Listening to the Music If we listen carefully, the scriptures today provide much music. The words of Mary in the Gospel, sometimes known as the Canticle of Mary, are sung by Christians throughout the world as part of Evening Prayer. Each day, with Mary, the whole Church “proclaims the greatness of the Lord.” But another kind of music lies hidden in the reading from Zephaniah. The prophet calls the Lord’s people to rejoice at the nearness of the Lord. And in a tender phrase, the prophet speaks of that nearness by declaring: “[The Lord] will sing joyfully because of you, as one sings at festivals.” The Lord sings “because of you,” full of joy. What might it sound like to hear the Lord singing because of us, any one of us? How can we “hear” such a sound? Have you noticed that sometimes we do hear “inner music,” a song or a tune that just “stays with us”? Perhaps the song is overtly religious; perhaps it is not overtly religious, but it seems to “speak” to us or move us toward the Lord. Could we not imagine that song, even one so human and “ordinary,” as the Lord’s song sung to us? Could this be the Lord using our “inner hearing” to communicate his joy “because of [us]”? So, as today begins or moves forward, perhaps we can listen attentively, even to that passing song or tune that seems to be moving through our minds and hearts. As we listen attentively, we might pay attention to how and where it moves us. Perhaps there we will hear the Lord “sing joyfully because of you.” |