Music and Prayer: Sacred Music as a Pathway to Peace

This afternoon retreat will provide a time of contemplation where we will deepen our spiritual connection through the power of sacred music as prayer. Inviting a profound sense of peace, this retreat will center around the transformative role of music in the Catholic liturgical tradition and its ability to open the heart to God’s presence.

Participants will hear live performances of two monuments of liturgical organ repertoire: the Mass for the Parishes by François Couperin, and the Clavierübung
III (known as the “German Organ Mass”) by Johann Sebastian Bach. We will explore how these composers and others imbue their compositions with rich theological symbolism, and the many connections between the study of sacred music and lectio divina.