A Song, A Saint, A Good Listen

xenia.jpg

I’m 53 years old – so I don’t hear a lot of contemporary music. One may not be connected with the other but it feels that way. Nonetheless I recently stumbled across the music of a contemporary band called, “Joyful Sorrow.” They’re easy to listen to, and the songs seem largely focused on the lives of the saints. I was particularly struck by one on St. Xenia of Petersburg. The lyrics are these:

Joy and Delusional 

Hey you
Stupid and clumsy
Why don’t you say a word?
You’re so out of touch.

You’ve been gone for so long
And now you’re wearing your dead husband’s clothes
You’re such a disgrace.

Realizing all the empty joys
In this life
You took leave
Searching for freedom
What is freedom?
Freedom — Freedom

To have everything in nothing
To seek joy in all things
To offer yourself for others
To die to this life so
As not to die in the next

Hey you
Stupid and clumsy
Why don’t you say a word?
You’re so out of touch.

You’ve been gone for so long
and now you’re wearing your dead husband’s clothes
You’re such a disgrace.

You can listen here. joydelusional.mp3

You can read about the life of St. Xenia here

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About Fr. Stephen Freeman

Fr. Stephen is a retired Archpriest of the Orthodox Church in America. He is also author of Everywhere Present: Christianity in a One-Storey Universe, and Face to Face: Knowing God Beyond Our Shame, as well as the Glory to God podcast series on Ancient Faith Radio.



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