SLU Liturgy Resources

For many years, the Sunday Website at Saint Louis University has provided reflections on the Sunday readings for mass, as well as examples of music, prayer, and art, that have been a blessing to so many people around the world. This website has been the creative brainchild of Fr. John Foley, S.J., who has been the website's director. Together with Eleonore Stump, the coordinator for the website and a regular contributor to its reflections, Fr. Foley's leadership and his own weekly reflections on the readings have made the website theologically educational, spiritually fruitful, and powerfully moving.

But Fr. Foley's health has made it necessary for him to bring closure to the website as it has been under his leadership, and so the website as you have known it for so long will cease its publication in its usual mode with Easter 2026. 

Certainly it is always sad when something we have loved and used and benefited from comes to an end. But we are fortunate to have had Fr. Foley's version of the liturgy website as our companion for so many years. Now we can look forward to the new version of the website, and I am sure that it will be a blessing to us too.

When preparing music for your assembly do you consider:

• the time of day
• the make up and size of the assembly at this particular Mass
• any recent happenings in the parish, community, city, state or nation which might be reflected in the prayer of the assembly (a parishioner dying of cancer, a flood, civil war, elections, etc.)
• the unique resonance of your worship space
• your music ministers and their
  • unique abilities
  • instrumentation (one instrument, two or more)
  • vocalists (cantor, small group and/or choir)
  • presentation (cantor with organ is different from cantor with piano which is different from cantor with keyboard which is different from cantor with guitar, etc.)
  • where they are located in your worship space
• the readings (including Responsorial Psalm)
• the planned homily, presider input
• Liturgy Committee recommendations
• reflections by other ministers (Eucharistic ministers, readers, greeters, ushers, dancers, servers, any other minister involved with this liturgy)

Beginning Prayer

Lord, I am humbly in your presence. Open my heart and my mind. Let me dwell in your Spirit in the midst of your assembly.

First Reflection

I think of the place where I will worship on Sunday. I recall its many aromas …
I feel myself within it …

I listen …
I look …

If I am a singer,
I see the breath support and resonance of my body
my voice projecting from a place deep inside me

If I play an instrument,
I imagine how it feels in my hands
the manuals, pedals and drawknobs of the organ
the strings and frets of the guitar
the keys of the piano
drum, flute, trumpet, violin

my voice or my instrument resonates, first on its own, then blending with all the others

As I join the song, I feel the Holy Spirit deep within me voicing my deepest longing and desire

Second Reflection

I see the assembly
looking into their faces,
I see Christ

every person raising her voice in song,
singing his praise to God

All of us together, before our God

Third Reflection

I bring to mind a song we will sing
perhaps we pray to God
or encourage one another

singing the words of the psalmist,
the prophets,
or God’s disciples, ancient or new

stirring feelings deep within

Final Prayer

Loving God,
I come before you to offer my gift of music.
Help me play and sing our prayer.
Help me lead your assembly in prayer;
for the song is not mine, but ours.
Let us all resound with your praise. Through us, create the world anew in your image.
Fill us with your Holy Spirit once again,
Rouse your power within us.
Amen