O magnum mysterium

O magnum mysterium is a responsorial chant from the Matins of Christmas.

Text 
 Latin text

 O magnum mysterium,
 et admirabile sacramentum,
 ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
 iacentem in praesepio!
 Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
 meruerunt portare 
 Dominum Iesum Christum.
 Alleluia!

 English translation

 O great mystery,
 and wonderful sacrament,
 that animals should see the newborn Lord,
 lying in a manger!
 Blessed is the virgin whose womb
 was worthy to bear
 the Lord, Jesus Christ.
 Alleluia!

History 
The image of the oxen and donkey next to the crib is found in Isaiah (Isa. 1.3) and is traditionally related to the nativity scene at the birth of Jesus in Luke 2. Luke (Lk 2.7) does not mention animals, but a manger. In the apocryphal Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, both animals are specifically named. The image continued to spread from the 13th century onwards when it was included in the Golden Legend. It became the most popular symbol for the mystery of the self-abasement of God in his Incarnation. (Phil 2,6–7).

The second part of the responsory relates to the words with which Elizabeth welcomes Mary, mother of Jesus on her visitation (Lk 1.42–43).

O Magnum Mysterium (Morten Lauridsen) 
Composed in 1994 by Morten Lauridsen, American composer. The piece mimics classic Gregorian choral pieces in its style but with some modern influence as well. Speaking of the piece Lauridsen said "I wanted this piece to resonate immediately and deeply into the core of the listener, to illumine through sound." The music pulls its lyrics from the responsorial chant shown above. Lauridsen accounts that his inspiration for the piece came from a painting he saw in the Norton Simon Museum titled “Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose” (1633) by Spanish Baroque artist Francisco de Zurbarán, which Lauridsen said was symbolism for the Virgin Mary. Lauridsen said he worked on the piece over a period of six months and put considerable thinking into a certain dissonant note to comment on the sorrow that the Virgin Mary would later face as her son was killed.

References

External links 

 
 O Magnum Mysterium by Grex Vocalis
  by Morten Lauridsen sung by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge University
  by Morten Lauridsen sung by Lumen Valo
  by Tomas Victoria
  by Gabrieli
  by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
  by Margaret Rizza
  by Ivo Antognini
  by Manolo Da Rold
  by Ola Gjeilo
  by Chris Artley
  by Kevin Memley
  by David Conte
  Concert Band Version Arranged by H. Robert Reynolds
  by Linda Ronstadt
  by Francis Poulenc
Morten Laruidsen: "O Magnum Mysterium" on Youtube Morten explains his inpiration

Category:Latin texts
Category:Latin-language Christian hymns
Category:Marian hymns