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.

The Vocare Ensemble, Notre Dame-Newman Centre Dublin – The Newman Vocare Ensemble consists of musicians and choristers at Newman’s University Church on St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin, Ireland. The University stewards Newman University Church and has now founded the Notre Dame – Newman Centre for Faith and Reason.

This moving song from the Vocare Ensemble reminds us that Jesus calmed the storm on the sea and has the power to calm the storms within us, as well. The lyrics show that the “tumult within” is both something that happens to us and something we play a part in creating. The storms inside us are sometimes the result of the trials of life and sometimes they are storms of our own making. When we are unable to control these forces within ourselves, we call out to Jesus to calm us, still us, and enfold us in his peace. In the context of the global pandemic, we know that anxiety and depression have increased significantly. In this season of Lent, do we trust that the Lord can reach into our hearts and calm the storms that trouble us?

(Lyrics)
“Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm;
Still me, Lord, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease;
Enfold me, Lord, in your peace.
Calm me, Lord, as you calmed the storm;
Still me, Lord, keep me from harm.
Let all the tumult within me cease;
Enfold me, Lord, in your peace.”

Copyright © 1998, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, admin. GIA Publications, Inc.

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