Behold! I bring you tidings of great joy:

VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST -

BEHOLD, the father is his daughter's son,
The bird that built the nest is hatched therein.
The old of years an hour hath not outrun,
Eternal life to live doth now begin,
The Word is dumb, the mirth of heaven doth weep,
Might feeble is, and force doth faintly creep.

O DYING souls, behold your living spring;
O dazzled eyes, behold your sun of grace;
Dull ears, attend what word this Word doth bring.
Up, heavy hearts, with joy your joy embrace.
From death, from dark, from deafness, from despairs,
This life, this light, this Word, this joy repairs.

GIFT better than himself God doth not know;
Gift better than his God no man can see.
This gift doth here the giver given bestow;
Gift to this gift let each receiver be.
God is my gift, himself he freely gave me;
God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me.

MAN altered was by sin from man to beast;
Beast's food is hay, hay is all mortal flesh.
Now God is flesh and lies in manger pressed
As hay, the brutest sinner to refresh.
O happy field wherein this fodder grew,
Whose taste do us from beasts to men renew.
-Robert Southwell

Merry Christmas to one and all.

(From a message to my choristers and leadership this morning (St. Stephen's day.)

https://youtu.be/OmcFbLRQg38

Dear Musical Colleagues,

Allow me to express my fullest gratitude and honor towards you and yours these twelve days. As the video clip above illustrates, the nativity of our Savior the Christ was accompanied not only by the Eastern Star, the veneration of shepherds and magi, but also (and more importantly) by angelic choirs hovering over Bethlehem singing their joy and gladness. Think for a moment about that; scripture had already told of the hosts of angels unceasingly singing “Holy, Holy” before God in His Kingdom. And now and again they pierce the veil between heaven and earth to welcome the God-Child with unimaginable beauty, sharing it with His Mother, earthly father and humble townsfolk and shepherds. Every Christmas Mass, every Mass really, you all exemplify that conjoining of heaven and earth; “Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus/Santo, santo, santo.”
In that way and manner, you fulfill the mandate of Matthew 25 to literally recognize Christ in everyone you encounter, as did the angels giving Him homage that first morning.
My deepest thanks to you, and may the blessings of Christmas tide carry us all forward into a good new year.