Undusted Texts

Here is another Lenten hymn, to pair with my recent setting of my old hymn text "When Time Had Come for Christ to Die."   Whereas that hymn is fitting for commemorating Christ's death on Good Friday, this hymn is a hymn of the myrrh-bearers, who came to anoint Christ's tomb.  It is a hymn of abandonment, a hymn of Holy Saturday.  I first wrote it almost a decade ago, with some adjustments throughout the years, and I'm happy to finally share it. The tune is "Picardy," a French carol tune.  It is best-known through Ralph Vaughan Williams' arrangement of "Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence."  That is certainly the inspiration for my use of it here, as the text of that hymn is used as the Cherubikon for Holy Saturday. Have a blessed Fast. Longest Night of Earthly Vigil by Brandon P. Otto on Scribd Scribd link: https://www.scribd.com/document/706723610/Longest-Night-of-Earthly-Vigil Internet Archive mirror: https://archive.org/details/longes...

In a blog post from 2014 , reflecting on Good Friday, I included a hymn I had written, to be set to the tune JESU DULCIS MEMORIA.  Almost ten years later, I have finally prepared this musical setting: Scribd mirror: https://www.scribd.com/document/706718005/When-Time-Had-Come-for-Christ-to-Die   The bare text of the hymn is here:   When time had come for Christ to die, and Judas had betrayed Him by a twisted kiss for silver's gain, the sky did not hold back its rain. His Blood upon the ground did fall as guards brought Him the bitter gall. The sun did darken in that hour for sorrow did it overpower. In two spots did blood run that day, from the betrayer, from betrayed, in Akeldama's soiled field, on Golgotha where thunder pealed. Sixth hour passed when He was nailed, Ninth hour now the One who's hailed as He Who comes in the Lord's name will die the death of the infame. One thief to Heaven, one to Hell: the Psalm is now the L...

   "And immediately approaching Jesus [Judas] said, 'Rejoice, rabbi': and he kissed Him."--Mt 26:49 The apostate who ran to the high priests with the Bread of Heaven still in his mouth betrayed our Lord with a kiss.  What is a symbol of filial love, the kiss (φιληματος), Judas turned into a symbol of betrayal.  He who was one of the twelve chosen by Christ to follow Him gave full rein to his greed and allowed Satan entrance into his heart.  Since he betrayed with an act of love the Lover of Mankind, it is fitting that Jesus said, "It would be better for this man if he were never born."  And if the betrayal by an act of love were not horrific enough, ponder the words Judas spoke: "Rejoice, rabbi." "Rejoice."  It is the same greeting spoken to the Theotokos those decades before by the angel at the announcement of the Lord's coming.  It is the greeting the risen Lord Himself will speak to the myrrh-bearers on the Paschal morn.  H...