When the world seems far beyond me, And I have no place to go, When my life seems cold and empty, And I feel I’m all alone, Then a song that I remember Helps to ease my troubled mind...
While struggling to
keep myself awake, I was reading chapter 6 from the Book of Numbers. Towards
the end, I read a prayer that the Lord said to Moses to be used to bless the
people. Upon reading it, I was reminded of a musical rendition of this song
during my early years at a university choir. There is a more popular version of
this song, but I couldn't help but reminisce the time that I sang John Rutter's
version of "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." During the first time I
sang this piece, I had difficulty with the soprano line. The female voices
would sing the first half of the prayer first. The way that the soprano line
soars was quite a challenge to me then. But if sung very well, it's that
feeling of soaring successfully that makes the effort worth while.
The repeating lines
and the extended "Amen" made me relax and calm and even made me stay
awake during the reading of the bible. So much so that I think this is a
song--a keepsake--that's worth sharing. Here is a rendition of the song by the
Philippine Madrigal Singers. Hope that it will uplift your hearts and souls to
God and be at peace knowing that He will always bless us with everything that
we need to do our duties for the coming week.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s
life for one’s friends.
(John 15:12-13)
The passage above
comes from today's Gospel in which the central theme of the readings is about
God's Love. As Christians, we are reminded that this is the one that should
characterize our actions--that we do everything out of love and our model for
this love is none other than Jesus Christ.
We have many songs
in Musica Sacra that pertain to God's love and one of them is Ecce Quam Bonum.
This song speaks about Christian brotherhood as expressed in Psalm 132. It
reminds us that this unity that we have as Christians centered on the love that
Jesus has given to us through the Holy Eucharist. We united ourselves in this
sacrifice of Christ in order to share in the life and be granted the grace from
the Father in heaven in order to imitate his love that Christ has shown us. And
this love is to "lay down one's life for one's friends"--it is not
forced, but offered, not conditional, but pure giving in the spirit of
generosity. Here is the Latin lyrics and it's English equivalent from Psalm
132. (source: Breviary) The rendition sang by Novo Concertante Manila is that composed by Hans Leo
Hassler.
Ecce quam bonum,
et quam jucúndum * habitáre fratres in unum.
2 Sicut unguéntum in cápite, * quod
descéndit in barbam, barbam Aaron.
3 Quod descéndit in oram vestiménti
ejus: * sicut ros Hermon, qui descéndit in montem Sion.
4 Quóniam illic mandávit Dóminus
benedictiónem, * et vitam usque in sæculum.
Behold, how good
and joyful a thing it is, * for brethren to dwell together in unity.
2 It is like the precious oil upon
the head, * that ran down upon the beard, even upon the beard of Aaron.
3 That went down to the skirts of his
clothing : * like as the dew of Hermon, which fell upon mount Sion.
4 For there the Lord hath
commanded blessing, * and life for evermore.
It's truly difficult
to love one's neighbor let alone to the point of laying down your life for
another. But it is a challenge to all of us if we really want to love.
Sometimes I hesitate to share how I feel if it means I'll end up hurting the
other person. And because it is also something that hurts me, I tend to keep
it. What's dangerous about it is that whatever it is that you're hiding, might eat you up or make you isolated from people who could show love to you. Hence, in cases like
these, it is also good to resort to prayer. If there's anybody who'd always be
willing to listento our cares and
sufferings, that would be Jesus Christ. Because he is the one who loved us
first before he even tried to save us.
Christ, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.
Thus it is written in today's second reading. Today is Passion (Palm) Sunday. I was looking for a song that would be featured in my blog. Upon doing so, I stumbled upon a memory, a song that I sang with the choir during my first year with them--Christus Factus Est.
Christus Factus Est This text is used both as agradualand, during thetriduum, as anantiphonin place of theresponsory. In the modernGraduale Romanum, this text is the Gradual for Passion (Palm) Sunday and The Exultation of the Holy Cross (September 14). In the extraordinary or ‘Tridentine’ rite, this text is the gradual for the Mass of Maundy Thursday, as well as for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. via ChoralWiki
The composition I'll be featuring is the one of Anton Bruckner. Josef Anton Bruckner was born on September 4, 1824 in the upper Austrian town of Ansfelden. His father was a schoolteacher and church organist, and Bruckner's initial studies followed similar lines. When Bruckner was 13, his father died, and he enrolled in the church school at St. Florian (some ten miles from Linz) as a chorister. There, he studied organ, piano, and music theory. On his own, Bruckner assiduously studied the music of Renaissance Italian polyphonic masters such as Palestrina and German Baroque composers, especially J.S. Bach. via Notes on four Bruckner Motets.
