Each month I feature a short story on a Catholic devotional hymn with a short biography on the author, the composer(s), and a short reflection. I have been doing these short write-ups for a couple years.

As part of my series on Catholic hymns, I have chosen a favorite hymn of mine, Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word. This is a beautiful hymn that honors the Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Take a few moments to read about the author and composer of this beautiful Catholic hymn and be sure to share this story with all your friends.

Many of the hymns that I feature are hymns that I sang in St. Mary's Choir (1977-2010) and new hymns that I have added to my repertoire. These hymns have kept me grounded in my Catholic Faith and I turn to them in good times and bad. They are a source of comfort and spiritual nourishment to me, and I hope for you as well. I want to share them with you because some of you may never have heard them. They are prayerful and meaningful with approved texts by the Catholic Church.

Please visit my website Mother of Mercy Catholic Hymns and click on HYMN OF THE MONTH.

I am reading Jesus of Nazareth- Holy Week -  a second time by Pope Benedict. For anyone who has not read it, I highly recommend it. It was through His humanity - His humility, His obedience and His laying down His human life for us, as the second Adam, that he waged spiritual warfare and defeated Satan and won for us salvation/Eternal Life. This victory was won with the close collaboration of the new Eve as St. Irenaeus and many other Church fathers have pointed out. I wrote this song after pondering this. I pasted the lyrics before and now I have uploaded the song successfully.
LYRICS
    A JOYFUL BATTLE CRY
Let everyone exult and sing
Before our gracious Queen and King
The New Adam and Eve

Responsorial Psalm 71(72):1-2,7-8,10-13 for the Epiphany of the Lord

All nations shall fall prostrate before You, O Lord.

O God, give Your judgement to the king,
to a king’s son Your justice,
that he may judge Your people in justice
and Your poor in right judgement.

All nations shall fall prostrate before You, O Lord.

In His days justice shall flourish
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea,
from the Great River to earth’s bounds.

All nations shall fall prostrate before You, O Lord.

"Be Thou My Vision" (Old Irish: Rop tú mo baile or Rob tú mo bhoile) is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish poem that has traditionally been attributed to Dallán Forgaill probably from the six century
The best-known English version, with some minor variations, was translated in 1905 by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, then made into verse by Eleanor Hull and published in 1912. Since 1919 it has been commonly sung to an Irish folk tune, noted as "Slane" in church hymnals, and is one of the most popular hymns in the United Kingdom. There have been many variations in the lyrics over the years

Below are the lyrics most commonly used. The lyrics in bold type I added.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
All in thy glory, and glory thou art -
thou my best thought, in the day and the  night;

Responsorial Psalm 66(67):2-3,5,6,8 for Mary, the Holy Mother of God

O God, be gracious and bless us.

O God, be gracious and bless us
and let Your face shed its light upon us.
So will Your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn Your saving help.

O God, be gracious and bless us.

Let the nations be glad and exult
for You rule the world with justice.

How easily we can become blind in our youthful pride  and how this contributed ( we the baby boomers) to the sexual "revolution" of the sixties and how God intervened in personal lives and some responded to His merciful Love

As we approach the solemnity of the Holy Family it is good to ponder the marriage of Mary and Joseph.

Responsorial Psalm 104(105):1-6,8-9 for the Holy Family, Year B

He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.

Give thanks to the Lord, tell his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples.
O sing to him, sing his praise;
tell all his wonderful works!

He, the Lord, is our God. He remembers his covenant for ever.

Be proud of his holy name,

                   UNASSUMING ONE      
   1)You heard, knew, and read
   2)Of the ancient fall what scripture said
   1)And the promise of the Holy One 
   2)Who would restore the human race 
   2)From it fall from grace
1) No one had a greater desire than you
2) Your heart’s pure prayer humble and true
1) More than all nature and men combined
2)Your prayer moved God to send His Holy one 
1)Your heart’s pure prayer contained 
2)All the cries and hopes of our race

Responsorial Psalm 88(89):2-5,27,29 for the 4th Sunday of Advent, Year B

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord;
through all ages my mouth will proclaim your truth.
Of this I am sure, that your love lasts for ever,
that your truth is firmly established as the heavens.

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.

‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will establish your dynasty for ever
and set up your throne through all ages.

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/vDH3PSHXUmg

Salmo Responsorial para Domingo 4 Adviento B - Salmo 88 - Proclamaré sin cesar la misericordia del Señor. Leccionario: 11. Responsorial psalm in Spanish for the Fourth Sunday of Advent - cycle B. Free download of sheet music at the following link. All the psalm verses are available.

https://insong.org/product/domingo-4-adviento-b-salmo-88-proclamare-sin-cesar-la-misericordia-del-senor

Music © 2020, Anthony Moran, insong.org
Arranged and recorded by Richard Schletty.

This is a recent update of a song  I wrote years ago and posted of the same name a while ago.  I don't have all the recording equipment I used to have. This update song was recorded on a Google Pixel 5
phone and uploaded to YouTube.  
                                                                  WHO IS THIS CHILD
   D
   In the middle of the night
                   A
   with the fire going out

https://youtu.be/nHrIdIsvwPw?si=zDphdf6hDuUykpSa

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:46-50,53-54 for the 3rd Sunday in Advent, Year B

My soul rejoices in my God.

My soul glorifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
He looks on his servant in her nothingness;
henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

My soul rejoices in my God.

The Almighty works marvels for me.
Holy his name!
His mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear him.

My soul rejoices in my God.

He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.

My wife Susan wrote a poem about one of her ancestors Nancy Ward. Susan's Father, born and raised in Amarillo Texas, passed on the story of how a Cherokee maiden entered the Johnson Family tree. The Family had a strong Christian Faith that Nancy received as her own faith in the Good Lord. I made a song out of the poem(ballad)

A reflection on the Good Lord's abiding presence through our past even when we are in any way conscious of His presence and mercy

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/YVtOfu4dau0

Salmo Responsorial para Domingo 3 Adviento B - Salmo - Lucas 1 - Mi espíritu se alegra en Dios, mi salvador. Leccionario: 8. Responsorial psalm in Spanish for the Third Sunday of Advent - cycle B. Free download of sheet music at the following link. All the psalm verses are available.

https://insong.org/product/domingo-3-adviento-b-salmo-mi-espiritu-se-alegra-en-dios-mi-salvador/



Music © 2020, Anthony Moran, https://insong.org
Arranged and recorded by Richard Schletty.

We must use our, God-given intelligence. to develop HIs creation for the common good in all areas 
of science and technology, The Church( through the Second Vatican Council and in the Catholic Catholic Catechism cautions us about the dangers of utopianism. thinking that we can create a heaven on Earth
without God.
Only from a Catholic (Universal revealed Trut perspective) can we properly handle the evils that confront us, be they ecological, sanitary, social, physical, or moral. For believers recognize that evil, like the weeds that grow up along with the wheat, will always shadow the good in this life. Even when evil’s shadow seems to envelop the good completely, as in the horrors of war and school shootings, rays of good still break through to provide us hope that God, though seemingly absent, reigns – right here, right now.