Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
Inspired by Truth, Enlightening Minds for the Church in Canada and Throughout the World
J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) , composed a series of cantatas for the Church’s liturgical year during his time as kappelmeister and kantor at Saint Thomas church in Leipzig, from 1723. He wrote over 200 of them for every Sunday and feast day – one per week, unbelievably – and we have them all, by[…]
Monsignor Antonio Vivaldi was not only one of the greatest of Baroque composers, but also a Catholic priest, who directed a girls’ orphanage, for whose residents he wrote much of his music – for which we are quite grateful. His Magnificat – fitting on this feast of the Presentation of Our Lady (and see previous[…]
On this Laetare Sunday, where we may mitigate our Lenten practices somewhat, symbolized by the subdued colour of liturgical rose, and the organ may be played solo as a brief respite, here are six concertos for that instrument by G.F. Handel, published between 1735 and 1736. Handel was renowned as an organist, and his compositions[…]
February 4th is the traditional memorial of the the erudite Frankish monk, Rabanus Maurus (+856), one of the most learned men of his age, unfortunately and inaccurately called the ‘Dark Ages’, but which were, on the contrary, filled with much light. Rabanus is famous for many things – his holy life, first and foremost, his[…]
Today’s reading from Samuel, telling the origin story of our biblical hero, ends with the words of the prophet, ‘speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening‘. Samuel’s name in Hebrew, given to him by his mother Hannah, is derived from the verb ‘to listen’. Such is the task of a prophet, to hear the word[…]
With the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God today – or, in the usus antiquior, the Circumcision of Our Lord – the Octave of Christmas comes to a close, but the twelve days of Christmas continue to Epiphany, and the Christmas season continues to the Baptism of the Lord (next Monday), or, in the traditional[…]
Handel’s Messiah, first performed on April 13th, 1742 (in Dublin of all places) was Composed by a German, who had become a naturalised Brit, with a libretto in English. Handel’s Oratorio is customarily connected with Christmas, even though the work follows the whole life of the Saviour from His birth, through His Passion, to His[…]
I just finished reading Joseph Pearce’s biography of Alexander Solzhenitsyn, subtitled ‘A Soul in Exile’, a remarkable book, packing a very full life into a very readable pages, showing what the indomitable will of one man can do against a vast totalitarian regime. Solzhenitsyn’s life is almost a reverse 1984, and he the anti-Winston. Orwell’s[…]
Rev. Marco Testa, As We Worship So We Become: Meditations, Prayers and Devotions to the Most Holy Sacrament of The Altar: 2023. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass strengthens us to live Eucharistic lives of prayer, repentance, conversion, self-sacrifice, charity, adoration, witness. Through Christ’s sacrifice on the altar, as well as frequent Eucharistic Adoration, abundant[…]
On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, as we continue the pilgrimage through the Marian theme of Advent, here are a few musical pieces to lift your souls and spirits: Bruckner’s (+1896) Ave Maria: And, just after Bruckner, there was Biebl (+2001) : And Gustav Holst (+1934), of Planets fame, between them:
