Lessons and Carols

On December 21, the last day of school before Christmas break, Delbarton students assembled in the church to participate in the seasonal “Lessons and Carols” service. Mr. Hajduk, the Director of Campus Ministry, set the tone for the service by reminding everyone that “Lessons and Carols” is not unique to Delbarton, but is actually an ancient liturgy in the Catholic Church. The purpose of the service is to celebrate the birth of Jesus through Bible readings, carols, and hymns. The event was divided into three sections, with each section having a biblical reading, a musical response from the Schola Cantorum, and finally a carol sung by the whole student body.

The Delbarton Arts contingent came out in full force with the Schola Cantorum, orchestra, and jazz ensemble all in full vigor. The opening carol was “O Come All Ye Faithful.” Next, a student proctor read Genesis 3:8-20, which detailed the story of Adam and Eve and the fall of man. In response, the Schola Cantorum beautifully sang “Veni, Veni Emmanuel”, led by John Paciga ’18 and Shan Rizwan ’17. Then, the student body sang “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

The second reading was from Isaiah 9:1-6, in which the Prophet Isaiah proclaimed, “A child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.” Transitioning from the fall of man to the promise of salvation was powerful because it highlighted the importance of the birth of Jesus. After that, the Jazz Ensemble, led by Mr. Devine, brilliantly played “Christmastime is Here.” It was delightful to hear talented Delbarton musicians, Alex Lou ’19 and Robert Li ’18, play the tune. Then, the student body sang the Christmas classic “Silent Night.”

The final reading was from the Gospel of Luke (2:1-7), about the birth of Jesus in a manger to the Virgin Mary. This passage is the best known “Christmas story” in the Bible. The Schola Cantorum expertly sang “Do You Hear What I Hear?”, and the student body sang “Joy to the World.”

Brother Paul then delivered a reflection and pointed out that when one pictures the birth of Jesus, there are always animals present. However, the scripture makes no mention of animals besides the fact that Jesus was born in a manger. Brother Paul explained that the biblical writers were not trying to write history, but were trying to convince readers that Jesus is the Messiah. Other tellings of the Nativity employ animals, such as the ox and donkey, to convey certain principles. For instance, the ox represents patience and the donkey represents humility, traits which reflect two values of the Catholic Church. In all, Brother Paul explained that Luke does this to accentuate the fact that Jesus is the owner and master of the world. The Christmas story as a whole is meant to demonstrate how Jesus became a real, sinless, human being to save all creation.

Finally, the service ended with the Lord’s Prayer, and a unique rendition of “Angels We Have Heard On High.” Overall, the service was pleasant and enlightening, as Delbarton students were able to appreciate the impressive musical talents of their peers and learn about the true meaning of Christmas.