The birth of Jesus Christ is perplexing: he did not make his entrance into our world with trumpet blast, fiery chariots or great acts of messianic self-assertion. Rather, he entered unassumingly in the silent watches of a dark night, in poverty, born to a poor uneducated young woman of no social standing. His three-year ministry was marked by a desperate effort to avoid misleading his followers about his intentions: he was not to be a great messiah-king that would build a powerful religious nation or institution that fattened its coffers and continued warmongering and condescension. No: Jesus proclaimed a kingdom where the blessed are merciful, meek, poor in spirit and peacemakers.
Prior to Midnight Mass this year the choristers will sing a beautiful work of British composer Gerald Finzi entitled In Terra Pax, or “On earth peace.” Finzi composed this work in 1954 for choir and orchestra while he was in the final stages of a struggle with cancer. It was to be one of his last works, and it suggests a certain melancholy that derives from Finzi’s own tragedies in life: as a teenager he lost his father and three older brothers - killed in action during World War One, and he experienced the greater horror to follow in World War Two.
In Terra Pax is a profound reflection on the announcement of the Angels to the shepherds: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward all. For Finzi, this was not a casual prayer, but one that was uttered from the depth of his own darkness and loss. The angelic announcement is first presented musically in an ecstatic frenzy, but then returns at the end of the work humbly and quietly by the choir alone: on earth peace, goodwill toward all.
As we celebrate this great Solemnity, let us be aroused by the message of the angels. Let us acknowledge the God who became small for us, and who now beckons us to become peacemakers in our homes, among our friends and family, and in the extended communities that we share at school, work and beyond. And let us not impotently cower in the face of darkness, injustice and evil, but rather stand in confidence and hope, taking action that will bring change to our troubled world, and comfort and relief to our struggling sisters and brothers.
At the Choir School, we are community dedicated to continuing this great angelic chorus through our common life together: on earth peace, goodwill toward all! My prayer through these holy days will be that peace and goodwill will pervade your homes despite the realities of darkness around and within us. May the joys of this holy season inspire us all to work for greater peace.
I wish you all a very Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year!
Gregory Glenn
Pastoral Administrator
Christmas Services at the Cathedral
The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord
Thursday 24 December
Christmas Eve
4:00 PM Christmas Carol Service with the Cathedral Choir
6:00 PM Vigil Mass
12:00 Midnight Mass at Night* (Bilingual) with the Cathedral Choir and Orchestra
* Free Seating Passes Required
Friday 25 December
Christmas Day
8:00 AM Mass at Dawn
10:00 AM Mass during the Day
12:00 Noon Mass during the Day with the Cathedral Choir and Orchestra
3:00 PM Mass in Spanish with the Cathedral Spanish Choir
5:00 PM Vespers and Benediction with the Cathedral Choir