All the hymns of the Orthodox Church are remarkably rich theologically, especially in paradox and in typology. Rarely does one get the sense that the hymnographer is trying directly to play on the hearer’s emotions; any emotional “uplift” comes from contemplation of the holy mysteries evoked by the hymns.
Category: Faith & Ideology
The Summons of the Star
Father Jonathan Tobias at the Second Terrace blog appears to appreciate Auden’s For the Time Being, too. Here, he quotes and comments on passages that I savored, but that I don’t think I passed along or commented on earlier this Nativity season: Continue reading “The Summons of the Star”
Arose .. and worshiped
So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of God and worshiped Him.
II Kingdoms 13:5 (Septuagint; II Samuel 13:5 in KJV and others) Continue reading “Arose .. and worshiped”
Simeon
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, musings of the Righteous Simeon, who held the Christ child at the temple and then prayed the Nunc Dimitis: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word; for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the gentiles, and the glory of Thy people, Israel. Continue reading “Simeon”
Inflict Thy promises …
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from further into the poem than prior days’ excerpts:
The Star and the Wise Men
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on The Nativity Star and the Three Wise Men: Continue reading “The Star and the Wise Men”
Annunciation
From W. H. Auden’s For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio, excerpts from a section on the Annunciation. This is not a hack writing sentimental doggerel; the poetry deeply probes this foundational mystery of the Faith, and the indispensable role a young Jewish maiden, with terror and rejoicing, played in our redemption.
We who must die demand a miracle …
We who must die demand a miracle.
How could the Eternal do a temporal act,
The Infinite become a finite fact?
Nothing can save us that is possible.
We who must die demand a miracle.
W.H. Auden, For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio.
Separated at Birth?
Is it just me, or does über-creepy Julian Assange of Wikileaks look a heckuva lot like John Hurt playing creepy Caligula in the BBC/PBS series I, Claudius? Judge for yourself: Continue reading “Separated at Birth?”
Prophets, dissident intellectuals, and a world free of merde
My blog title is based on a quote from G.K. Chesterton, one of my favorite essayists. Reading Chesterton, and noting how “prophetic” he is, reminds me of Noam Chomsky’s claim that the Old Testament prophets were that day’s version of “dissident intellectuals.” Continue reading “Prophets, dissident intellectuals, and a world free of merde”
