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Nick Alexander here...

We are already into our second week of Advent, with the Feast of the Immaculate Conception before us, as well as the Solemnity of Our Lady of Guadalupe. And Christmas is merely weeks away.

Are you aware that TopCatholicSongs has a number of playlists already available to correspond to your Seasonal needs?

And, as is the benefits of these lists, you can immediately link to the iTunes page, where you can listen to the tracks first, and then purchase them--and instantly have them downloaded onto your computer. From there, you can listen freely, or you can upload them onto your own MP3 player, or burn them directly onto a CD.

If you like any particular song in the list, you are further free to explore that artist's full output, also on the iTunes page.

Or, you can click to any number of direct links on these lists, and have access to a Catholic or independent music retailer, where you can purchase the full CDs (perhaps as a gift?)

How do you have access to the Advent Lists? Or the Mary Lists? Or the Christmas lists?

Easy. On the bottom of each entry there are a number of Tags. Click on the tag that you would want to listen to (say, Advent), and immediately all the Advent pages will come up. It will be fun just sorting through them all.

In the meantime, do you have any favorite psalms/hymns/spiritual songs that are befitting for the season? Feel free to share them... leave a comment below!

Nick Alexander here...

This is a lovely hymn in honor of today's solemnity:

Who is She Ascends So High 75.75

Who is she ascends so high
Next the heavenly King
Round about whom angels fly
And her praises sing?

Who is she adorned with light
Makes the sun her robe
At whose feet the queen of night
Lays her changing globe?

This is she in whose pure wombe
Heaven's Prince remained;
Therefore in no earthly tomb
Can she be contained

Heaven she was, which held that fire
Whence the world took light
And to heaven doth now aspire
Flames with flames t'unite.

She that did so clearly shine
When our day begun,
See how bright her beams decline:
Now she sits with the Son.
-Sir John Beaumont, 1583-1627

Also, be sure to check out the Top Mary Songs List.

Courtesy of Grapevine magazine.

Nick Alexander here...
Annie Karto has a beautiful video based on her rendition of the Ave Maria. Check it out!

Nick Alexander here...
The votes have been tallied and counted, and according to the community of Top Catholic Songs, this is the list for the Top Songs of Mary. Each of these songs express a particular devotion to Mary, or are songs based out of her words from Scripture. The key to Marian songs, of course, is to honor her as one would honor one's own mother, but not to the level of worship (reserved for God only). It was her "Yes," after all, that opened the door for Jesus to come into the world, that, in turn, opened the door for salvation for all humanity.

1. Queen of Heaven by Mark Mallett
   
   You, you are the Queen of Heaven
   And we honor you
   ‘Cause you, you said “I will”, to the Father
   For all of us and you
   You take our prayers
   And you wrap them in your mantle of love
   Ya, you lead us to
   The only Son of God our Lord above
   O blessed are you among women
   O and blessed is the fruit of your womb
   
   
2. Mary's Song by Sean Clive
   
   We need to imitate Mary in her acceptance of God’s love and complete surrender of herself to the Maker of all things. Do we praise God enough for the good things He has done for us? I don’t. Not nearly enough for so many gifts. (Luke 1:26-56)
   
   
3. Hail Mary, Gentle Woman by Gretchen Harris
   
   This popular song by Carey Landry has such beautiful, gentle lyrics ... I love how our Blessed Mother is called "Peaceful Dove!"

   My ministry is Marian, with the desire to encourage Marian devotion and in turn inspire more frequent prayer of the Rosary, all in hopes of consoling our Blessed Mother.

   
   
   
4. Medjugorje by Paul Harrigan
   
   Our Blessed Mother Mary got a hold of my sick heart and brought me to her Son Jesus, our Divine Physician. And He has healed me!

   Please visit my YouTube page to view my EWTN performance of "Medjugorje."

   
   
   
5. Magnificat by Fr. Kent O'Connor
   
   It is based on the words that Mary speaks to Elizabeth at the Visitation. It is a duet with myself and a good friend, Steve Courtney.

   I wanted a version of the Magnificat that was a bit more upbeat than the versions that I often hear. Originally written a little more "rowdy," it was re-arranged, and now it is a song that starts gently but slowly builds to a joyful end.

   I also wanted to stay very close lyrically to the version that I pray every evening.

   
   
   
6. Do Whatever Tells You by Nick Cardilino
   
   I originally wrote this song back in 2000 in celebration of the beatification of Fr. Chaminade, who founded the Marianists. "Do Whatever He Tells You" became Fr. Chaminade's motto and the way he tried to live. Mary's spirit of obedience to God's will was how he sought to live out his life. So, my hope in writing this song is to encourage all of us to turn to Mary as a model of true discipleship.
   
   
7. Song to Our Lady of Guadalupe by Annie Karto
   
   From the popular melody "Lord You Have Come to the Seashore" are beautiful lyrics honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of America. Trumpets and acoustic guitar add a Mexican flair.
   
   
8. Ode to Mary by Mark Mallett
   
   When I was born many years ago
   You were there to greet my cry
   Fruit of my mother’s womb
   You became the Mother of my life
   I was baptized, beneath your eyes
   With the Father, Spirit and your Son
   Full of grace... I turned my face
   O your work had just begun

   Hail Mary, Hail Mary, Mary mother to me
   Hail Mary, Hail Mary, you are the Queen of my life

   
   
   
9. Ave Maria by Trish Foti Genco
   
   Classic rendition of the Bach/Gounod. A favorite of mine to sing.
   
