Lux Arumque and my thoughts on Sacred Music

I recently was forwarded a youtube post about Eric Whitacre and his "Virtual Choir":



Here is the full version released:



Watching this got me to thinking about Sacred Music. The text of the piece above is a reflection on the nativity of the Christ child.


Lux Aurumque:

Light,
warm and heavy as pure gold
and the angels sing softly 
to the newborn baby.

Lux, Lux
Lux, Lux
Lux Lux
Calida
Calida
Gravis que
Gravis que
Gravis que
Pura
Pura velut aurum
canunt et canunt et canunt


My thoughts came around to the melding of the sound and the meaning and there was something deep present!

Here is then the product of that thought:

In Sacred Music we often settle for “Festal” joy, which tends to amuse the intellect. Rather, Sacred Music should aim at “Sublime” joy, which humbles the intellect through wonder and awe at a mystery beyond itself.

Too often our Church Music is the saccharine expression of popularism that wants to amuse and, dare we say it, entertain. Sacred Music should express itself to a deeper part of the human heart than the appetites. It should penetrate to the core whence love springs from the melding of intellect and will touched by mystery.

(Blessed) John Paul II

Vatican announces Pope John Paul II beatification events

By Cindy Wooden



VATICAN CITY (CNS)—The Vatican released a three-day schedule of events for the beatification of Pope John Paul II and warned against people selling counterfeit tickets to the beatification liturgy, which is free and open to all.

Pope Benedict XVI will preside over the beatification Mass at 10 a.m. May 1 in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican said. Immediately after Mass the faithful can pray before Pope John Paul’s mortal remains, which will be set in front of the main altar in St. Peter’s Basilica.

The veneration “will continue until the flow of faithful ends,” it said.

Distributing the program Feb. 18, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the deceased pope’s remains will be in the casket in which he originally was buried in 2005 and will not be visible.

The casket will be reinterred in the Chapel of St. Sebastian on the main level of St. Peter’s Basilica in a “private” ceremony, which will occur only after the large crowds have stopped coming to pay their respects, Father Lombardi said.

The night before the beatification, a prayer vigil will be held in the grassy open space that was the ancient Circus Maximus in Rome, the Vatican said.

“It will be organized by the Diocese of Rome, which had the venerable servant of God as its bishop,” the note said. Cardinal Agostino Vallini, papal vicar for Rome, will lead the celebration and Pope Benedict is expected to watch through a video hookup.

The morning after the beatification, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state, will celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving in St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican said.

U.S. Archbishop James M. Harvey, prefect of the papal household, which organizes the non-liturgical side of papal events, also issued a statement Feb. 18 emphasizing the fact that tickets will not be required to attend the beatification.

The archbishop’s statement, distributed in six languages, said he had been “informed of the existence of unauthorized offers by some tour operators, especially on the Internet,” claiming that for a fee they could help people get tickets to papal events, particularly the beatification Mass.

“For the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul II, as made clear from the outset, no tickets are required,” the statement said.

And for events that require tickets, such as the pope’s weekly general audience, the tickets “are always issued free of charge and no person or organization can request any kind of payment,” it said.

Copyright 2011 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Dominican Sisters in Oak Ridge

A great local news story about our Nashville Dominicans that live here in town.

The Catholicism Project

Fr. Barron's Catholicism Project looks awesome!
I can't wait for it to come out (Fall of 2011)

But don't take my word for it - watch the Trailer:



For more info go to his website: http://www.wordonfire.org/Home.aspx

Made for Each Other

The USCCB has an ad hoc committee on the Defense of Marriage. They have produced a series entitled: "Made for Each Other: A Catechetical and Educational Aid on Sexual Difference and Complementarity".

I think it looks promising.

Here is a link to the first video of the series: http://www.usccb.org/marriageuniqueforareason/

I look forward to the rest!

The Vocation of the Laity at its finest!