of "to love" is "to use". If we objectify God, are we not then using God. If we are using God, we are not then doing the opposite of loving God?

We live in a time of shallow Theology and immature faith. I do not want to throw stones; I am in the same boat. Yet, I desire a deepening of the waters of faith in God's people. In God, there is an infinite supply of clean water and we are left drinking water with Kool-Aid mixed in. We are supplementing additives to the our faith that sugar coats the Gospel message.

It should not be about what God can do for you. I will go President Kennedy here. It's about knowing God ... worshiping and adoring God ... loving God in obedience and donation of self ... full abandonment in trust.

The irony of this is that many people tout the "relationship with Christ" as the reason to leave the Catholic faith. Yet, in the Sacramental life of the Church, we have more "personal relationship" bang for the buck than any other faith that has been made up or splintered off of the Church Christ Himself instituted. What can be more personal than confessing your sins to God Himself in the Sacrament of Reconciliation? Sure, we hear the argument that it is just confessing to a priest. This is a short-sighted understanding of the Sacrament. In the Sacrament, we confess to the priest who is in "persona Christi". We are confessing to Christ through the priest, who is ordained through the Apostles. The Bishops are in the lineage of the Apostles. It began with the Twelve and it continues today through the Bishops. Why do you think that the Pope's chair is called "Chair of Peter?" He was the first Pope directly commissioned through Christ.

There is so much more to our faith and it saddens me to hear God reduced to a mere object. Our art should reflect a greater and deeper understanding of God. It is art that can communicate beauty and truth in a unique way. If we are using art to communicate personalistic relationships and usury of the Divine, God's people AND those outside of the faith will know usury and beauty and truth ... objectification as beauty and truth. How we worship is how we live.

Last weekend, I was thinking about what it means to be a true warrior in a sense that most men, at one time or another, might of thought of themselves as warriors when they were kids. I also think about it because of the few martial arts I have taken over the years and have seen the dignity and discipline of the martial arts. I came up with a definition that I like and I want to make a meme of it. The saying goes like this: "A true warrior is someone who knows how to destroy, yet uses that knowledge to protect." I want to be a warrior who protects effectively, but I cannot if I do not know how to destroy.

Let us learn how our relationship with God can be destroyed by subtle cuts so that we can safeguard against it. We can learn this in our "personal" lives and through the lives of those who have fought the fight well: the Saints. The Saints have fought the fight and is now in Heaven. We can look to them, and pray with them, to be effective warriors.

Fighting begins with submission ... on our knees in prayer to God. Good art can help move our will so that we can get there.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Holy God We Praise Thy Name

Fri, 03 May 2013

A couple of months ago, I had the song "Holy God We Praise Thy Name" going through my mind. I started thinking about a way that the song could be done with the guitar while having more of a "driving pulse" behind it.

So, with guitar in hand and Divine inspiration flowing, a modified instrumentation was developed. It is in 6/8 time and the key is in E, versus the traditional F. The key of E allows for the guitar to sound more open and full.

Anyway, here is the link:

(link: http://snd.sc/107itr3) Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Contemporary Setting

Enjoy! If you need help with the chords, feel free to contact me. Also, I may have a chart for this done sometime soon.

Lenten Audio Reflections

Mon, 25 Feb 2013

For the season of Lent, I have been going back through past reflections and recording audio reflections that are posted on SoundCloud:

(link: https://soundcloud.com/dawgsthought) Audio Lenten Reflections

These reflections are based on the Gospel reading for the day. If you're looking for something to help you enter into this season of Lent, please feel free to tune in!

Lenten Gospel Acclamation - Organ and Cantor

Sun, 27 Jan 2013

Ever since composing the Mass of the Immaculate Conception, I thought that the setting is versatile enough to be used in both a traditional and contemporary choir. Being a guitarist and bassist, I would probably be labeled more as a contemporary musician.

Yet, while I was a music minster at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Phoenix, AZ, I learned a lot of Sacred Music. The music we have in the Church is beautiful is "set apart" for our Lord.

With that in mind, here is a recording of the Mass of the Immaculate Conception with an organ as the instrumentalist.

(link: https://soundcloud.com/theotigno/lenten-gospel-acclamation) Lenten Gospel Acclamation on SoundCloud.

You can also download the full setting @ (link: http://missalsetting.com) missalsetting.com (click (link: /theo/assets/uploaded/documents/usccb_icel_approval.pdf) here for the approvals from ICEL and the USCCB).

Koa Kalane Ukulele

Sun, 25 Nov 2012

In our last night here on the island of O'ahu, my wife and I went to the Waikele K-Mart to do some last minute shopping. While there, we saw a case of ukuleles. Curious, I decided to ask to play one. The brand waas Koa Kalane.

The first few that I played had more bling on them. As I played each, they sounded a bit harsh and bright for my taste. Then, I picked up a plainer looking one and I started to play it.

It was warm, responsive and clean sound ... rich and open ... After having played a lot of high-end guitars, I have a discerning ear. I wasn't sure if this was right so I picked up a few of the other ukes that were less ornate. Most of them sounded thinner and a bit harsh for my taste as well. They weren't bad; in fact they sounded much better than the $180 price tag that I saw. In fact, in my opinion, if you're looking for a good uke, this is all the ukulele that you need. We had a chance to play quite a few at a ukulele shop in Waikiki. These ukes seem to me to be a much better deal.

Hopefully, when I go back to Arizona, I'd love to compare to a Kamaka at Acoustic Vibes Music. Our visit here has been short and I wasn't able to see a lot of friends who would have a good uke.

I'm also coming back home with the guitar that I built for my dad - a Port Orford Cedar / East Indian Rosewood 12-fret 000. I need to do some finish buffing on it.

I can't wait see what this little uke can do. I'm not much of a player but hopefully my knowledge of music can help me get by.

Mass of the Immaculate Conception at My Wedding

Tue, 02 Oct 2012

On September 8th 2012, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I got married to the beautiful Christie Tigno (formerly Brown). It was a beautiful Mass! The priests were Fr. Chad King (celebrant) and Fr. Steve Kunkel (homilist).

The music was phenomenal! Special thanks to everyone who was a part of it, and especially to Greg Hebert, who directed the choir. It was also great to have the past music directors who I have helped me in the choir as well - Craig Colson, Jenny Rathsburg and Penni Scott.

The composer of the responsorial psalm, Dr. Michael J. A. Robb, put a recorder up to record the choir. I posted some of the audio from the Mass on Soundcloud: (link: http://soundcloud.com/theotigno/mass-immaculate-conception-wedding) Mass of the Immaculate Conception (thanks brother!). It is great to finally hear how the Mass parts sound with a full choir singing it. I have normally just used it with my guitar being the only instrument. It sounded inspired and heavenly!

There is so much grace in the sacrament of Marriage! I am truly blessed!

You can download the setting at (link: http://missalsetting.com) missalsetting.com

I've Been Reviewed!

Tue, 21 Aug 2012

I was doing a search and found a review. Here it is:

(link: http://derkopenedeyes.blogspot.com/2012/04/theo-tigno-restored-free-music-review.html) Music Review

There were some kudos and some really god points as to how it could improve. I am very grateful for this!

What I Learned as a Failed Entrepreneur

Mon, 23 Jul 2012

On my desktop has been a list. I have been waiting for a time when I could actually do something about this list and it has just sat there ... since January. This has brought me to write about what it means to be a "failed" entrepreneur versus one that has built something that is sustainable.

So, here we begin. The list that I could have started expanding on but never did:

-Stop thinking about your workspace and environment
-Hire people who will help you versus people you want to help
-Spending money takes time, which means you lose money twice
-You hire a contractor to get work done. If it doesn't work, don't forget that your workload is still the same
-Start off your business with a focus and a direction. Start off your morning with a focus and a direction. Start off your hour with a focus and a direction.
-Half products aren't products (and, as you can see from this list, the same could be said about half lists ...)
-If you can keep your clients accountable, you're free to keep yourself accountable
-It's easier to manage more people. It's hard to manage one. It's a challenge to manage yourself.
-Those who are a "jack of all trades, master of none" rarely get "master level" money

So, here's the list that sat on my desktop that was a "someday" item. If you have a list of "someday" items on your desktop, it's time to clear it off.

