This Joy Stuff

Any of us, at any time of the year, struggle with the feeling of joy. But the one-two punch of Christmas and New Year’s --- both draped with heavy idealism and optimism--- is especially challenging. The media is no help, with its serious-to-silly “Best and Worst of the Year in Review” time and space killers, reminding us mostly of what’s been lost and what asses human beings can be, especially as a group.

So this morning, with assassinations and riots spicing up the normal hash of murder, rape, slander and greed, how can I sustain, or even begin to have, this constant condition of JOY?

First, I have to believe that God/Cosmos maintains a balance of plusses and negatives throughout the physical and spiritual worlds (when, O when can we stop dividing them!) The more optimistic among us would say that good outbalances the evil if we could tally it up properly. Here’s a monk in one of Buechner’s novels:

“Sometimes this star is still. Sometimes she dances. She is Mary’s star. Within that little pool of water she winks at me. I wink at her. The secret that we share I cannot tell in full. But this much I will tell. What’s lost is nothing to what’s found, and all the death that ever was, set next to life, would scarcely fill a cup.”

Second, I can’t wage huge crusades against these unspeakable crimes and horrors. In my humble and seemingly inconsequential day-to-day meetings with people, I must try in some little way to had some weight to the good, compassionate, caring, and –yes---joyful side of the equation.

"Come and Behold Him" by Frederick Buechner

The longer I live, the more inclined I am to believe in miracles, the more I suspect that if we had been there at the birth, we might well have seen and heard things that would be hard to reconcile with modern science…
Whether there were ten million angels there or just the woman herself and her husband when that child was born, the whole course of history was changed. That is a fact as hard and blunt as any fact. Art, Music, Literature, our political institutions, our whole understanding of ourselves and our world --- it is impossible to conceive of how differently world history would have developed if that child had not been born.
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“Ice splits starwise,” Sir Thomas Browne wrote. A tap of the pick at the right point, and fissures shoot out in all directions, and the solid block falls in two at the star. The child is born, and history itself falls in two at the star. Whether you believe or do not believe, you date your letters and checks and income tax forms with a number representing how many years have gone by since what happened happened. The world of A.D. is one world, and the world of B.C. is another.
It has given birth to a quality of life in an astonishing variety of people over an astonishing period of time. Somewhere along the line something deep in them split starwise and they became not simply followers of Christ, but bearers of his life.
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“Adeste Fidelis” is the only answer I know for people who want to find out for themselves whether or not this is true. Have faith enough, hope enough, despair enough, foolishness enough at least to draw near and see for yourselves.
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The final secret, I think, is this: “You shall love the Lord your God” becomes in the end less a command than a promise.”

In Dulce Jubilo

In Dulci Jubilo
In dulci jubilo Let us our homage show;
Our heart's joy reclineth in praesepio
And like a bright star shineth, Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O, Alpha es et O.

O Jesu parvule! I yearn for thee alway!
Hear me, I beseech thee, O puer optime!
My prayer let it reach thee,/ O Princeps gloriae!
Trahe me post te! Trahe me post te!

O Patris caritas, O Nati lenitas!
Deeply were we stained Per nostra crimina;
But thou hast for us gained Coelorum gaudia.
O that we were there! O that we were there!

Ubi sunt gaudia, if that they be not there?
There are angels singing - Nova cantica,
And there the bells are ringing In Regis curia:
O that we were there, O that we were there.

In dulci jubilo Let us our homage show;
Our heart's joy reclineth in praesepio
And like a bright star shineth, Matris in gremio.
Alpha es et O, Alpha es et O.

Prepare Ye!!

Christmas Creche Construction Time LapseFriary of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Griswold, Ct.

Gabriel's Message

“Be it unto me according to thy will,” she says, and jewels blossom like morning glories on the arch above them. Everything has turned to gold.
A golden angel. A golden girl. They are caught up together in a stately, golden dance. Their faces are grave. From a golden cloud between them and above, the Leader of the dance looks on.
The announcement has been made and heard. The world is with child.”

Fredrick Buechner

Our Absurd Lives

"To pray is to listen to the voice of love. Without listening, we become "deaf" to the voice of love. The Latin word for deaf is surdus. To be completely deaf is to be absurdus, yes, absurd. When we no longer pray, no longer listen to the voice of love that speaks to us in the moment, our lives become absurd lives in which we are thrown back and forth between the past and the future.

If we could just be, for a few moments each day, fully where we are, we would indeed discover that we are not alone and that the One who is with us wants only one thing: to give us love."

