When Music Heals the Heart
Basilica of the Assumption - Baltimore, MD
There have been seasons when I did not know how to pray—when words felt empty and silence pressed in. In those moments, music became my prayer. A single melody could lift me out of myself and remind me that God was near. Sacred music, in particular, carries a power beyond words: it can take the cries of the soul, give them shape, and return them as consolation (Cf. CCC 1156-1158).
This Fall, I have been reflecting on two works that embody this mystery: Mahler’s Titan Symphony No. 1 and Duruflé’s Requiem. On the surface, one is a grand orchestral symphony and the other a prayer for the dead. Yet both works enter into the depths of grief and mercy, showing us how music can transform wounds into beauty.
Mahler’s Titan: Wrestling with Life’s Storms
Gustav Mahler (1860–1911) poured his own struggles, doubts, and longings into his music. His Symphony No. 1, nicknamed Titan, reflects the turbulence of human experience: joy colliding with sorrow, triumph mingled with tragedy.
Mahler originally described the work as inspired by the heroism and struggles of a “Titan,” borrowing the term from a novel by 19th century German author Jean Paul, but the name also points to the largeness of the music itself—its sweeping scope, its wrestling with life on a cosmic scale. It is as if Mahler were trying to capture not just his own emotions, but the stormy journey of every human heart.
At times, he gives us radiant melodies that lift like prayers. In other movements, he places us inside dissonance, irony, even chaos—mirroring the storms we face within our own hearts. It is the sound of being human: restless, searching, yet somehow still reaching toward hope.
Duruflé’s Requiem: Mercy in Sound
By contrast, Maurice Duruflé (1902–1986) composed his Requiem as a meditation on ancient Gregorian chant. Every line of the Latin Mass for the Dead is clothed in music that breathes mercy. Instead of fire and fear, Duruflé gives us tenderness: the lull of strings, the warmth of organ, voices that seem to carry us gently into God’s arms.
If Mahler is raw honesty, Duruflé is merciful embrace. His Requiem reminds us that grief is not the final word. There is consolation, there is rest, there is a God who welcomes every sorrow with love.
Sacred vs. Secular — and Why Both Matter
What makes this music “sacred”? Mahler’s symphony belongs to the concert hall, not the liturgy. But when his restless notes echo in a sacred space, they become part of our spiritual wrestling. Duruflé’s Requiem, by contrast, was written directly for worship, woven from the chants of the Church’s prayer for the dead. Together, the two works reveal that sacredness is not only about where music is performed, but how deeply it speaks to the soul’s encounter with God.
Organ of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Music, Grief, and Our Wounds
For those of us who carry the wound of our parents’ divorce, music like this resonates in particular ways. A requiem is, at its heart, a funeral Mass. Many of us know what it feels like to attend a funeral for a loved one. But in many ways, we’ve also experienced the death of our intact family. That grief is real, and often it is wordless.
Dan Meola, co-founder of Life-Giving Wounds, recently shared with me about a time when, during a Holy Hour at a Life-Giving Wounds retreat earlier this year, a woman stood up and sang a Latin requiem. Without translation, without commentary, her song brought all in attendance to tears. In the same moment, it was a consolation. That is what sacred music can do: give us a way to grieve together, and in grieving, to find mercy.
An Invitation to Pray Through Music
On November 1st—All Saints Day, followed by the Feast of All Souls—we remember those who have gone before us: our parents, our family members, our friends. Whether or not you can join a live performance, I invite you to pray with this music. It provides a worthy background for meditation at any point when we are grieving our losses, of both deceased family members and those we’ve lost through divorce.
Listen to Duruflé’s Requiem here
As you listen, follow along with the Requiem text (below) and let it become your own prayer.
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Requiescant in pace. Amen.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace. Amen.
Whether in the echo of a great cathedral or through your own headphones at home, may this music help you grieve honestly, and also receive the consolation of God’s mercy.
For those local to the Baltimore Area: Mahler’s Titan and Duruflé’s Requiem will be performed at the Basilica on Saturday, November 1 at 8 PM.
Tickets & details: https://bit.ly/BBMahler
Children 12 and under are free. Discounted rates for student, religious, and groups.
Prayer: Te Deum
O God, we praise Thee, and acknowledge Thee to be the supreme Lord.
Everlasting Father, all the earth worships Thee.
All the Angels, the heavens and all angelic powers,
All the Cherubim and Seraphim, continuously cry to Thee:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hosts!
Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of Thy glory.
The glorious choir of the Apostles,
The wonderful company of Prophets,
The white-robed army of Martyrs, praise Thee.
Holy Church throughout the world acknowledges Thee:
The Father of infinite Majesty;
Thy adorable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
O Christ, Thou art the King of glory!
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When Thou tookest it upon Thyself to deliver man,
Thou didst not disdain the Virgin's womb.
Having overcome the sting of death, Thou opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all
believers.
Thou sitest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father.
We believe that Thou willst come to be our Judge.
We, therefore, beg Thee to help Thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy
Precious Blood.
Let them be numbered with Thy Saints in everlasting glory.
V. Save Thy people, O Lord, and bless Thy inheritance!
R. Govern them, and raise them up forever.
V. Every day we thank Thee.
R. And we praise Thy Name forever, yes, forever and ever.
V. O Lord, deign to keep us from sin this day.
R. Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us.
V. Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, for we have hoped in Thee.
R. O Lord, in Thee I have put my trust; let me never be put to shame.
(The above prayer was found on the EWTN website here.)
About the Author:
Ana C. Farias is the Director of Marketing and Communication at The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—America’s first Catholic Cathedral. She serves on the board of Pregnancy Center North, a non-profit limited-medical clinic providing free life-affirming services for women and their families in unexpected pregnancies. Ana is an adult child of divorce, and continues to find healing through the Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacraments, and Life-Giving Wounds resources. Ana lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and three children.
Reflection Questions for Small Groups or Individuals:
After listening to these songs, how do they speak to you as an ACOD? What thoughts, feelings, and/or emotions did you experience?
When words feel empty in prayer, what practices—like music—help you lift your heart to God?
Mahler’s Titan wrestles with life’s storms, while Duruflé’s Requiem offers mercy and rest. Which of these speaks more to your soul right now—and why?
How have you experienced music as a way of transforming grief or wounds into something beautiful?
In what ways can “secular” art—like Mahler’s symphony—still become a sacred encounter with God for you?
As you listen to sacred music, how might you let it become your prayer—bringing your own joys, sorrows, or wounds before the Lord?
Dear Alumni & Friends,
Life Giving Wounds is delighted to invite you to a very special evening at the Baltimore Basilica – America’s First Cathedral on Saturday, November 1st.
We will gather for a Life Giving Wounds Happy Hour from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM, followed by the Basilica’s performance of Mahler’s Titan Symphony No. 1 and Duruflé’s Requiem at 8:00 PM.
✨ Why attend?
For many adult children of divorce, music speaks to places in the heart that words cannot reach. Mahler’s Titan wrestles with the storms of life and longing for hope, while Duruflé’s Requiem offers peace and rest in God’s mercy. Together, these works mirror the journey of healing, sorrow, and hope that resonates so deeply with our community. Experiencing them in the sacred beauty of the Basilica is truly unforgettable.
🎟️ Practical Details:
Children 12 and under are free
Discounted rates available for students and religious
Once you have purchased your concert tickets, please RSVP for the LGW Happy Hour.
👉 Please purchase your tickets and RSVP by October 10th so we can prepare a count for the venue.
Tickets:https://bit.ly/BBMahler
RSVP for Happy Hour: [https://www.lifegivingwounds.org/calendar/cx54oke0x51peqavq9uxwqdvk11zaj ]
We hope you will join us for an evening that nourishes the soul and strengthens our bonds of friendship and faith.