Rome of the West

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Twelfth Night

THE TWELFTH DAY of Christmas — the magi approach; we celebrate the great feast of Epiphany. From a chosen nation comes a deliverer, who brings the universal faith to all nations of the world. I hope everyone had a good season of Christmas.

Saint Louis University, in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA - nativity scene

An electric nativity scene at Saint Louis University.

Tuesday, January 04, 2011

A Great and Mighty Wonder

AN ANCIENT Christmas Hymn, A Great and Mighty Wonder:

A great and mighty wonder, a full and holy cure:
The virgin bears the Infant with virgin honor pure!
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high,
And cherubim sing anthems to shepherds from the sky.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

While thus they sing your Monarch, those bright angelic bands,
Rejoice, ye vales and mountains, ye oceans, clap your hands.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

Since all He comes to ransom, by all be He adored,
The Infant born in Bethl’em, the Savior and the Lord.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

And idol forms shall perish, and error shall decay,
And Christ shall wield His scepter, our Lord and God for aye.
Repeat the hymn again: “To God on high be glory
And peace on earth to men!”

— Saint Germanus, Patriarch of Constantinople (a.D. 634-734); translated by John M. Neale, 1818-1866

This has the same melody as an anonymous German Christmas carol Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, translated into English as Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, by Theodore Baker (1851–1934)

Lo, how a rose e'er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse's lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow'ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter,
When half spent was the night.

Isaiah 'twas foretold it,
The Rose I have in mind,
With Mary we behold it,
The virgin mother kind;
To show God's love aright,
She bore to men a Savior,
When halfspent was the night.

O Flower, whose fragrance tender
With sweetness fills the air,
Dispel with glorious splendour
The darkness everywhere;
True man, yet very God,
From Sin and death now save us,
And share our every load.

This harmonization of the melody is by Michael Praetorius (1571–1621).

The Eleventh Day of Christmas

Saint Maurus Church, in Biehle, Missouri, USA - manger scene

At Saint Maurus Church, in Biehle, Missouri.

Mystery Photo

DAWN EDEN WRITES:

Happy New Year! I just found the attached photo inside a copy of the 1946 reprint of Father Daniel A. Lord S.J.'s book People You'll Like to Meet (published by The Queen's Work in St. Louis) and am hoping you might be able to help me figure out the identity of the mystery man. Although the book itself is autographed by Father Lord (!), there is no name or other identifying information on the photo or the book that might tell me who is pictured. All I can tell is that it is certainly not Father Lord.

The interior looks pretty familiar--a Catholic high school gymnasium, yes? The platform on which the man is seated looks too small to be a stage. It looks like the microphone is set up in front of an LP player, which in the late 1940s might have also been a recording device. The man is dressed as a director or choreographer, but his bandanna could be covering a clerical collar, yes? He does not appear to be wearing a Jesuit cassock as far as I can tell.
So, my guess is that the man is directing or choreographing a Catholic pageant. But who could he be? Any ideas?