Christmas Eve
In the rush of Christmas preparations, a moment of stillness. If you click on the linked words below, you will have the chance to listen to the choir of King’s College, Cambridge singing Morten Lauridsen’s sublime setting of these words of a chant from the Matins of Christmas, ‘O magnum mysterium’.
Thank you for sticking with Dancing Beastie this year; and may I wish you and yours a truly merry Christmas!
O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum.
Alleluia.
O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord,
lying in a manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear
Christ the Lord.
Alleluia!*
my sketch for a Christmas card
*(translation from Wikipedia)
You might enjoy Christmas cheer.
A truly beautiful share Kate. Thank you so much for your posts. I have enjoyed following your doings and look forward to continuing in 2016. Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year to you and your family.
That’s a beautiful drawing.
What a lovely Christmas Greeting. Thank you for sharing so much of your delightful photographs and thoughts throughout the year. although I dont always respond, I have enjoyed reading your postings with all the ups and downs, joys and difficulties and challenges – life in a castle. May I wish all you and all your family – and followers – a peaceful, and blessed Christmas.
That was beautiful. And the vaulted ceiling – wow! – almost seems to have been sculpted by the music. These old churches and chapels never cease to amaze me. Wishing you and your family a very happy Christmas!
I wish you a very, very Happy Christmas, with family and friends who may visit.
I stick to you like glue, if usually silent, and often read your back entries.
Take care, Erika W.
What a gorgeous Christmas meditation, DB. May the beauty and stillness you’ve shared in this post be yours throughout the New Year. Merry Christmas to you and yours! xo
Merry Christmas!!!!
How did you know? Just the Christmas gift I wanted! Nothing is better than the music of Christmas ( any time of year…so bookmarking). And in such places. Wonderful.
May your Christmas be merry and bright.
thank you for your wishes. i certainly wish you good health and inspiration for 2016. here everyone is complaining about the lack of snow. that is none. in fact today, the 24, it is 12-15C and feels like April. someone posted a snowman made of mud yesterday. i agree it isn’t very Christmasy if you believe the Christmas cards but last i heard they celebrate Chirstmas in New Guinea too. It’s in the heart isn’t it. You can’t hold Christmas you can only feel it and that makes it all the more wonderful.
Thank you so much for this and for all your lovely posts. It was you who introduced me to Morten Lauridsen in a previous post and I’m still grateful for the introduction.
Merry Christmas! May your new year be guided by the Love most high.
A beautiful post Kate and I love the snow falling. Wonder how you did that?
Sandie, sorry for late reply. The snowfall is a WordPress feature which came up as an option several years ago. One click and it falls throughout every December; a pleasant surprise every year!
(Think my comment just got lost – ) Dear Kate, I wish you a very Happy New Year. You have been in my thoughts with all the flooding in the North-East and I very much hope you are not being affected. love, Christine
Not lost, just the victim of a neglected blog, Christine! Thank you for your kind thoughts. We are fine here, thank heavens.