Epiphany 源自希臘字Epiphaneia，顯示之意，即耶穌的降生顯示給了外邦人，東方三賢士, Melchior, Casper, Baltassar (The Magi – traditional legends made known in Western Christian church)，他們分別呈上了黃金、乳香、沒藥代表著尊貴、神性、苦難。
「進堂曲」《東方三博士》是主顯節之必選曲，由美國作曲家John Henry Hopkins Jr. 寫於1857，是一首家喻戶曉的聖誕名曲。對經振聾發聵，起承轉合，氣勢雄偉 ⋯「啊！奇妙星野放輝煌，發出燦爛大光芒，帶領我們步向西方，直見主完全面龐」。
「領主曲」《聖嬰萬世王》，中古世紀英國傳統聖誕歌曲，優美的四部和聲 by John Stainer，描述了默西亞誕生的情景，寒夜、牧童、明亮異星，吾人仰望、伏魔制狂。宇宙的主宰怎麼就成了和我們一樣的人呢？還在人間生活了幾十年；祂的思維、行事的確不同於凡人，有時連知之甚深的母親也一時無從理解；然而聖母了不起之處，便是將這一切默存心中、反覆思索。
聖母自幼虔誠愛主，時時警醒。當她接受Archangel Gabriel 總領天使的邀請，聖子便藉聖神降孕於聖母胎中，這就是道成肉身的奧蹟。為不相信的人，會以此消遣我們的愚鈍、不科學；可是天主的奧祕不正是常啟示給卑微的人嗎？一如瑪利亞的讃主曲The Magnificat 中所言：「祂的仁慈世世代代於無窮世，賜與敬畏祂的人。祂伸出了手臂施展大能，驅散那些心高氣傲的人。祂從高座上推下權勢者，卻舉揚了卑微貧困的人。」（路1:50～52）
「進堂曲」旨在帶出主題並配合進堂神長之行進。這首《瑪利亞讚主曲 The Magnificat》（路1:46～55）又名謝主曲，為將臨期最後一個主日拉開序幕。唱出聖母懷孕默西亞的歡欣喜悅，她在接受表姐依撒伯爾的問候後，道出這段曠古絕世的禱文。全教會從古至今每晚晚課必唸（最近由尹美琪修女的回應始得知），千古傳頌，萬世流芳。為有福相信的我們，這是何等美好！瑪利亞在聖經中所說的話不多，其百分之八十在此謝主曲中。
《快來至聖默西亞》原是法國十六世紀的聖歌，後由美國修女翻譯成英文
O come,Divine Messiah
Author: Abbé Simon J. Pellegrin;
16th century French Carol
Translator: Sister Mary of St. Philip (1877)
Note:
CD cover artwork is done by choir member, Madeleine 柯秀玫。 CD photos are provided by our SJCCC member Po-Choo 徐伯初。 So we can proudly say this CD is 100% production of SJCCC!
I picked up one CD sample from Hsiaoing today & listened to it. It’s like a dream come true! Although I have looked the design & heard the songs numerous times, when I first held it in my hands & saw the real thing, it’s still amazingly unbelievable. All the work & prayer we put in are coming in reality. I feel it’s a gift of God. We shall distribute them in a precious way…not like distributing flyers. God has led us this far, but I believe this is not the end – it is only the beginning for the road of music evangelization.
I feel extremely blessed for being the conductor of our choir these past eight years. We have so many dedicated and caring members, The community we’ve formed with each other has truly enriched my life.
There is a saying that says the whole is more than the sum of its parts. That’s how I feel when we sing together. When we really put our hearts into the texts and the music, we get a glimpse of God’s wonder and beauty. I feel this especially at the Easter Vigil. The mass itself is full of beautiful symbols that bring us closer to the mystery of God, but music has the power to take us to another dimension of the ineffable.
I want to thank each of our members for being part of this great journey with me, but I am just one part of the life of this choir. I am grateful for the conductors who came before me, for I have been reaping the fruits from the seeds they had sown; and I am grateful for those who will come after me for they will continue the good work. God bless. ─ Maria Shao
Singing is Praying. We are praying when we are singing praise to Our Lord. So the words are not lyric, but the prayers to the Lord. With the focus on the prayers, we sing with emotion.
Singing is a meditation. We are closer to the Lord when we meditate. We hear the words, the messages from the Lord, and follow the path He lays ahead for us.
Singing is to participate living with God. It is the chanting from our lips to God‘s ears. We chant with our desires and emotion. Our love to God is most proficient through music, which has been proven thought out history, since the beginning of the time.
Singing is part of our faithful journey。Let us sing and praise the Lord，together。 ─ Vivian (玉蓉)
