Celebrating the Season at St. Vincent de Paul with the Beauty of Music

It’s a feeling we all know — the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. And surprisingly, even amid a pandemic, some of the busyness remains the same. Whether you’re perusing Amazon for the perfect gift, baking dozen upon dozen of delicious Christmas cookies, or creating an incredible light display in your front yard, it can be easy to forget the true meaning of this holy season.

Advent is a reminder to step back, slow down, and be reminded of what truly matters. And although our prayer and celebrations may look a little bit different this year, we likely need the nudge to refocus on what matters, just the same. Here at St. Vincent de Paul, we hope to invite people to prepare their hearts for the coming of Christ, particularly through the power of song. “Advent in our society tends to

be a hectic time when people are running around, trying to make sure they have everything ready for Christmas, and then Christmas lasts a day and it’s over,” says Kevin Keil, Director of Liturgy and Music. “I encourage people of faith to slow down their lives during Advent. Think about what’s going to happen, what has happened already, and the impact that has on the world and ourselves individually.”

In a particular way, the music at our Advent and Christmas liturgies will serve to help us enter more fully into the beauty of these holy seasons. From songs that tell the story of the Incarnation and redemptive work of Christ, to those that help us reflect on Mary’s openness to God, Advent and Christmas music can be, as Kevin says, a powerful “soundtrack to our prayer.”

“You’ve heard the expression, ‘Those who sing well pray twice?’” Kevin says. “It doesn’t mean ‘well’ in the sense of how pretty your voice is — it means singing with understanding. My encouragement is to look at the words first, asking ‘What is this saying to us?’ And then, not only are you praying with a beautiful piece of music, you’re praying with a deep understanding of the message that song is trying to present to you.”

Our traditional Christmas Concert will look a bit different this year, with members of our various choirs sharing their favorite Advent and Christmas selections through our Virtual Christmas Concert. These video performances will be released in short two-to-three-song segments, available on our website, inspiring people in their prayer and reflection from the comfort and safety of their homes.

“You can enjoy a few Christmas songs here and there when you’re in the mood and see some people, and maybe you haven’t even seen the church for a while,” Kevin says.

Uniquely this year, Kevin hopes that one of his favorite Christmas songs — one that he wrote — “See Amid the Winter’s Snow,” will help to inspire people to enter into the incarnational mysteries, during challenging times.

“I was having kind of a difficult year and I wanted to express the Christmas joy in a quiet reflective way,” says Kevin on writing the piece. “I was reflecting on what Christmas could mean to me besides all the secular stuff and I wound up writing a very minor piece, just a quiet peace. This is a joyful season, but it is a time for us to reflect on things, as well.

“Christmas is the incarnation, it’s not just one day,” he adds. “It’s understanding how the Incarnation of Jesus makes a change. It’s when God broke into our reality and nothing that comes after that is the same.”

Although things will look a bit different this year, the music of the Advent and Christmas seasons will help us to enter into the wonder of the Incarnation.

Although we will not have our traditional concert this year, members of our choirs will be sharing their favorite holiday selections via the Virtual Christmas Concert.