H is for Hallelujah!

I'm hard at work on the Nativity Enactment, so am obviously thinking along those lines...but H is for Hallelujah. I can't think of a more expressive word for that certain feeling of joy and awe and reverence and praise for God all mixed into one.

As a kid, I got to sing in several choirs, including Children's Choir at school which was the Church Choir for St. Anthony's Parish. Back in those days we had High Mass for special occasions. My favorite was, is, and probably always will be Easter. In the Catholic Church [in which I grew up] the year we live is also a "Church Year" in which the events of Christ's life are celebrated and taught. Easter comes after a period of 40 days called Lent in which we usually "gave something up" [like no desserts] in order [among other things] to teach self-control, for Our Lord had to have great control to give up His Life.

The final week leading up to Easter is marked by special events beginning with Palm Sunday. On Good Friday, the Stations of the Cross are followed, [that is we go to each plaque or picture in turn which explains part of the last hours leading up to Christ's death.] The church is then shrouded in purple--every statue, every painting, whatever there is. And there is no music in the Church. The organ is locked and covered. No rehersals are even allowed [not in the church--maybe in siter's classroom, though.]

Then on Easter morning, the first Mass of the day was a High Mass. [The old Latin High Mass involved a lot of singing by priest, altar boys and congregants.] At first there is no music, but then we get to the part where the Risen Christ is taught. The purple shrouds are pulled down, the organ plays, the choir sings great Hallelujahs and the bells peal and peal.

In our little Ward of the LDS Church where I now live, we have something rather unusual for LDS buildings: a bell tower! It came from an older and previous building. So on Easter [and Christmas] we in the Choir sing and the organ [and sometimes piano] play and the bells ring out loud and laud...Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!