November 15/28, 2023
Commencement of Advent & the Nativity Fast
Celebrated my birthday this past weekend. The older I get, the more I long for the kind of birthday presents that involve making memories instead of collecting things. Been going a lot lately to free concerts held at nearby Boston colleges and universities. A quick online search came up blank for colleges holding events as campuses are mostly closed for Thanksgiving Day weekend. So I searched next for concerts at the iconic Boston Symphony Orchestra and came upon a great Boston holiday tradition– Handel’s Messiah performed by the Handel and Haydn Society. I usually prefer the standard abridged version of the Messiah performed by amateur choirs in area churches especially as these performances are often sung as part of worship services and invite congregants to sing along during the chorus parts. This time, though, H+H’s unabridged 3.5 hour long professional performance seemed like the perfect way to spend my birthday money. And it was more and not less divine though it was not sung at a church. It carried its usual power to transform hearts and minds towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
The part that always catches me moved me again this time, and the third and most resurrectional bit was particularly moving in light of my mother’s recent repose. The very end of the first part contains an irresistible invitation:
Come unto Him all ye that labor… and He will give you rest.
We have been praying a lot recently for rest: rest for our departed grandmother, rest from the anxiety of an uncertain diagnosis, and above all rest from the cares and tumults of this life.
The beginning of Messiah’s third part catches me a bit by surprise. I have heard that Handel wrote the Messiah more for Easter than for Christmas. This final part certainly testifies to that purpose and unequivocally proclaims the resurrection of the body:
I know that my Redeemer liveth… and tho worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep.
Sleep then, our beloved mother, for in Christ at the last day will all be made alive. Christ is risen!
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May her memory be eternal. I can relate to the older I get, the more I cling to the beautiful experiences made with loved ones. I had my boys listen to these pieces. I am preparing them for the beauty of witnessing a live performance one day in the city. We appreciate your experiences and are thankful for you sharing them!
I see how my babies cling to my hands and how precious that is. I’m sure your mother felt that when you and your brother were little. How we cherish those moments! Much love to you and your family. You will be in our prayers.