--------Henri J.M. Nouwen
"Here and Now"

Messiaen: "Regarde de Etoile" [The Gaze of the Star] From "Twenty Reflections on the Infant Jesus"

"The fall of Grace: the Star shines innocently, surmounted by a Cross…
Three large crescendi[like fireworks, or rainbows] sweep over the piano keys – in between, the chant of the star and the cross. First in two part presentation, then a single line with “star-cloud chords” above, and finally a chordal presentation."

In this long work for solo piano, a treatise on the Incarnation, The Star and The Cross share the same musical theme and always occur together.

I really consider the entire"Vingt Regard sur L'Enfant Jesus" to be the most intriguing and profoundly theological music since Bach's "St. Matthew's Passion" but don't let that scare you---- it's a fun composition, full of joy and musical fireworks.

The "O" Antiphons of Advent

The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons that are recited (or chanted) preceding the Magnificat during Vespers of the Liturgy of the Hours. They cover the special period of Advent preparation known as the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, with Dec. 24 being Christmas Eve and Vespers for that evening being for the Christmas Vigil.
The importance of “O Antiphons” is twofold: Each one highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel. Also, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.
According to Professor Robert Greenberg of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Benedictine monks arranged these antiphons with a definite purpose. If one starts with the last title and takes the first letter of each one - Emmanuel, Rex, Oriens, Clavis, Radix, Adonai, Sapientia - the Latin words ero cras are formed, meaning, “Tomorrow, I will come.” Therefore, the Lord Jesus, whose coming we have prepared for in Advent and whom we have addressed in these seven Messianic titles, now speaks to us, “Tomorrow, I will come.” So the “O Antiphons” not only bring intensity to our Advent preparation, but bring it to a joyful conclusion.

"O Sapiens" - "O Wisdom"- Dec.17

O Sapientia: “O Wisdom, O holy Word of God, you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care. Come and show your people the way to salvation.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, a spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.” (11:2-3), and “Wonderful is His counsel and great is His wisdom.” (28:29).

"O Adonai" - "O Lord" - Dec.18

O Adonai: “O sacred Lord of ancient Israel, who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush, who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain: come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.” (11:4-5); and “Indeed the Lord will be there with us, majestic; yes the Lord our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king, he it is who will save us.” (33:22).

"O Radix Jesse" - "O Root of Jesse" - Dec.19

O Radix Jesse: “O Flower of Jesse’s stem, you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples; kings stand silent in your presence; the nations bow down in worship before you. Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.” Isaiah had prophesied, “But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom.” (11:1), and A On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious.” (11:10). Remember also that Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of the house and lineage of David and be born in David’s city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).

"O Clavis David" - "O Key of David" - Dec.20

O Clavis David: “O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel controlling at your will the gate of Heaven: Come, break down the prison walls of death for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death; and lead your captive people into freedom.” Isaiah had prophesied, AI will place the Key of the House of David on His shoulder; when he opens, no one will shut, when he shuts, no one will open.” (22:22), and “His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, from David’s throne, and over His kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever.” (9:6).

"O Oriens" - "O Dawn" - Dec.21

O Oriens: “O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice: come, shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shown.” (9:1).

"O Rex Gentium" -"O King of Nations" - Dec.22

O Rex Gentium: “O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart; O Keystone of the mighty arch of man, come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.” Isaiah had prophesied, “For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” (9:5), and “He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; one nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” (2:4) .

"O Emmanuel" - Dec.23

O Emmanuel: “O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver, desire of the nations, Savior of all people, come and set us free, Lord our God.” Isaiah had prophesied, “The Lord himself will give you this sign: the Virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.”


[Text by Fr. William Saunders,Catholic Education Resource Center]

Advent Vespers: Magnificat

Peace

Be Still

Know

I AM HERE.

The intuitive mind is a sacred gift
and the rational mind is a faithful servant.
We have created a society that honors the servant
and has forgotten the gift.
Albert Einstein



Alas! The world is full of enormous lights and mysteries,
and man shuts them from himself with one small hand.
The Baal Shem Tov




I saw my Lord with the eye of the heart.
I said: "Who are you?"
He answered: "You."
Mansur Al-Hallaj

Approaching the End of (Ordinary) Time

"And there shall be signs..."

hmmmm. . . it's all good!

A blessing on all at work in kitchens, feeding family, friends, or strangers.

