Magical Moments

Every year I try to keep my mind and heart open for those little moments that help me feel the magic of the Christmas season. Invariably music is involved. This year one such moment occurred during a funeral we attended. Wayne's co-worker's mother was a devout Catholic and their funerals are masses. It was a privilege to be there with them.

As you can see, it was a beautiful South Florida day.

While I much prefer my own worship services, I was touched by one hymn that was sung, and tried to remember it so I could research it at home. I'm guessing it was Agnus Dei, and although I could never really find a copy of the music, I did find the words:

Agnus Dei
qui tollis peccata mundi
dona nobis pachem

That's Latin for

Lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world
Grant us peace.

It was sung in English, and I seem to recall there being lines about holiness along with some alleluias, but I couldn't find any more additional information. I just remember feeling the Savior's love and peace during that particular moment of the funeral mass, and I hope it brought comfort to the family as well.

So, that wasn't necessarily very "Christmas-y" but being in any church reminds me of my Savior, and that's the whole point of Christmas.

Other magical, musical, moments this Christmas included

• Going through my grandmother's music and discovering her signature and remembering when I heard a junior high choir sing "Angels from the Realms of Glory" (my magical musical moment that December a decade ago)

• Wayne singing his very first solo, in sacrament meeting no less - "Mary" from Ross Farnworth's cantata "And He shall be Called Jesus Christ." (You can find the music here, although this year we used a transposed copy of his original rendition.)

• Singing Christmas hymns on Christmas Eve (and deciding that this year my favorite hymn would be shared with my son, "Angels We have Heard on High," in memory of playing a piano solo version of that at church and recognizing the short attention spans of little boys, and then being touched when someone remembered my real favorite and asked why we weren't singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem")