FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ The Gift of The Magi ~ 16 December 2012

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

 

THE GIFT OF THE MAGI

Those of you who are more "mature" Marines & Sailors will remember one of the pre-eminent TV series of the '50's, Rod Serling's Twilight Zone. Many of these programs were quite scary, but they usually had a good moral and made the point in a rather unforgettable manner.

On one episode, an astronaut is readying for his blast off on a fifty-year mission to outer space. He is to be placed in a state of suspended animation and will not age one day by the time he returns to Earth. As fate has it, he meets a lovely woman the evening before launch, and it is love at first sight for both of them. They agonize over the love and marriage they will be unable to share because of the space voyage. The next morning his space flight begins. The woman is visibly shaken by the cruel plot fate played on the two of them.

In the final scene, fifty years hence, NASA brings the rocket back to Earth. The capsule is opened and an aged man emerges from inside. He pulled the plug on the cryogenic machine before the launch. The face of his fiancée is then shown. She is still young and vibrant; she had herself placed in suspended animation on the day of the launch! One engineer then reflects: I feel blessed to have met two people who truly knew the meaning of love! End of program.

These two people, motivated by real love, were prepared to make an unusual sacrifice for each other. Sometimes we forget that keeping love strong in marriage requires a commitment to LOVE...and like any commitment that means dedication, work, sacrifice. Too many people give up on relationships when the going gets rough because they don't understand how much effort and sacrifice for one another is necessary to sustain a marriage. May we all realize the true meaning of love and marriage...and what is required to sustain this wonderful gift from above!

Rod Serling's version

 

[HopeandGlory]

Good morning Troops, Veterans and Canteeners.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Flag Flying Proudly One Nation Under God

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Lord, Please Bless Our Troops, They're fighting for our Freedom.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

God Bless Our Republic

I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic, for which it stands;
one nation UNDER GOD,
indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all.

Prayers going up

[Publius]

Hi, Kathy.

[ColdOne]

HELLO FROM IDAHO!!!! WOO WOO!!! GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS!!

FINALLY HERE ON THE NET LATE ENOUGH TO POST!!!

LOL.. 23 and just a few feet of snow. Fredd is bored to cold to play outside.

God Bless you all!!

**hugs**

[Kathy in Alaska]

A Blessed Lord's Day to you and yours, Nana Hope, and thanks for today's Pledge...((HUGS)) Thanks, AfghanMan and Penguin Girl, for your service to America.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Publius, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

One day of above 32 F and now back to COLD...it is 4 degrees right now.

[mountainlion]

The Magi were probably the ones that Daniel worked but he was so much beyond their abilities. Daniel may have given them the sorry of the birth of Christ and the timing of the star of Bethlehem. Whether it is true or not we have Christ.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Idaho!! Good to see you...((HUGS))

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Poor Fredd....

We finally got snow last week....about a foot over 2 days. Then it got above freezing for one day and made icy streets, but now we are on our way to below zero again.

Thanks for the prayers for our troops.

[Publius]

It got up to 64 today. We’re headed to the 70’s tomorrow, but it’s going to rain for a few days.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Dear God:
I ask that no Airman, Coast Guardsman,
Marine, Sailor, Soldier, Reservist, or National Guardsman
Feel alone or forgotten.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is loving kindness,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He will redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Psalm 130:7 & 8

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hello Veterans, wherever you are!!

Good Lord's Day and Shavua Tov to you!

[Publius]

The English composer John Rutter turned 65 this year. He is best known for the work he has done with the Church of England over the past four decades. He had started as a boy chorister and performed in the premiere of Benjamin Britten’s “War Requiem”. Over the years he has arranged and composed for the church.

In 1990 Rutter decided to tackle a passage from the Gospel of Luke known as the Magnificat. Johann Sebastian Bach had written the definitive treatment of this work in Latin, and few composers felt brave enough to try it since. Rutter decided to add an English poem as a movement and throw in a Marian prayer, the Sanctus and the Doxology as parts of the piece. But where Rutter broke the mold was in casting the piece with a Mexican flavor. Quite unusual for a Brit! First, let’s have the composer explain what he has wrought.

John Rutter explains the Magnificat

Rutter explains the second movement

Rutter explains the third movement

Rutter explains the fourth movement

Rutter explains the fifth movement

Rutter explains the sixth movement

Rutter explains the seventh movement

If you’re a chorister, you can follow along with the score.

Rutter: 1. Magnificat anima mea

For a second movement, Rutter turns to an old English poem.

2. “Of a Rose, a lovely Rose”

It starts like a Baroque overture with vocal parts. At 4:45 the introduction of the Sanctus is breathtaking.

3. Quia fecit mihi magna

There is an attacca, which means the fourth movement should begin without pause. I don’t have that option here, unfortunately. This movement is a three-handkerchief piece. Patricia Forbes’ soprano voice has a mezzo quality to it. This is the most ravishing melody in the piece. It starts in A-flat and progresses through the various keys, with Forbes singing the theme as a counter-melody at times. The high A-flat at 4:03 is amazing.

4. Et misericordia

Rutter now goes warlike. There is a hint of John Williams here.

5. Fecit potentiam

There is another attacca here – no pause. Forbes does another amazing job with this song. The modulation at 2:44 from B-flat to D-flat is breathtaking.

6. Esurientes

Rutter adds the Doxology, and then inserts a Marian prayer sung by Forbes in the middle of it. He wraps it up with the opening theme to make it a cyclic piece.

7. Gloria Patri

[wizr]

I do remember that episode, though it seems like only yesterday.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Shavua Tov.
Wishing all our Jewish troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
a peaceful and prosperous week.

[Kathy in Alaska]

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, mountainlion, and thanks for the story about Daniel.

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[Kathy in Alaska]

That’s neat that you remember it.

Good evening, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours, wizr.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers for our troops, veterans, families, allies, friends, and Canteeners
for a safe and peaceful week ahead.

[ConorMacNessa]

Good Evening, Kathy!

***HUGS***



A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours! Thank you very much for tonight’s Sunday Chapel thread.

Rod Serling was indeed a perceptive and creative writer. Also a paratrooper in the Pacific theatre in WWII, 11th Airborne Division. He was wounded, awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. The horrors he witnessed apparently left him bitter.

"The Gift of the Magi" is an adaptation of the O. Henry short story of the same name. It was adapted for a TV show, I believe in the 60's, although I can't remember what anthology it was part of.

The story is, of course, very close to Serling's adaptation. A working class couple is planning Christmas gifts for each other. The wife has beautiful shoulder length hair and the husband has a good pocket watch. She wants to get him a watch fob and he wants to get her a pair of jeweled barrettes.

She has her hair cut off to finance the watch fob and he pawns the watch to finance her barrettes. Typical O. Henry. The lesson I drew from the story is the old bromide, often quoted by my late Father that "Sacrifice is the language of Love."

Genuflectimus non ad principem sed ad Principem Pacis!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[Kathy in Alaska]

He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G-d from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.

May HASHEM cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor.

May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your G-d, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you.

G-d bless and keep your children safe, Alouette.