The inspiration to the communion of the saints song cycle
The Song Cycle ‘ The Communion of the Saints ’ was initially inspired by a sermon given by Msgr. Edward Lofton of South Carolina during the national lockdown. During the sermon he quoted words of St . Teresa of Avila , - ‘All things are passing away: God alone suffices ’. These words seemed so appropriate and hopeful for the time of the pandemic which we were beginning to experience across the world , - that this too will pass away. This inspiration encouraged me to set these words to music, initially in English, and then in the original Spanish. I thought it would be wonderful to make settings of the words of many Saints, both known and unknown. These settings would be drawn from texts from Catholic and from other Christian sources, as well as from the words from the Hebrew Bible. This resulted in the Song Cycle called ‘The Communion of the Saints’.
prelude: amar lahem yeshua ; matthew 28 18-20 go into all the world sung in hebrew
 Complete Torah scrools
"ניתנה לי כל סמכות בשמים ובארץ," אמר להם י 1
ועשו תלמידים בכל העולם. הטבילו אותם בשם האב, הבן ורוח הקודש 0 ולמדו אותם לעשות את כל אשר ציוויתי אתכם. היו סמוכים ובטוחים שאהיה אתכם עד סוף העולם!" |
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come holy ghost. text rabanus maurus (776-865) trs.Edward cassel 1814-78
 Rabanus Maurus (left) with Alcuin presents his work to Otgar of Mainz (right). Illustration from a Fulda manuscript, c. 830–840.
Come holy Ghost, Creator Blest
And in our hearts take up thy rest Come with Thy grace and heavenly aid, To fill the hearts which thou hast made. Praise be to Thee, Father and Son, And Holy Spirit with them One; And may the Son on us bestow, The gifts that from the Spirit flow. Amen |
Pentecost Window St Mary's Cathedral, Cork Ireland
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where shall i flee from your presence? psalm 139. king david of israel
King David playing the Harp. Painting by Gerrit van Honthhorst 1592-1656
Where can I go from your presence?
Where can I go from your love?
If I fly to the highest heavens, you are always there at my side;
If I fly on the wings of the dawn,
or travel beyond the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
and keep me safe from harm
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall hide me
and the night shall be my light,”
but darkness is not darkness to you;
For it was you who formed me;
Created me in my mother’s womb.
It was you who saw my naked body before it saw the light of day.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance,
And your ears heard my cry from the womb,
Where can I go from your love?
If I fly to the highest heavens, you are always there at my side;
If I fly on the wings of the dawn,
or travel beyond the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
and keep me safe from harm
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall hide me
and the night shall be my light,”
but darkness is not darkness to you;
For it was you who formed me;
Created me in my mother’s womb.
It was you who saw my naked body before it saw the light of day.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance,
And your ears heard my cry from the womb,
st augustine of hippo (354-430) i came to you late
St Augustine of Hippo by Philippe De Champaigne 1602-1674
I came to You late, O Beauty so ancient and new. I came to love You late. You were within me and I was outside where I rushed about wildly searching for You like some monster loose in Your beautiful world. You were with me, but I was not with You. You called me, You shouted to me, You wrapped me in Your Splendor, You broke past my deafness, You bathed me in Your Light, You sent my blindness reeling. You gave out such a delightful fragrance and I drew it in and came breathing hard after You. I tasted, and it made me hunger and thirst; You touched me, and I burned to know Your Peace.
St thomas aquinas ( 1224-1274) adoro te devote
St Thomas Aquinas Carlo Crivelli 1430-1495
Adoro te devote laetens Deitas
Quae sub figuris vere latitas
Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart,
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.
Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light,
And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight.
Quae sub figuris vere latitas
Tibi se cor meum totum subiicit
Quia te contemplans, totum deficit
Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,
Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more,
See, Lord, at Thy service low lies here a heart,
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.
Jesu, whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech Thee send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on Thee face to face in light,
And be blest forever with Thy glory’s sight.
o bread of heaven. saint alphonsus ligouri 1696-1787
St Alphonsus Ligouri 1696-1787
O Bread of Heaven, beneath this veil
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.
O food of life, Thou Who dost give
The pledge of immortality;
I live, no 'tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
He feeds my soul, He guides my ways,
And every grief with joy repays.
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love
Thou dost my very God conceal:
My Jesus, dearest treasure, hail!
I love Thee and, adoring, kneel;
Each loving soul by Thee is fed
With Thine own Self in form of Bread.
O food of life, Thou Who dost give
The pledge of immortality;
I live, no 'tis not I that live;
God gives me life, God lives in me:
He feeds my soul, He guides my ways,
And every grief with joy repays.
I cannot live unless to prove
some love for such unmeasured love
Eucharistic adoration
pope john xxii 1249-1334) soul of my savior trs.. E. Caswell (1814-1878)
Pope Saint John XXII 1249-1334)
Soul of my Savior sanctify my breast,
Body of Christ be Thou my saving guest,
Blood of my Savior, bathe me in Thy tide,
Wash me with waters gushing from Thy side,
Strength and protection may thy passion be,
O blessed Jesus, hear and answer me;
Deep in Thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me,
So shall I never, never part from Thee.
