In any language music is a divine gift

By Mary Regina Morrell
Catholic Online

"I thank you, Lord, with all my heart; before the gods to you I sing." Psalm 138:1

In this New Year, full of opportunities, I have made a commitment to learn as many new things as I can, beginning with a new language - Gaelic. Irish Gaelic to be exact.

Of course, I could have chosen something much easier, but there has always been a tugging in my heart for the things of my Irish roots so I thought, "Why not now?" Tomorrow is never promised.

My sister-in-law and her husband did their part by giving me a "Teach Yourself Gaelic" set of CD's and books for Christmas and my friend, Pauline, in Wales, sent me a great link to an on-line Irish Gaelic web-site. And every day, when I run into my delightful Irish co-worker with the lilting brogue I try out my newest Gaelic phrase on him. Inevitably he responds immediately with a Gaelic phrase of his own and I just stand there staring at him with a blank look on my face. He laughs good naturedly and translates, but someday I'm going to understand what he's saying and won't we both be surprised!

Recently, while spending some time requesting help in a Gaelic translation web forum, I noticed that several people had included in their posts a Gaelic phrase to serve as their signature quotation. It looks like this: "Is leigheas Ă© an ceol ar an anam briste"

I recognized the word "anam" as one meaning "soul" and decided I wanted to know the translation. What I discovered was a beautiful sentiment indeed: Music is the healer of the broken soul. And as my great-grandmother might have added, "Sure'n it's true!"

Just yesterday, when a small group of my friends sang the Irish Blessing on the occasion of a special anniversary, it was hard not to notice the tissues coming out and the eye wiping going on. When I sat down again, a woman in front of me leaned back to say, "You made my mother cry. My Dad used to sing that song to her." I looked next to her and there was her mother, her face still buried in her tissues. I wanted to hug her. I understood what she was feeling.

There are many times when a song will bring up memories of my mom standing at the kitchen sink, checkered apron tied around her waist, singing away with Mario Lanzo or Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy.

And then there are the occasional strains of a song by the Irish Rovers which will bring back memories of "Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley" wafting from the stereo cabinet in the living room while my father lounged in his arm chair with the Sunday papers.

I miss my parents deeply and such memories can leave me lost in tears.

But then there are those times when I hear the strains of Middle Eastern music and the other "half" of my roots come to mind.

The sounds of finger cymbals, dubek and dulcimer, lutes and flutes, will always bring a smile at the memory of our annual "heflah." which is Arabic for party. Who wouldn't chuckle remembering images of your mom and aunts all trying their hand at belly dancing, or be warmed at the picture of a hearty man twirling a white scarf over his head and leading a line of impassioned dancers in the "debke" - a Middle Eastern folk dance.

I can imagine Jesus at the head of a similar line at the Wedding at Cana, and surely he was laughing!

It would seem that in any language music has the capacity to touch places in the deepest part of our being, maybe because it is more the language of God than of humankind. Maybe that is why the music of our liturgies is so important, connecting us through memories and meaning to our Catholic heritage and our Godly roots.

In the words of mystic poet and painter Kahlil Gibran, a fellow Syrian American, "Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life bringing peace, abolishing strife."

And speaking of Syrian, I tried to learn the language once, as child. I failed miserably.

But there's always next year!

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http://www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Regina Morrell - Associate Director, Office of Religious Education, 732 562.1990

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

music, language, Gaelic, Syrian

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