What do you think, my friends? How much Marian music do you program tomorrow? How much Christmas music? Is anybody still putting in a plug for world peace?
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The Armchair Liturgist: Songs on January 1
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Catholic Sensibility 
Mary and World Peace make a fine combo for today. Liam will shudder as I suggest “Let There Be Peace on Earth” as an ending hymn…
Peace and Happy New Year, Todd!
I gave the music director the day off, so we had a capella music. “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” for the opening, but unfortunately, as people don’t know it well, when I stopped singing it (as I incensed the altar and cross), they stopped, after two verses.
Someone led “Sing of Mary” for the offertory; and then “Ave Maria” (not the original) for communion, and “Joy to the World” for the recessional. Our volunteer cantor came up with the latter two.
We prayed for peace in the petitions.
New Years’s Day here falls in the midst of our main summer holiday break. Usually many people leave the town I live in for a beach or lake, (though this year camping has been unseasonably cold). So church-wise, the usual people are not around.
PS I live in hope that January has to improve. (December was our ‘coldest on record’.) Hopefully I will be neither reading nor commenting on your blog soon as I head away camping myself!
Well, I might just break out into cackles of laughter instead of shuddering. Both reactions are equally possible when I encounter that song.
I would say that it’s been many years (over 20) since I’ve encountered the World Day of Peace liturgy.
Then again, I think the current Christmastide calendar is seriously botched, the worst part of the reformed calendar, and January 1 is part of the problem. Make it the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus and Octave Day of Christmas, ditch the obligation, and revive January 6 as an untransferable Solemnity (of obligation) of the Epiphany. And make the following Sunday the Solemnity of the Theophany of the Most Holy Trinity at the Jordan River, to close Christmastide.