Corpus Christi

Mon, 11 Jun 2012

I don't remember going to Mass regularly as a family. When I was a child, I remember receiving the Eucharist when my family was in line. Nobody told me that I wasn't suppose to receive; I just did. My family made a big deal about it, asking me questions and making statements.

In the seventh grade, my parents chose to send me to Catholic School: St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Co-Cathedral. Once again, I was in line with all the students and I was before My Lord and My God. The teacher said, "the Body of Christ," and I stood there frozen. At that moment, she said, "say Amen," and I did.

This went on for a year and change before the school realized that I never received my First Communion. So, the process began. At the time I was 5'11" so as I stood in line I really stood out above the second graders. My dad was there to watch this milestone event.

In my senior year in high school, after a MBCC retreat that helped order my life to be more committed to my faith, I started going to Mass regularly. I would go with friends for the most part, but it was no longer acceptable to miss Mass on Sunday. I remember having a thought: if I close my eyes at the moment of consecration, the bread and wine will no longer be merely that. Jesus will be truly present in His Body and His Blood. It was something that helped foster a sense of awe in me.

Over the years, I have grown to love the Eucharist more and more. In doing so, I have grown to love Jesus more and more.

To say that Jesus in not present in the Eucharist is to deny and miss out on the mystery and the miracle of Christ giving Himself to us. In a world where people are stuck in consuming because they can never have enough, wouldn't the remedy be to receive Our Lord Who gives Himself freely to us?

If you are fearing that you won't have enough to pay the bills this month ... if you fear that you don't have enough to be loved ... if you fear that you don't have what it takes to make it ... know that you can receive Jesus, who is worth more than all the money in the world ... who loves you beyond any love that you can know ... who has what it takes to have dominion over all creation. He gives Himself freely.

If you are a Catholic in good standing, please come and receive. If you have fallen away from the Catholic Church, please go to confession so you can receive His grace.

If you are not Catholic, please consider this: for a long time, I thought that the bread and wine at Mass was just bread and wine. It's easy to believe that. It takes faith to believe that mere bread and wine can be transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus. Yet, if we know the scriptures, we know that Jesus can do great miracles, and through the consecrated hands of those who stand in the "person of Christ", He can do great miracles.

When my heart was transformed to recognizing that before me was "My Lord and My God", my understanding of what God can do was changed to it's what God chooses to do because He can do anything ... even make mere bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, My Lord and My God.

Beautiful Me

Tue, 05 Jun 2012

As a songwriter, there are songs that I wish the world could hear. It's interesting because I never really set out to write a song like this; it just happens.

At Fiddler's Dream recently, I played Beautiful Me and it brought back a lot of memories. I remember playing the song with the Polk Street Band many years ago. I remember playing the song at Cafe Fiat and having someone come up to me really touched by the song.

While the title sounds narcissistic, please don't judge the song by the title.

And so, I not present to you ... Beautiful Me:

Fidder's Dream - June 2nd

Thu, 10 May 2012

I'm going to be playing at Fiddler's Dream on June *2*nd for the *2*nd set at 9:*2*0 pm. The first set is being played by Kevin Earnst from Flagstaff, Arizona.

This has been my favorite place to play at that is not a church. The first time I played there was with the Polk Street Band and it was a very crazy time! Every time after that, I've played there numerous times either solo or with friends.

Beyond playing there with the Polk Street Band, other times that were memorable was:

-Playing with my parents there. They were in Las Vegas and I told them that if they got a one way ticket, I would drive them back. I also gave my dad a guitar that I built for him. I played that evening with Dr. Michael Robb.
-Playing there the day after I was hit by a car while I was riding my bike. I played that evening with Miranda Peterson. My dad flew up right after hearing about the accident and he drove me around for a few weeks.

It is a place that has brought me so many great memories. I love being able to interact with people and to share my music with them.

For so long, my focus went to writing music that could be played in the Liturgy. I tried to write music that could be sung together and I tried to write in a way that catechized along with brought people into prayer. As such, most of my time playing has been for the Mass.

It's exciting to think about playing at Fiddler's Dream again because it gives me a chance to play some of the songs from the Polk Street Band days. I haven't sung many of those songs in a while.

I hope that you can make it out for the evening.

Weekday Solemnities and Feasts of the Catholic Church

Sun, 06 May 2012

Here is a listing of weekday solemnities and feast days of the Church calendar. On solemnities, the Gloria and the Creed are included in the Mass. On feast days, the Gloria is included.

Note: This list does not include memorials and it doesn't include special Sunday feast days.

-+Solemnities+-

-January 1st: Mary Mother of God
-March 19th: St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-March 25th: The Annunciation
-Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost: Sacred Heard of Jesus
-June 24th: Nativity of St. John the Baptist
-June 29th: Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
-August 15th: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-November 1st: All Saints Day
-November 2nd: All Souls Day
-December 8th: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

-+Feast Days+-

-January 25th: Conversion of St. Paul
-February 2nd: Presentation of the Lord
-February 22nd: Chair of St. Peter, Apostle
-April 25th: St. Mark, Evangelist
-May 3rd: Sts.Philip and James, Apostles
-May 14th: St. Matthias, Apostle
-May 31st: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-July 3rd: St. Thomas, Apostle
-July 25th: St. James, Apostle
-August 6th: The Transfiguration of the Lord
-August 10th: St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
-August 24th: St. Bartholowmew
-September 8th: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
-September 14th: Triumph of the Holy Cross
-September 21st: St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
-September 29th: Sts. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels
-October 18th: St. Luke, Evangelist
-October 28th: Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
-November 9th: Dedication of the Lateran Basilica
-November 30th: St. Andrew, Apostle
-December 26th: St. Stephen, Martyr
-December 27th: St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
-December 28th: Holy Innocents, Martyrs

Music and Architecture

Mon, 30 Apr 2012

Yesterday as I was participating in the music ministry at Mass, I thought about the architecture of various churches. Last year, I was in Italy and I had the chance to see many impressive churches that was inspirational.

As I looked within the walls of the various churches, I saw the great art that graced the interiors of the church. The ceilings had great paintings that communicated something about the faith. It was amazing to see what deliberateness went into the building of a church.

Yesterday I was in a church that didn't resemble a lot of the great architecture found in those churches in Italy. In fact, there are only a few churches which I have been in that have inspired this. (link: http://cathedralstl.org/site/) The Cathedral of the Diocese of St. Louis is the only church in the United States that has taken my breath away.

A lot of the churches that are being built now seem to be going back to the traditional way churches were built, yet beyond the mosaics of Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. and the St. Louis Cathedral, I haven't seen a church that has the deliberateness of the older churches.

I understand the great beauty of chant. I have sung one of the Mass settings written by Palestrina. It is inspiring. It is lovely. It was a lot of hard work.

There are still modern composers who are composing great works (Ola Gjeilo comes to mind). How can we do this with the instrumentation and setting of modern instruments? One of my favorite compositions is John Michael Talbot's "Holy is His Name".

Our Lord inspires great beauty. How often do we take the time to put the effort into being inspired ... to paint a masterpiece with lyrics and melody?

Streaming Audio

Thu, 26 Apr 2012

I still remember the first time I tried Pandora. It was a revelation in which I was able to hear new music that I didn't have on my iPod. Seeing that for my job I work with websites, I was always online ... I was always connected to the Internet.

Many years later, I occasionally fire up Pandora. Every now and then I listen to Spotify when I'm working from my home computer. I listen to Soundcloud when I am just browsing for new music ... same thing with Noisetrade ...

It is a great time for music because now so much of it is accessible. I can listen to streaming music on my phone. I can dial into various online distribution channels in which I don't have to pay per song but rather per subscription.

The last time I checked on the Polk Street Band's Not So Distant Future album, the purchasing of a track was rare but people listening to the tracks via streaming media was much more than I could imagine. It was a great thing to see and know that the songs are being listened to.

I guess that's a part of it all: as a songwriter I hope that people will get a chance to listen to the music I write. Back in the day when recordings first started, I wonder if a big part of the excitement was that it gave people a chance to listen to music beyond hearing music live.

Recordings in our world today are a common part of lives. There are a lot of people who are making music, many of whom are looking for someone to listen to them. I can include myself in that list.

For those who want someone to listen to them, it is probably because they have something to say. Once again, I include myself in that list.

