7 Quick Takes Friday

1. Please pray for a friend who has cancer.  He may find out today what type of cancer it is, or he may not find out until next week. 

2.  My husband and I attended solemn sung vespers at Mt. Saint Mary's last Sunday night.  Word can not describe how beautiful this was!  The seminarians have a choir and the entire thing was sung in Latin.  It really makes me ache to think how much of our western Catholic culture has been thrown by the wayside and it gives me hope  to know that it is being preserved, somewhere, for the next generation. 

3.  Not only was the music heavenly, the architecture in the chapel was gorgeous.  Each stained glass window was a work of art in itself, and told a story for those who could not read, or could not hear it for themselves.  It really makes me think of the many beautiful churches in years gone by that were built thanks to the sweat and donations of the immigrants who came to this country.  Now we have more, materially, and our churches have less.

4.  The altar was marble. There was a huge crucifix with Our Lady, Saint John, and 2 Roman soldiers standing by. It drew your attention and was something that couldn't be missed.  It, along with the windows and large stations of the cross, provided something to meditate on no matter how much one's attention wandered.

5.  The musicians were in the choir loft because the liturgy is not about the musicians.  It is about what is taking place on the altar.  The music is there to transport our souls to God. 

6.   They have a brand new organ in that chapel, designed by the organist there, who teaches music to the seminarians.  They are certainly blessed!!

7.  The seminarians there are now required to take voice class!!!  How cool is that?!  Priests, from that seminary anyway, will now know the basics of vocal music.  They also take classes in dealing with church musicians.  As a church musician myself, I am overjoyed with this!