HAVE OFTEN REMARKED that musicians tend to be the best liturgists. That’s because for us, it isn’t the theoretical: we need to know. If we sing the wrong music for the wrong season, that’s bad. For instance, we need to know whether the BAPTISM OF THE LORD is part of the Christmas season. (It is.) If we go on the USCCB website and see an erroneous statement such as this one, that’s a huge problem for us. Paying attention can also help! For instance, the Magnificat Antiphon for the feast of the EPIPHANY literally says: “This day we keep a holiday in honor of three wonders: this day a star led the wise men to the manger; this day at the marriage, water was made wine; this day was Christ, for our salvation, pleased to be baptized of John in Jordan.”
A Special Hymn • For the feast of the BAPTISM OF THE LORD, we are singing a hymn based on #286 in Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal known as “Non ábluunt lymphae Deum.” Translated into English, that means: The waters do not cleanse God, but God cleanses the waters; and through the touch of his hallowed flesh he grants the power of purging wrong. I’m not a fan of my soprano voice, but I have to sing all the parts for these rehearsal videos:
A Happier Instinct • In a special book (IMPRIMATUR 27-JAN-1913) Father Adrian Fortescue wrote: “In the East the Epiphany was, and is still, the great day for baptizing; the West, by a happier instinct, has always connected the solemn administration of this sacrament with Easter.” The great theologian explains further in a footnote:
“Because our Lord’s baptism has only an external resemblance to ours. The baptism of St. John was an example of Jewish symbolic purification; it was perhaps a prophecy, not a sacrament. The sacrament of baptism was not founded till long after this. On the other hand, the Roman connection between baptism and Easter is based on a far deeper mystic idea, that of Romans Chapter vi and Colossians ii:12.”
Photographs • The following photographs show “Non ábluunt lymphae Deum” as it appears in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal. That book gives several metrical versions (in English).
Last Chance! • My choir appreciates those rehearsal videos. As we plan Sacred Music Symposium 2025, we take into consideration suggestions for courses we should offer. If there’s demand for such a thing, I’d be happy to offer a course on how to create rehearsal videos. Suggestions for courses should be emailed to: dom.mocquereau@gmail.com. This is the last chance folks have to make suggestions. Very soon we’ll begin enrollment for Sacred Music Symposium 2025.
