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4: Liturgy - with Anastasia Niklaus and Connor Miller
4 Plays1 year ago
The liturgy is "the work of the people...for the Glory of God!' Here to talk about the importance of music and art we have two very knowledgeable friends of ours: Anastasia Niklaus, Liturgy & Music Coordinator at St. Edwards and the Chair of the Archdiocesan Worship Commission; and Connor Miller, the Director of Music at St. Patrick's and the Office of Worship Administrative Assistant.
The website and resources referenced can be found here:
https://dbqarch.org/archdiocesan-eucharistic-revival
https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/
Recommended
Transcript
Episode Introduction
00:00:03
Speaker
Bye.
00:00:16
Speaker
Hello, everyone, and welcome to Episode 4 of the Dubuqueristic Podcast, Dubuqueristic Revival, all about the Eucharistic Revival here in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. My name is Father Jacob Rouse, and I'm the pastor of Notre Dame Parish in Cresco. And I'm very delighted to be joined by my brother, priest, Father Kevin. Father Kevin, could you say a little bit about yourself?
00:00:41
Speaker
Yes, I am Father Kevin Earlywine, co-host of the Dubuque heuristic revival podcast, because that's the name we're going with. And it can be our subtitle, Dubuque heuristic. Anyways, Father Kevin, pastor of St. Patrick's.
00:00:54
Speaker
uh, Catholic church in Hampton and St. Mary's church in Ackley. Happy to be here as your co-host.
Art & Music Discussion
00:01:01
Speaker
Excellent. Co, meaning together. Um, so today we're going to be talking about art and music. Um, my favorite instrument to play and listen to is the trumpet. Do you have a favorite instrument to listen to or play? Well, I also learned trumpet back in the day, but I've also been taught while someone attempted to teach me how to play the spoons. Oh, like an old bluegrass music. I hit the spoons together and
00:01:25
Speaker
Yeah, great. Anyways, so I enjoy attempting to play them. I'm not very good at it, but you haven't incorporated that into the liturgy yet. Not yet. No, not until liturgical music. No, no. Okay. Gotcha. Still figuring out how to put it with holy God. We praise thy name, you know.
00:01:41
Speaker
We'll see what happens. Anyway, we are joined by two very special guests today instead of one. Connor Miller and Anastasia both are deeply involved in liturgy and music and worship for the archdiocese. Anastasia, can you share your name and where you are and a little bit about yourself?
00:02:01
Speaker
Yeah, honored to be here, Anastasia Nicholas, and I currently minister at St. Edward Parish with Liturgy and Music in Waterloo. Also am blessed to be the chair of the Archdiocese and Worship Commission. And so really just get to be steeped in the liturgy. I began
00:02:22
Speaker
involvement with music at Mass. I was kind of commissioned into it in fifth grade and kind of have been added ever since from those slow humble starts. So yeah, I have ministered in various areas of the diocese and like youth ministry, campus ministry, and kind of settled in liturgical ministry. So you've seen it all? I've seen it all. More or less. What is your favorite instrument to listen to and or play?
00:02:52
Speaker
That's a tough one for me. I played French horn in high school, but I never really played it well. I love the way it sounds when it is played well. And the instrument I've always wanted to play is the violin slash fiddle. I just think it adds so much to any sort of music, both liturgical and otherwise.
Music's Role in Liturgy
00:03:12
Speaker
Well, the French horn is a very noble instrument, no matter how you play it. So that's good. And the fiddle pairs well with spoons, I just want to say. Right. Right. We could have a band after this. Our next guest is Connor Miller. Can you say a little bit about yourself and where you're working?
00:03:30
Speaker
Yeah, my name is Connor Miller and I currently serve as the Director of Music at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids. And I also work part time as an administrative assistant in the Office of Worship for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. I was born and raised here in Cedar Rapids and started doing music in middle school and started playing specifically for the Liturgy piano in middle school.
00:03:58
Speaker
kind of continued that throughout high school. I graduated in 2017 from Xavier in Cedar Rapids and after high school was ready to just make it more of a hobby so I went to college for degrees in graphic design and theology and about a week into that was informed that there's a pastoral music ministry degree that I should have considered and after
00:04:24
Speaker
A moment in Eucharistic adoration and some consolation from the Holy Spirit decided to kind of change that path and ended up here back home in good old CR.
