“Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord!”
These lyrics conjure images of battles, flags, and soldiers for most of us. The first time I heard this song was during the televised Funeral Mass of President John F. Kennedy. As a child, I remembered the melody, and to this day, the very sound of it fills me with hope and joy.
We will close our Masses this weekend with this beloved hymn. Written by Julia Ward Howe during the heart of the Civil War, its lyrics carry with them images from the Book of Revelation 14:19, (grapes of wrath), and most likely Revelation 8, (the sounding of the trumpet). Although at times things may appear difficult and impossible, we are reminded of God’s message to us that His truth will march on! We are not to give up hope!
Our Adult Choir will sing, “New Jerusalem” as a meditation after Communion at the 10:00 AM Mass. With lyrics set to the hymn tune, “Shanadore," this song by Rory Cooney will have a familiar melody, (“Shenandoah”). With haunting imagery, it describes the eternal Holy City: “Her walls are rubies, her streets are golden ... within her flows a crystal river ... her gates of pearl are always open ... and death shall be no more in the new Jerusalem.”
As this Liturgical Year C draws to an end, let us remember our eternal home, the Kingdom of God - for Christ will reign when all His enemies are put beneath His feet, and the last enemy to be destroyed is death.
