A Sunday Thought About a Great Catholic Chant
Last Sunday, in observance of Pentecost, we posted a simple rendition of the great Catholic chant, "Veni Creator Spiritus," noting that we can trace its origins to the 9th century. That's over 1,000 years ago. Think about this. For over 1,000 years, religious and lay people in the Latin Church (Eastern rites have their own - equally beautiful - chants) sang this beautiful melody with its moving words, invoking the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and embolden our hearts to live holy lives.
Embolden? Well, yes. Even in ages past when all of Europe belonged to what became known as "Christendom," anyone struggling to live a holy life needed a good dose of courage to do so in the midst of the distractions and temptations of daily living, despite sharing a common Faith and a fundamental understanding of society and culture. Today, with Christendom a mere wispy albeit it happy memory, we struggle to live holy lives under perhaps more challenging surroundings. But no matter how much we face today, there have been worse times faced by some of our Catholic forebears.
One such time was the French Revolution when the Church was essentially outlawed and Christianity not only ridiculed, but condemned by the all-powerful state as a blight on mankind, to be eradicated by whatever means it took. In the name of "liberty, equality, fraternity," the infamous Reign of Terror imprisoned and executed not only the aristocracy, but also clergy, religious, and anyone else who dared oppose the program of reform of the revolutionaries.
In the midst of the terror, a group of 16 French Carmelite nuns, earmarked for liquidation because they refused to turn their backs on Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, marched to their deaths singing "Veni Creator Spiritus" in front of a jeering crowd. A Youtube clip captures a reenactment of the scene, as each walks up to the guillotine, their heroic witness silencing the crowd.
While Christians face death in some parts of our world, we here in the U.S. don't. Some, of course, wonder whether that might not change, given the current anti-Christian trends we all witness now. For example, when you consider the pressure being applied by the homosexual "lobby" to pass "gay marriage" laws throughout the country, with the result that no one may speak a critical word about their "gay lifestyle," we see the tip of an oppressive iceberg that may eventually bring us to some modern version of the Reign of Terror and the guillotine.
Whether this comes to pass or not, the Martyrs of Compiegne may serve as an example of the courage we all need if we are to remain consistently, absolutely true to our Faith, not matter our individual circumstances or the surrounding culture in which we live. Please consider taking 6 minutes out of your busy life for prayerful consideration of these brave sisters, filled with the Holy Spirit.
Embolden? Well, yes. Even in ages past when all of Europe belonged to what became known as "Christendom," anyone struggling to live a holy life needed a good dose of courage to do so in the midst of the distractions and temptations of daily living, despite sharing a common Faith and a fundamental understanding of society and culture. Today, with Christendom a mere wispy albeit it happy memory, we struggle to live holy lives under perhaps more challenging surroundings. But no matter how much we face today, there have been worse times faced by some of our Catholic forebears.
One such time was the French Revolution when the Church was essentially outlawed and Christianity not only ridiculed, but condemned by the all-powerful state as a blight on mankind, to be eradicated by whatever means it took. In the name of "liberty, equality, fraternity," the infamous Reign of Terror imprisoned and executed not only the aristocracy, but also clergy, religious, and anyone else who dared oppose the program of reform of the revolutionaries.
In the midst of the terror, a group of 16 French Carmelite nuns, earmarked for liquidation because they refused to turn their backs on Jesus Christ and His Holy Church, marched to their deaths singing "Veni Creator Spiritus" in front of a jeering crowd. A Youtube clip captures a reenactment of the scene, as each walks up to the guillotine, their heroic witness silencing the crowd.
While Christians face death in some parts of our world, we here in the U.S. don't. Some, of course, wonder whether that might not change, given the current anti-Christian trends we all witness now. For example, when you consider the pressure being applied by the homosexual "lobby" to pass "gay marriage" laws throughout the country, with the result that no one may speak a critical word about their "gay lifestyle," we see the tip of an oppressive iceberg that may eventually bring us to some modern version of the Reign of Terror and the guillotine.
Whether this comes to pass or not, the Martyrs of Compiegne may serve as an example of the courage we all need if we are to remain consistently, absolutely true to our Faith, not matter our individual circumstances or the surrounding culture in which we live. Please consider taking 6 minutes out of your busy life for prayerful consideration of these brave sisters, filled with the Holy Spirit.
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