Hell is a real possibility for all of us. It's not a happy thought, but it's an appropriate introduction to today's Music Monday selection, our last musical offering before Ash Wednesday. It's not really sacred music, but it is very relevant indeed to the Lenten themes of sin, repentance (or not), and damnation. This is the finale* of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni (a.k.a. Don Juan), one of the most powerful scenes in the history of musical drama.
Music for the Easter Season: Pedro Camacho’s Te Deum
I have always appreciated the way the Te Deum does so much so succinctly. In just a few lines we are reminded of the sweep of Salvation History, the Communion of Saints, the Doctrine of the Trinity, the Mission of Jesus Christ from Bethlehem to the New Jerusalem, and all in the form of a joyful song of praise to our God.
Mascagni’s Easter Hymn and The Regina Coeli (Music for Easter Monday)
This lovely piece of music is a little like the Treasure Hidden in a Field form Jesus' parable (see Matthew 13:44) . . . It's a nice reminder that grace breaks through even in the ugliest of circumstances.
Have a Blessed and a Happy Easter! (Jesus Christ is Risen Today)
https://vimeo.com/531973336 Feature image: ""The Resurrection of Christ" by Piero della Francesca, c. 1460
Something Strange is Happening: Holy Saturday
The period between Death and Resurrection is one of stillness and waiting in our world, but Jesus doesn't rest . . .
Is it I, Lord? (Good Friday)
When Jesus says to them, "You will all fall away” (Matthew 26:31), he’s not speaking only to his Apostles, but to all of us who have been his disciples in the millennia since, as well as all those in the years to come.
Christ Came To Serve (Holy Thursday)
When he takes on the servile task of washing the Apostles’ feet, Jesus doesn’t simply speak but acts out his message, in the manner of an Old Testament prophet. He is showing the Apostles through his example that the purpose of their office is to serve, and not to exalt themselves.
A Hymn For Holy Week: O Sacred Head Surrounded
J.S. Bach's magnificent St. Matthew Passion is perhaps the most prominent musical composition that we associate with Lent. The most well-known part of the St. Matthew Passion itself is the "Passion Chorale", which often appears a hymn called "O Sacred Head Surrounded", or "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded." What's not as well known is that Bach is … Continue reading A Hymn For Holy Week: O Sacred Head Surrounded
Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
There’s something a little unsettling about Palm Sunday. It appears that the same people who welcome Jesus as a victorious king at the beginning of the week are screaming for his death by its end. The liturgy reminds us of this incongruity by putting Palm Sunday and Passion Sunday together (at least in the Ordinary Form; … Continue reading Who Are Those Cheering People? Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday
Why did Jesus ‘Take the Form of a Slave’?
Christ has broken our chains, but here's the catch: we need to be willing to shake them off, get up, and follow him. "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) . . .