If the goal is to be heard, then streaming media is a good thing. I have been having a great time hearing old Dire Straits tracks and listening to the Rich Mullins album that I played so much it is scratched beyond belief. As a listener, I feel blessed. As a songwriter, I am blessed.

Guitar at Mass, Part 2

Tue, 17 Apr 2012

In the first post on this, I was hoping to make two points: the prominent instrument is the voice and any other accompanying instrument should do so with proficiency, awareness and humility.

It is unfortunate that I placed humility as the third part of the second point because it really should be the first. The virtue of humility is a key part of living a life in Christ and liturgical music should be an extension of this. From humility, you can know what your limits are so that you can be proficient in playing your accompaniment instrument to help lead the voice. Humility is the key to being aware.

We often associate guitar players as someone who is on stage. It is what we are conditioned to seeing. So, I can see that associating an instrument, such as a guitar, to performance is something that many people will make a connection to. So, when seen in the light of the Mass, it can seem that the music ministers being accompanied by a guitar can often look like a performance. It is what we are conditioned to seeing.

Knowing this, I can see why many times when people see a guitarist playing at Mass, they can perceive this as a performance. Even more so, knowing that this is the perception, it has often been the case that liturgical ministers will often emulate how modern day performers play and present themselves.

A few years ago, I was in North Carolina for the wedding of two wonderful friends of mine. When we went to Mass on Sunday, the music ministry was an older husband and wife duo and the husband played the guitar. In the area, where bluegrass was prominent, it seemed that there was a different approach to music than I have seen in other Masses where the guitar was the primary accompanying instrument. The guitar was a part of their culture. It represented different musicians gathering around and playing together. I've played in bluegrass jams and what is beautiful about it is the fact that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the song. Yes, one person is leading the song with their voice, but every instrument is invited to speak their part with a simple look or a nod of the head.

Many guitar players outside of that region may have a different view. The first music ministry I was a part of did have elements of performing what is cool versus offering a prayer in humility.

It is easy to think of humility in terms of people having their eyes averted and being solemn. Yet, I have been at Masses where people sang loudly and praised God with such joyful hearts. To praise God with full voice and joy is something that is beautiful and should be reserved for a God Who conquered death through His passion and death. Why reserve emotion for a God Who didn't hold anything back?

Yes, we should respect the liturgical season. It seems inappropriate to sing a full voiced praise song during a penitential season such as Lent, which once again points back to humility.

Here's one thing I know: many liturgical ministers have perpetuated the perception of "performance" at Mass. Yet, I know it because many times it is what they know from seeing performers who play the guitar in the same way classical musicians try to emulate great classical performers. Knowing this, then, we have a unique opportunity to then be an example of what it means to accompany a prayer with humility, awareness and proficiency. We can change the perception by entering into the prayer the liturgy and remembering that we servants to Christ, to His Church and to His people.

Guitar at Mass, Part 1

Wed, 11 Apr 2012

I have been thinking a lot about the role of instruments in the liturgy. I appreciate sacred music as well as contemporary music. I have sung pieces from Palestrina and other classical composers, and I not only sing "modern" worship pieces but I have also composed them.

As I have read different commentaries on how a guitar shouldn't be played at Mass, it got me thinking about instrumentation in the Liturgy.

Contemplating instruments in general, I can see that a priority should be placed on the instrument that is crafted by the Lord's hands: the human voice. If we were to go beyond genres and instrumentation, there is no greater instrument that can praise God than the human voice. This is probably a given.

If we establish this as the baseline, would it then place less priority on the accompaniment. In other words, regardless if you are doing Gregorian chant, singing along with a string quartet, or singing with a guitar / bass / drums / keyboard ensemble, the priority is the voice.

I thought about what the role of the accompanying instruments are. It can give the tempo. It can give cues when to start singing and when to stop. It can give the pitch. There is a lot that an accompanying instrument can do.

If we are looking as an instrument in purely this view, couldn't we argue that it doesn't matter what instrument is giving the cues / establishing the tempo / giving the pitch. All that matters is that the instrument does it well and supports the main instrument: the human voice.

This is where I think many people have contention with the guitar as an accompanying instrument. I have seen in a few examples where guitar players have a hard time staying out of the way of the primary instrument: the voice.

There are a lot of ways that guitarists can support the primary, God-crafted instrument:

-Consistency in keeping a prayerful tempo
-Sensitivity when singers are singing (lighter attack, using less strings, change of technique, etc.)
-Understanding of chord voicing and basic theory

A trap I see many guitars fall into is limiting themselves to knowing how to play a chord a certain way or not knowing how to modify their technique so as to bring out the dynamics of a song. I have been there as well and may still be there: I have only been playing guitar since 2000. Could this have tarnished the view of guitars in the sacred liturgy.

Contrast this with an organist or a skilled pianist. They have the skills to do these things and often. It is already written in for them on the score. Many have performance degrees.

Knowing this, wouldn't it also make sense as to why many pieces written to be led by the guitar are often found lacking? It is often that a piece would have to work for multiple levels of players. I have at times experienced "contemporary" songs that have chord voicings that seem inappropriate for the melody and where the song is going. There is also a shallower pool of songs to draw from, which would explain the continued inclusion of contemporary Christian music in the sacred Liturgy. Hopefully we can look at this in the next rambling ...

Back to the limitations of the instrumentalist. I played with a piano player once who did not have a sense of timing or musicality. I would argue that this was just as distracting as a guitar player who lacked playing sensitivity. This does not mean that a piano shouldn't be played at Mass. I'm sure the same could be said about an organist who is unskilled.

With this in mind, the accompanying instrument itself is not the culprit but rather that the instrumentalist may lack proficiency, awareness and humility. I bring up humility because it is needed to "stay out of the way" when it is time for the instrument crafted by God's hands to be brought forth. It's takes listening and it takes humility.

Proficiency, awareness and humility are important with any other instrument as well: organ, piano, bass, drums, etc.

That's it for part 1. God bless!

Theology in Contemporary Worship

Tue, 10 Apr 2012

I always have my ear open for songs that could be used at Mass and what songs can be used during Eucharistic adoration. The main priority I think of is the theology in the lyrics.

I used to just think that all Christian worship songs can work liturgically. Then, as I started listening to the lyrics, I started hearing things that run contrary to the Church's theology as I know it to be. I am by no means a theologian, but I have at least an idea.

I am currently working on a list of songs and what runs contrary. Here are two that have been sticking out to me in the past few months.

Before I go on, I do want to make a disclaimer: I am by no means trying to be critical of another song. I know that I have written songs in the past that doesn't line up with Church theology. This came from the fact that I didn't know. Okay, here it is ...

-+Example 1+-

"We love you Lord, we worship you. You are our God, you alone are good" - Saviour King, by Hillsong United

I really want to like this song, but to say "you alone are good" really does a disservice the dignity of every human created in the image and likeness of God. It also disregards what is said in Genesis:

"God looked at everything he had made, and found it very good.
Evening came, and morning followed--the sixth day." - Genesis 1: 31

To deny that nothing else is good beyond God is to say that God does not create good things. That is a lie and contradicts scripture!

-+Example 2+-

"I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ" - Desert Song, Hillsong

I have to admit: I do like this song. I have played it during Mass and Eucharistic adoration. Yet, every time I get to this lyric, I cringe and wonder why I even went to the second verse.

I am not a conqueror; Christ is. I didn't conquer death; Christ did. I know that we can unite our sufferings to the suffering of Our Lord, but that does not make us conquerors. It makes us reliant on Our Lord's grace and mercy. It makes us realize that we need Christ to restore us into union with Him.

To sing a prayer that we are conquerors seems to put us on equal footing with Our Lord.

-+Conclusion+-

Once again, I do not write this in order to be a critic. I want to work on this list because there are a lot of souls praying these words. There are a lot of good people who are in need of God's grace and mercy and we block this if we pray lyrics that foster two extremes of pride. I do not wish to lead others to sin; I am a bad swimmer as it is and I can't imagine swimming with a millstone around my neck. I need His grace and mercy and I want to cooperate with it. Let us, then, remove obstacles to His grace no matter how subtle.

CRYS 44 Closing Talks

Tue, 03 Apr 2012

Christie (my fiance) and I gave the final two talks on the CRYS 44 retreat. It was a very blessed retreat!

Here is a playlist of the talks that we gave on the retreat:

Are You Controlling?

