During the season of Lent, FaithND will provide meditations on this season of preparation through musical offerings from the many Notre Dame choirs and sacred music ensembles. Songs will be featured on Ash Wednesday, each Tuesday and Saturday of Lent, and every day of Holy Week through the Octave of Easter.

Notre Dame Magnificat Choir – The 40 dedicated members of the Magnificat Choir (formerly known as the Women’s Liturgical Choir) normally offer music for the 5 P.M. Saturday Vigil Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, including the Masses following Notre Dame home football games (changes to Masses and liturgical music are currently in place due to the pandemic).

As we prepare to enter into the mysteries of Holy Week, our contemplation of Jesus’ suffering and death can move our hearts to repentance and draw us into the Paschal mystery. One way of engaging this form of prayer is to think about Mary’s experience of the death of her son. Through the intercession of Our Lady of Sorrows–Patroness of the Holy Cross priests, brothers, and sisters–we are united to the sufferings of Christ who died for our sins. The “Stabat Mater” provides a poignant and theologically rich meditation that brings us to the foot of the cross with Notre Dame, Our Lady and our mother.

(Lyrics)

“Stabat Mater” Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1710-1736)
Public Domain

For more songs, please visit Songs of Notre Dame: A Lenten Offering