Nisi Dominus from Monteverdi's Vespro Della Beata Vergine * Nisi Dominus: Unless the Lord Builds the House . . . Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was probably the most important composer in the transition from Renaissance Polyphony to Baroque. This beautiful piece from his Vespers composition, Vespro della Beata Vergine (1610), is a musical setting for Psalm 127 … Continue reading ‘Nisi Dominus’: Arrows in the Hand of a Warrior
The Church’s First Decision and The First Successor to the Apostles: St. Mathias
Not everyone, it would seem, is pleased with the current Roman Pontiff. If that hadn't been clear to me already, it would certainly be apparent in many of the comments some of my recent posts (this one and this one, for instance) have received in various online venues. Who would have thought it? Happily, I'm not writing … Continue reading The Church’s First Decision and The First Successor to the Apostles: St. Mathias
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
Do You Consider Yourself a Leper?
A few years ago, during a previous Lent, I attended a mass in which the Gospel reading came from Matthew 8, which included the following passage: . . . and behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand … Continue reading Do You Consider Yourself a Leper?
Confession, Jonah, and the Prodigal’s Sons
I had never before considered how closely Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son parallels the last two chapters of the book of Jonah, but the comparison is striking. In the Old Testament book Jonah is sent to warn the people of Nineveh to repent their sins, or face the wrath of God. The Ninevites listen to the words of the prophet: like the Prodigal Son himself, they whole-heartedly repent, and in turn receive God's whole-hearted forgiveness. Who could object to that? As it turns out, Jonah could, and does, object . . .