Fri, 30 Mar 2012

I never thought of myself as someone who is controlling. Yet, when I was meditating on the Gospel reading for (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3830) Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent, I had to think twice.

I never thought of "downplaying" as a means of controlling the situation. I always thought of it as a way of being "meek and humble of heart". Yet, isn't that the temptation: deny God's goodness which He has blessed you with! In pride as we know it, we deny God's goodness and take it as our own. Yet, if we just look at pride as denying God's goodness, false humility robs God of the glory that He is due as well.

Christ did not deny or downplay who He was. He didn't deny He was the the Son of God. He did not downplay that the bread and wine are indeed His Body and Blood. He could have avoided people trying to stone Him and people walking away. He didn't.

So, if you're having a hard time accepting your goodness today, please know that in the process, you are denying God's goodness.

Christ on the Crucifix

Wed, 28 Mar 2012

I was noticing something interesting this morning. People found this website because they were looking for the words "Crucifix in Church" which is an image that is found in the photo gallery.

As I thought about this, it reminded me of a Dawg's Thought last year while reflecting on the (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?topic=3721&atpostid=3721§ionid=1318) Feast of the Triumph of the Cross* It seems appropriate now as we are journeying toward Holy Week. It also reminded me of the song "Beautiful to Be" which I wrote earlier that year.

Want a personal relationship with Christ?

Sun, 25 Mar 2012

Most people have heard the expression: do you have a personal relationship with Christ?

It had been a while since I prayed the Rosary; around a month ago. My fiance, Christie, texted me that she was praying the Rosary this morning and I realized that I haven't prayed this wonderful prayer in a while, so I did.

I used to say the words of the Rosary daily. I say it that way because my prayer has always been done while driving to work, which isn't a bad thing, but it's hard to meditate on the mysteries of the life of Christ when you're also trying to pay attention on the road. You wouldn't have an important conversation with someone while you were driving a car!

So, in the quiet of the morning, I was able to spend some quality time praying the Rosary and meditating on the sorrowful mysteries. While meditating, it became very real how praying the Rosary is one of the most profound ways that we can have a "personal relationship with Jesus" because we enter into His life as we meditate on the mysteries! Often times, when I hear the words, "personal relationship with Jesus" it is in the midst of someone inviting Christ into their own personal life. It is inviting Christ in on our own terms.

Many people have a misconception about praying the Rosary. A lot of them think that we are merely praying the Hail Mary on beads. I have to tell you that often times the way I prayed the Rosary was just like the misconception. I was the one saying the words of the Rosary while my focus was on making sure I got to work on time. That is not a personal relationship.

If we wanted to get to know someone, wouldn't we want to know about their life? Wouldn't we want to enter into their joys and their suffering? Don't we want to share in Christ's glory, not merely the effect of Christ's glory in a post-resurrection world?

Do you have a personal relationship with Christ?

Facebook Comments

Wed, 21 Mar 2012

Today I just added the (link: http://developers.facebook.com/docs/reference/plugins/comments/) Comments plugin from Facebook. While I know that this website doesn't have much traffic, it also means that there is a good opportunity to test this functionality.

I am thinking about adding this as a regular feature to all of the websites that are running this blog / article system. While it was great to be able to write a system from scratch, it is also good to actually have something like this which is "social friendly".

Enjoy :)

Gear Shootout

Wed, 21 Mar 2012

I am by no means a recording professional. I had the chance to do some work in a studio a while ago with some great gear. After I worked there, I had a little mixer and an SM57 and tried to do the best I could with recording.

As I slowly upgraded my gear (still not professional by any means, but at least an upgrade) I noticed that my recordings sounded better. An odd thing accompanied this, though: I found that even with a small mixer and an SM57, I could make something that sounded better than with the gear that I had. It made me ponder ...

I visit the Acoustic Guitar Forum when I need a break from work. One of the things that I notice on there is that there is a lot of debate about gear.

One thing to note is that you can have the greatest gear in the world, but if the musician doesn't do the piece justice, or if the piece isn't inspiring, nobody will care that you went through a vintage microphone through a high-end preamp into the best AD/DA converters.

When I did recording in that little studio, they had a ton of gear available. I recorded a friend of mine singing the Ave Maria on a Mackie mixer and a Blue Blueberry microphone and it is still, till this day, the most inspiring recording I ever did. My friend got an offer from a large music company to submit a demo from this.

That company had some great ... and I mean GREAT ... gear available. Yet, I wanted something that I could plug in and hit record with. It didn't matter that I didn't use the high-end tube preamp or the compressor that costs more than a car. It was an inspiring performance and I was blessed to be able to capture it.

I really don't think much about what gear I use anymore. I have cheap microphones and a Presonus MP20 preamp, which I rarely fire up anymore, going into an Echo Audiofire 4. Sure, it's cheap, but I figure that it's probably better to spend the effort writing something inspiring and playing it so that it does it justice. I'm still working on it, but I think when I finally get it, nobody will really care that it was recording on cheap gear.

Post Retreat Advise

Tue, 20 Mar 2012

A few weeks ago, I had the blessing of being a part of a retreat as a musician (bassist) and a small group leader. The retreat was for St. Jerome Catholic Church.

One week later, we met with our small group to see how their week went. For some, it sounded like their week was difficult and it always seems this way when you come down from the retreat high.

A few minutes ago, I just got off of the phone with good friend of mine who has worked on a few retreat teams recently and it reminded me to jot down some words for those who have just come back from a retreat ...

1. It is when you don't feel like praying when you really need to pray.

2. Applying what you learn on retreat is like building up your muscles: it will hurt at first even with light weight. It may even leave you feeling sore. Yet, when you've established the habit, working out feels good and bears good results.

3. The "sensation" of the retreat experience may not be there when you go to adoration, but it is the same God who is there. Use the gift of memory to help bring you before Our Lord ... not merely to try to recreate the experience.

4. We are made for communion ... communion with Our Lord ... and well as being called to community. On retreats, you're put into small groups. Find or create a group that you can be a part of.

5. Tell people how God has worked in your life. On retreats, we hear how God has worked in others lives. It is our way of bringing the retreat experience into the world.

I'm sure there is a lot more, but I at least wanted to get these five down.

Gloria Recording

Thu, 15 Mar 2012

So, I finally got something recorded for the Gloria. Please note that there is six (6) seconds of silence before it starts. -~/theodev/mp3/gloria-immaculate-conception.mp3~-

It still needs some work but at least I got this version going. I will get a chance to listen to it when I get in the car.

Special thanks to Frank Rowland for the drums!

Enjoy!

Another Mass of the Immaculate Conception

Wed, 14 Mar 2012

I normally read my news through Google Reader and one of the places I subscribe to is the (link: http://www.chantcafe.com) Chant Cafe* The Catholic Church has a great tradition of music!

Well, this morning I saw a post from the Chant Cafe that talked about (link: http://www.nationalshrine.com/site/c.osJRKVPBJnH/b.7970199/k.8EFF/Mass_Settings.htm*|||*two new settings from the National Basilica. I thought to myself that it was wonderful that we have a setting offered by the Basilica and I saw two settings there. One of them was called the Mass of the Immaculate Conception.

Knowing that the name for the Mass setting I wrote is the (link: http://missalsetting.com/) Mass of the Immaculate Conception as well, I thought that I'd share the link to the setting by Dr. Peter Latona.

There are a lot of beautiful settings for the new Mass parts. I'm starting to find out that there are new settings being composed ... or at least I'm just finding out about them.

When I think about that, I cannot help but meditate on how we are made in the image and likeness of God, Who created the beauty we have all around us. Rich Mullins once talked about if we are made in the image and likeness of a God Who created, then we have the impulse to create. The many new Mass settings in various styles reminds me of a God Who created the beauty of the oceans ... the beauty of the desert ... the beauty of the mountains ...

It is a shame that there are those who are offended by contemporary settings. It's a shame that there are those who want to move away from traditional and polyphonic settings. Either way, both can be done reverently and prayerfully. Either way, both can be done without a humble and prayerful heart.

Which gets back to the main purpose of all of all these settings: it is at the service of the Mass. With or without music, it is still the Eucharist which we adore and receive. At a Mass with an organ, a guitar, or just voices, the words we are praying are the words of the Church. We can pray these words or we can perform them. I have seen both from both.

