Friday, December 05, 2008

Sancta Hilaritas

Earlier this week we got a complaint (one) about the simple choreography that accompanies our music. I rather suspect that the caller never heard about Sancta Hilaritas. No, not Saint Hilary, or even Saint Hilarious, but Holy Fun, characteristic of St Philip Neri's ministry and of the lives of many, many saints.
It's one of the ancient secrets of convent life, but the Daughters of St. Paul bring it to you live on stage: the community recreation that generally takes place among sisters, in the confines of the cloister. (You've heard of St. Teresa of Avila and her dancing, right?)
One person this week had a problem with that. They missed out on all the fun. Are they also missing out on some of the holiness?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

How quickly we forget that of all God's creatures, only human beings have the ability to laugh...and as Mark Twain said, perhaps the only ones who need to laugh at themselves...if this is so, then it must be a special attribute of our God that is shared only with us. I think that poor person is missing out on a lot in life. My priest/philosophy professor in Santa Fe used to say if you don't get the jokes, you won't get the doctrine...and please, sometime you have to tell me about T of A and her dancing! That must be some story...and then I will tell you my own dancing story!
Have a great concert...
Pity you all don't do anything in this cold windy City!
Father Fred, CMF

Association of Pauline Cooperators said...

I have a story called The Anonymous Dancer which tells of Contra Dancing in Philadelphia as liturgy. That is a whole 'nother look at dancing - incarnate and human communication. A good question is what and who is in the dance?