Music Monday: Beneath the Mantle
Today is another entry from “Jesus, I trust in you”, which is a combination of Marian prayers, including the ancient Christian hymn, Beneath your compassion:
Category: Catholicism
Wise Words on Wednesday: Training for the future
Some Olympians train for years for a ten-second race. Musicians put in countless hours of practice for a two-hour performance. Blood, sweat, and tears are poured into sports and performance for trophies, medals and stories to tell your grandkids someday.
So, how hard are you willing to train to become the woman of your dreams, or the man you long to be? To what lengths are you willing to go and in what ways are you willing to sacrifice – right now – for your future spouse and family?
– Sarah Swafford, Emotional Virtue
Music Monday: Nunc Dimittis
Continuing in the theme of more ancient music, this time from the West, is the Gregorian Chant for “Nunc Dimitts”, the hymn of praise offered by Simeon upon seeing the Christ child in the Temple:
Nunc dimittis servum tuum, Domine, secundum verbum tuum in pace:
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace: your word has been fulfilled.
Quia viderunt oculi mei salutare tuum
My own eyes have seen the salvation
Quod parasti ante faciem omnium populorum:
which you have prepared in the sight of every people;
Lumen ad revelationem gentium, et gloriam plebis tuae Israel.
A light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel.
Music Monday: Let My Prayer Arise
Time to get back to some more ancient styles of music. Here is a Russian Orthodox rendering of the Liturgical song “Let my prayer arise” which is based on Psalm 140/141:
Let my prayer arise
as the lamp censer before You.
And let the rising of my hands
be my evening sacrifice.
Let my prayer arise,
and let my deep breath taking
be my evening sacrifice.
Lord i am calling You,
hear my prayer.
I am praying, praying, praying…
i am calling You.
Royal Doors
On a forum I heard someone mention “Christ – Our Pascha”, a Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and while googling it I came across Royal Doors, a rather lovely-looking website for Eastern Catholics:
Music Monday: When I am afraid
I’m still in an acapella mood… Today’s offering is a group from my former home in San Diego. This is Selah UCSD Christian A Cappella singing “When I am afraid”:
When I am afraid I will trust in You
When I’m overcome I will cling onto
The Rock that is higher, He’s higher
The Rock that is higher
When I am afraid I will trust in You
When I’m overcome I will cling onto
The Rock that is higher, He’s higher
The Rock that is higher
When my enemy’s too strong for me
I don’t know how to fight the fear
That comes against my heart and mind
I call upon the name of Christ
He’s higher, He’s higher
The Rock, He is higher
O When I am afraid I will trust in You
When I’m overcome I will cling onto
The Rock that is higher, He’s higher
The Rock that is higher
When my enemy’s surrounding me
He comes to steal my joy, my peace
I let go of my reasoning
And fall upon the Rock
I will not build my life upon the passing sands
Of how I feel inside from one moment to the next
But I will love you Lord, my Rock, my God, my Strength
A precious cornerstone that floods of death could never shake
O For there is no peace of mind, outside of truth in Christ
For the fear is real and it’s power can kill
But the stability of our times, the stability of our times
Will be the Rock, that is higher, He’s higher,
The Rock He’s is higher
Friday Frivolity: Biggest Temptations
Once four priests were spending a few nights in a cabin together. In the evening, they decided to share their biggest temptations with one another.
“Well, its embarrassing,” said the first priest, “ but I look at pictures I should not.”
“My temptation is worse,” said the second priest, “it is gambling.”
“No mine is the worst,” said the third, “I drink too much, once I broke into the Sacramental Wine.”
The fourth priest was quiet. “Brothers, I hate to share this,” he said, “my temptation is worst of all, its gossip and if you will excuse me, I need to make a few calls.”