I have lived in Hawaii and I know the beauty of the oceans, tropical flowers, and lush mountains. I currently live in Arizona and I know the beauty of the untouched desert, majestic rock formations, and desert flowers. Either way, they're all created by God.

As I think about all of these settings, it is our participation with God to artistically point to the beauty of the prayers of the Church. That is all that these settings are doing. The true beauty lies in the words of the prayer and our active participation in praying these words.

Okay ... I'm coming down from the soapbox ...

I am excited to link to the Mass of the Immaculate Conception on the National Basilica website. I haven't heard it yet (I am currently working at a coffee shop), but I look forward to hearing it one day. I had the chance to visit the Basilica a year and a half ago while on a business trip. It is beautiful and inspires and points to the grandness of Our Lord. May we do the same with our participation in the prayers of the church.

Liturgical Music Exchange

Fri, 09 Mar 2012

I got an email last night from Greg Hebert, the music director at St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, AZ. He's a very talented music director and a genuinely good man of God!

The email was a link to (link: http://www.lit-music.org/) lit-music.org which is a project for those who have written compositions to share their work publicly. Hopefully, this is a project that other Catholic musicians can get on board with as this! Currently, there two posters who have posted works on the website.

I will upload a few of the charts I've created, which would mean that some of the charts that you can purchase here may make an appearance on that website as well. I'm not sure which ones yet. My current thought is (link: http://youtu.be/ZuZsepvfrSI) Body of Christ and (link: http://youtu.be/ZzHCaSXpPOk) Opened the Heavens ... but (link: http://vimeo.com/21173832) Beautiful to Be is another thought. The (link: http://missalsetting.com/) Roman Missal Setting I wrote will make its way on there as well.

Sharing ideas is the one way that hopefully more parishes will start using works from Catholic composers. It reminds me of the Dawg's Thought reflection for today (that is written the day before) on the (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3809) Parable of the Landowner* What struck me was that the Landowner "sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce." If we are truly bearing fruit, such as music to be used in the Liturgy, why are we not offering it Our Lord's servants (the congregation and the clergy) as "produce" that truly belongs to God?

May God be glorified!

Beautiful Me

Thu, 08 Mar 2012

A blast from the past ...

Ah the memories! Inspired by a video recording setup I had in my house, I decided to give this song a try. It has been a while since playing it. Probably the last time was when Steve Phelan came into town.

It reminds me of old time with Polk Street. It also reminds me of a time when I felt like I was on fire writing music. It's a great passion to have.

This was the one song I wish everyone in the world could hear. If I ever had a message, this would be the song. I remember playing this for anyone who would listen. I still remember when I played this song for a man who had no home. He was walking and called out to me, "hey, guitar man." I took out my guitar and played it for him. In the end, he had some tears in his eyes and said that it reminded him of listening to Elvis.

There was another time in Cafe Fiat. A family came in while I was playing a set one night. I usually closed with this song. In the end, there was a woman who wasn't Catholic who came up to me and handed me $20. She told me that it was something she really needed to hear at this time in her life. Her eyes were filled with tears as well. I don't know what was going on in her life at the time, but I know that I could pray for her.

This song will always remind me of the power of music. There is one other song from the Polk Street Band days ... More Than Society's Label. When I get a chance I'll record that one too for YouTube.

It is good to be thankful for God's gifts ... even when they don't seem to play much of a role in your life now. We are indeed blessed, aren't we?

Resurrection Eggs

Wed, 07 Mar 2012

I am a co-director for an upcoming young adult retreat and, when the retreat is done, our team is going to help with the Easter egg hunt at (link: http://www.ctk-catholic.org/) Christ the King in Mesa.

The pastor, Fr. Steve Kunkel, asked if we could do Resurrection Eggs, which is something I've never heard of. My fiance, Christie, is also a co-director for the retreat. She recently was able to get a hold of a set of eggs from (link: http://www.resurrectionaz.org/) Church of the Resurrection in Tempe, where we teach Sacramental Preparation. Here are the symbols:

-Blue, little donkey (mt 21:1-3; 6-8) - The donkey Jesus rode in in Palm Sunday
-Light Pink, Silver coins (mt 26:14-16) - the money Judas used to betray Jesus
-Light Purple, Cup (mt 26:27-28) - the cup with the wine of His blood.
-Orange, Praying hands (mk 14:32-34) - Garden of Gethsemene
-Green, leather whip (jn 19:1) - the scourging
-Yellow, crown of thorns (mt 27:27-29)
-Light Orange, nails in the cross (jn 19:16-18)
-Light Green, die (jn 19:23-24) - for his garments they cast lots... He prayed (lk 23:34)
-Purple, spear (jn 19:32-34) - blood and water gushed forth from his side...
-Light Blue, linen cloth (mt 27:57-60) - Joseph of Aremethea buried Jesus body
-Pink, stone (mt 28:2-4) - roll away the stone
-White, empty (mt 28:5-6) - Jesus is Risen!

I've never heard of this, but what a great way to help teach the faith!

Missal Setting Website

Thu, 01 Mar 2012

I recently setup (link: http://missalsetting.com) missalsetting.com as a way for people to download the Mass of the Immaculate Conception. I also link to other Roman Missal settings, such as the Mass of St. Jerome and the Mass of St. Ann.

Being the composer of the Mass of Immaculate Conception, I didn't think that others would want to use this setting. I did get a couple of requests from a (link: http://youtu.be/1V4X5tqck7c) YouTube video I posted that was a journal, but beyond that, I just thought it would be something that I could use personally.

The parish that my finace's mom (Mary Brown) is a music minister at, Sacred Heart in Farmington, NM, decided to use this setting at some of the Masses. She asked if I can put a video together so that some of the music ministers can learn it. That is on the MissalSetting.com website as well.

Ordinary Thoughts in Ordinary Time

Tue, 21 Feb 2012

(link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/content.php?sectionid=4366) More about this book, plus the First Week in Ordinary Time sample, on dawgsthought.com

After many, many, many years of writing daily mass reading reflections, I am finally pleased to announce that a book that takes the "best of" reflections over the past years is almost to "take one down, pass it around" phase. Hopefully, the book will be ready for release before the end of the Easter season.

Please (link: http://www.theotigno.com/theo/contact.cfm) contact me for more information on the book.

Lenten Gospel Acclamation - USCCB Approved

Tue, 21 Feb 2012

"Well, I know it's kinda late; I hope I didn't wake you ... " - Jim Croce

I was so excited that I got ICEL approval, but then when I sent over the Lenten Gospel Acclamation I wrote over to the USCCB, they said that it was the wrong verse (later I realized that the Amos verse is a common verse for weekday Mass). So, I decided to rewrite it and got it approved this morning. I updated the (link: http://tinyurl.com/lent-gospel-acclamation) link to the Lenten Gospel Acclamation chart.

I know it is late and I know that most music ministries have one selected already. But, there is one parish that will be using the Mass of the Immaculate Conception starting this Sunday and I will be using it for the upcoming CRYS retreat (Palm Sunday weekend).

So, here it is ...

Gospel Acclamation for Lent

Thu, 09 Feb 2012

A parish in the Diocese of Gallup expressed interest in using the Mass of the Immaculate Conception recently. There was one thing: Lent is coming up soon and I didn't have a composition for a Lenten Gospel Acclamation written. So ...

(link: http://tinyurl.com/lent-gospel-acclamation) Download the Lenten Gospel Acclamation (free chart)

-+Lyrics+-

Glory and praise to you,
Lord Jesus Christ

Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
Then truly the Lord, the God of hosts,
will be with you as you claim.
(The verse is from Amos 5: 14, using the NABRE translation)

Feel free to download the chart and print it. This has received ICEL approval. God Bless!

((link: http://youtu.be/dBz6dSWV0e8) original version)

A Proposal - The Healthcare Mandate

Tue, 07 Feb 2012

Prayer and Fasting ...

Ash Wednesday is coming February 22nd 2012. As Lent approaches, we have an opportunity to be unified against something that is evil.

Two things: [1] daily petition through the Rosary and [2] daily fasting from the entertainment industry.

Reasoning:

First of all and foremost, at the root of our act of service should be the prayer that won the (link: http://www.mostholyrosary.org/lepanto_miracle.htm) Battle of Lepanto in 1571. It is important that every Catholic pray a Rosary at least once for this, even if they do not understand what they are praying for. If they are Catholics that are for the United States government taking away the rights of Catholics to practice their faith with an informed conscience, then they should pray anyway for if they trust that what they believe is truth, then wouldn't it show in their act of faith?