"A good soup attracts chairs" (African Proverb)

War Memorial

Holy God

Roman Hurko's videos of Liturgy No. 2

Filmed in the beautiful 11th century Vydubytsky Ukrainian Orthodox Monastery in Kyiv. Performed by the Vydubychi Church Choir and conducted by Volodymyr Viniar.

Nunc Dimittis------Subito!!

This posting is one of my favorites, and it was gathering dust in the archives.
Let's have another view.




Libera's Ben Crawley sing a duet with Aled Jones.

Broken

"Toward the end of Leonard Bernstein's "Mass", the priest, richly dressed in splendid liturgical vestments, is lifted up by his people. He towers high above the adoring crowd, carrying in his hands a glass chalice. Suddenly, the human pyramid collapses, and the priest comes tumbling down. His vestments are ripped off, and his glass chalice falls to the ground and is shattered. As he walks slowly through the debris of his former glory-----barefoot, wearing only blue jeans and a T-shirt-----
children's voices are heard singing, "Laude, Laude, Laude"----"Praise, Praise, Praise." Suddenly the priest notices the broken chalice. He looks at it for a long time and then, haltingly, he says,"I never realized that broken glass could shine so brightly." ----------------Henri J. M. Nouwen, "Life of the Beloved"

Whenever her phone would ring, she would mutter,"What fresh hell is this?"

"If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to."
-----Dorothy Parker

Day of Wrath, O Day of Mourning

I know our liturgical emphasis at funerals is now on the resurrection and rejoicing in new life, but there's a part of me that's a little nostalgic for the days of the "Black Requiem" ---the black cope and pall on the casket, lots of incense, somber music. As a young boy, I served at alot of these symbolically rich ceremonies.
I started out reading and then later on chanting the great latin sequence "DIES IRAE":



On Hearing the Dies Iræ Sung in the Sistine Chapel (Author: Oscar Wilde)

Nay, Lord, not thus! white lilies in the spring,
Sad olive-groves, or silver-breasted dove,
Teach me more clearly of Thy life and love
Than terrors of red flame and thundering.
The empurpled vines dear memories of Thee bring:
A bird at evening flying to its nest,
Tells me of One who had no place of rest:
I think it is of Thee the sparrows sing.

Come rather on some autumn afternoon,
When red and brown are burnished on the leaves,
And the fields echo to the gleaner's song,
Come when the splendid fulness of the moon
Looks down upon the rows of golden sheaves,
And reap Thy harvest: we have waited long.




Requiescat

Tread lightly, she is near
Under the snow,
Speak gently, she can hear
The daisies grow.

All her bright golden hair
Tarnished with rust,
She that was young and fair
Fallen to dust.

Lily-like, white as snow,
She hardly knew
She was a woman, so
Sweetly she grew.

Coffin-board, heavy stone,
Lie on her breast,
I vex my heart alone
She is at rest.

Peace, Peace, she cannot hear
Lyre or sonnet,

All my life's buried here,
Heap earth upon it.

Oscar Wilde

"All Over My Heart There is Singing ..."

New Link Alert
Click on the "Benedictine Sisters" link on the left:

"Listen to the Liturgy of the Hours, Lauds and Vespers,
recorded live daily and sung by our sisters
in our chapel at Clyde, Missouri."

To hear the simple, reverent singing of the "Hours," praising God, I am reminded of what composer Lou Harrison has written:

Somewhere in the world, at every minute, a solemn song is being sung. Every people,every culture, sings some serious chant either of instruction, magic, praise or ecstasy.This has been true for millenia and everywhere on the globe of our world"

"All of us have a place in history; mine is clouds" --Richard Brautigan

"Love of an idea is love of God" --- Frank Lloyd Wright

"Prodigal Son" by Oleg Korolev

"Testament"

My setting of the Bahai daily prayer.[:30]

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Frederick Buechner on "Seeing God"

Somebody appears on your front stoop, speaking your name, say, and you go down to open the door to see what’s up.

Sometimes while it’s still raining, the sun comes out from behind the clouds, and suddenly arching across the gray sky, there is a rainbow, which people stop doing whatever they’re doing to look at… because what is happening up there is so marvelous they can’t help themselves.

Something like that, I think, is the way those 12 men plus Mary, Martha, Joanna, and all the other women and men were called to become a church. They saw the marvel of Him across the grayness of things ---- of their own lives, perhaps of life itself. They heard His voice calling their names and they went.


When we see the face of Christ, I believe it will be a face we recognize, because at some level of our being it is a face that we have always known, the way the birds of the air know from a distance of a thousand miles their nesting place. We will know Him when we see Him and, more crucial still, He will know us.”