00:04:39
Speaker
That's that's great and we're from the same parish growing up in the same high school and Our parents are friends and so that's pretty cool. You are one heck of a trumpet instructor instructor. Oh Taught me once upon a time
00:05:00
Speaker
Yes. What is your favorite instrument, Connor, to listen to and or play? To play pipe organ. I just think it's such a beautiful instrument in the wide range of things you can do with it, from the quietest string section to the brassiest brass section.
00:05:21
Speaker
So yeah, that's a fun one to play, to listen to cello. And I'd love to bring that someday. A nice solid string instrument. So yeah. Very good. Well, the organ is objectively the king of all the instruments. Yeah. Great choice. So we've done some introduction, but as we're going to be talking about music and art,
00:05:47
Speaker
I'd like to, Anastasia, can you go either like over the span of your life or even just pick one pretty meaningful moment? What has music meant to you and what are ways or experiences where music has been helpful in your life or spiritual life or personal life? Yeah, I think that music's kind of been a thread throughout my life just to
00:06:12
Speaker
connect me to other people actually. So I found that like in college, I was in college when alternative music was just becoming a thing. And so it kind of helped me learn new avenues of music with friendships.
00:06:28
Speaker
And just in different times of loss, I found that song really can maybe express things that I couldn't express with just words, but music helps with that. And so I just think it's so interesting how, as I think about that, like that's been true with secular music. And then as I become more and more involved with the church, just to see families at times like funerals or weddings and just how the music really
00:06:57
Speaker
does touch a deeper cord. You know, God gave us that just to be able to really connect in a higher realm, I think. That's beautiful.
00:07:09
Speaker
Yeah, yeah No, I absolutely agree and that was like the same line of thinking I had like it offers so much more than just what spoken word can I was reminded of constantly reminded of Hans Christian Andersen quotes where words fail music speaks And as I was kind of reflecting and preparing for today that came back up And it yeah, it just
00:07:38
Speaker
It elevates it. Our thoughts, our prayers. And I know, yeah, I found that especially impactful and meaningful. I think of some of the conferences I've attended, whether that be a Steubenville conference or a Sikh conference, when you're in adoration and struggling to find the words to express what it means to be there in the presence of the Lord in this intimate moment.
00:08:06
Speaker
Sometimes, yeah, those words just fill that void so well. And then specifically 2019 at the Sikh Conference in Indianapolis, they had been using antiphons for the day and the text the church had given for that day was, oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name and all the earth.
00:08:31
Speaker
for communion. So just sitting there after having received our Lord and exclaiming that just a powerful moment that sticks out to me specifically relating to liturgical music and how it lends itself to prayer and elevating it.
00:08:51
Speaker
beautiful. Thank you. Yeah, so that that's really beautiful. And yeah, so that actually is a nice transition into our next question as you were gonna say something, Father Jacob.
00:09:02
Speaker
Oh, go ahead. Yeah. So music can touch us in deeper ways, help us to express deeper things. Then we know how to say, I like that music. What is it? Where words fail, music speaks. And how that works in our personal lives and paralyzed and everything. But you kind of set us up there, Connor, specifically. So music can help in many ways. But kind of more specifically, how does music serve more specifically the liturgy?
00:09:31
Speaker
And since this is a Eucharistic revival podcast, leading the court specifically is the Eucharistic mystery. And so whoever wants to field that question first. You can take any questions. You can't point at each other. All right. We've all pointed at each other. Yeah, I just think it's such a big question.
00:09:55
Speaker
I just think when it comes to the Eucharistic mystery, what I think music helps with is the act of us all singing together really calls us to recognize that, especially as Catholics, it's never just me and Jesus. While that relationship is important, my relationship with Jesus matters, you know, amazingly. At the same time, it's never just me and Jesus.
00:10:22
Speaker
all of us together. And so all of us raising our voices together in a liturgy and particularly at Mass, I just think really speaks to
00:10:32
Speaker
just the beauty that God can create. And especially, I mean, I think there's people who will say like, well, but I don't have a voice like you just sing and like God doesn't care. You know, I just think particularly one of my favorite moments in Mass is the preface before the Holy Holy. And as musicians, we're always prepared to hear words such as, and with all the angels and saints, we, you know, we looked up our voices and song or, you know, something more eloquent than that at Mass.
