Tag Archives: Jesus

The True Story Behind One of the Strangest and Most Beautiful Hymns I’ve Ever Heard

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BY Matthew Archbold

Composer Gavin Bryars was living in London working on a documentary about
people living in poverty. During the recording, a number of people being
interviewed broke into drunken maudlin ballads and even loud opera. But one
old man, who, according to Bryars, was not drinking, sang a small verse of a
religious song called “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet.”

He sang it without irony. He sang it seemingly in childlike faith despite
his dire circumstances.

The recording of the old man was never used in the film and it was returned
to Bryars. When Bryars listened to it at home he found something beautiful
in the old man’s singing. He improvised a simple accompaniment to the verse
that built around the man’s singing. Shortly after that he took the tape to
the recording studio where he worked. He copied the loop of song onto a
continuous reel. Knowing this would take time he left the studio with the
song playing to grab a cup of coffee.

Out into the studio floated the old man’s words, haunting
and faith-filled:

Jesus blood never failed me yet-

never failed me yet

Jesus blood never failed me yet –

there’s one thing I know

because he loves me so

Jesus blood never failed me yet –

When Bryars returned he noticed something odd. “When I came back I found
the normally lively room unnaturally subdued,” said Bryars. “People were
moving about much more slowly than usual and a few were sitting alone,
quietly weeping.”

He didn’t understand why until he realized the tape had been playing the
entire time he’d been gone and was causing a strong reaction in people.
“This convinced me of the emotional power of the music and of the
possibilities offered by adding a simple, though gradually evolving,
orchestral accompaniment that respected the tramp’s nobility and simple
faith,” he said.

Bryars added a swelling orchestral accompaniment around the man’s voice and
recorded it on Brian Eno’s label in 1975. Since then, the song has moved
millions. Including me.

I can tell you that the first time I heard it I was picking up my brother
Kevin from the train station. Going through chemo at the time and suffering
seizures at odd times he wasn’t able to drive so the family would drive him
in to work or the train on a daily basis. As I lived in Philadelphia and
only came up during the summers, I was glad to help when I could.

So there I was waiting for him and flipping through radio stations when I
heard this old man’s warbling voice. In the beginning I couldn’t even
understand what he was saying but it soon had me transfixed. My brother came
off the train and climbed in the car. Normally, he launched right in with
jokes but he heard the song. We both sat in the car for twenty minutes
listening. We didn’t talk. We didn’t drive. We just listened. We shared that
moment.

So now I share it with you.

A sad note, the tramp (as he came to be known) died before he could hear
what Bryars had done with his singing. I find it beautiful as millions of
others have. I’ll let you decide.

The first three minutes are completely without music and then the
orchestration slowly builds around it.

Read here

Whispers in the Loggia: At B16’s Window, A Big “Thank You”… While Behind the Walls, The “Showcase” Begins

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Whispers in the Loggia: At B16’s Window, A Big “Thank You”… While Behind the Walls, The “Showcase” Begins.

Drawing a crowd at least four or five times its normal size, a throng estimated at well over 100,000 people swarmed St Peter’s Square today for the Pope’s noontime Angelus – the next-to-last Sunday greeting from B16 before his resignation takes effect in 11 days.

Unlike the Wednesday Audience, no tickets are required for the pontiff’s weekly appearance at his study window. It was reported yesterday that the lone remaining mid-week gathering – on the 27th – has already seen 35,000 requests for tickets, and will be moved into the Square from its usual winter venue inside the 7,000-seat Paul VI Hall.

(On-demand video of the gathering is available through the Holy See’s streaming HD player.)

Keeping his usual focus on the day’s Gospel, the departing Popespoke of this First Sunday of Lent’s traditional account of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the desert.

Quoting his favorite saint – Augustine, the subject of his doctoral dissertation in theology as a young priest, and a figure on whom he’s sought to model himself – Benedict reminded the crowd that “Jesus took our temptations on himself to give us his victory over them.”read more………..

Lenten Springtime

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Enjoy the springtime of life
And live in wonder.
Enjoy in awe the Love
God lavishes upon the lowly.
Enjoy the ever fresh image of Christ
Imprinted in our souls.

It is Lent
Enjoy your food,
Receive it from the hand of God.
Abhor sin and cease to feed on fodder,
That you might have fullness
And your choice portion
At Heaven’s banquet.

