HALLELUJAH

Peyton Conway March, an American Military Officer said: " there is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the 3 things we crave most in life - happiness, freedom and peace of mind, are always attained by giving them to someone else.

Composer George Frideric Handel was bankrupt when in 1741 a group of Dublin Charities offered him a commission to write a musical work. It was for a benefit performance to raise funds to free men from a debtor's prison. He accepted that commission and gave himself tirelessly to work for it.

In just 24 days, Handel composed the well-known masterpiece- Messiah which contains "The Hallelujah Chorus". During that time, he never left his home and often went without eating. At one point, a servant found him weeping over his evolving score. Recounting his experience, Handel wrote, "whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it Iknow not. God knows. I did think I did see all heaven before me and the great God himself."

"The Hallelujah Chorus" stirs my soul whenever I hear it, as I'm sure it does yours. But let's be sure we do more than resonate to that magnificent music. Let us open our hearts in faith and adoration for the Messiah promised in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 9:1-7) "Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, an the government will be upon His shoulder.