The other day my brother downloaded the new John Adorney compilation The Wonder Well.  As an avid groupie (check out my previous post about him by clicking here) I so enjoyed listening to it in the car (the title track is particularly uplifting.)  But then this morning while making breakfast another song zinged my heart.  Zing, ZING!!

The song starts out with a piano rendition of a favorite hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth,” that transitions into an upbeat melody with Daya’s lovely vocals: “You are so beautiful. You are the most wonderful. If only you could see what I see…”  As a cello weaves the hymn back into the forefront, it just gets more beautiful as the song progresses: “You can dance, you can sing, you can laugh, you can see, you can love, you can cry, you can live, you can be … if only you could see what I see.  You are so beautiful…”

After a few repeats, i squinted to see the track title on the kitchen iTouch:

“IF A ROSE COULD SPEAK…”

This red head likes roses(!)  Just take note of the name given this blog: ROSES IN THE RUBBLE.  To contemplate this song, however, as coming from the perspective of a Rose gave my mind & heart lots to munch on today.  Especially in light of the hymn lyrics written by Folliott S. Pierpoint in 1864:

For the beauty of the earth,
for the beauty of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.

Refrain:
Christ our Lord, to Thee we raise
this our sacrifice of praise.

For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light, Refrain

For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and brain’s delight,
for the mystic harmony
sinking sense to sound and sight, Refrain

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild, Refrain

For each perfect gift of thine
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven, Refrain

For thy Bride that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
this pure sacrifice of love, Refrain

For the martyrs’ crown of light,
for thy prophets’ eagle eye,
for thy bold confessors’ might,
for the lips of infancy, Refrain

For thy virgins’ robes of snow,
for thy maiden Mother mild,
for thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesus, Victim undefiled,

Offer we at Thine own Shrine
Thyself Sweet Sacrament Divine.

So, if a Rose could speak? How eloquent a perspective that blossoms in beauty, a symbol of love. Temporal petals made fade, but fuel listening hearts with hope…eternal.

Have you ever listened to a rose?

grace, peace & eloquent roses

Virginia