In 200 from 5 Nations

On the Wings of the Wind

Two afternoons together for about 200 brothers from 35 fraternities of the Magnificat Community. The theme: music and song. Despite the limitations imposed by the web platform and, for the 80 foreign brothers, by time zone and simultaneous translation, the Spirit carried us aloft on the wings of the Wind.

David’s Tent: Why this title?
After the exit from Egypt, God walks in the desert with the people and camps with them in a mobile sanctuary, a Tent that holds the ark and the tablets of the Law. This tent is the site of the Šekinah, the glorious presence of God. A few centuries later, the gift increases again: David introduces singers and musicians into the Tent so that they may make sounds of joy heard (cf. 1 Chronicles 15:16). And he stipulates that some Levites stand before the ark of the Lord as ministers to celebrate, thank and praise the Lord, God of Israel (cf. 1 Chronicles 16:4) .

Behold, today God desires to rebuild David’s Tent:“In that day I will raise up David’s hut which is falling down; I will repair its breaches, I will raise up its ruins, I will rebuild it as in the days of old“(Amos 9:11-12).
Just as David once chose Levites, so today God calls singers and musicians to serve him, through the baptismal priesthood, so that through song all the brethren may be facilitated to enter the presence of the Lord, to worship him and give glory to him.

The Power of Praise
The cantor and song leader, filled by the Spirit with gifts and charisms help the brethren to lift their eyes and hands to God with confident and powerful praise that annihilates the enemy: “He set the Lord’s singers and psalmists, clothed in holy vestments, arrayed before the men at arms, that they might praise the Lord, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love is forever.” As soon as they began their songs of exultation and praise, the Lord laid an ambush against the Ammonites, the Moabites and those from the mountain of Seir, who had come against Judah, and they were defeated “(2 Chronicles 20:23-22).

The Spirit as lyricist
But which songs to choose? The action of the Spirit undoubtedly becomes more effective if the texts have the Holy Spirit as lyricist. To sing the Word, H.E. Msgr. Nazzareno Marconi told us, is to use a special grace, which is why Mary in the Magnificat composes a song using various Bible verses. Musing the Bible is doing exegesis: music guides your heart and emotions by taking you by the hand and leads you to the text helping you to understand it, to enter into it and make it your own.

Singing is therefore a great help in prayer, but“let everything be done decently and in order“(1 Corinthians 14:40). It is important, then, to organize ourselves to render the best possible service to God, according to our abilities. It is not enough, then, to have charisms: we need to practice at home, keeping in practice, studying new songs and taking up old ones. Our personal prayer is an excellent place to practice.

Sowing the Seed of the Word Everywhere
That Tent that becomes the Cenacle is the port from which to set sail, to evangelize because the community vocation is to go out, to be singers who, like the sower, sow the seed everywhere, on all kinds of soil.

And God, once again, exceeded expectations…
We cannot explain, humanly, how it was possible to have such an intense experience even behind PC or smartphone screens. Only God could be able to overcome the distances, take us all into His heart and bring into deep communion the very small group that animated in attendance at S Manno’s with the brothers in their homes.

So thanks to the Lord but also to so many brothers who co-constructed this event, staying behind the scenes: computer scientists, translators, catechists, the General Secretariat, fraternity leaders, The General Managers…

To all thanks in the name of the Lord!