Wednesday, December 21, 2016

O Dawn of the East . . .

21 December

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes
in tenebris et umbra mortis.

O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice:
come, and enlighten those

who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.



Photo:  Dawn at the Jesuit run Sevenhill Winery, Clare, South Australia.  We made the tertian 30-day retreat there.  At night there was almost perfect silence in which to pray.  On moonless nights or when it was cloudy and rainy the darkness was absolute.  I woke 2:30 and 3:30 AM daily so as to sit in that darkness and pray, flipping on a small flashlight when needed to read.  When the first rays of dawn broke through it was time to take the camera and meditate on the fruits of that prayer while walking some part of the 1000 acres. 

Meditation:
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.
Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

The Agnus Dei is the final prayer of the Mass before communion.  Immediately afterwards we acknowledge our unworthiness and ask that the Lord heal us despite that unworthiness.  In the Agnus Dei we ask that he not only have mercy on us but that he grant us peace, peace in our world and peace within our own selves.  Listen to the 'lagniappe,' the 'Dona Nobis Pacem' from Bach's B minor Mass, one of the most perfect pieces of choral music ever written.  Close your eyes and allow the music to swirl around you no matter if you are seeking peace for yourself, for another, or the world.  That peace comes with the dawn of the Son of God, Son of David, and Son of Mary.

Lagniappe: 
Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) from the Mass in B minor by J.S. Bach. Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnrHhYSGzd4

Prayer:  Falling in Love

Nothing is more practical than
finding God, that is, falling in love
in a quite absolute, final way. What
you are in love with, what seizes
your imagination, will affect every-
thing. It will decide what will get
you out of bed in the morning, what
you will do with your evenings, how
you will spend your weekends, what
you read, who you know, what
breaks your heart, and what amazes
you with joy and gratitude. Fall in
love. Stay in love. And it will
decide everything.

Pedro Arrupe, S.J

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