The video presents the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist in a Holy Mass presided by Pope Benedict XVI at Westminster Cathedral. The Westminster Cathedral Choir sings Bruckner's Christus Factus Est, which became a beautiful background to the offertory ceremonies being conducted at this point in the Holy Mass. The text of the song came from the quoted text above, the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians.
Christus / factus / est / pro / nobis / obediens Christ / made / was / for / us / obedient
usque / ad / mortem, / mortem / autem / crucis. even / unto / death / death / on / cross
Propter / quod / et / Deus / exaltavit / illum because of / this / and / God / raised / him
et / dedit / illi / nomen, and / bestowed / on him / name
quod / est / super / omne / nomen. which / is / above / all / names
Truly it is a mystery to be grasped. Our Lord's passion is the perfect example of obedience to the will of the Heavenly Father. By this act of obedience, Jesus opened the doors for us to save us from our sins. He bore it all on the cross in the spirit of a willing victim to be offered up once and for all to our Father God. It is difficult to explain the magnitude of this act of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hopefully, when we join the activities of the Catholic Church this week, we'd focus our minds in reflecting upon our Lord's passion and death.
Hearing the song once again brought back memories of joyful singing with the choir. We sang many sacred music pieces as it forms part of our usual repertoire when preparing for concerts. The singing of sacred music became the first in the line of pieces to be sung. The purpose of which is to give glory and honor to God for the wonderful gift of music. These are memories truly worth cherishing.
Ave Maria is one prayer that has several arrangements by well-renowned musicians. During my early stints as a chorister, I had the opportunity to sing Jacques Arcadelt's arrangement.
Jacques Arcadelt (also Jacob Arcadelt) (c. 1507 – 14 October 1568) was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, active in both Italy and France, and principally known as a composer of secular vocal music. Although he also wrote sacred vocal music, he was one of the most famous of the early composers of madrigals; his first book of madrigals, published within a decade of the appearance of the earliest examples of the form, was the most widely printed collection of madrigals of the entire era. via Wikipedia
In preparation for Holy Week 2012, I will feature some of my favorite sacred music choral pieces. Ave Maria by Jacques Arcadelt is one of the first sacred music choral pieces I've learned. Since it's a Saturday, the church dedicates this day to our dear Lady, which is why I saw it fit to feature this song.
Although there were other verses that the priest emphasized in today's Gospel, I chose to reflect on these words. It reminded me of a song I featured in one of my earlier blogs in January of this year: Ave Verum. Here I will feature the song again, this time presenting Mozart's composition. When I was still singing with the choir, this is the version I learned first. It's accompanied by an orchestra or an organist. It's solemn and uplifting. Here are the words in Latin and English. It will truly help in reflecting the passage above. Have a wonderful day!
Ave, verum corpus Hail,true body
natum de Maria Virgine, born of the Virgin Mary,
Vere passum immolatum Who truly suffered, sacrificed
in Cruce pro homine, on the Cross for man,
Cujus latus perforatum Whose pierced side
unda fluxit et sanguine, overflowed with water and blood,
Esto nobis praegustatum Be for us a foretaste
in mortis examine. In the trial of death.
A colleague has this Dilbert mug with the following inscription: "Away you demons of stupidity!" Well, so many struggles in our life involve in one form or the other--not just demons of stupidity--but the "daemon" himself. After this gruelling week of training, I remember a song entitled "Daemon Irrepit Calidus" by Gyorgy Orban. It's one of the songs I used to sing with the choir in which I was quite challenged with the pacing, exchange and overlapping lines among the different voices. Also, this song brought back wonderful memories of my first trip outside of the Philippines. It's nice to sometimes go back a relish the good times as a way of recharging oneself and prepare for another possible challenging week ahead. And it's my personal prayer as well as a command in the name of Jesus Christ--away with you "daemons."
Daemon Irrepit Callidus György Orbán
Daemon irrepit calidus,
Allicit cor honoribus.
Quid amabile Daemon dat
Cor jesu minus aestimat
Daemon point frauds inter cantus,
Saltus, Daemon!
Caro venaratur sensibus;
Sen sus adhaeret dapibus;
In aescatur, impinguatur dilatatur.
Cordis Aestum non explebunt, non arcebunt, Daemon! Daemon!
Translation:
The Demon sneaks expertly
Tempting the honorable heart:
He sets forth trickery amidst praise, song and dance.
However amiably the Demon acts,
It is still worth less than the heart of Jesus.
The Flesh is tempted by sensuality;
Gluttony clings to our senses;
It overgrows, it encroaches, it stretches.
However appealing the Flesh is,
It is still worth less than the heart of Jesus.
Though the Universe may confer
Thousands upon thousands of praises,
They neither fulfill nor put out the desire of the heart.
However appealing the whole Universe is,
It is still worth less than the heart of Jesus.
