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Michael Joncas is a composer, vocalist and priest!! He teaches at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota and is a very prolific writer of many songs that we know, such as: “Take and Eat”, “I Have Loved You”, “No Greater Love’, “We Come to Your Feast” as well as one we all know “On Eagles Wings”. We all listen to music and music of varying styles and there are many styles of music that we have in our churches today: chant, ballads, spirituals, hymns, songs and contemporary music.

Fr. Joncas writes many of the contemporary songs we have heard in our hymnals as well as Mass settings too.

Songs move us in different ways and we choose to listen to different ones depending on our given mood. In church, one of the categories we have are songs of comfort. Songs of comfort give us hop in knowing that God is with us always, gives us his loves and lifts us up in hope that we will overcome obstacles, especially ones that cause us sorrow or distress.

Recently, Fr. Joncas has written  a song of hope and comfort for this time of trial we face from this pandemic. As individuals, a worshipping community and the whole world, we need hope for the future, comfort  for those who have lost loved ones and reassurance for our future.

This new song he has written is called, “Shelter Me”. Here is a link below to listen to this song:
https://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/pandemic-inspires-father-joncas-to-compose-hymn-shelter-me/

Prayer-Song in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic – Shelter Me

Shepherd and sheep, my God and I: to fresh green fields you led my steps in days gone by.

You gave me rest by quiet springs and filled my soul with peace your loving presence brings.

O shelter me, O shelter me: the way ahead is dark and difficult to see. O shelter me, O shelter me: all will be well if only you will shelter me.

Yet now I tread a diff’rent way; death dogs my path with stealthy steps from day to day.

 I cannot find your peaceful place but dwell in dreary darkness, longing for your face.

O shelter me, O shelter me: the way ahead is dark and difficult to see. O shelter me, O shelter me: all will be well if only you will shelter me.

I will look back in days to come and realize your faithfulness has led me home.

Within your house I’ll find my peace, trusting that in your mercy you have sheltered me.

This song is based on Psalm 23, the psalm of the Great Shepherd. We are God’s flock and need the Great Shepherd to guide us. In this time of great trial, the sheep calls to the shepherd for guidance and hope. For us to dwell in peace and security, we need to turn or challenges over to God, no matter how big or small.

In our Gather Hymnal, we have 117 selections for comfort. Here is a list of  some which are more familiar are:

Center of My Life, Shelter Me, O God, Shepherd of My Heart, You Are Mine,

You Are Near, Lord of All Hopefulness, The King of Love My Shepherd Is, There Is a Balm in Gilead, This Little Light of Mine.

Which songs give you comfort, healing or peace?

God bless all of you and your families.