Stephen M. Tefft knew from the first time he read Bishop Giaquinta’s book The Cenacle that he wanted to write a CD devoted to it. He read it again and again to conform his thoughts to the text and check his notes for accuracy. Stephen is nothing if not thorough.
When he set pen to paper, music flowed from him. He often talked about points of genius. There were moments were he wanted the song to be another way, but divine inspiration took him someplace else…someplace better. These moments made each song more than the sum of its musical parts.
As Stephen worked on this project, he spent a great deal of time going back to the text. He showed me his copy of the book as we spoke. He had all of his songs written in the margins and blank half-pages. He had lines underlined and asterisked. His binding was broken just right so that it fell open to the pages that talked about every Christian’s need to devote himself to the Heart of Jesus. Stephen has always held this devotion. He soon learned that he was not alone. It was one of many pieces that inspired him to a greater love and respect for the author.
The book itself was a Bishop’s commentary on the Last Supper Dialogues of the Gospel of John. It was an instruction manual for clergy to help them grow in holiness: this is what a priest is meant to be and do according to Jesus Christ. As the laity read it, they have the opportunity to see what Christ asked of his apostles and all who share in the priesthood of the Cenacle.
Stephen was awed by the beauty of the language and the depth of the message. Through much prayer and giving of the music to God to make of it what He would, Stephen completed 16 songs from this book. You have in your hands the finished product. May it lead you to the Father through the Son. God Bless!
One of my favorite pictures of all time!
The first time I read The Cenacle, by Servant of God Guglielmo Giaquinta, even though I really understood little of what it said, I knew I wanted to do a CD of songs based on this powerful and prophetic book. The book, as I understand it, is a call for all faithful Christians, especially Catholic bishops and priests, to understand and imitate Jesus Christ as He is portrayed in the upper room at the Last Supper; as Divine Servant. The world is used to thinking of Christ as the Good Shepherd, and rightly so. But, as Bishop Giaquinta says, it is in the upper room, the Cenacle, where Jesus is the most intimate with His disciples. Here is where He humbly washes their feet. Here He names them as friends and no longer slaves. Here is where He institutes the sacrament of the Eucharist, giving Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity to His followers in the forms of Bread and Wine. Truly a topic worthy of ever deeper contemplation.
I fell in love with the book and after numerous readings, I decided the time was right to attempt using my gift for music to help draw others deeper into Bishop Giaquinta’s insights and observations of our Savior and the Cenacle. I would never call myself an expert on the good Bishop, his thoughts and writings. Most of what he wrote is still far beyond my understanding. My hope is that, through these songs, I can learn more about Christ, growing in love and faith, and perhaps, help others to do the same.
Bishop Giaquinta’s prayers and writings had an enormous impact on me. His thoughts on the universal call to holiness, the idea that we are ALL called to be saints and exhibit heroic holiness in our lives, has inspired my spirituality and music .
For more about Bishop Giaquinta, visit Pro Sanctity’s website: www.prosanctity.org
Tell Me, My Lord is the first of Bishop Giaquinta’s prayers I set to music. I made almost no changes to the english translation and the music just flowed out of me for some reason. This really is the prayer of my heart. Don’t we all need to know we are loved?
Peace touches on universal themes. The prayer was written decades ago but the ideas of being afraid and wanting God to fix it all for us is still very timely, the world being what it is. I love this song.
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