Men and women of faith know they are strangers and exiles on the earth because somehow and somewhere along the line they have been given a glimpse of home. By grace, we see what we see. To have faith is to respond to what we see by longing for it the rest of our days, by looking to see it again and see it better. To lose faith is to stop looking.

Pure and Simple

"We tend not to think of ourselves as pure, just because the bad feelings in our own hearts---anger, spite, impatience---- are so plain to us. But what is a pure heart? It is a heart that is open to God, that wants whatever God wants. I purify my heart whenever I ask God to show me the way, whenever I surrender my will to God's will. And I can do that now." -----St. Nicholas of Tolentino

Nicholas Gurrutti was born in the village of Sant'Angelo in Pontano, Italy in 1245. His parents, middle-aged and childless, made a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Nicholas of Bari, their special patron, to ask his intercession on their behalf. Shortly thereafter, a son was born to them whom they named Nicholas out of gratitude.
At an early age Nicholas was greatly moved by the preaching of the Augustinian, Father Reginaldo di Monterubbiano, prior of the monastery of Sant'Angelo, and requested admission to the community.

He was accepted by the friars and made his novitiate in 1261. Nicholas directed his efforts to being a good religious and priest, and soon became renowned for his charity toward his confreres and all God's people.
He ministered to the sick and the poor, and actively sought out those who had become estranged from the Church. A fellow religious describes Nicholas' ministry in these words: "He was a joy to those who were sad, a consolation to the suffering, peace to those at variance, refreshment to those who toiled, support for the poor, and a healing balm for prisoners."

40 Hours, Wednesday, 4:00 p.m.

With Three Hours Left (and after 5 replacings of candles--an impromptu rite!)

40 Hours, Tuesday, 1:00 a.m.

Passing it Along...

I'm always eager to let people in on something new I've found. This time it's "Pray as You Go"---a daily prayer site operated by the Jesuits in England. There's also an Evening Wrap-up or Wind-down, examination of the day. If you enjoy J. Phillip Newell's prayers and meditation, you might like this. An excellent choice of music for each day, also. The link is at the left, under "Spiritual Browsing."

Living Like Trees: The Hindu and Buddhist Ideal of Sharing

Fielding Hall, a British official in nineteenth-century Burma, once asked for a bill at what he had taken to be a village restaurant, and found that he had been fed as a guest in a private house. Little did he know that the simple-minded folk were just practicing one of Buddhism's fundamental ethical imperatives - the gesture of unconditioned giving.

Indeed, the primary activity which a Buddhist learns to develop is unselfish sharing, which forms a basis for further moral and spiritual development


To read the entire article---comprehensive---here's the URL: http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dana

The picture is from this magical site. thank you, Zuni.
http://zunibluesky.stumbleupon.com/

And since the land will soon be speaking with an Autumn accent, here's something to share with you:

(good for 10 minutes of "chillin' out.")


Vaughan Williams: "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis"

"Never cut what can be untied."

"We cannot breath out what we have not first breathed in"

“Listening is a spiritual act far more than acoustical function. Expensive and sophisticated amplification equipment does not improve listening, it only makes hearing possible. Mouths speak in order that ears may hear. The hearing that begins as a physical function becomes a spiritual response. When it does not, the problem is diagnosed as “heavy ears” (Isa. 6:10). Johannes Horst thinks that it was significant that in the saying about hewing off hand or foot or plucking out the eye (Mark 9:43-47) there is nothing about maiming the ear. “The ear is indispensable because of preaching.”

Marshall McLuhan made the arresting observation that nature has not equipped mankind with earlids. But we compensate for nature’s oversight by developing selective listening. We come to Christ to have our deafness cured.

Psalms are answering the God who has addressed us. God’s word precedes these words: the prayers don’t seek God, they respond to the God who seeks us.

Presumptuous prayer speaks to God without first listening.

Our core-being is expressed in language that follows the rhythms of our life, inhalation and exhalation. We cannot breathe out what we have not first breathed in. The breath that God breathes into us in daily Pentecosts is breathed out in our prayers. “

Eugene H. Peterson
“Answering God:
The Psalms as Tools of Prayer”

For behind all seen things lies something vaster;
everything is but a path, a portal, or a window
opening on something more than itself.

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This Praying Of Mine

I don’t know what my prayer accomplishes, but I find it helps with connections. In the most direct sense, if I find myself thinking of Aunt Sally or the pre-schooler across the street in prayer, I feel connected to them somehow. And, while it might not help Aunt Sally’s cancer or the pre-schooler’s lack of drug-free parents, I still feel it’s genuinely useful. Praying keeps me connected.