The one thing is that we shouldn't just limit this to the soil of my beloved country. As a country, we have historically responded to the needs of many nations and right now, we are a nation in need. We are a nation who is about to have our rights taken away. We need the support of all nations at this time.

This brings me to the second point: fasting from the entertainment industry. There needs to be a result that our nation will feel. So much of the music and movies that are out there today encourage sexual promiscuity. So much of the movies and television shows have gone against the dignity of marriage. Along with this, when it came to Obama's campaign, there was a lot of support from the entertainment industry.

I have not clearly identified how extensive this fast should be, but the one thing I know is clear: we need to affect them financially. We need to say that anyone who advertises during television shows will be boycotted. We need to stop supporting movies and download music that does not encourage a culture of life. It is no longer enough to just be lukewarm on life issues. We need to only support entertainment that encourages and fosters a culture of life. We must be as disgusted as God is with not only the evil, but also the lukewarm.

It makes me think that we need to fast from the entertainment industry as a whole. We should still support faith-based organizations. Why not replace family time with watching the (link: http://www.catholicismseries.com/) Catholicism Series from Fr. Robert Barron or the Bible Timeline or other things that will foster a culture of life. Why do we know how to whistle the intro to "Moves Like Jagger" but can't even sing the songs that we hear in Mass?

I am not sure what totality we should have this fast go. I am sure that we need to find a way to make this work here on American soil and throughout the world.

Along with this is the opportunity. We talk about building a culture of life. If we are asking for all Catholics to unite in this, why not offer them support by giving them entertainment that they can have in its place? Why not given them a free episode of the Catholicism series or send them a CD sampler of music that supports a culture of life? I'm not talking only things that talk current life issues such as abortion and same-sex unions, but also songs that they can listen to on a day-to-day basis or movies that offer the same entertainment value as the movies we watch today? Wouldn't this, then, encourage more people to invest time in making movies that affirm the dignity of life? Wouldn't this, then, encourage more musicians to start writing music that is no longer lukewarm?

When I was driving back from New Mexico with my fiance to visit her father who was in a bad car accident, this was the one thing that seemed like a strong call from God as we talked. We need to make the entertainment industry feel it, because they help drive politics as well as the economy. Why are we distributing our money to the evil and the lukewarm? We need to begin distributing our money to those who are actively supporting life.

I don't know how this will look, but it would be good if we could come up with a unified response ... a unified plan ... a unified attack against evil. It's hard to win a war when everyone is doing their own thing.

Is this possible that we can come up with something before Lent starts?

New Mass Setting ... New Lower Key

Mon, 26 Dec 2011

Here it is ...

Open publication - Free publishing - More new mass

As this new mass setting has been played at a few parishes, the main feedback is that it's a little high for a congregation to sing. The Great Amen in particular ...

So, (link: http://issuu.com/treative/docs/new-mass-music-setting) here is a version that is a step and a half down (in the key of E versus key of G). Hopefully in the future, I will have choral parts written for this setting. While it may seem like a more contemporary mass setting, I can see that this can work as a traditional choir setting as well.

You can preview it above, but you cannot download the PDF. If you wish to get a copy of this, please email me and I can get that over to you.

I have also been working on a contemporary setting for these new mass parts. I will hopefully have these recorded by the end of the Christmas season. The recording will be done in the key of E.

God bless you all!

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

Wed, 07 Dec 2011

(link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3764) Dawg's Thought Reflection 2011 for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception

In writing a reflection on the Immaculate Conception, I have to admit that I did not know where to start. After all, I couldn't wrap my mind around it. Even great Saints, including St. Thomas Aquinas, couldn't wrap their minds around it.

Yet, in the process, I discovered Blessed John Duns Scotus. I found a great link about him and his defense of the Immaculate Conception at (link: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5825) CatholicCulture.org* Before this day, I have never heard of the "Subtle Doctor" so I was very blessed to discover him.

I also found a great read by (link: http://home.earthlink.net/~mysticalrose/barton1.html) Daniel Joseph Barton, but unfortunately I didn't have a chance to read through the rest of the pages. Hopefully, when I have some time, I can go through and read the rest of his online article, "My Belief in Immaculate Conception Doctrine".

Creating Charts - A Graphic Designers Way

Wed, 30 Nov 2011

I was up in Farmington, NM for Thanksgiving, spending time with Christie's parents and sister. While I was there, Christie's mom, who also happens to have a degree in music and leads music at her parish, wanted to hear the Mass of the Immaculate Conception. While hearing it, she found some errors in the charts that I originally came up with.

So, after seeing the errors, I figured if I'm going to fix the errors, I might as well go all the way and make them look better.

Without going into too much detail, I ...

-Created a very basic, no chords chart in Finale PrintMusic
-Used CutePDF Writer to generate the PDF
-Imported the chart into Adobe InDesign
-Made each system its own element and spaced it / added chords as needed

It took me longer than just simply doing it in Finale, but having the extra control helped me greatly. It was good to have the ability to add text notes as needed ... to space things out the way I wanted them space out ... etc.

I posted it online if you wanted to preview it on (link: http://issuu.com/treative/docs/mass-immaculate-conception) Issuu* I am pretty happy with the way it all turned out.

Tour de Poor

Mon, 14 Nov 2011

What happens when you realize that you don't want to pay the money to enter the (link: http://www.pbaa.com/!ETT/ETThome.html) Tour de Tucson? You make up your own ride!

We had the goal of riding in the Tour de Tucson for a few months now, and as the date approached, we decided that it would be best if we saved our money for other things (beyond the cost of the tour, which would have been at least $300, there is the cost of gas, lodging, food, etc.)

So, for those of you who are adventurous and want to come and ride with us, here's the First Annual Tour de Poor, Phoenix Edition!!!

We'll be starting from Christie's house in Tempe, AZ at 6:00 am. After that ...

-SOUTHERN TO PRICE
-PRICE TO WARNER
-WARNER TO KYRENE
-KYRENE TO GUADELUPE
-GUADELUPE TO 48TH ST
-48TH ST. TO WESTERN CANAL
-WESTERN CANAL TO 7TH ST
-7TH ST TO WASHINGTON
-WASHINGTON TO 15TH AVE
-15TH AVE TO ENCANTO PARK
-ENCANTO PARK ... & SOMEHOW CONNECT TO 23RD AVE
-23RD AVE TO MARYLAND
-MARYLAND TO 12TH ST
-12TH ST TO CAVE CREEK
-CAVE CREEK TO PIMA
-PIMA TO THOMPSON PEAK PARKWAY
-THOMPSON PEAK PARKWAY TO FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT
-FRW TO SHEA
-SHEA TO BEELINE HWY
-BEELINE TO MCDOWELL
-MCDOWELL TO ALMA SCHOOL
-ALMA SCHOOL TO MCKELLIPS
-MCKELLIPS TO HAYDEN
-HAYDEN TO RIO SALADO PARKWAY
-RIO SALADO TO PRICE
-PRICE TO SOUTHERN
-HEAD BACK TO CHRISTIE'S HOUSE

If you want to join us for any part of the ride, or eat with us afterward, please feel free to let us know. If you want to ride with us for any part of it (and we would love the company), let us know which part and we will send you a text message when we are approaching the spot that you would want to ride.

Also, if you want to join us for the early dinner afterward, we'll start cooking hamburgers and hot dogs around 5:00 pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert.

God's Free Will

Wed, 09 Nov 2011

"God doesn't demand from us, but rather gives us the free will. Do we give God that freedom? Do we give God the permission to use His free will to bless us as He desires?" - From (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3751) Dawg's Thought, reflection for 11/8/11 (Luke 17: 7-10)

I think that most of us grew up in a time that when you did something, you normally got a reward for it. If you got good grades, there was normally a surprise waiting for you like a trip to get pizza where they also have a video arcade (back in the day it was Chuck E Cheese; now it seems like it is Peter Piper Pizza).

Yet, there comes a time when you the trips to Chuck E. Cheese becomes a thing of the past; a time when doing something good is the reward in itself.

I used to think that it was all about maturity, but I'm starting to wonder. After all, when I read about those who did the will of God and are now with Him in heaven, they were obedient because it was the right thing to do. They didn't expect God to give them a reward immediately because they did good; the reward was living a holy life, and in living a holy life, they would be welcomed into Heaven.

