Juntos en el camino: Palabras semanales del Arzobispo Hebda
Pope Benedict XVI once said, “Music is capable of opening minds and hearts to the dimension of the spirit and leads people to lift their gaze to the Most High, to open themselves to the absolute Good and Beauty whose ultimate source is in God.” These last weeks of Advent often present opportunities for us to encounter the musical gems of our tradition as part of our spiritual preparation for Christmas. I’m so grateful for those opportunities.
I was very proud of the choirs from a number of our elementary schools who participated in a statewide Christmas by Candlelight, a Festival of Lessons and Carols at the University of Saint Thomas chapel earlier this Advent. They brought a faith-filled energy and innocence to the gathering that really helped me to hear more clearly the scriptural readings that had been chosen for the evening, and they made me so grateful for the excellent work that is being done in our Catholic schools in introducing our young Catholics to Jesus and providing them with real encounters of the good, the beautiful and the true.
Just this past weekend, I attended The Saint Paul Seminary’s version of lessons and carols, a Gaudete Sunday tradition here in the Twin Cities. The seminary Schola was augmented by the Liturgical Choir of the University of St. Thomas, and I was once again overwhelmed by the beauty of our musical tradition, ranging from the simplest of Gregorian chants to the complexities of more modern choral offerings. A few of the pieces were new to me; I found one—a new musical setting for the poem, “Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree”—to be particularly thought-provoking (and prayer-provoking) and I was delighted to learn that it was composed by a young man who had previously attended our seminary. If the seriousness of The Saint Paul Seminary Schola is any indicator, there is good reason to hope that music will continue to be a priority in our parishes in the years to come.
Later that evening, I attended the annual Luminosa concert at the Cathedral, featuring not only the Cappella choir of the University of Mary, the sponsor of the event, but also choirs from seven high schools in the archdiocese. It was a veritable smorgasbord of the sacred music of our Advent and Christmas seasons, framed by readings of scripture passages and poetic texts, and it was truly heavenly in the setting of our magnificent cathedral. As soon as Msgr. James Shea, the president of the University of Mary, described our cathedral as the “most beautiful cathedral in the United States,” I knew that I was going to love the evening. I was particularly stunned by the beauty and majesty of the pieces sung by the combined choirs that had gathered for the evening. God was truly praised that evening.
Music feeds the heart even when there aren’t 200 voices. At a gathering marking the Jubilee for Prisoners that was celebrated by Pope Leo in Rome this past weekend, we had a “carol sing” led by a small praise band made up of former residents at the State Penitentiary in Lino Lakes. They were as prayerful as they were musically talented. I had been blessed to hear some of them when I celebrated confirmation in the prison some years ago, and I was inspired that they have continued to pray and sing together. What a wonderful way to spend Gaudete Sunday!
Music can be important for us even outside of Church. If you haven’t seen the December offerings that are part of our Recuperar los domingos series, I would encourage you to do so. They appropriately focus this month on music. Luke Spehar shares how families can simply and meaningfully incorporate music into their Sunday practices to enhance the Lord’s Day, while Ibrahin Moreno and Iris Montano share how music can inspire our hearts to rediscover the grace of the Lord’s Day. I would highly recommend them both.
Finally, allow me to express a word of thanks to all of our parish music ministers who are working so hard these days to prepare for Christmas. We need you and appreciate your willingness to share your God-given talents with us.
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