It’s about one of the few things I can say I “believe” in: that we are connected to one another by invisible threads. More than just sharing the same time and space and reality (of which I often have doubts,) there is that mutual energy, that common breath among us, that goes beyond what the five senses recognize. And I tend to think that energy----both positive and negative--- flows back and forth on those unseen threads---- Kind of like the internet without the pictures of kittens.
I guess I believe that my praying is not just an inside thing, but affects what is around me: Again, not miracle working or problem solving, but a strengthening of that connection thing. The brain is constantly aglow with synapses firing and relay switches turning on and off, reminding me to buy groceries, but also reminding me of a beautiful piece of music. To jump from a “lobe” to a “globe” is not that hard. Philosophers and physicists have been talking about this for decades.

"Litany of the Rivers of Love" Organ Solo, 2007 --(10 mins.)

"The company of the saints be mine this night, that I may dream of the rivers of love." ----J. Phillip Newell

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Shakuhachi (Bamboo Flute) Duet

My first year in Chicago I hailed a cab. When the driver found out I was a musician,
he said,"Do you know what a shakuhachi is?" When I told him I did and had heard several masters live, he got all excited and said he was taking lessons on it. When he pulled over at my stop and I was exiting he said, "Look!" And from the front seat he produced a bamboo flute and proceeded to play a lovely little melody. "Good Night to ya" and he drove away.

Renaissance Sculpture

A profile relief, "The Young St. John the Baptist," by Desiderio, is part of an exhibit featuring the sculptor at the National Gallery of Art.

Photo: Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Polo Museale Fiorentino, Florence



A portrait of Jesus Christ and Saint John the Baptist as children.

Photo: Musee du Louvre, Paris



"Jerome in the Desert," 1460-1464, a marble panel by Desiderio.

Photo: National Gallery of Art/Widener Collection

Thom's Psalms:#32, "That All May Be One"

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“That All May be One”
(Homage to Warren Zevon)

Once we shared so much,
We shared the human touch;
Now we’re spiritless and tired.
Hear us, precious Jesus,
Now we come in pieces;
Some assembly’s required.

REFRAIN: Lord, thy will be done, that all may be one,
One with everything.
Like a hot dog on a bun, Lord Jesus, make us one
One with everything.

You who fed so many
Without even a penny,
Changed water into wine miraculously;
You who calmed the winds that blustered,
You who blest the crowds you mustered.
Yoo Hoo! I’m talking to thee.


Composer's Note:This was written in response to a competition sponsored by a church musicians organization for an original hymn entitled "That All May be One", the theme of their convention. Inspired, I worked with the well-explored connection between "god" and "dog", bringing in a mention of Zen-like unity, while making an obscure reference to a favorite joke about a buddhist buying a hot dog at a ball park. Unfortunately I missed the deadline.

"Forty Hours"

Video of Benediction with the Blessed Sacrament

At our parish, we have decided to revive the custom of “40 Hours”, wherein the consecrated host ----we call it “Jesus”-----is placed in a stand on the altar (“exposed” for public viewing) for 40 hours. It is simply setting aside an amount of time and an inviting place for private prayer along with community worship.
We want to encourage in people a certain reverence for and closeness to God’s presence in our lives. I recall when I was growing up, churches were actually open most of the time, and people going by, either on errands or to and from work, would pop in for a short “visit’------ a few moments of quiet time, not so much to talk to the spirit as to listen to its whisperings in one’s heart.

It’s a different era now, but I feel we’ve forgotten how omni-present (and by that I mean always now) the Creator/Redeemer/Spirit is in our lives. I think it’s a good idea to remind ourselves of that, and I hope “40 Hours” will do that.
Under “SPIRITUAL BROWSING” on the left of this page is a link to “40 Hours at St. Nick’s” which will tell you more.

Also, here's a video on one of the most ornate "Monstrances" (the stand for the sacrament) that I 've ever seen ("La Custodia" of the Cathedral of Valencia Spain.)

Two Knock-Out Punches

This last Saturday at a Quincianera, the Latino coming-out rite for 15 year old girls, the first reading at mass was from Ecclesiastes, that wonderfully cynical font of wisdom. The selection was fitting for the occasion: the writer telling us to enjoy the sunshine of youth, for it will not last long. Then, after a few jabs at the futility of life, he lands the haymaker ----Quit knocking yourselves out trying figure life out because

Nothing Makes Sense!!!

Three words that disarm all who try to sell us on answers and “The Secret” and “The Road”: life does not make sense. It’s not suppose to. So sing praise and give thanks to the creator of this marvelous non-rational senselessness!! Wisdom does not mean having the answers.




Sunday’s New Testament reading was from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. [I’m not a big fan of Paul, as I feel a lot of what’s wrong with the institutional Church finds its seeds in Paul’s persona and writings. In the campaign against James and his followers, Paul was a regular Karl Rove.] Paul tells the people that, having “died with Christ”, they must bury their old ways .After a few jabs against Idolatry and adultery, he hits them right between the eyes:

“You Must Stop Lying To Each Other!”

How many times have I turned off the T.V., following messages from the political and marketing worlds, saying to myself, “When will they stop lying to us?” But what a liar I am, also. Not only with words, but with actions and facial expressions and apathy. After a millennium, the idea of honesty is still a radical –to the bone- idea.

Suppose all took that commandment seriously and suddenly stopped
lying to each other. Period. It would be a brutal mess for a while, but once the dust settled, and honesty did become the policy, how different our relationships would be!!!!

Relax. For thousands of years of politics and religion, lies have masqueraded as wisdom. It’s not going to change. That would make sense, and, as we all know: Nothing Makes Sense!!!

Nunc Dimittis

Libera's Ben Crawley sing a duet with Aled Jones.

Palestrina

Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum, ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
(As the deer longs for running water, so longs my soul for you, O Lord.)
Asi como el ciervo ansia fuentes de agua, así ansia mi alma por ti, Señor.
King's College Choir

C.S. Lewis

"You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body."

BLOGGER'S NOTE

Lately I've been caught up in my own Roman Catholic tradition, which is not solely what this page is about (particularly when I get blindsided by the jackasses in the Gerontology Ward that is the Vatican! But neither is this page a place for my personal rants. Please visit "Erato's Hideaway" if you're interested in that.) This is supposed to be a non-sectarian space. I want to explore relationships, mine and others, with creation and the creator.
In that context I present "Kaddish", the Jewish prayer for the dead.
Years ago, I wanted to compose a musical "Elegy" and asked my friend Nate Horowitz for a copy of the Jewish prayer at funerals. When he gave me "Kaddish", I asked,"Where's the mention of the dead, of heaven and hell?" He called me something like a "Meshuganah" (which I think means "wise man") and told me they praise God and pray for peace. That is their prayer.
So, in that spirit, here's "Kaddish". I praise you, God, and peace be upon us!

Kaddish

Please note that this page contain the name of God.
If you print it out, please treat it with appropriate respect.
** ** ** ** ** *** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

Yit'gadal v'yit'kadash sh'mei raba (Cong: Amein).
May His great Name grow exalted and sanctified (`Cong: Amen.)

b'al'ma di v'ra khir'utei
in the world that He created as He willed.

v'yam'likh mal'khutei b'chayeikhon uv'yomeikhon
May He give reign to His kingship in your lifetimes and in your days,

uv'chayei d'khol beit yis'ra'eil
and in the lifetimes of the entire Family of Israel,

ba'agala uviz'man kariv v'im'ru:
swiftly and soon. Now say:
(Mourners and Congregation:)

Amein. Y'hei sh'mei raba m'varakh l'alam ul'al'mei al'maya
(Amen. May His great Name be blessed forever and ever.)

Yit'barakh v'yish'tabach v'yit'pa'ar v'yit'romam v'yit'nasei
Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled,

v'yit'hadar v'yit'aleh v'yit'halal sh'mei d'kud'sha
mighty, upraised, and lauded be the Name of the Holy One
(Mourners and Congregation:)

B'rikh hu.
Blessed is He.

l'eila min kol bir'khata v'shirara
beyond any blessing and song,

toosh'b'chatah v'nechematah, da'ameeran b'al'mah, v'eemru:
praise and consolation that are uttered in the world. Now say:
(Mourners and Congregation:)

Amein
Amen

Y'hei sh'lama raba min sh'maya
May there be abundant peace from Heaven

v'chayim aleinu v'al kol yis'ra'eil v'im'ru
and life upon us and upon all Israel. Now say:
(Mourners and Congregation:)

Amein
Amen

Oseh shalom bim'romav hu ya'aseh shalom
He Who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace,
aleinu v'al kol Yis'ra'eil v'im'ru
upon us and upon all Israel. Now say:
(Mourners and Congregation:)

Amein
Amen

Sand Paintings

Tibetan

Navajo