Stabat Mater dolorosa... (Poulenc, 1950)

The famous 13th century sequence Stabat Mater is a fixture to many celebrations of the Stations of the Cross:

Latin	More-literal translation	Metrical setting (E. Caswall, 1849)
Stabat mater dolorosa juxta Crucem lacrimosa, dum pendebat Filius.	The sorrowful mother stands weeping by the cross where her son was hanging.	At the Cross her station keeping, stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to her Son to the last.
Cuius animam gementem contristatam et dolentem pertrasivit gladius.   [plus 18 more verses...]	Through her compassionate and grieving soul, a sword passed.	Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.

In this hymn, we are invited to reflect on the observations, feelings, and suffering of the Virgin Mother who accompanied her son to the cross on that first Good Friday.  In doing so, we recognize not only the horror of our sin which demanded such a sacrifice, but we are invited to consider anew the love of the Lord who gave himself in ransom for us, holding nothing back--even death itself.

This Lent, like last, I am going to try to come up with a weekly reflection for Fridays.  This year I'm going to focus on the image and theme of the Stabat Mater.  I begin this week by linking up a YouTube video of the Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) oratorio Stabat Mater (1950) recorded by the Monteverdi Chor (and available on CD).  [I can also recommend the 1989 recording of the Boston Symphony on Deutsche Grammophon which includes the Poulenc Gloria and Stabat Mater, here.]  It is a thoroughly modern piece in its tonality, rhythms, and pathos, meditating deeply on the prayerful lyrics.  While a bit long for this setting, if you don't have a half hour of undivided attention to give it, I would welcome and encourage you to go ahead and start it up and listen to at least the first movement... or to let it play as you wander off to another window of work (or whatever).  Enjoy...