Psalm Offering 1, Opus 3
This, the longest of the Opus 3 Psalm Offerings, is a musical retelling of four Christmas stories. The opening melody, A, is the angel Gabriel announcing to Mary that if she wills it, she will be the mother of the Messiah. The second melody, B, is when the now pregnant Mary visits her elderly and very pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. It is in this meeting that Mary proclaims her great Canticle, the Magnificat. The slower third melody represents the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem for the census, attempting to find a place to stay. The music ends with a juxtaposition of melody B in the right hand over melody A, representing the birth of Jesus in the stable.
I wrote this Psalm Offering for Ken Smith. I got to know Kenny when he was the faith formation director at St. Hubert. Much earlier in his life, Kenny was an educator at St. Hubert School, later becoming principal of the school. He left education for a while, but returned in that capacity as faith formation director. He later went on to be the faith formation director at the Church of St. Stephen, when I had the honor of working with him again, but this time, as parish life administrator, I was his boss. He is a gentle, kind man. I often thought of Kenny as more Catholic than the Pope. He has very strong political convictions, largely progressive (like me), and will share those with any who oppose those convictions.
Scripture: Luke 1: 26-38
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.” Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her. (NAB)
