Whether I'm at home or here in France, I frequently like to enrich my morning devotion time with something beautiful. Sometimes I light candles; sometimes I meditate on a photograph I've taken of a sacred space such as this detail from the Cloisters at the St. Etienne Catheral in Cahors. Most of the time, though, I use music. It can be either sacred or secular...classical works are perfect. My only criteria is the music cannot be accompanied by singing unless it's not in English. I find I get distracted by the words of a song and don't focus on the words of Scripture. I know...I'm not very disciplined! This morning I set the mood for my devotional time with a CD by Paolo Lorenzani (1640-1713) an Italian-born composer who used rich choral arrangements with his orchestral scores to blend both the Italian and French styles of music during the Baroque peiod. The CD playing for my inspiration was a series of motets with titles such as "Dialogue Between Jesus and the Soul," "Antiphon to theVirgin," and "Litany of Our Lady." I could close my eyes and imagine myself sitting on a hard wooden pew in a Gothic cathedral worshipping with the faithful. For me, music, beauty, and light are all rituals that the Holy Spirit uses to enrich my time with God.
Do you enrich your devotions with any rituals? I'd love to hear what they are.