Guard and defend me from the foe malign,
In death’s dread moments make me only Thine:
Call me and bid me come to Thee on high,
Where I may praise Thee with thy saints for aye.
Body of Christ be Thou my saving guest,
Blood of my Savior, bathe me in Thy tide,
Wash me with waters gushing from Thy side,
Strength and protection may thy passion be,
O blessed Jesus, hear and answer me;
Deep in Thy wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me,
So shall I never, never part from Thee.
Guard and defend me from the foe malign,
In death’s dread moments make me only Thine:
Call me and bid me come to Thee on high,
Where I may praise Thee with thy saints for aye.
st teresa of avila 1515-1582 nada te turbe: god alone suffices
St Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) Painting by François Pascal Simon Gérard (4 May 1770 – 11 January 1837)
Nada te turbe,
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda.
La paciecia
todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta;
Solo Dios basta.
Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing upset you,
Let nothing distress you,
Nothing overwhelm you,
All things are passing away,
God alone never changes.
Patience obtains all things,
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
For God alone suffices.
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda.
La paciecia
todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta;
Solo Dios basta.
Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing upset you,
Let nothing distress you,
Nothing overwhelm you,
All things are passing away,
God alone never changes.
Patience obtains all things,
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
For God alone suffices.
emily may crawford (1864-1927) speak lord in the stillness
 Grave of Emily May Crawford CMS Folkstone Engliand missionary in Pondoland with the S Africa General Mission.
Speak Lord in the Stillness,
While I wait on Thee, Hushed my heart to listen, In expectancy. Speak O Blessed Master In this quiet hour Let me see Thy face Lord, Feel Thy touch of power. For the words Thou speakest They are life indeed! Living bread from heaven Now my spirit feed! All to Thee is yielded, I am not my own, Blissful glad surrender, I am Thine alone. |
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saint mother theodore guerin (1798-1856) deus providebit
 Saint Mother Theodor Guerin 1798-1865 from a photgraph of the Sisters of Providence Terre Haute Indiana
Deus Providebit, Deus Providebit en Saint Marie des Bois.[1]
From across the world I hear His voice calling, ‘Come and serve the people that I love!’ And so I come, to seek the path of Jesus, Knowing that His mercy never ends. Deus Providebit, Deus Providebit en Saint Marie des Bois. From across the world, I hear their voices weeping, Come and show us the way that leads to God. And so I come, to seek the path of Jesus, Blessing them as Thou has blessed me. Dieu tout puissant, prends bien soin de nos coeurs! God Almighty, take good care of us. [1] Saint Marie des Bois is the French name for Saint Mary of the Woods, the Convent in Indiana founded by Saint Mother Guerin. Deus Providebit is the motto of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary in the Woods meaning ‘God will provide’. |
Church of Immaculate Conception Sisters of Providence St Mary in the Woods Indiana
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charles wesley (1707-1788) gentle jesus meek and mild
Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Anglican Minister and hymn writer Painting by John Russell 1745-1806
Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild
Look upon a little child,
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee!
Fain I would to Thee be brought,
Dearest Lord forbit it not!
Give me dearest God a place,
In the Kingdom of Thy grace.
Put Thy hands upon my head,
Let me in Thy arms be stayed,
Let me lean upon Thy breast,
Lull me, lull me, lull me to rest.
Thou didst live to God alone,
Thou didst never seek Thine own, Thou, Thyself did never please,
God was all Thy happiness.
Loving Jesus, Gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am
Make me Savior what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart
I shall then show forth Thy praise, Serve Thee all my happy days,
Then the world will always see,
Christ the Holy Child, Christ the Holy child in me.
Look upon a little child,
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee!
Fain I would to Thee be brought,
Dearest Lord forbit it not!
Give me dearest God a place,
In the Kingdom of Thy grace.
Put Thy hands upon my head,
Let me in Thy arms be stayed,
Let me lean upon Thy breast,
Lull me, lull me, lull me to rest.
Thou didst live to God alone,
Thou didst never seek Thine own, Thou, Thyself did never please,
God was all Thy happiness.
Loving Jesus, Gentle Lamb,
In Thy gracious hands I am
Make me Savior what Thou art,
Live Thyself within my heart
I shall then show forth Thy praise, Serve Thee all my happy days,
Then the world will always see,
Christ the Holy Child, Christ the Holy child in me.
st ignatius of loyola ( 1491-1556) suscipe take lord and recieve my liberty
St Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556 Painting anon. 16th Century
Take Lord and Receive my liberty,
My memory, my understanding
And my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me,
To You I return it.
Ev’ry thing Lord is Yours
Do with it what you will.
Give me only Your love and grace,
That is enough for me.
My memory, my understanding
And my entire will,
All I have and call my own.
You have given all to me,
To You I return it.
Ev’ry thing Lord is Yours
Do with it what you will.
Give me only Your love and grace,
That is enough for me.
Picture credits. Wikipedia. Charles Wesley picture John Wesley House and Museum Picture of Saint Theodore Guerin with kind permission of the Sisters of Providence, St Mary in the Woods Indiana. Emily May Crawford grave Find A Grave.Com