00:11:02
Speaker
It's like our cue and it's also the truth, you know, like we really are. The angels and saints are there. We're shipping at heaven and we get to join them as we sing that song. And it's just like, you know, if you really think about the impact of that, like how amazing. And then when we sing the Amen, the highest point of the whole liturgy, just really
00:11:25
Speaker
Yeah, we believe that. It's the truth. So anyway, that's just a few thoughts that come to mind right away. Beautiful. Singing with the angel and saints being swept up in the heavenly song. Yeah. Yeah. It's just amazing to me. Sorry, I'm coming in again. But so I have had some significant losses in my life, including my husband and my mother. And I just think
00:11:50
Speaker
Like, I don't even ever feel alone, you know, because I'm at mass often and I pray that they're among those saints that I'm praying with and singing with at that moment.
Creation & Music
00:12:03
Speaker
And so just, I think music connects us beyond this world. It's just amazing. Like, praise God.
00:12:10
Speaker
Yeah, I just to add to that, that reminds me when you're talking. So there's a scene I love. So I'm kind of a book nerd and I love Lord of the Rings and J.R. Tolkien. But in his book, The Cimarillion, which is kind of his history book of Middle Earth fiction, of course, but he himself being a devoted Catholic.
00:12:30
Speaker
devout Catholic has a lot of beautiful deep spiritual truths and he depicts the creation of his fantasy world with sort of the God, the creator God figure singing the world into being and so then as all the other kind of spiritual beings are created all the other gods they like are all singing in harmony in the unfolding of this creation and I just think that's really beautiful so it was like how all of creation kind of as it unfolds is sort of being taken up
00:12:56
Speaker
into kind of this song of kind of this cosmic song together and everything. And that's exactly what we're participating in in that. So that's why we're here. Oh, I want to add the dark side of that, Father Kevin. Melkor is in there and he thinks he's the most beautiful and he sings song. He sings his song the loudest and doesn't match with everyone else and then sows discord in the land.
00:13:23
Speaker
He's the Satan figure. So you can read into that what you will. But anyway, we all are joining together in in song and open to finish. We're going to finish that thought. No, go ahead about that. Is that he uses that as a beautiful explanation of why God allows evil, because then the Melkor, the Satan figure, he sings dissonance into the creative song. But then he talks about how the the creator God and his providence
00:13:49
Speaker
then weaves it into his great symphony of using the discord and dissonances to resolve into beautiful harmonies and everything. So it's exactly how he, to the frustration of evil, weaves it into his even greater plan, which I think is such a beautiful example.
00:14:05
Speaker
of how God, you know, how, why, you know, there's a great question, why does God allow evil? And we could talk for an hour about that, but we get, well, of course, of our central subject, but I think it just beautifully demonstrates kind of like, I think it's such a beautiful image of like, how, even when there is evil and discord,
00:14:21
Speaker
Um, like how God can weave it into, when we give it over to him, he can weave it into something greater. Um, you know, that doesn't mean he wants and desires evil for us, but that his providence is such that kind of the old expression, God can draw straight with crooked lines. So, or how he can take something as horrific as a crucifixion and use that to be then the source of all our peace, the source of love, the source of reconciliation and our salvation. So, um, a new life, a new life, right? Yeah. He takes us torturous.
00:14:52
Speaker
thing of death that's awful and evil and agonizing and brings new life, divine life. And yeah, exactly.
00:15:00
Speaker
And to Anastasia's previous point, not that the Satan figure and Melkor sowing discord and dissension is the person in the congregation who cannot sing. But what I'm saying is, yes, you're welcome. The person who just lets it loose, even though they can't sing, like that's your part of the community and you're part of the congregation.
00:15:23
Speaker
Yeah, we all have a part to play. So Connor's chomping at the bit to answer that question that we got off track due to Tolkien, which could be another episode anyway. Well, yeah, I agree. Like 100 percent like this idea of community. And that's something I always highlight when talking about the liturgy, specifically this moment with the song to the Holy Holy and that call to join all of the angels and the saints.
00:15:53
Speaker
I think it's easy to just kind of have that go in one ear and out the other but like that's a huge moment where we're reminded what we're celebrating in this hour here on earth is happening for eternity and we're just getting this glimpse of it even though it may be veiled. Another thing I mentioned frequently about that is there was a study done I believe in Great Britain
00:16:19
Speaker
with people who sing together and make music together. And it found that when they make music together, their heartbeats will align. It's like in this moment, our heartbeats align with Heavens. And I just think that's like super poignant when it comes to the Eucharistic celebration and the wedding feast of the Lamb.
00:16:45
Speaker
I need to go lay down and think about that for a while. That just gave me chills. That's amazing. Wow. Well, along heartbeats, I might just add to that. So I do talk about how part of the spiritual life is sort of a divine heart transplant, right? So like it's our heart being transformed into being filled with the heart of Jesus Christ, the sacred heart. And how in a very poignant way, like how that comes to us in the Eucharist, like there's some beautiful
00:17:15
Speaker
connections between the Eucharist and the heart of Jesus Christ. We believe it is His real presence, body, blood, soul, and divinity, but then there are some really neat things with Eucharistic miracles, how at times the host has manifested living flesh and blood, and how
00:17:32
Speaker
like how that has often been uh and they've done scientific studies that that's and it's like living heart tissue so like in this really real way of like how it just and music aligning our hearts with the lord so like it's preparing us to in a even deeper way in reception of the eucharist too for our hearts to beat with his so yeah yeah that just makes me think too like oh i think those miracles are so um
00:18:00
Speaker
miraculous, of course, like just amazing beyond belief, but then also how his heart then is beating like upon reception of the Lord, we're called, you know, we've become one with him. So it's like music. It's like the actual physical reception. And then the idea that we're meant to continue this song as we leave, you know, as we go forth. So it's just kind of a beautiful way to think about
00:18:27
Speaker
I'm thinking about it was like the example you gave from Tolkien and how, you know, maybe the creator began the world with song and then just how song could really be a unit force beyond the walls.
Understanding Liturgy
00:18:43
Speaker
Yeah, beautiful. Thank you.
00:18:46
Speaker
I have a two-pronged question. Only the Blessed Virgin assumed, and so I don't want to assume that our listeners, well some might, but the definition of liturgy itself, whether you want to go with the Greek or what it means to us right now in these contemporary times, but what is liturgy and what does it mean to you?
00:19:11
Speaker
And then the second part is that probably means some things, then we're tapping into emotion. But if there's a liturgy, that probably means do we just let our emotions go wild and we sing and dance and do whatever and play whatever song? I'm not sure. So can one of you jump on that real quick?
00:19:31
Speaker
I'll try. So liturgy means the work of the people. And I like to add for the glory of God, because it's not just about the work of the people. It's not about us. Only we matter, but it's really to glorify God.
00:19:48
Speaker
And so I think knowing that it comes from that just speaks a lot to what we're about. And I think one of the beauties of our Catholic faith is that we are given what are called rubrics or guidelines by which to do that, because if we're going to be universal, which is what Catholic means,
00:20:09
Speaker
We can't just make it all up. And again, I think it's easy to make it all about us if we're just making like, oh, I like this reading. I like this song. So I know I work with children a lot.
00:20:23
Speaker
Sometimes they'll be pretty clear about if they like a song or not, right? And I'll just remind them, I don't necessarily like every song I choose, but it's the right song because it matches maybe the readings of the day, the theme of the day, and can still draw us deeper into the mystery of God. So I think those are some of the things I think about when making choices.
00:20:50
Speaker
Because yeah, there's a lot of options, but I'm not going to necessarily sing the song I listen to on the top 40. I won't be singing the song. I won't be singing that song in the liturgy because I just wasn't created with the idea of ritual dimension as part of it.
00:21:12
Speaker
So, so no, no Beyonce during math. We used to joke when I was working at a campus ministry, though, that we would have like a Prince. Yeah, it's not gonna happen. Purple rain down or something. Yeah. Well, add in Kevin spoons, and then it would be great.
00:21:37
Speaker
That's right. Yeah. Yeah. We used to. I just I remember at Lourdes College, there was a hymnal called that was titled Journey Songs that I would see in the sacristy. I always thought it funny because I then jokingly would say, you know, how we should have like a journey mass. So all themed around or stylized after the band journey. You know, like don't stop believing in any way you want it with open arms. Yes. So that's enough of that. Thank you.
00:22:06
Speaker
Connor, what does liturgy mean to you? Yeah, like Anastasia said, it's the work of the people for the glory of God. And I think that's very important, the glory of God. And also, it's our opportunity with this act of public worship, liturgy is public worship in the church, to help transform our hearts.
00:22:34
Speaker
talking about what we were later or earlier in the podcast. But yeah, transforming our hearts in this moment of public worship in the liturgy and the fact that the church does give us rubrics and words to pray with to conform our hearts to Christ.
00:22:53
Speaker
And I think there's also a beautiful space like the Catholic faith is a both and faith So there's also like the devotional aspects where like if there is a specific song you can pray with that Might not fit in the liturgy like there's still space for that Maybe not in the public worship, but in private devotional worship
00:23:15
Speaker
And I think, yeah, it's important to have both of those in the life of faith of a Christian and not to forget one or the other. The liturgy, the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. There's a two-way thing there. So everything we do in the liturgy should impact how we pray devotionally and how we pray devotionally should impact how we experience the liturgy. There's a two-way street there.
00:23:48
Speaker
I love that, Connor. I think that I'm so glad that you mentioned that public aspect of it and how that really melds together because I think sometimes people get the misconception that somehow the church is saying that certain music isn't worthy or good because it isn't sung within the walls of the church.
00:24:13
Speaker
I don't think that that's what we're saying. There's lots of music that's wonderful for personal devotion, as you say. It just, again, doesn't meet the standard of really being intended for public worship and that ritual dimension.
00:24:31
Speaker
Yeah, I think we would say in liturgy, like music is doing a specific servicing in a particular action, right?
Prayer in Christian Life
00:24:40
Speaker
And which is the service of these particular texts and prayers and what is happening here, right? Like so offertory where
00:24:46
Speaker
We're offering our lives up to the Lord communion where we're entering into this Eucharistic mystery. So the music should be a reflection of how is it we're praying corporately. And when I give a talk on prayer, when I've given talks to my people on prayer, I talk about that very thing that we both
00:25:02
Speaker
Our prayer life should have both our private personal prayer, right? Devotional prayer, as we might call it. But then there's also this dimension of a public liturgical prayer, and you need both, right? Because if you just go to Mass, but never have a personal prayer life, like it can become easily just to seem like empty ritual, or vice versa. If I just have my own personal prayer life, but I never go to church, then it's really tempting to make it just about me.
00:25:27
Speaker
And I think part of the beautiful thing, and you guys kind of alluded to this already, is part of liturgy and of the Eucharist mystery, therefore. And thus the music in it is not just about what I like, but it's this thing is transforming me. Like I go to liturgy to be shaped and formed by it.
00:25:45
Speaker
So it's not about tailoring it like disc jockey just making the playlist that I like for this particular thing but it's about I'm going and then these rituals these prayers these words and the music is that service of that of me being transformed by the mystery that we're encountering.
00:26:02
Speaker
I'm really glad you brought up what I like because I know there are certain songs that father Jacob really, really likes. And there are certain songs that father Jacob does not like. And some of them are melodic tastes. Some of them are theology and some of them are just I hate that because I'm, I don't know, immature and don't want to reflect. So I think the fact that there's
00:26:21
Speaker
And I actually do. I love the rubrics. I love pouring through and learning. It seems like I learned something every time. Oh, wait, we're supposed to be doing that? Not supposed to be doing that? I don't see it as a really strict rule following. I see it as this is the guidelines for how we have a universal liturgy. So whether it's a daily mass or whether it's the Easter vigil,
00:26:45
Speaker
those those those texts in there are really helpful. So yeah, it's not about this isn't about personal preference. This is about my preference for the whole, I think. Yeah, I like how you said to Father Kevin that it forms us. And I know that's something that as a person who is choosing the music that the people of God will sing, I really
00:27:12
Speaker
think about that aspect of it a lot. Like the music that we're choosing is going, the words we sing are going to form us. So like just making sure that those words are worthy. It makes me kind of think of a quote that there's a document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Sing to the Lord, Music and Divine Worship. That's a kind of a guideline to what to choose.
