Friday, November 4, by Margaret Monroe
Hymn: The Souls of the Righteous
“The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and the pain of death shall not touch them. To the eyes of the foolish, they seemed to perish, but they are in peace.”
– Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-2a, 3b (Apocrypha)
Prayer Focus: Anglican composer Geraint Lewis began writing this anthem in 1991, but quickly put it aside. When he learned of the imminent death of his friend and colleague William Mathias, he returned to finish his composition. This beloved anthem was even sung at a prayer service for Queen Elizabeth II following her recent death. The anthem features a repeated motive that moves from short phrases evoking final breath into soaring themes which call to mind a spirit’s breathing forth in new life. Through this musical development and by choosing to repeat short phrases of text many times over, Lewis conveys a theological message: the passage from earthly to heavenly life is a transformation. God’s peace and love are at work in our lives on earth until we are, in the words of hymnist Charles Wesley, “changed from glory into glory.” Give thanks today for the saints whose final breath on earth is now filled with the glory of God.
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