YOM HA SHOAH Lectionary #892

Shoah is the Hebrew word for “whirlwind.” It is the term used in the title Yom HaShoah (“Day of the Whirlwind”) to described the conflagration that swept up six million Jewish souls between 1938 and 1945. Every year, on Yom HaShoah, our Jewish brothers and sisters remember the martyrs who sanctified the name of the Holy One in the camps, the ghettos, and in the gas chambers. Even in the midst of our Easter festivities, we ought to pause with them to remember the martyrs, including, for us, many Christian martyrs among an additional six million people who died in the Shoah with the six million Jewish people.

Services on this day, especially in Israel , begin with silence, a pause to remember the six million. People are invited, in this silence, to take time to remember what happened, whether we understand it or not. We can take the time to focus our thoughts on how we can strengthen our faith in the Holy One in the wake of tragedy. We can take the time to contemplate what needs to be said about the tragedies, and how to say it. Silence affords us these opportunities.

Remembrance services also usually involve the lighting of candles, at least six—one for each million who died.

Although Yom HaShoah falls on the Octave of Easter/Second Sunday of Easter/Divine Mercy Sunday in 2007, we might use appropriate readings, psalms, and songs in a non-Eucharistic service on this day, or at least remember the Shoah in intercession and sung prayer during the Sunday Eucharist. (We do not change the readings and other assigned texts for Mass or the liturgy of the hours, however.)

Here are some suggestions. The readings are taken from Lectionary #892-896: For Reconciliation, and from 927-932: For Refugees and Exiles and For Those Held in Captivity. The suggested songs have been selected for use by a Christian congregation. (Choices of readings and songs for a shared service with Jews on Yom HaShoah, of course, should be made by a joint committee.)

Amos 5:4, 14-15, 21-24 (892-3)

The prophet calls on the people to let their worship be reflected in their deeds of justice.

Psalm 130 (894-2)

This individual lament is composed in three sections: a call to God to hear the psalmist's plea (vv. 1-3), an affirmation of trust in God (vv. 4-6), and an invitation to the community to maintain trust in God (vv. 7-8).

Contigo, Mi Dios, Piedad (Hurd) FYC 573/GP 276

Del Señor Viene la Misericordia (Schiavone) FYC 571

For with the Lord There Is Steadfast Love (chant) BFW 527-528

La Misericordia Viene del Señor (Purtill) FYC 572

Out of the Depths (chant) BFW 84

Out of the Depths (Currie, Gelineau) RS 175, ant. III/WOR 71

Out of the Depths (Gerrish) JS 235

Out of the Depths (Hay) WC 418

Out of the Depths (Soper) GP 277/JS 244

Óyenos, Señor (Rubalcava) Cantos 80/WC 419

With Our God There Is Mercy (Manion) GP 275

With the Lord There Is Mercy (Carroll, Gelineau) RS 175, ant. IV/WOR 211

With the Lord There Is Mercy (Haugen) GC 127/RS 176

With the Lord There Is Mercy (Janco) WC 420

With the Lord There Is Mercy (Joncas) GP 344/JS 769

With the Lord There Is Mercy ( Jordan ) LMGM 512

With the Lord There Is Mercy (O'Carroll) CH 118

With the Lord There is Mercy (Roberts) LMGM 511

Romans 12:9-16b (928-1)

Let love be sincere.

Matthew 25:31-46 (932)

The final judgment is based on our care for those unable to care for themselves. “As long as you did it for one of these least, you did it for me.”

Other Songs

Abundant Life (Duck) GC 710/RS 636

All You Who Pass This Way (Berthier) GC 421/RS 567/WOR 440

An Evening Prayer (Battersby) LMGM 312

Attende Domine/Draw Near, O Lord WC 507

Change Our Hearts (Cooney) GP 349

Come, Let Us to the Lord, Our God CH 243

Comfort, Comfort, O My People GC 326/JS 159/RS 488/WC 458/WOR 370

Comfort My People CH 171

Comfort My People (Misetich) JS 564

Deep Down in My Soul: Psalm 103 (Haas) GC 880

Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race (Duck) GC 739/RS 837

Escúchanos, Señor/Attende Domine Cantos 29/FYC 100

For the Healing of the Nations (Kaan) GC 719/JS 472/RS 823/WC 913/WOR 643

Give Me a Clean Heart (Douroux) LMGM 279

Healer of Our Every Ill (Haugen) GC 882/RS 958/WC 672

Hear Our Entreaties, Lord/Attende Domine CH 238

Hear Us, Almighty Lord/Attende Domine GC 387/RS 552/WOR 414

I Will Not Die (Conry) GC 657/GP 716/JS 552/RS 771

In Love We Choose to Live (Cotter) GC 873

Justice Shall Flourish (Marchionda) WC 912

Lead Me, Guide Me (Akers) GC 574/LMGM 168/RS 712/WC 770

Let Justice Roll Like a River (Haugen) GC 716

Lord of All Nations, Grant Me Grace CH 612/GC 634/RS 751/WC 762/WOR 602

Make Us True Servants (Wente) WC 921

My Soul Is Longing WC 837

Out of the Depths We Cry (Dufner) CH 246

Passionate God (Fulmer) JS 680

Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Dorsey) GP 478/JS 572/LMGM 162/WC 831

Remember Your Love (Balhoff et al.) GP 474

Remember Your Mercy, Lord: Psalm 25 (Inwood) GC 885/GP 476/JS 603

The Cry of the Poor: Psalm 34 (Foley) GC 48/GP 203/JS 635/RS 69

The God of Abraham Praise (Yigdal) GC 544/JS 779/RS 685/WOR 537

Voices That Challenge (Haas) GC 721

We Cannot Measure How You Heal ( Bell ) GC 575

Whatsoever You Do (Jabusch) CH 609/GC 670/GP 558/JS 613/WC 917

When from Bondage (Dufner) CH 252

You Have Rescued Me (Dufford) GP 475