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The Star of Epiphany, the Morning Star of Easter
At
the 11:30 Mass in my parish this morning, our sung prayer was
especially beautiful and strong. Some days it all comes together, and
this was one of those days.
We began by singing all five verses of today's standard selection, John Hopkins' We Three Kings. Once
you've taken a good look at the hymn's verses (below) you can see how cutting it short stops a story in the telling, a story that brings us from
Bethlehem's plain to Calvary and Easter.
1) We three kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder Star.
Chorus:
O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.
2) Born a babe on Bethlehem's plain;
Gold we bring to crown Him again;
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
3) Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on High.
4) Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
5) Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Heaven sings, "Hallelujah!"
Hallelujah!" Earth replies.
But the Epiphany-Easter connection was to surface again, later in the liturgy!
My music director, Jim Barkovic, usually continues the Communion song instrumentally after all have received and often includes a subtle interpolation, sometimes a segue, into the melody of another song with some connection to the day's feast, scriptures or homily. These moments are exquisitely subtle and if you're not listening, you might easily miss them.
Today we were all sitting in quiet prayer after Communion as Jim continued to play Gift of Finest Wheat. Then I began to hear a familiar tune making itself gently heard, rising out of the Communion music. Within a few moments, I was hearing Haugen's The Light of Christ Surrounds Us, a piece we do every year at Easter.
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder Star.
Chorus:
O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to the perfect light.
2) Born a babe on Bethlehem's plain;
Gold we bring to crown Him again;
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
3) Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on High.
4) Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
5) Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and sacrifice,
Heaven sings, "Hallelujah!"
Hallelujah!" Earth replies.
But the Epiphany-Easter connection was to surface again, later in the liturgy!
My music director, Jim Barkovic, usually continues the Communion song instrumentally after all have received and often includes a subtle interpolation, sometimes a segue, into the melody of another song with some connection to the day's feast, scriptures or homily. These moments are exquisitely subtle and if you're not listening, you might easily miss them.
Today we were all sitting in quiet prayer after Communion as Jim continued to play Gift of Finest Wheat. Then I began to hear a familiar tune making itself gently heard, rising out of the Communion music. Within a few moments, I was hearing Haugen's The Light of Christ Surrounds Us, a piece we do every year at Easter.
In the east the Morning Star rises bright upon us,
in its peaceful light shines the glory of the Lord...
The
light of Epiphany's star and Easter's candle shone as one, as the
entrance song had reminded us, "Glorious now behold him rise!"
The
choir and some in the assembly began to hum softly the refrain of the
Paschal piece
The light of Christ surrounds us,
the power of Christ enfolds,
the power of Christ protects us,
the presence of Christ watches over us...
and for a few moments, the two feasts folded musically
into the unity that every Eucharist celebrates throughout the liturgical year.
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