Consider a Lenten fast

His Requiem would be “different” in many respects: it was a conscious departure from the tradition beginning with Mozart, and continued by Berlioz, Verdi, and others, of highly dramatic settings of the Requiem typified by theatrical depictions of judgment and terror, especially for the text of the Dies irae. The German Friedrich Blume wrote in 1962 of Mozart’s setting that it was “a Requiem with no peace.” Fauré instead wrote music imbued with gentleness, and a sense of timelessness and eternity. To the last repetition of the Agnus Dei text “O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, grant them rest,” Fauré added “sempiternam requiem,” “eternal rest.” From the lengthy Dies irae sequence, Fauré retained only “Pie Jesu, Domine, dona eis requiem, sempiternam requiem,” “Merciful Jesus, Lord, grant them rest, eternal rest.”

Himself a veteran of France’s bloody conflicts, it seems fitting that Fauré would write his Requiem not in response to a particular death, but, as it were, to life, bringing to mind a phrase borrowed by John Rutter from the English Book of Common Prayer to add to the text of his own Requiem: “in the midst of life, we are in death.” In the same sentiment as Johannes Brahms’ German Requiem, Fauré’s masterpiece is a mass for the living, intended to impart comfort to those burdened by the paradoxes and pain of earthly life. In its gentleness, it reminds us of the voice of God, as in Isaiah: “Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, Gabriel Fauré I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you.”

* Some information here is drawn from the preface to John Rutter’s edition of the Requiem, which will be used for the concert.

COMING IN MAY Friday, May 20, 2022 at 7 p.m.

Organ recital by Brent te Velde (freewill offering)

The final installment in our presentation of Franck’s complete works for organ, presented by our own director of music.

Fasting as a Lenten practice

Fasting group offered this Lent

In the liturgy for Ash Wednesday, the Book of Common Prayer calls us to observe “a holy Lent” by “self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” Fasting is a doorway to all the other spiritual disciplines. People of faith have practiced fasting for millennia as a way to grow closer to God. It enriches our prayer life, takes us out of ourselves, and opens us up to the Spirit. By refraining from our normal diet, our focus shifts and our awareness heightens. Our connection to one another deepens. Fasting as a means of spiritual growth is a part of all major religious traditions. Jesus himself fasted before he began his ministry and John the Baptist ate nothing but locusts and honey.

There are many ways of fasting and we will explore several. In the past we at St. Stephen’s have supported groups of people undertaking a three-day Lenten fast. Other times we have chosen one day, say a Tuesday, and fast every Tuesday for all six weeks of Lent.

If you would like to explore the practice of fasting, to see if it is something you are being called to do this year during Lent, please come to an introductory meeting on Tuesday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 14. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Claudia Merritt (cmerritt@ststephensrva.org) or sign up online at ststephensRVA.org/fasting.