I think about the times that I have served in ministry. There was a time when I quit my job and worked full-time at Maggie's Place, a home for expectant women living on the streets. I never got a grand reward, but I was able to pay my bills on time, which at the time included my car payment. Although I was only making a stipend, I was able to at least go out occasionally. He provided in the way that He desired.

In His way, God provided for me in my need. In His own unique way, He chooses to bless us, whether we are in abundance or want (and it seems that most of the time, it's want). Do we respect this, or do we want more? If a time of want is what He gives us, do we not only accept this, but do we rejoice in this? Do we trust Him enough that He IS providing?

Do we respect His free will as much as He respects ours?

Mt. Claret Video Uploaded

Wed, 02 Nov 2011

(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4mYUABzmvU) Adoration + Music at Mt. Claret, 10/24/2011.

It was recorded with a humble Kodak Zi8, which stood to the left of me on a piano. The view is pointed directly at the monstrance. What is not on the video is the song, "Come Holy Spirit", which was sung before exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

Enjoy!

New Missal Translation Musical Settings

Tue, 01 Nov 2011

A few of the parishes that I'm a music minster at have already begun implementing the new mass parts from the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

Over at St. Thomas the Apostle in Phoenix, Arizona we've started using the (link: http://www.ocp.org/newmasssettings/newsettings/stfrancescabrini) Mass of St. Francis Cabrini by Kevin Keil. This past Sunday was my first attempt at playing guitar on it. Being that I play more fills versus rhythm guitar for the 9:00 am contemporary mass, it was a bit of a challenge to play anything that would add to the song. So, after the first few bars, I humbly accepted my role as a page turner for the rhythm guitarist.

At St. Jerome, where music director Craig Colson is the music director, we are doing his mass parts: (link: http://www.newmassmusic.com/) the Mass of St. Jerome* I had a chance to play through a lot of these mass parts a while back. When I was leading the Saturday Vigil group, Craig used these during Lent (with the older version of the Roman Missal text). I did modify some of my chord voicings to help the singers sing along. When I went to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Tempe, AZ, they were using the Mass of St. Jerome as well.

The other mass setting that I found was popular was the Mass of Renewal by Curtis Stephan. It is being used by St. Bernadette in Scottsdale, AZ, as well as in St. John the Evangelist in Millilani, HI.

It's easy to get caught up in wading through all the different music settings. Yet, at the heart of it all, it really is about the new translation and how we will now be able to offer up our prayers with a language that is "set apart" for God. So, I will gladly turn pages because in the end, music ministers are at the service of the liturgy.

Recap from Last Week

Mon, 31 Oct 2011

Last Monday night was the first ever "Adoration + Music" with the new songs. Praise the Lord!

Fr. Chad King from OLPH, a holy man that I knew before he entered the seminary, was there to not only expose and repose Jesus, but he also was available to hear confession! Praise God for His priesthood!

The evening went well. It went longer than expected, so I extended the time of silence and I also used some other songs to pray with. One in particular is "(link: http://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/songdetail.aspx?iid=1836138) Lord, I Need You" which you can find on the Worship Together website.

The response was extremely positive. Praise God for such a wonderful evening!

Tonight: Adoration + Music

Mon, 24 Oct 2011

Tonight @ Mt. Claret is the first time for "Adoration + Music" with the new songs from RESTORED. It's kind of like a "beta" version.

The great thing about the format tonight is that it is all about Jesus! It is all about adoring Him ... it is all about praising Him ... it is all about offering our petitions to Him.

Along with adoration, Fr. Chad King will be available to hear confessions. Copies of the Examination of Conscience are going to be on hand.

Hope to see you tonight!

Advent is Coming!

Fri, 21 Oct 2011

I have often thought about going back and using previous (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318) reflections on the daily mass readings in some sort of book form. I tried it a long time ago, and it ended up being something that was worked on by a few people. A book was formatted, but I could never take the next step in getting it published.

Now, many years later, I had the thought again. This time, it started with the thought that it would be nice if someone did a devotional for Ordinary Time. I was thinking something along the lines of, "Ordinary Thoughts in Ordinary Time" (or something clever like that).

In preparation for that, I started looking at the past scripture reflections from the Advent seasons prior to. It has been a good "retrospective" look back at things.

I started putting the text together and you can read it on Google Docs ((link: http://tinyurl.com/adventreflections) Advent Reflections). I am also thinking about printing a small book form if time and money are available.

The format is that it starts with a pull quote from one of the reflections to help get into the reflection mode, then it includes a full "Dawg's Thought" reflection, and finally it ends with a prayer from a different reflection. If there wasn't a prayer / reflection from that day, well ... we'll cross that bridge when it comes around.

Maggie's Place Video

Tue, 18 Oct 2011

(link: http://youtu.be/tACwzTw6u-M) Maggie's Place Promo Video

I got a text message from Jeff Fuentebella at Maggie's Place a few months ago asking if I had any instrumental music that sounded like the clip that he was going to email me. It needed to be around 40 seconds and it was going to be played and presented at a Phoenix Mercury game.

I listened to the track and it wasn't a style that I have any recordings of myself doing. So, I put something down and what you hear in the video is what I got.

Enjoy the instrumental and please support the work and mission of (link: http://www.maggiesplace.org/) Maggie's Place, a home for expectant women who are alone and living on the streets.

Adoration + Music Date Set: 10/24/11

Mon, 17 Oct 2011

Monday, October 24th 2011
Mt. Claret Chapel
7:00 pm

Hello everyone! I am really excited about finally getting the best songs from the past 8 years recorded on one album simply called RESTORED. The album name doesn't denote that I am restored, but rather it is Christ Who restores us through what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will do.

The intent of these 10 songs come to light before the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. With this in mind, it is only appropriate for these songs to be "prayed live" before Jesus Himself.

If you're in the Phoenix area, I would love if you were able to make it out next Monday night, 10/24/11 @ 7pm. It would mean a lot to me to have your support and to have your prayers.

God bless you!

Now on Feedburner

Tue, 11 Oct 2011

A few clients who use this "blog / news" application have asked for a way for people to subscribe to it via RSS.

I already had a rudimentary version up and I have been doing some test to it, which you can find at http://www.theotigno.com/theo/rss.cfm.

This morning, I wanted to run some tests on getting this "blog" on Feedburner. While I'm still working on the formatting end of things, it's ready for subscriptions:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheoTigno

The only issue that I have right now is getting the returns to actually show up as returns. Hopefully, in my spare time, I can get that ironed out as well.

Adoration + Music Format

Mon, 10 Oct 2011

While I was in adoration recently, I was inspired with a format for using the RESTORED album to enter into prayer ...

-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Come--Holy--Spirit) Come Holy Spirit
-[Exposition]
-(link: http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/o-salutaris-hostia.html) O Salutaris Hostia
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Marvelous) Marvelous
-(link: http://www.theotigno.com/theo/restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Opened--the--Heavens) Opened the Heavens (examination of conscience in the after bridge*)
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Revive--Me) Revive Me
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Vow) Vow
-[Silence]
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Beautiful--to--Be) Beautiful to Be
-[Invitation for Prayer Requests]
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Sweet--Jesus) Sweet Jesus
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Lord--of--All--Heavens) Lord of All Heavens
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Body--of--Christ) Body of Christ
-[Thanksgiving]
-(link: restored.cfm?type=lyrics&sub=Jesus--Most--Holy) Jesus Most Holy
-(link: http://www.seadoration.org/Hymns/tantum_ergo.htm) Tantum Ergo
-(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5rHAgW1Hjo) Divine Praises (arranged by Matt Maher)
-(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEl-UoMVTfU) He is Exalted

* (If a priest is present it would be blessed if he could hear confession after this!)

If you would be interested in this format for adoration, please feel free to (link: contact.cfm) contact me* God bless you!

Asking the Right Question

Fri, 07 Oct 2011

Happy Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary!

"Let us seek Him in our questions versus merely seeking answers." - from (link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3732) Thursday, October 6th 2011

As I was meditating on Luke 11: 5-13, I starting thinking about how we pray. The first time I remember praying was when I was in the sixth grade and I lost a paper that I worked really hard on. I searched frantically for the paper and I couldn't find it.

