Precious (musical) jewels of Holy Week

April 18th, 2019

The Church has over many centuries accumulated such musical treasures – divinely inspired texts and melodies spun into the most beautiful musical masterpieces to move us to prayer and ultimately bring us closer to God.

And Holy Week, the most sacred time in our Church’s year, is replete with many of these precious treasures to help us enter into the Sacred Mysteries we celebrate and commemorate during this special time…these precious jewels of our Church’s musical heritage that from year to year we should embrace and love ever more deeply…

Take Vexilla Regis – that venerable, noble hymn of Holy Week sung traditionally at Vespers – it’s noble, mystical melody the vehicle for a profound meditation of the Passion and Death of Christ: the royal banners forward go…the Cross, on which Life himself died, and by death our life restored…

And take Pueri Hebraeorum – in the midst of the triumphant music belonging to the early part of the Palm Sunday liturgy, this simple, plaintive tune describes the children excitedly welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem waving palm branches and crying out ‘hosanna’ – perhaps its plaintive character reflects the fact that these ‘Hosannas’ will soon turn into ‘Crucify Him’…

Even the chant Alleluia at the Easter Vigil as it appears in the Roman Missal – this is the first time we hear the Alleluia and when sung unaccompanied it’s almost like a long awaited central character finally appearing on stage – its noble entrance into the liturgy is quiet and almost understated – but what a powerful moment !! And how effective this is when followed by a thunderous Alleluia from the organ and people !!

So let’s embrace these precious jewels of Holy Week and allow them, in that embrace, to draw us closer to Jesus and the immense love he has shown us through his Passion, Death and Resurrection.

Wishing all of you a happy and holy Easter !!