©2013 Joann Nelander

 

Proof of Fasting

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St. John . Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye, and the ear, and the feet, and the hands, and all the members of our bodies. Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice. Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin. Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful… Let the ear fast… by not listening to evil talk and gossip… Let the mouth fast from the foul words and unjust criticism. For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?” (St. John Chrysostom – “The Proof of Fasting”)

 

Lent

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Lent is about Love
Recognizing our lack and need.
Lent is about Spring,
Becoming fertile ground for Christ’s seed.
Lent is about Life,
Allowing the sprout to be freed.
Lent is about creation,
Imaging Christ in love and deed.

©2013 Joann Nelander

New Pope by Easter?

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It is being said that a Conclave will be held in mid-March.  Living in interesting times is indeed a challenge.  Are we up to it? Jesus Christ would say, as He does always: “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20) Yes, we are up to any challenge in Christ Jesus, and He hasn’t and will never resign.  He is alive and well and reigning at the right hand of the Father and present in the power of His Holy Spirit with us now and forever.

And the People of God say, “AMEN”

Perhaps, Easter will see us welcoming a new pope to the Chair of Peter. If we are called to wait longer, our great strength is our faith  We will wait in hope and great expectation during the Easter season as Christ reigns now and forever.
Catechism of the Catholic ChurchL

857     The Church is apostolic because she is founded on the apostles, in three ways:

  • she was and remains built on “the foundation of the Apostles,” the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself;
  • with the help of the Spirit dwelling in her, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching, the “good deposit,” the salutary words she has heard from the apostles;
  • she continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by the apostles until Christ’s return, through their successors in pastoral office: the college of bishops, “assisted by priests, in union with the successor of Peter, the Church’s supreme pastor”:You are the eternal Shepherd
    who never leaves his flock untended.
    Through the apostles
    you watch over us and protect us always.
    You made them shepherds of the flock
    to share in the work of your Son. …

The Apostles’ mission

858     Jesus is the Father’s Emissary. From the beginning of his ministry, he “called to him those whom he desired; . … And he appointed twelve, whom also he named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach.” From then on, they would also be his “emissaries” (Greek apostoloi). In them, Christ continues his own mission: “As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” The apostles’ ministry is the continuation of his mission; Jesus said to the Twelve: “he who receives you receives me.”

859     Jesus unites them to the mission he received from the Father. As “the Son can do nothing of his own accord,” but receives everything from the Father who sent him, so those whom Jesus sends can do nothing apart from him, from whom they received both the mandate for their mission and the power to carry it out. Christ’s apostles knew that they were called by God as “ministers of a new covenant,” “servants of God,” “ambassadors for Christ,” “servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.”

860     In the office of the apostles there is one aspect that cannot be transmitted: to be the chosen witnesses of the Lord’s Resurrection and so the foundation stones of the Church. But their office also has a permanent aspect. Christ promised to remain with them always. The divine mission entrusted by Jesus to them “will continue to the end of time, since the Gospel they handed on is the lasting source of all life for the Church. Therefore, … the apostles took care to appoint successors.”

The bishops — successors of the apostles

861     “In order that the mission entrusted to them might be continued after their death, [the apostles] consigned, by will and testament, as it were, to their immediate collaborators the duty of completing and consolidating the work they had begun, urging them to tend to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit had appointed them to shepherd the Church of God. They accordingly designated such men and then made the ruling that likewise on their death other proven men should take over their ministry.”

862     “Just as the office which the Lord confided to Peter alone, as first of the apostles, destined to be transmitted to his successors, is a permanent one, so also endures the office, which the apostles received, of shepherding the Church, a charge destined to be exercised without interruption by the sacred order of bishops.” Hence the Church teaches that “the bishops have by divine institution taken the place of the apostles as pastors of the Church, in such wise that whoever listens to them is listening to Christ and whoever despises them despises Christ and him who sent Christ.”

 
Let Us Pray. -
O God!
our refuge and our strength,
look down with favour on Thy people who cry to Thee;
and through the intercession of the glorious
and Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of God,
of Saint Joseph her Spouse,
of Thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul,
and of all the Saints,
in mercy and goodness 
hear our prayers for the conversion of sinners,
and for the liberty and exaltation 
of our holy Mother the Church.
Through the same Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Holy Michael Archangel,
defend us in the hour of conflict;
be our safeguard against the wickedness
and snares of the devil. -
May God restrain him,
we humbly pray;
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God thrust Satan down to hell,
and with him the other wicked spirits,
who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen.