Like a virgin
The famous Sister Cristina has a new video out. It’s Madonna’s “Like a virgin.” I don’t know about you, but I think this crosses the line. Isn’t there enough beautiful and sacred music without using a song that is “touched” by the insinuations from Madonna’s video and concerts.
I’ll stick with the Dominican Sisters of Mary and the Benedictines of Mary. They both sing music that lifts the heart and soul to God, there is a danger that Sr. Christina’s secular music “Like a virgin” will encourage a spirit of lust in the spirit that the song was written. Don’t get me wrong, Sr. Cristina has a very beautiful voice and a gift from God, but like we were told in Sunday’s Gospel: “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comment box below.
Okay, Fr. Jay. I must confess that I have not seen Sister Cristina before, so I am giving a first impression. First of all, “Like a Virgin” would not be the first song ever to be issued for secular reasons to have a religious double entendre or vice versa (remember Debby Boone’s “You Light Up My Life”?). Madonna’s music video version is also filmed in Venice, and she seems relatively abundantly clothed (at least in the free sample of the video on iTunes). Contrasted with Madonna we have a nun in full uniform singing the song nicely enough but hardly erotically. I don’t think anyone will misconstrue her meaning. Frankly, I don’t find either one of them particularly arousing, but maybe I’m getting too old.
By the way, I agree with you in one respect. I have bought and enjoyed music by the Benedictines of Mary and Dominican Sisters of Mary. There is a time and a place for everything, but I think that Sr. Cristina’s video is pretty innocuous.
Actualy I think its perfect not the song but it would be the kind of think I would do to show people that its not the song but they way you present something which gives it meaning. God bless you. And long live the rebellion of LOVE
Perhaps she’s reaching to an audience who would never consider picking up the Benedictines’ music.
I see your point father. Unlike the previous two comments, we can not be complacent in such matters, knowing their origin and their original meaning. I do find it somewhat disturbing that a sister of the clothe, no matter how beautiful her voice may be, chose such a song, even though she may have meant for it to have a different meaning. This is how the evil one twists things to make them seem “okay” and accepting. We have to be diligent in on manners and look beyond their face values in order to save our souls. Good job, father, catching this and bringing it to our attention.
Interesting. Honestly it made me think of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus. He told her everything she ever did, probably the worst too, but he forgave her, and made her feel completely renewed. So much, she stayed with him to the end. However, I do think it’s not without it’s tempestuous potential.
I agree with you Father Finelli ” To Caesar what belongs to Caesar” I am praying for that poor sister. We cannot confuse being a “holy religious sister” with what this sister wants to portray of the religious life they are called to live. When one enters a religious order is to serve God alone and not to be following the path of singers that have done everything but honor Him who gives all talents.
Thank you father for being faithful to Him the Giver of all graces and talents.
Songs are about the actual words that are in them. “like a virgin, touched for the very first time”, is a very INAPPROPRIATE song for a religious sister to sing, regardless of how beautiful she sings it. What is the point of her singing THIS particular song?
On hearing what the song was I had thought it was a terrible choice and anticipated that I would hate it. However, I think she brought a beauty and other-worldliness to what is, when sung by Madonna, an indecent song. I couldn’t help but think as I listened that Sister was thinking of ‘the man in her life’, her beloved, the Bridegroom, to Whom she has dedicated her life. And it was, to my surprise, beautiful to listen to. I suspect that, if or when she hears it, Madonna may well feel jealous of this young beautiful woman who is betrothed, chastely, to such a faithful lover.
I love it! Sister took what Madonna profaned and made it beautiful…Good for her! Sister shows what true beauty is…to love and to be loved by LOVE HIMSELF.Madonna lives beneath her dignity and doesn’t even know…I kept thinking of what St. PJPII said about the Culture of Death and how now Sister change the ugliness and made it beautiful. Because of this act Madonna will probably be spared a few years in Purgatory thanks to Sister!
Guys, please read Patrick Coffin’s facebook post on this. He’s the radio host of Catholic Answers Live. https://www.facebook.com/PatrickCoffin.Author.RadioHost.Speaker/posts/738798819520405 ~ I actually agree with Patrick on this.
Also, for those that aren’t aware, this is what Sr. Cristina stated when questioned about her song choice (quote can be found from this site: http://www.avvenire.it/Spettacoli/Pagine/Interview-with-sister-Cristina–This-is-why-I-am-singing-Like-a-virgin.aspx):
Who prompted her to sing “Like a Virgin” by Madonna? “I chose it. With no intention to provoke or scandalize. Reading the text, without being influenced by previous interpretations, you discover that it is a song about the power of love to renew people. To rescue them from their past. And this is the way that I wanted to interpret it. For this reason we have transformed this song from the pop-dance piece which it was, into a romantic ballad, a bit like the ones by Amos Lee. Something more similar to a lay prayer, than to a pop piece”.