"Lament of the Three Marys"

I've found another YouTube treasure appropriate for Lenten prayer and meditation. This is Caoineadh na dTri Mhuire, or "The Lament of the Three Marys," an ancient Gaelic lament for the crucified Christ sung by Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and John. This version is performed by the Irish traditional singer Iarla Ó Lionáird. The original video came from the "Highland Sessions" program produced by BBC Wales, but the uploader of this video added additional material including a partial translation of the lyrics. I hope you find this video as moving as I did.

Exsultet!

Here's another little musical treat for you that I found via Facebook friend Marnie Falcon. It's a sneak peek at the new translation of the Exsultet, the solemn, joyful proclamation of Christ's Resurrection that's chanted on Holy Saturday night as part of the Easter Vigil Mass. I love the Exsultet to begin with, and in my opinion the new translation just makes it even better! The fine folks at Corpus Christi Watershed have done their usual bang up job.



Exsultet Practice Recording, Holy Saturday Night, (Roman Missal, 3rd Edition) from Corpus Christi Watershed on Vimeo.

"O Mother of the Graces"

Hello again everyone! I just had to share this remarkable You Tube find with you, a performance by Irish vocalist Roisin Elsafty. The daughter of an Irish mother and an Egyptian father, Roisin Elsafty is rapidly making a name for herself as an outstanding interpreter of traditional Irish song, especially in the sean nós ("old style") tradition. Here she is performing a beautiful hymn in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, A Mhuire na nGrást ("O Mother of the Graces").




About the song, she writes:

"A beautiful prayer from my mother's schooldays. The prayer is to the Virgin Mary, that she look after us and keep us safe on land and sea. It also mentions the Guardian Angel, that God is before us and that God is with us. My mother first composed music for this prayer for the funeral of my new born cousin Fionnuala Ní Cheannabháin."

(An English translation of the Gaelic lyrics is provided below):

 O Mother of the Graces, O Mother of the Son of God,
May you put me on the right road,
May you save me from every single evil,
May you save me both soul and body.
The Guard of the Angels above my head,
God before me and God with me.
O Mother of the Graces, O Mother of the Son of God,
May you put me on the right road,
May you save me on sea and on land,
May you save me on the slab of the pains.
O Mother of the Graces, O Mother of the Son of God,
May you put me on the right road,
May you save me on sea and on land,
May you save me on the slab of the pains.

The Guard of the Angels above my head,
God before me and God with me.
O Mother of the Graces, O Mother of the Son of God,
May you put me on the right road,
May you save me from every single evil,
May you save me both soul and body.

Another Year, Another Shamrock

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! To help you get in the mood, here's a clip from a 2009 St. Patrick's Day special broadcast by Irish television's Gaelic language channel TG4. This clip features the women's vocal group Liadán performing a traditional song in Irish, (listen for the really neat harmonies on the chorus) and Irish-American Chicago-based fiddler Liz Carroll performing original and traditional tunes. Unfortunately the clip ends before the music does, but there's plenty to enjoy.

Cheezburger of teh Day

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Who could be mad at a face like that?

"Keep Calm and Carry On"

I found this short film via Facebook friend Deborah Schaben. It's the story of how a little known British morale-building poster from World War II with the simple slogan, "Keep Calm and Carry On," was rediscovered and has rapidly become a contemporary cultural icon. (The film uses the word "propaganda," to describe the poster but I dislike that word because to me it always implies manipulation and deceit).

The narrator of the film remarks, "It is hard to say exactly why such a phrase from a bygone decade would have so much appeal and resonance now." Actually, it isn't hard to discover why at all. The narrator goes on to say, "Like a voice out of history, it offers a very simple warmhearted message to inspire confidence in others during difficult times, and it's something that should never fade from fashion." In other words, times are hard once again, and the courage and resolution needed to face those hard times never go out of style.

Anyone who knows me knows that I have tremendous respect and affection for my parents' generation--the generation that came through The Great Depression and World War II--the generation that Tom Brokaw called "the greatest generation in American history." The British, of course, suffered even more than the Americans during World War II, facing constant air raids and the very real threat of invasion by their enemies. That generation of British and Americans possessed a courage that I fear my generation lacks. They did not have access to the tremendous number of luxuries and comforts that I do. They did not expect life to be easy. Unlike the vacuous pop idols and celebrities of today, they did not go on chat or "reality" TV shows whining and whimpering about the terrible sufferings they endured. Yet they did not fail to meet their challenges. They did what they had to do. They kept calm and carried on. I pray for the courage to follow their example.

Cheezburger of Teh Day

This LOL completely sums up my state of mind. I've been feeling rotten all day for medical reasons, and I just wanted a little sympathy. Thank you. This concludes this self-pitying whine. We now return you to your regularly scheduled internet browsing.