By: Mary Serafino
This past Christmas, a piece of Heaven came to a choir loft in the most unexpected of ways. With less than 24 hours until the morning Mass, I risked a last-minute addition to the repertoire. Thankfully, the organist was happy to oblige. The piece was Pietro Yon’s Gesu Bambino and it was an unlikely choice for a late inclusion, being slightly out of my range and enormously out of practice. That did not matter. In my heart, I simply longed to sing the words, “The angels sang. The shepherds sang. The grateful earth rejoiced. And at His blessed birth, the stars their exultation voiced.” We got creative, made a few alterations to the highest of notes, rehearsed it once, and hoped for the best. While I sang, I was only aware of one thing: it seemed to me as if the angels, shepherds, and stars were in fact, singing it with me.
A woman stopped me after Mass. “That piece!” she said. “I don’t know how to explain it, but while you were singing, I could actually imagine all of the angels in the church, singing it too! It was like I was there, in the field, with the shepherds, going to adore the newborn King.”
I was amazed. She heard them too! Rather than noticing the haphazard nature of this musical accompaniment to the Mass, this woman heard creativity come to life, both in the art of the composer and in our hearts. She heard Bethlehem.
In his letter to artists, Pope Saint John Paul II explains how this works: “Art has a unique capacity to take one or other facet of the message and translate it into colours, shapes and sounds which nourish the intuition of those who look or listen. It does so without emptying the message itself of its transcendent value and its aura of mystery.” Speaking about music specifically he continued,“In song, faith is experienced as vibrant joy, love, and confident expectation of the saving intervention of God.”
Those in creative ministry — and any ministry, at that — will likely relate to this Christmas experience in many different ways. Ministry is more than work, it’s a personal experience with God, lived in communion with others.
Yet, not every day in ministry can be like that Christmas morning. We know too well the ebb and flow of ordinary life that makes creativity seem out of reach or dull. It is easy to get caught up in repeating musical repertoire year-to-year, wedding-to-wedding, or funeral-to-funeral. It is also possible to get caught up in the work, investing time to perfecting skill and knowledge for the sake of excellence alone so that the fruits become results — numbers, attendance, and feedback — instead of nourishment to the soul. Discouragement can also arise simply from our own imperfections.
The good news is, when creativity seems out of reach or lost, it is in fact, not far away. True creativity has love as its source — a kind of creativity that is always available to us, no matter the day or situation.
When we love we are naturally creative. I have witnessed this around me in the strongest of loving bonds, especially in marriages and in the holiest of priesthoods. The lover is always creative in expressing his/her love for the other. The Source of this Love is God. He is the one who invites, instills, and engages in this love with us and creates personal movements of “art” in our everyday lives. St. John Paul II explains that, “He touches [the human genius] with a kind of inner illumination which brings together the sense of the good and the beautiful, and he awakens energies of mind and heart which enable it to conceive an idea and give it form in a work of art.”
Our Lord Himself wastes no chance in showing us His creative love. He lived it with every step He took in the Gospels, in the words that he spoke, the places he visited, and the miracles he performed. He turned water into wine, raised the dead to life, walked on water, and multiplied loaves and fish by the thousands! He spoke through parables, addressing people as they lived and in the way they would best receive His word. He was, is, and always will be the culmination of “vibrant joy, love, and confident expectation.”
It is hard not to respond to this kind of love with our own! The saints and friends of Jesus constantly demonstrate this. Mary hurried to the Pharisee’s house to anoint Jesus’s feet with oil, much to the surprise and skepticism of those around Him. Jesus called her love “great” and told her, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Friends of the paralytic man lowered him through the roof of a home in order to bring him to Jesus. He saw their faith and said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Some of the Church’s most treasured Eucharistic hymns were penned by St. Thomas Aquinas, including Adoro Te Devote and Pange Lingua.
The next time we feel stuck or bored in art or ministry, chances are it’s time to take our cue from the saints and lay our heads on the heart of the Beloved. He is eager to intervene and already has His hand in the sights, sounds, and shapes in the world around us. When we do, we might not only hear Bethlehem, but see also Galilee, taste the Wedding Feast, smell the holy oil, and touch His precious wounds. This kind of creativity can turn any act of love into a total masterpiece.
About the Author: Mary Serafino is the Communications Specialist at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and a cantor at the Basilica of St. Louis the King. She enjoys a wide range of creative outlets, including photography, cooking, graphic design, and writing for her blog, Her Soul Proclaims. Mary enjoys hiking, learning new music, traveling, and learning new music. When she’s not exploring national or state parks with friends, she can be found baking in her kitchen and singing along to a favorite playlist or soundtrack. |
Her Soul Proclaims 
So beautiful, Mary! I wish I had been there to hear it. Gesu Bambino is one of my favorite songs.
You are gifted in so many ways.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I only whish i was there to hear your angelic voice. Beautiful post Mary. Thanks for sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very well said! My mom has shown me this to be true in her own artwork and the love she has. I’ve never seen her sad and painting at the same time! I know in her morning walks with the Lord that she is building the love that will fuel her art.
Mary, continue to receive the lords gifts! See ya soon!
LikeLike