Voices Found: St. Julian for Eastertide, Communion, VF 72
Voices Found #72, Verse 2
Mothering God you gave me birth
In the bright morning of this earth.
Creator, source of every breath,
You are my rain, my wind, my sun.
Mothering Christ, you took my form,
offering me your food of light,
grain of life, and grape of love,
your very body for my peace.
Mothering Spirit, nurturing one,
in arms of patience hold me close,
so that in faith,I root and grow
until I flower, until I know.
Words: Jean Wiebe Janzen after Julian of Norwich (ca1342-ca.1416)
Ana's music brings Julian to life! Using an ancient tune O fillii et filiae, Hernandez created a splendid chant inspired by Julian's vision.
Voices Found offers a light accompaniment, but the chant could be sung a cappella. Another musical setting of Julian's words, VF #71, by Sharon Marion Hershey, is more complex and incudes a descant for soloist, choir, or melody instrument such as flute or viola. As a choral piece with a descant it could serve as a simple communion anthem.
In her Revelations of Divine Love, St. Julian of Norwich echoes the words of I Peter appointed for Easter V.
Julian wrote: Christ the Mother is entwined with the wholeness of life which includes all the sacraments, all the virtues: all the virtues of the word-made-flesh, all the goodness that holy church ordains for our benefit. The human mother can tenderly lay the child on her breast, but our tender Mother Jesus can lead us directly into his own tender breast through his sweet broken-open side. Here, he reveals a glimpse of the Godhead and some of the joys of paradise with the implicit promise of eternal bliss.”
1 Peter 2:2
2Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
https://www.churchpublishing.org/products/voicesfound2
Comments
Post a Comment