00:27:40
Speaker
I always love the introductions of these documents because there's just so much beauty in them. And it speaks a cry from deep within our being. Music is a way for God to lead us to the realm of higher things. And yeah, and so choices should do that and not just be about if I like it or not. Amen. Beautiful.
00:28:07
Speaker
Thank you. Wow. I think we covered good things. That was a great conversation. Before we wrap up and everything, feel free to share any more thoughts you have about music and liturgy, but kind of to make it more connecting more explicitly to Eucharist revival. As you know, where the reason we're doing this podcast is because we're in this season of
00:28:27
Speaker
when the bishops have called in the United States for Eucharist revival. And so this is a trying to be at service of that, particularly in the archdiocese of Dubuque. So just some thoughts on that and feel free again, since we're talking about music and beauty and how it fits away with that.
Eucharistic Revival Insights
00:28:42
Speaker
But basically, Eucharist revival, why does it matter? And what would you want to be like one takeaway for our listeners to be as we kind of journey on this, I mean, day in general, but with kind of an eye towards Eucharist revival?
00:28:57
Speaker
I think in this time of Eucharistic Revival, it's such a beautiful
00:29:09
Speaker
point in everyone's faith life to like re-examine what our relationship with the Eucharist is. A good reminder, I think it's easy to fall into a I take this for granted kind of camp and just go through the motions. So in this time specifically to take a step back and re-examine like Eucharistic devotion and what that looks like for each person.
00:29:35
Speaker
and then like one tangible to take away. I think like be diligent about praying in the liturgy and noticing those words and phrases like singing with all the angels and the saints or other things throughout the Eucharistic prayer that help remind us that we are participating in something eternal and beyond what we're just
00:30:01
Speaker
in here and now. I think that can be huge for developing that Eucharistic devotion as well. Yeah, I would agree with that too. I think that really that call to pray
00:30:22
Speaker
I mean, music, like we're called to sing the liturgy, right? So music isn't just something that's added on and liturgy isn't just a thing we could choose to do. You know, like this is, we're singing the liturgy. It's like actually part of the prayer and important part of it. So I would encourage people to really, just as Connor just said, to really be praying
00:30:48
Speaker
just really put your heart into it, right? We put our heart into so many other aspects of our life. And how much more do you get out of something if you're putting your heart into it? And really, I think this Eucharistic revival is calling me and I think us to a deeper relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist. And that means Jesus himself and Jesus in my brother and sister. So I just think that it really is calling us to
00:31:15
Speaker
a deeper relationship in a time when I think we all could agree there's been some ruptures and division in the world and in the church. I think this is really a call to allow the Holy Spirit to draw us deeper into the life of Christ. Amen. Thank you. Yeah. Being forged into the body of Christ. So, yeah, beautiful.
00:31:44
Speaker
Yeah. Well, speaking of Eucharistic Revival, I want to give a shout out also to Connor Miller, who's here with us. But some of you may or may not know, but we are joined with us today. We have a quasi-local celebrity in our midst. So on the National Eucharistic Revival movement, sort of their website and everything, and
00:32:06
Speaker
leading towards a big national Eucharistic conference that'll be happening in June, I think, of 2024. But along the way, as part of that, they're having some different art pieces of different Eucharistic saints, I believe. Is that correct? Like, saints who kind of... Witnesses. They're not all saints yet. Witnesses. Okay, so yeah, witnesses. Venerables, beatifies, and some saints.
00:32:33
Speaker
but figures who have been a great Eucharistic witness through their devotion to the Eucharist, through the way they live their lives with flowing to or from the Eucharistic mystery or the way they inspire devotion to the Eucharist and others, which is really, really cool. But what's especially really cool about that is the person that's making the art pieces is in our midst right now, AKA Connor Miller is making some artistic pieces. So Connor, tell us a little bit about that.
00:33:00
Speaker
please about the art that you're doing for the Eucharistic Revival along those lines.
Art for Revival
00:33:06
Speaker
Sure. Say more. So yeah, in my free time outside of doing music at the church, for the church and for the glory of God, I also do graphic design and artwork also for the glory of God. And through this
00:33:23
Speaker
was invited to help participate in creating art for the National Eucharistic Revival. So this started back in July, each month leading up to the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. They are highlighting an American Eucharistic witness. So as you said, someone who exemplified what it means to live a Eucharistic life.