In a moment of desperation, I turned to God and prayed that if He could help me find my paper, I would pray to Him every morning. Two minutes later, I found the paper, and in the process, started my faith journey through prayer.

Fast forward to last night in adoration. I started off in my journal with, "why do I lack joy, Lord? ... "

After pausing for a minute, I thought back to the reflection that you see above regarding seeking God in our questions versus merely seeking an answer. So, after a brief moment of repentance I rephrased the question ...

"Give me Your joy, Lord."

Just a simple thing, yet it changes my disposition toward Him as God ... as a God Who can and does provide for my need ... as a God Who gives us gifts that are beyond what we can see.

Have we become too conversational with God? Have we lost a sense of reverence when we pray to Him? Do we undermine the gift of faith in Him simply by "dumbing down" our language?

He is God! He is Lord! If we merely pray to Him in a utilitarian sense, what are we saying about ourselves? If He is our God, and if we "use" Him, then we are saying the same thing about ourselves knowing that we are made in His image and likeness.

In our everyday prayers, let us seek Him.

New Mass Parts

Mon, 03 Oct 2011

This music setting of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal has been approved by the USCCB and ICEL.
(link: /theo/assets/uploaded/documents/usccb_icel_approval.pdf) View the USCCB and ICEL approval PDF.

Sometime in January 2011, I needed something to take with me to adoration (my hour is midnight to 1:00 am). So, I had a thought: why not take the new translation of the Roman Missal with me to adoration so that I can get a head start in learning the words. So, I brought the new Gloria with me.

Really quick "musing" note ... Many people love "praise and worship" and we love singing the songs. Yet, as I was praying with the words of the new Roman Missal, it struck me that these are the type of words that we should be praying to God with. It helps us keep a reverence when praying to God. It does not take away from the "personal relationship" but rather it seems to order our hearts to Who we are praying to. Okay, enough of my "musings" from my time praying with the new texts ...

While reading the Gloria, in an effort to enter into the text, I started imagining about the time the Gloria was sung by the angels: when Christ was born! As I started meditating on this, I started to imagine what type of song the angels could be singing. I imagined the anticipation that the angels were waiting with. I also meditated on a brief pause and then a joyful and jubilant "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to people of good will!!!"

The melody was stuck in my head for a while after that adoration. So, I started following that path. During this time, I had the Blessed Mother enthroned in my home (from the CRYS ministry; I hosted a Rosary night at my home). I truly believe that this setting came from the graces of hosting Our Blessed Mother. The whole mass parts were written from the time she was here until the time she made her way to the next home.

I posted a YouTube video a while ago when I was in the midst of composing it:

I also posted the (link: http://www.theotigno.com/theo/assets/uploaded/documents/immaculateconception.pdf) chart of the settings* You need a password to access it, so if you're interested, please (link: http://www.theotigno.com/theo/contact.cfm) contact me* You can view it on (link: http://issuu.com/treative/docs/mass-immaculate-conception) Issuu if you wanted to try it out.

My original intent was not to post this. I felt that there were so many beautiful mass parts that have been written and approved already, and so adding another one would only cause more division. So, while I am grateful for the opportunity to write these settings out, I also know to keep this in context: it was great for me to learn about the new Roman Missal through this experience.

I also know that if I am ever for a loss of words, or if my prayer time in adoration feels like it is getting dry, I can sing the words of the new Roman Missal (which, if I'm in adoration, most likely in my head). These prayers have been around long before the current "praise and worship" texts. The faithful have been praying these words for centuries ... great Saints from prayed these words for centuries and we have the opportunity to pray these same words! We can pray in union with them before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, Who is the same, Yesterday, Today and Forever!

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will!

Music During Healing Adoration

Mon, 26 Sep 2011

This past weekend, I attended a (link: http://www.crysretreats.com) CRYS retreat and it was a very blessed time. It was amazing to see so many learn more about their Catholic faith. There were many who went to confession for the first time after a long period of being away from this wonderful Sacrament.

In the evening, after praying the Rosary, the chapel at Mount Claret was setup for "healing adoration," thanks to Deacon Jim Mickens. He did this at the last retreat as well. The concept is that the priest (or deacon) processes with the monstrance and people can come and "touch the tassels" of the priest's (or deacon's) garments. This is based on the scripture passage of (link: http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/5) the woman who touched Jesus' garment and her hemorrhaging was healed (Mark 5: 25-34). This was done over the past two CRYS retreats and I have to say that it was extremely powerful.

Although I was a retreatant on this retreat, I felt called to offer to do some music during adoration. The thought being that as each person came up, it could help people focus on still praising and adoring Jesus versus focusing on the next person who came up to touch Jesus' garments.

I really had no plan for the music, so I did what I could do off the top of my head. Here are a few of the songs that was done during this time (keep in mind, it was done very solemn):

(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVFzxazTQNM) Agnus Dei, Michael W. Smith
(link: http://vimeo.com/21173832) Beautiful to Be, Theo Tigno
Bread of Life, Michael John Poirier
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?voX-T8aQFG4) Empty and Beautiful, Matt Maher (refrain only)
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC-yHnqttAU) Here I Am to Worship, Tim Hughes
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aYecuDlDYM) Holy is His Name, John Michael Talbot
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAssOfn5cAI) Jesus Messiah, Chris Tomlin (refrain only)
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPoxM0D_0n8) Lay It Down, Matt Maher
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKcGhpBTTvo) Prepare the Way, Charlie Hall
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXaPwHPqJi4) Psalm 139 (Wonderfully Made), Danielle Rose
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBQJYrNWWrY) Sacred Heart Song, Michael John Poirier
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWVrKOzxuQg) We Fall Down, Chris Tomlin
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rPvrXoIVl0) You Are My King (Amazing Love), Billy Foote
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Ya7ryNob4) You Never Let Go, Matt Redman (refrain only)
(link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIgGHA27nG4) Your Grace is Enough, Matt Maher (very slow ... pre-chorus and chorus)

I wish I could remember the others but my memory fails me at this time. Thankfully, my memory didn't fail in remembering the chords and the lyrics.

New Website Launched!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011

I feel so blessed that this website is finally live! I really can't believe it.

This website is developed to help promote the music that I have been working on and any other new songs that I will be working on. Please check this section (News and Updates) for more information.

In prayer a long time ago, I wondered by God gave me such a dry spell in my songwriting and music. His answer was, "what have you done with what I gave you?" I realized that I buried my "talent" because I didn't feel worthy to share it.

Last year, I went on an Ignatian retreat and one of the many revelations was, "the gifts I give you are an invitation." I was afraid to accept the invitation; I was afraid because I thought that I wasn't worthy to serve a "perfect" Master.

Lord, i accept Your invitation because of Your great love for me and Your great love for others. May i love others so that they may come to love You more.

What is Dawg's Thought?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011

I guess I should have started with this post ...

Dawg's thought is a ministry that started in 1995. The long story short ...

-A friend of mine asked me to be the godfather for her daughter ...
-I said yes and started to take Bible passages and write a little "this is what it means" so that she (my friend) would know more about the faith ...
-Figured that if I'm doing this for one person, why not send it out to a few friends by email ...
-The list started to grow ...
-Launched a website in 2003 ...

... and here we are!

One key point of note is that over the course of this ministry, a priest in Hawaii knew about this and was added to the list in 2001. After seeing the first one, he asked me, "why are you not using the readings that the Catholic church gives us?" It is a great reminder that the Catholic Church is much more relevant than I could ever be in my desire to find a reading that helps me today.

(link: http://www.dawgsthought.com) www.dawgsthought.com

Theotokos - Mother of God

Fri, 16 Sep 2011

Over the past few weeks, there have been two Marian feast days: the Nativity of Mary and Our Lady of Sorrows.

Normally when Marian days come up, I would pull a reflection from the writings of Blessed Pope John Paul II to send out in Dawg's thought ((link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/) www.dawgsthought.com). After all, what he writes comes from a very deep devotion to Our Blessed Mother.

My own devotion to Mary has waned back and forth over my own faith journey. So, writing a reflection on Our Blessed Mother has always brought about insecurity.

Through the inspiration from Our Blessed Mother's Spouse, the Holy Spirit, here are the two Marian reflections from the past few weeks in Dawg's thought:

(link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3718) Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th)
(link: http://www.dawgsthought.com/forums.php?sectionid=1318&topic=3722) Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15th)