Christmas Thoughts - During this Christmas Season we sometimes get too caught up in the hustle and bustle, and loose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Stress abounds in many forms during a time where we should be rejoicing and reflecting on what truly matters in Life - namely our Family, Friends and the Love which is in each of us. All the rest is trivial. We need to slow down, relax and gain a new perspective, no matter how difficult that may seem. We need to focus on the event which occurred some 2000 years ago in a simple stable with the birth of a very special Child. In the serenity of that event, the angels truly must have been singing. Let their singing come into your hearts during this Christmas Season! This is Our Christmas Wish to You - Enjoy! O Magnum Mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas. This choral arrangement (1994) is by American composer Morten Johannes Lauridsen. I had the pleasure of hearing this piece for the first time with my family during the 2010 Crane School of Musics Candlelight Concert. I was struck by how beautiful and serene this piece is, and I felt like the angels were literally in the concert hall. If I closed my eyes I could envision the scene in that simple stable with the Holy Child! Latin text O magnum mysterium, et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo, cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia. English translation O great mystery, and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see the new-born Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia! youtu.be/7KvrbYZB2vY
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 21:12:07 +0000