The New Eve

and the old:

...here is a lovely story about how things get moved along by the Holy Spirit:

A Trappistine nun, Abbess Columba Guare of Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey, who composes the texts for the Abbey’s Christmas cards, wrote this lovely poem, wherein the Virgin Mary addresses Eve with hope and gladness:

O Eve!
My mother, my daughter, life-giving Eve,
Do not be ashamed, do not grieve.
The former things have passed away,
Our God has brought us to a New Day.
See, I am with Child,
Through whom all will be reconciled.
O Eve! My sister, my friend,
We will rejoice together
Forever
Life without end.
— Sr. Columba Guare copyright© 2005 Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey

The poem reflects the crayon and colored-pencil drawing by another nun, Sr. Grace Remington... It’s a marvelous image – a profound gift of a card.
Writing in First Things, Fr. Richard Neuhaus quoted the poem for this piece, where it was seen by the composer Frank LaRocca who, in an email, relates:

“From the first time I read it, I knew I would set this text to music. 18 months later, in June of ’07, I did. It was premiered in Scotland in December 2007, and I had the great honor of sitting next to Sr. Columba just a few weeks ago when it was performed by a women’s choir at Clarke College in Dubuque.”

Here is the Glasgow performace. Give it a second to load, then hit “play” – it’s quite lovely and prayerful, and full of joy...

I second that. The song is beautiful, and the whole thing is a profound and beautiful meditation for the season.