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.
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.
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