Epiphany 源自希腊字Epiphaneia，显示之意，即耶稣的降生显示给了外邦人，东方三贤士, Melchior, Casper, Baltassar (The Magi – traditional legends made known in Western Christian church)，他们分别呈上了黄金、乳香、没药代表着尊贵、神性、苦难。
「进堂曲」《东方三博士》是主显节之必选曲，由美国作曲家John Henry Hopkins Jr. 写于1857，是一首家喻户晓的圣诞名曲。对经振聋发聩，起承转合，气势雄伟 ⋯「啊！奇妙星野放辉煌，发出灿烂大光芒，带领我们步向西方，直见主完全面庞」。
「领主曲」《圣婴万世王》，中古世纪英国传统圣诞歌曲，优美的四部和声 by John Stainer，描述了默西亚诞生的情景，寒夜、牧童、明亮异星，吾人仰望、伏魔制狂。宇宙的主宰怎么就成了和我们一样的人呢？还在人间生活了几十年；祂的思维、行事的确不同于凡人，有时连知之甚深的母亲也一时无从理解；然而圣母了不起之处，便是将这一切默存心中、反覆思索。
圣母自幼虔诚爱主，时时警醒。当她接受Archangel Gabriel 总领天使的邀请，圣子便藉圣神降孕于圣母胎中，这就是道成肉身的奥蹟。为不相信的人，会以此消遣我们的愚钝、不科学；可是天主的奥祕不正是常启示给卑微的人吗？一如玛利亚的讃主曲The Magnificat 中所言：「祂的仁慈世世代代于无穷世，赐与敬畏祂的人。祂伸出了手臂施展大能，驱散那些心高气傲的人。祂从高座上推下权势者，却举扬了卑微贫困的人。」（路1:50～52）
「进堂曲」旨在带出主题并配合进堂神长之行进。这首《玛利亚赞主曲 The Magnificat》（路1:46～55）又名谢主曲，为将临期最后一个主日拉开序幕。唱出圣母怀孕默西亚的欢欣喜悦，她在接受表姐依撒伯尔的问候后，道出这段旷古绝世的祷文。全教会从古至今每晚晚课必唸（最近由尹美琪修女的回应始得知），千古传颂，万世流芳。为有福相信的我们，这是何等美好！玛利亚在圣经中所说的话不多，其百分之八十在此谢主曲中。
《快来至圣默西亚》原是法国十六世纪的圣歌，后由美国修女翻译成英文
O come,Divine Messiah
Author: Abbé Simon J. Pellegrin;
16th century French Carol
Translator: Sister Mary of St. Philip (1877)
Note:
CD cover artwork is done by choir member, Madeleine 柯秀玫。 CD photos are provided by our SJCCC member Po-Choo 徐伯初。 So we can proudly say this CD is 100% production of SJCCC!
I picked up one CD sample from Hsiaoing today & listened to it. It’s like a dream come true! Although I have looked the design & heard the songs numerous times, when I first held it in my hands & saw the real thing, it’s still amazingly unbelievable. All the work & prayer we put in are coming in reality. I feel it’s a gift of God. We shall distribute them in a precious way…not like distributing flyers. God has led us this far, but I believe this is not the end – it is only the beginning for the road of music evangelization.
I feel extremely blessed for being the conductor of our choir these past eight years. We have so many dedicated and caring members, The community we’ve formed with each other has truly enriched my life.
There is a saying that says the whole is more than the sum of its parts. That’s how I feel when we sing together. When we really put our hearts into the texts and the music, we get a glimpse of God’s wonder and beauty. I feel this especially at the Easter Vigil. The mass itself is full of beautiful symbols that bring us closer to the mystery of God, but music has the power to take us to another dimension of the ineffable.
I want to thank each of our members for being part of this great journey with me, but I am just one part of the life of this choir. I am grateful for the conductors who came before me, for I have been reaping the fruits from the seeds they had sown; and I am grateful for those who will come after me for they will continue the good work. God bless. ─ Maria Shao
Singing is Praying. We are praying when we are singing praise to Our Lord. So the words are not lyric, but the prayers to the Lord. With the focus on the prayers, we sing with emotion.
Singing is a meditation. We are closer to the Lord when we meditate. We hear the words, the messages from the Lord, and follow the path He lays ahead for us.
Singing is to participate living with God. It is the chanting from our lips to God‘s ears. We chant with our desires and emotion. Our love to God is most proficient through music, which has been proven thought out history, since the beginning of the time.
Singing is part of our faithful journey。Let us sing and praise the Lord，together。 ─ Vivian (玉蓉)