   
10. Queen of Apostles by Nancy Krebs
    
    This song won the EWTN Marian Song Contest in 2004, and went on to represent the U.S. in the XX World Festival of Marian Songs in Guatemala. I went there to sing it, and the song came in 5th among 24 nations. It was a great honor and a thrill to be there and to see how people from all over the region loved this festival in honor of the Blessed Mother.
    
    

Feel free to check out these excellent songs, and to deepen your devotion to Our Lady for this year.

The apparitions of Mary to Juan Diego at Guadalupe, Mexico, is one of the most endearing, but powerful anecdotes that demonstrate God's tangible love for us. Today is the feast day of Our Lady at Guadalupe. To celebrate, I have highlighted two noteworthy recordings:

Mark Mallett created an exceptional listening experience, a rosary album based on the events at Guadalupe. It is called Through her Eyes: A Journey to Jesus. The album is groundbreaking, refreshing, contemporary and traditional, spoken word and musical. It contains:

• All four Mysteries, including the new Luminous Mysteries
• Scriptural meditations with deeply moving, original music scores beneath each decade that help you to profoundly experience the life, passion and resurrection of our Lord (Hail Mary's spoken by Fr. Ray Guimond and Mark Mallett)
• Contemporary & energizing versions of the "Apostle's Creed", "Our Father", "Glory Be's" and "Hail Holy Queen" all written & produced by Mark Mallett
• Four original songs Mark has written to honor Mary (including the concert favourite "Family Beads")
• Dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of all America, it has Mary's words to St. Juan Diego at the end of each Mystery (spoken by Christine Foisy-Erickson of MiCasa Ministries)
• 154 minutes in length--more than 3 times the length of a regular album!

Also worth noting: Annie Karto, has performed "Song to Our Lady of Guadalupe", which uses the familiar melody from "Pescadore De Hombres/Lord, You Have Come to the Seashore." It is off her album, "Overshadow Me."

Song to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Words Anonymous
You are the fountain of my life
Under your shadow, and in your protection,
I fear no evil, no pain, no worry...

Maria, oh most merciful Mother
Gentle Virgin, with the name, Guadalupe
On a mountain, we find roses in winter,
All the world, has been touched by your love.

Here, in the crossing of your arms
Could there be anything, else that I need?
Nothing discourages, nothing depress me.

You, are the Star of the Ocean
My boat is small, and the waves are so high
But with you to guide me, I'll reach my homeland.

You, are the Dawn of a New Day
For you give birth to the Son of the Father
All of my lifetime, I'll walk beside you...

Copyright (c) 1979 OCP Publications

Imagine
by Nancy Krebs

Looking at a newborn baby, nestled in your arms;
you can’t believe how perfect she is, you can’t believe her charms.
Imagine that this child you hold would someday grow to be
the Mother of your God, the Lord of you and me.
That’s what happened long ago in a country far away.
Two people watched their little girl at work, at home, at play.
She always did her best, she did what she was told;
a child so very perfect, they never had to scold.

They never imagined, how could they imagine
what her future was to be, the glories she would see.
They never imagined, really imagined
that all hope would begin with their child
who was born without sin.

As she was growing up, her kindness knew no bound
The room just seemed to light up whenever she was around.
There was no single virtue that she did not possess;
there was no single sin that she would need to confess.
When she was fully grown an angel came to her.
Bringing her the message and the honor God would confer.
She would be the Mother of the Son of God no less.
The plan would unfold with her simple answer “yes”.

She never imagined, how could she imagine?
What her future was to be, the glories she would see.
We never imagined, really imagined;
our salvation would begin with this child
who was born without sin.
What a life she did begin
this child who was born without sin.

As a way of honoring Mary, this iMix is made up of songs from the CD Sing of Mary by Gretchen Harris. The selections are part traditional, part contemporary, but all are a heart-felt tribute to the Blessed Mother!

The Immaculate Conception is not, as many believe, about Jesus' entry into the world (that would be the Incarnation). Instead, it is a focus on Mary--a vessel that God created to be free from the stain of original sin--so that Jesus would be born through her. The proof of such belief has come about thru centuries of debate, but it rests that Jesus' very divinity rests on Him being fully holy, and thus not being born in the state of original sin. Preserving Mary from such a state says more about God than it does about Mary.

The above are a list of songs that I find to be beautiful and appropriate for the feast of The Immaculate Conception. One of them, O Purest of Creatures, is a rare gem that I have in an old hymnal.

O Purest of Creatures
Traditional

O purest of creatures! Sweet Mother, sweet Maid!
The one spotless womb wherein Jesus was laid!
Dark night hath come down on us Mother! and we
Look out for thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

Deep night hath come down on this rough-spoken world
And the banners of darkness are boldly unfurl'd:
And the tempest-tost Church all her eyes are on Thee
They look to thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea!

He gazed on thy soul; it was spotless and fair;
for the empire of sin - it had never been there;
none ever had owned thee, dear Mother, but he,
and he blessed thy clear shining, sweet Star of the Sea.

Earth gave Him one lodging, 'twas deep in thy breast,
And God found a home where the sinner finds rest;
His home and his hiding place, both were in thee,
He was won by thy shining Sweet Star of the Sea.

Oh, blissful and calm was the wonderful rest
that thou gavest thy God in thy virginal breast;
for the heaven he left he found heaven in thee
and he shone in thy shining, sweet Star of the Sea.