Isaiah 22:22
Jeremiah 13:13
Jeremiah 51:19
Matthew 4:16
Matthew 16:19
Luke 1:79
Revelation 3:7
Personal blog, written from my various perspectives: parent; elected Lexington Town Meeting Member (2006-2021); issues advocate and activist; board member Media Literacy Now (2013-2020), Progressive Democrats of Mass, and Parent Representative on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Older posts go back to Lexington School Committee (2009-2014) and Massachusetts PTA President days (2008-2012). Blog content mine, unless otherwise attributed. All comments moderated.
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advent. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
O Schlussel Davids
O Key of David: 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.
Monday, December 19, 2016
O Antiphons
Ancient monastics marked the final week of Advent (December 17-23) with a series of traditional antiphons chanted or recited during Vespers, the Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. Referred to as the "O Antiphons", or "The Great Os", each begins with the salutation, "O", followed by a biblical name, and closes with a specific petition for the day.
Growing up, I'd heard the traditional Gregorian chants sung by the religious sisters at the convent of St Ann, one of two convents in our rural mountain town, now both closed (also where I and two of my siblings attended kindergarten). Now, I'm drawn to Arvo Pärt's settings of "Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen", as sung by the Taverner Choir. Even amid the frenzy and hubbub of holiday shopping and celebrating, or perhaps because of it, I find them particularly resonant, falling as they do on the darkest days on either side of winter solstice. Pärt's modern settings are like illuminated Icons: mystical; minimal; personal.
Two years ago I was working in a small Episcopal church in Newton and I created simple slideshows to go with Pärt's antiphons. I posted one each day to my blog there as an aid to prayer in the final week of the Advent season. Technology has changed a bit since then and I've had some trouble cross-posting them here. Had I anticipated this, I would have redone them entirely, as some of the slideshow images are quite fuzzy.
Religious or no, it's important to pause a little each day for meditation and reflection. Giving ears to the tonal contrasts in Pärt's composition is a beautiful way to support doing just that. I've posted three "O" moments to this blog to date; if the technology permits, I'll continue to post an "O" each day through December 23.
We're not all religious; I'm not, particularly. But, perhaps we're all waiting for something to finally celebrate in the deepest darkness of the year.
Blessings & peace as we enter the final days of Advent.
Growing up, I'd heard the traditional Gregorian chants sung by the religious sisters at the convent of St Ann, one of two convents in our rural mountain town, now both closed (also where I and two of my siblings attended kindergarten). Now, I'm drawn to Arvo Pärt's settings of "Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen", as sung by the Taverner Choir. Even amid the frenzy and hubbub of holiday shopping and celebrating, or perhaps because of it, I find them particularly resonant, falling as they do on the darkest days on either side of winter solstice. Pärt's modern settings are like illuminated Icons: mystical; minimal; personal.
Two years ago I was working in a small Episcopal church in Newton and I created simple slideshows to go with Pärt's antiphons. I posted one each day to my blog there as an aid to prayer in the final week of the Advent season. Technology has changed a bit since then and I've had some trouble cross-posting them here. Had I anticipated this, I would have redone them entirely, as some of the slideshow images are quite fuzzy.
Religious or no, it's important to pause a little each day for meditation and reflection. Giving ears to the tonal contrasts in Pärt's composition is a beautiful way to support doing just that. I've posted three "O" moments to this blog to date; if the technology permits, I'll continue to post an "O" each day through December 23.
We're not all religious; I'm not, particularly. But, perhaps we're all waiting for something to finally celebrate in the deepest darkness of the year.
Blessings & peace as we enter the final days of Advent.
O Spross aus Isais Wurzel
O Flower of Jesse's Stem: Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.
Isaiah 11:1-10
Isaiah 52:15
Romans 15:12
Sunday, December 18, 2016
O Adonai
O Sacred Lord of Ancient Israel: Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set your people free.
Exodus 3:2
Isaiah 33:22
Isaiah 63:11-12
Micah 6:4
Acts 7:30-31
Saturday, December 17, 2016
O Weisheit*
O Wisdom: Come and show your people the way to wisdom and understanding.
Wisdom 8:1
Isaiah 11:2-3
Isaiah 28:29
Proverbs 8:1-36
John 1:1-5
This post has been edited: a technical glitch prevented the video from uploading, initially, and was thus omitted.
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