RSCM Report: The grass withereth...

Wednesday: The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. (I Peter 1:24-25, from the anthem “Blessed be the God and Father” by Samuel Sebastian Wesley, sung at the Course)

Overnight, several adults and choristers were taken ill with a stomach bug, eliciting heightened attention to hand washing and sanitation. I hope that it spreads no further. It added focus to my prayers through the day for those that are missing at least one day of the Course, possibly more.

Mary Magdalene knew a lot about sickness of body and mind, and she cleaved to the One who cast out her demons. All four Gospels affirm that she was the first to know of the Resurrection, and the first to bear the news to others, and through them to the world. It was not the angels, pure and unspotted by the ailments of flesh; it was not any of the Apostles. It was Mary, who was like us – imperfect, broken in body and spirit, but saved by grace. It is still in this manner that the power of God comes into the world. He told St. Paul and the rest of us: “My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9)

Mr. Walker's watchword for the day was “Sing like a human being.” By that, he meant to shape phrases and individual notes with intelligence and heart; I use the word “Shape” to indicate the same. But it also means singing not from perfection but from weakness. It is hard to understand this, especially when it is one's own weakness, bodily and otherwise. How can this manifest the power of God?

Upon reflection, I could sense it in the singing of some of the choristers whom I know well, young and old. For a variety of reasons, it does not come easily to them, yet they persevere. And by so doing, by singing like the human beings that they are and struggling to get it right, the Song is all the more beautiful and precious in the ears of God, who listens to the thoughts and groanings of the heart.

It is well for adults to remember what it was like to be, say, thirteen years old. For most of us, it was a miserable time that we would not care to repeat. And it is well to consider that some children bear burdens that would flatten any of us without the grace and mercy of God – illnesses with interminable visits to doctor after doctor, perhaps strife between parents, bullying at school from more powerful students or even teachers, possibly abuse from adults whom the child sees no way to escape.

In a choir we bring all of these things together, and we sing.

The ultimate example is of course the One who fell three times under His burden and was then nailed to it and left to die. How could this manifest the power of God?

But it does.