December 30: Arise, Shine
♫ Music:
Day 31—Tuesday, December 30
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples; but the Lord will rise upon you and His glory will appear upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.
Violence will not be heard again in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders; but you will call your walls salvation, and your gates praise. No longer will you have the sun for light by day, nor for brightness will the moon give you light; but you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, and your God for your glory.
Isaiah 60:1-3, 18-19
A Hymn in Ordinary Time
By Walter Wangerin Jr.
Signs! Signs! A singular star
Outblazing constellations
Inscribed the sky in this regard:
“A King for all the nations.”
The Magi read the world,
And found the Lord,
And found the Lord.
Signs! Signs! A thundering dove
Descended to creation,
Itself a symbol, Sacred Love,
Its cry a consecration:
“Beloved Son, with Thee
Am I well pleased,
Am I well pleased.”
Signs! Signs! Consignments of wine
Surpassing sixty gallon
Renewed a wedding in decline
When lesser spirits failed them.
And who had done this? Who?
Disciples knew.
Disciples knew.
Signs! Signs! A face was inflamed,
The noonday sun descending;
Both Moses and Elijah came;
The cloud cried out, commending
To Peter, James, and John
“A Son, my Son,
Beloved one!”
Signs! Signs! The world is a book,
And what is not the writing?
The world is charged, for them that look,
With grandeur; God’s reminding,
In all things near to thee,
To read and see
Divinity.
And signs explode for thee
Epiphanies,
Epiphanies.
Wangerin, Walter, Jr. "A Hymn in Ordinary Time." The Manger Is Empty: Stories in Time. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1994. 83-84.
Transfiguration
Viera Hloníková
About the Art and Artist
Viera Hloníková (b. 1920) attended the school of applied art in Brno before studying, from 1937 to 1942, at Prague's Academy of Applied Art. Following graduation, Hloníková married artist Vincent Hloník and moved with her husband to Slovakia. There she began her career by illustrating books for the Slovak cultural institution Matica Slovenská. The focus of her oeuvre, however, was large-scale work such as mosaics and stained-glass windows. The latter grace an impressive number of churches, including those at Doln Hriov and Horn Smokovec. These works are remarkable in their perfection of craftsmanship and tonal richness.
About the Music
May You Find a Light Lyrics
Lost and weary traveler
Searching for the way to go
Stranger, heavy hearted
Longing for someone you know
May you find a light
May you find a light
May you find a light
To guide you home
There are weary travelers
Searching everywhere you go
Strangers, who are searching
Longing deeply to be known
May you find a light
May you find a light
May you find a light
To guide you home
May you find a light
May you find a light
May you find a light
To guide you home
A Light Lyrics
A light shone down on us
a star, a hope, shines bright
a light shines bright
About the Performers
The Brilliance is part of an emerging breed of Christian artists who infuse classic worship music with contemporary styles. Recognizing that humans are inherently storied creatures, The Brilliance puts forward a new liturgy that both honors the past and points forward to the coming Kingdom. Their songs focus on human stories, exploring the essence of who we are as God's creation and as His reflection. Blending strings, keys, percussion and voice, along with poetry and prayer, The Brilliance appeals to diverse audiences across generations, denominations, and cultures.
www.thebrilliancemusic.com
About the Poet
Walter Wangerin, Jr. (b. 1944) is an American author and educator best known for his religious novels and children's books. His bestselling novels include The Book of the Dun Cow, Mix Lil & the Chronicles of Grace, and Ragman & Other Cries of Faith. He has won various awards, including The Gold Medallion Book Award (1985), a New York Times Best Children’s Book of the Year citation (1978), and The American Book Award (1980).
http://walterwangerinjr.org