When I was still with the choir, we were learning some new songs to sing for the mass. One of them was a song entitled "Sa Iyong Mga Yapak." When we were working on our harmony, I seem to remember our choirmaster telling us to feel and understand every word that we sing. Taking that suggestion to heart, we began singing the song and while the sopranos (I being one of them) were singing the words, I almost choked and found myself wanting to cry. It's like a revelation at that time that the song that I'm singing refers to the loving act of our Lord Jesus Christ as he suffered and died for our sins. It's a good thing that there were eight of us in the soprano section and so, my stopping at mid-song wasn't too obvious. Since then, whenever we sing this song during the mass, I try my best to hold back the tears for a few minutes so that the beauty of the song and it's reflective words may touch those people hearing mass. I knew then that this song is truly perfect for Lenten Season. But I'd take it a step further that this song truly reflects Jesus' everyday sacrifice to us whenever he changes the host and the wine into his body and blood. This is one of my favorite and most loved Filipino Sacred Music. Here I share it with you in the spirit of the Lenten Season and in thanksgiving for God's marvelous gift of love and mercy.
By the way, the English translation is a rough one. Pardon my efforts if I have not completely captured the essence of the song. I hope that you'd be touched by the song itself.
SA IYONG MGA YAPAK English Translation
Landas na kay tinik sa Iyo'y inilaan A path filled
with thorns was intended for You
Bawa't hakbang nito'y dusa't hirap ang laman Every step is filled with
suffering and anguish
Sa kalooban ng Ama nagpasakop kang ganap You
submittedto the Father’s willfully
Buhay Mo O Hesus ang siyang alay na sapat Your life,OJesus,was the only offering that’s enough
Laban sa agos ng mundo, Against
the grainof the world,
Lumakad ka sa landas Mo Youwalkedthe
path only you have chosen
Laban sa lakad ng mundo, Against thetrendof the world,
Landas na sa 'ki'y nais Mo You walked the path you wished that I would take
Sa Iyong mga yapak, ako ay tatahak I will walk in Your footsteps,
Kahit tigib ng luha ang nilakaran Mong landas Even
though the path You trod isfull oftears
Pasakit man at dusa dulot ng mundo'y kamtan Even if the world may bring me painand
suffering
Bawat bakas ng Iyong mga yapak Every traceof Your footsteps
Bawat hakbang Mo'y aking susundan Every step You take, I shall take it too
Kay hirap Mang gawin kalooban Mo'y tupdin Though it’shardto
doThywill completely
Pinili kong sundan bakas ng 'Yong mga hakbang I choose tofollow the path
treaded by your footsteps
Ang buhay ko'y laan sa Iyo kailanpaman My life I give fullyto Thee forevermore
Maglilingkod sa'Yo Panginoon hanggang wakas I shall serve you, OGod,to the end
It is only now that I've had the time to write a blog. I guess when I do a week's training, I realize that I haven't got the time to write and organize my blog. Last week was Valentine's week--a week dedicated to love and friendship. So how have I been during that week?
I admit that I am an impatient person. I even get impatient with myself--not finding the file I'm looking for in my computer at one time led me to a childish tantrum. At that time, I was alone in the room. As my trainees came in, they did see the distress in my face, but the tantrum was over by then. If I get impatient with myself, so much more with other people.
Last Friday, I had a sinking feeling of sadness. Yes, I pray to the Lord everyday. But I'm saddened by the fact that how I am in prayer is not how I am in practice. I may be "holier than thou" in front of the Lord in a chapel or church. But where is the love when I'm out there facing different types of people and being impatient when they do something that's not to my liking? I was saddened by the fact that I am angry at some people and I am impatient with others. Realizing that I myself am imperfect and no better than any human being, why am I being so impatient with others? Have I lost the love of Christ?
I struggle with my impatience everyday. It's more of a spiritual struggle and times like these call for prayers--not only my own--of other people, especially those who are close to me. Today, I reflect on the importance of praying for other people. I remember being told that praying for others is actually quite powerful. The inspiration for this song came from the Gospel according to St. Matthew 18: 19-20. I know I couldn't face my struggles alone. With God--and others praying for me and I for them--every struggle can be overcome.
ESTO LES DIGO
Esto les digo, 'This I say to you, si dos de ustedes se ponen, if two of you are put, se ponen de acuerdo aquí en, are put in accord here in, en la tierra para pedir, in the earth to ask, pedir algo en oración, to ask anything in prayer, mi padre que está en el cielo, my Father which is in heaven, se lo dará. will give it to you. Porque donde dos o tres se reúnen en mi nombre, Because where two or three are gathered in my name, allí estoy yo, there am I, en medio de ellos. in the midst of them.'
