O Magnum Mysterium

I was listening to "O Magnum Mysterium" by Morton Lauridsen tonight (yes, click and listen to it... it is so beautiful!). Probably the most beautiful Christmas piece ever written in my opinion. Concurrently I was working on some communication with a person who consistently gets under my skin, and I was struggling with my two selves as I replied. My one self wants to be nasty in reply, as the original communication was passive agressive and unfair. My other self knows better and is desparately struggling to deny myself the "pleasure" of being nasty. After all, I was justified, wasn't I? I haven't won the battle yet, but I'm at least witholding a reply until I can get my instincts under control. So I'm listening to this amazing music about how Christ came as a human, this amazing mystery! I'm marveling at the beauty of God becoming man, and it just strikes me that God became man to save me from the reply I really want to send to this person. I grew up in a Christian home, and I was always one of the "good kids." I never even got a detention for heaven's sake (I got called in a few times to get talked to about my snotty attitude, but that's a story for another day.)! So I've often fallen into the trap of being numb to my sin. And even now, I am not really pained by what I know is sin, but rather I'm proud of myself for calling it what it is. But I know that Christ came to save me from the consequenses of that mess, and that any improvement in my character that I want to be proud of is really of the Spirit, whose coming was made possible by God-became-man.

O Magnum Mysterium

O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum
jacentem in praesepio.

Beata virgo cujus viscera
meruent partare Dominum Christum.
Alleluia.

Translation:
O great mystery and admirable [wonderful] sacrament
That animals see the Lord born
Lying in a manger.

Blessed virgin whose womb
Was worthy to bear Lord Christ.
Allelujah.