00:33:47
Speaker
We have everyone from Cardinal Francis George. He was the first one. Father Augustus Tolton, who is well on his way to St. Hood. I just wrapped up sketches for next month's Charlene Richard. She's a young girl out of Louisiana. So people from all walks of life who have really exemplified what it means to live a Eucharistic life.
00:34:15
Speaker
And with each of those, they are having someone write an essay about how this person exemplified that Eucharistic life. And with the essay, I'm doing a woodcut print of each of them to kind of creatively depict and call to mind who this person was.
00:34:37
Speaker
So I'm incredibly honored and blessed that I'm able to contribute in that way. And it's been really neat to learn all of these stories and be able to bring these people to life through a unique medium in woodcut printmaking. Wow, that's really cool. To go from in our conversation about
00:35:04
Speaker
Um, uh, what is it audio music? I mean the music of sound or art of sound and music and then go to a visual medium as well. So you're multi express expressive. Um, is there like a website or a catalog or anything that, that we could see? Absolutely. So all of these, uh, with the essays are being featured on the Eucharistic revival website. So, uh, Eucharistic revival.org slash blog.
00:35:33
Speaker
I think the most recent one you'll see in there is Dorothy Day. And then it's also a great resource. They have a good breakdown explaining the parts of the mass and a number of other things that are just useful in developing our Eucharistic devotions and relationship with the Eucharist.
00:35:53
Speaker
So you can check it out there. Other artwork of mine you can find at www.connermiller.design. And that features all of that artwork plus some other religious artwork that I have been up to in the past.
00:36:10
Speaker
That's excellent. I will definitely put those two websites in the show notes and description of this episode. Yeah, that's good to ask if they were show notes. That's wonderful. They're so awesome. Also, can we feature those in our local Dubuque, Eucharistic Revival website? Archdiocese of Dubuque slash Eucharistic Revival that Connor conveniently also manages and posts. Yeah, I might. No, I got it.
00:36:34
Speaker
Okay, great. So is there a way you can put art and maybe those blog pieces too on directly on our Dubuque website as well? So which is a nice segue into a reminder to our listeners for things going on specifically in the archdiocese of Dubuque visit dbqarch.org slash archdiocesan dash eucharistic dash revival and or just google archdiocese of Dubuque archdiocesan revival and you will find it. It is our page that we try to stay updated with different events going on throughout the archdiocese of Eucharistic Revival.
00:37:04
Speaker
events. A big thing coming up, our local speaker Anthony Digman has been traveling around and giving different talks in Eucharistic Revival, so you can check that out about where he'll be in upcoming things, as well as there has been a traveling Eucharistic Miracles display that has been at various parishes.
00:37:21
Speaker
Throughout the archdiocese and also of course be remember to check your local parish or surrounding parishes for different Eucharistic revival II things I know there's been a number of Eucharistic revival studies going on at some parishes as and various other talks as well So lots of exciting things coming up and you can check all that out on our websites On the local level and also on the national level So there you go
00:37:47
Speaker
Well, this has been a truly anointed and fascinating conversation. And I know we could go on for a lot longer too, but maybe we'll have a part two. One final thing I'd like to share, Anastasia and I cross paths at UNI. And I can't remember if a saint, I read this in a saint writing somewhere or if Anastasia taught me, or maybe a little bit of both, but I learned that we are all stained glass windows.
00:38:16
Speaker
Oh, thanks. Okay. I was going to attribute it to you, but we'll give Tommy the credit, but basically, you're all in glass windows. If you're looking through transparent window pane, sure, the light is all pouring in, but then our individuality, our spirituality, our thumbprints, everything that makes us sin included because of the stain idea too, but that's what lets the
00:38:42
Speaker
the light flow in and just make beautiful visual art in the church. So I teach that quite regularly and I attribute it to you, Anastasia, but now I'll give Thomas Merton the credit as well. I think we should share with you Anastasia. Beg borrow steel.
00:39:02
Speaker
Anyways. Well thank you everyone and listeners too. Thanks for tuning in. This has been, this isn't a fun ongoing journey as we travel and play and adventure all up the mountain to the source and summit that is the Eucharist. So I'll see everyone this weekend. See you in the Eucharist.