O Magnum Mysterium
Fifteen or more years ago, I had the opportunity to sing Morton Lauridsen’s rendition of this classic text with a choral group I was singing with at the time. It took my breath away. Since them I have sung it with other choral groups, and it never ceases to move me. If I am honest, I often have it on repeat, especially during Advent sitting in front of a fire or a lit Christmas tree. The text refers to the story that the animals in the stable were the first to see the newborn Christ and is a sort of meditation on that mystery. In this season in which we celebrate the incarnation it seems fitting that we not only honor and celebrate Christ’s incarnation but also recognize God’s presence in all of creation – the great flaring forth of love in the Big Bang. Every created thing bears the imprint of its Creator – the stars and galaxies, mountains and oceans, you and me and our beloved pets. So I would encourage you to grab a cup of tea or hot cocoa, turn out all the lights except those of your Christmas tree and savor the mystery of incarnation and the lush sounds of O Magnum Mysterium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbUHycl37p4
-Suanne Reed