Sing for the Lighting of the Lamp
Gleanings.
In my reading today, I came across a concept that I have not thought too deeply about before, but one that seems altogether worthy of study: that the spread of Christian worship first began in families and then spread to smaller groups and only much later became what we now know as public worship. Public worship was to become an extension of those private devotions. And in those devotions, Christian hymnody grew as a flower from a tree.
There is a beautiful quote from Clement who resided in Alexandria and observed the ways of prayer among his flock. He describes hymnody this way.
"We cultivate our fields, praising; we sail the sea, hymning." The Christian's "whole life is a holy festival. His sacrifices are prayers and praises and Scripture readings before meals and before bed, and prayers again during the night. By these he unites himself to heavenly choirs".
Hymnody was, then, simply an intimate expression of praise or joy in the daily round of living an ordinary life as one who believed in the Resurrection and the extraordinary, saving power of Christ. Hymns were composed by saints such as the martyr St. Ingatius. Athenogenes, another martyr left his small community a hymn which he called his parting gift to remember his love for them. Many saints wrote hymns. But ordinary mothers and fathers wrote and sang hymns within their homes and shared them with their friends. These hymns were a fruit of their prayer.
One of the oldest complete hymns was the Phos Hilaron - a Greek hymn dating from the 3rd or 4th century. It was written for the evening lamp lighting hour when darkness was falling. No one knows who wrote it, but many families took it up and sang it as they lit their candles in the evening. It is still sung today as part of the Byzantine Vespers. So, in some sense, it was the nightly lighting of lamps while singing to Christ the light that became the hour of the office we call Vespers or evening prayer. In all the households of the faith, singing these words each night, there rose a unity of praise. No one knows who composed it, and it was considered ancient even for its time. I like to think perhaps a farmer in his field, or a woman baking bread or rocking her child found the words within them. Perhaps the lighting of the candles one night was especially moving to one who was afraid, or lonely, or in distress and it brought great comfort. Perhaps they wanted to remember and to thank God for that particular grace. And out it flowed in song.
Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured,
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of holies, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest,
The lights of evening round us shine,
We hymn the Father, Son and Holy Spirit divine.
Worthy are you at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
Therefore in all the world your glories, Lord, they own.
The hymn was discovered and translated by a music scholar of Oxford name Prof. Keble. He was part of the Oxford movement and contributed much to the music of the ceremonies. To this day, they sing this song as part of their Vesper hymns in the Anglican tradition.
Often, these hymns collected throughout the history of the Christian communities were used by faithful scholars to show an unbroken continuity of a people's belief. They were used by saints and bishops to defend against the Arian heresy that said Christ was not equal to the Father. In these hymns He is continuously proclaimed as equal down through the years without fail - in a Vox Populi argument.
Hymnody is a vital part of the later growth of liturgy in our Church. It is like the unfolding of a flower from root, to stem, to leaves, to bud, to full blossom. How the hours of the Divine Office were the natural, unfolding expression of song blessing a family's waking, their working in the fields, and their coming together at night to light candles.
This is why the family is so important. It is families who began carry on the tradition of prayer. They now meet for Mass and an organized, communal liturgy. But they still bring that liturgy back into their homes and sing it with their lives. Else the liturgy has not done its work.
So much to think about. So much.