From the Friars: Angel Choirs

In the Gospel today Jesus heals a deaf man, crying out with his fingers in the man’s ears, “Be opened!” Imagine the joy of suddenly being able to hear after a life of total silence. Our sense of hearing is a great gift. And it is meant to open our hearts to the voice of God, Who speaks to us in many different ways. One of these is through music.

I was very blessed to have the philosopher Peter Kreeft for several classes in the seminary. One thing he taught us was that music was the language of God and of creation. The Creator and His angels sang the universe into existence. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?… when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy.” (Job 38:4-7)

Dr. Kreeft was himself a convert to Catholicism from Calvinism. There were many steps along his road to the Church, but one was being struck by the beauty of sacred music. He bought a record of works by Palestrina and “almost had a mystical experience.” He had been taught his whole life that the Catholic Church was the whore of Babylon, but it seemed impossible that something evil could produce such beauty.

The angels sang when Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Lk 2:13) and their song has become part of the Holy Mass. The Book of Revelation reveals the mysterious heavenly liturgy where myriads of myriads of angels will be singing in worship of The Holy Trinity.

Mark Twain ridiculed the biblical images of heaven, especially the music, as boring. He missed the point entirely, thinking strictly in earthly terms, as if heaven were an unending concert. The goodness, truth and beauty of created realities like music, art, food, drink, sex and sports (the list goes on) all point to a spiritual fulfillment in our union with God Himself.

Of this we can only say: “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1Cor 2:9)

May Jesus open the ears of our hearts so as to pass from heavenly music into the silence of Beauty beyond sound.

–Fr. Peter