Singing the Gospel of Luke
This past week, the nearby university held their annual Christmas Concert. Not surprisingly, most of the music was in a foreign language and that language was Latin. The university fields several choral groups and its seems that each had one or two selections in Latin.
Weeks ago, I was discussing the upcoming concert with one of the singers, who was busy practicing his Latin selection, Regina Coeli. Our young friend was blissfully unaware that Regina Coeli translates as "Queen of Heaven". Regina Coeli is an ancient Latin Marian Hymn that is traditionally sung during evening prayers.
What I really found fascinating while listening to the evening's opening music is, that due to our location in the deep south, much of the choir was likely Baptist and likely unaware of the true meaning of the words they were singing. How many college students today have a background in Latin, particularly those with Southern Baptist backgrounds? So it was with some bemusement that I listened to the beautiful hymn having full knowledge that, outside of the concert hall, more fundamental Baptists were excorating Catholics for using the term "Queen of Heaven." The more Biblically literate know that "queen of heaven is found in both Jer 7:18 and Jer 44:19 and refers in that particular book to a pagan goddess. Not so the hymn.
As part of Regina Coeli, the group also sang the Sanctus. As more liturgical Christians know, the Sanctus is a prayer of worship which generaly precedes the consecration of the bread and wine. Again, our young singers were likely singing with little thought to the origin of the hymn. As a bit of trivia, the word sanctus, or Holy, is sung three times because in Isaiah 6:3 we find that God is thrice holy.
Later, another choral group sang a version of the Ave Maria that I had never heard before. Ave Maria being Latin for "Hail Mary", the traditional Catholic prayer to Mary, which is found at Luke 1:28 and following. The lyrics were faithful to to the Latin Vulgate Bible.
After the performance I spotted a young friend of the family who is a self-proclaimed agnostic. She remarked that the concert was like attending a Catholic mass. She had no trouble following the Latin and was fully aware of how Catholic the selections were.
Related Posts:
Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Scripture Memorization for Catholics: Prayers
Source: Regina Coeli
Weeks ago, I was discussing the upcoming concert with one of the singers, who was busy practicing his Latin selection, Regina Coeli. Our young friend was blissfully unaware that Regina Coeli translates as "Queen of Heaven". Regina Coeli is an ancient Latin Marian Hymn that is traditionally sung during evening prayers.
What I really found fascinating while listening to the evening's opening music is, that due to our location in the deep south, much of the choir was likely Baptist and likely unaware of the true meaning of the words they were singing. How many college students today have a background in Latin, particularly those with Southern Baptist backgrounds? So it was with some bemusement that I listened to the beautiful hymn having full knowledge that, outside of the concert hall, more fundamental Baptists were excorating Catholics for using the term "Queen of Heaven." The more Biblically literate know that "queen of heaven is found in both Jer 7:18 and Jer 44:19 and refers in that particular book to a pagan goddess. Not so the hymn.
As part of Regina Coeli, the group also sang the Sanctus. As more liturgical Christians know, the Sanctus is a prayer of worship which generaly precedes the consecration of the bread and wine. Again, our young singers were likely singing with little thought to the origin of the hymn. As a bit of trivia, the word sanctus, or Holy, is sung three times because in Isaiah 6:3 we find that God is thrice holy.
Later, another choral group sang a version of the Ave Maria that I had never heard before. Ave Maria being Latin for "Hail Mary", the traditional Catholic prayer to Mary, which is found at Luke 1:28 and following. The lyrics were faithful to to the Latin Vulgate Bible.
After the performance I spotted a young friend of the family who is a self-proclaimed agnostic. She remarked that the concert was like attending a Catholic mass. She had no trouble following the Latin and was fully aware of how Catholic the selections were.
Related Posts:
Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Scripture Memorization for Catholics: Prayers
Source: Regina Coeli
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