Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Seasons of Grace

Home
Catholic
Cardinal Ravasi: “Even If You Can’t Sing Well, Sing”

Cardinal Ravasi: “Even If You Can’t Sing Well, Sing”

Last updated on: September 30, 2016 at 3:53 pm by Kathy Schiffer

Cardinal Ravasi: “Even If You Can’t Sing Well, Sing” 2016-09-30T15:53:09-05:00 Kathy Schiffer

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

SISTER CRISTINA WON!!!

By now you’ve undoubtedly heard that Sister Cristina Scuccia, the talented nun whose performance on Italy’s The Voice has garnered more than 51 million views on YouTube, is the season’s big winner.

Deacon Greg Kandra reported the story this morning over at The Deacon’s Bench.

I wrote about her in March, when she belted out the Alicia Keyes song “No One” during the blind auditions for the show.

* * * * *

Cardinal Ravasi

It seemed the world was watching the finale–and among viewers of the live show last night was Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Culture. During the live show, Cardinal Ravasi tweeted a quote from sixth century Roman statesman and writer Cassiadorus, who was a great supporter of monastic communities: “If we continue to commit injustice, God will leave us without music.”

He followed up this morning with another tweet, this time advice from Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, eighteenth-century founder of the Breslov Hasidic community. Nachman’s philosophy revolved around closeness to God and speaking to God as in normal conversation, as one would address a close friend. Nachman said (and Cardinal Ravasi tweeted): “Even if you can’t sing well, sing. Sing to yourself. Sing in the privacy of your home. But sing!”

Sister Cristina did sing. And when the votes were tallied and it was announced that she had won, Sister Cristina had one more surprise for her fans: She led them in prayer.

Her presence on The Voice, she said, wasn’t to walk away a winner or a music star, but to show people a different kind of victory. “My dream,” said Sister Cristina,

“…is to recite the Our Father together, maybe we can all hold each other’s hands and pray. I want Jesus to come right here inside!”

J-Ax, her atheist coach, warned her that he and the other bad-boy coach on stage, Piero Pelu, “will burst into flames.” But pray, she did.

Sister Cristina was truly a winner–as were we all.

She sang four songs during last night’s show. Here is the last of them: “Beautiful That Way”, from the 1997 movie “Life Is Beautiful” which starred Robert Benigni as a father in a concentration camp who tried to help his imprisoned son understand that despite external conditions, the human spirit will succeed.

Sister Cristina Scuccia

The Voice

Previous Post

June 5, 2014

These Bishops Are Good "Sports"!

Next Post

June 6, 2014 On D-Day, Remembering My Dad

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category #Synod14 Abortion Abstinence Abuse Addiction Adoption Advent Adventure Advertising Aging Agnosticism All Saints Day All Souls Day Amish Anathema Angels Anglican Animals Annulment Annunciation Apocalypse Apologetics Apostles Apostleship of the Sea Apparitions Archangels Archbishop Cordileone Archbishop Dolan Archbishop Vigneron Archeology Architecture Art Art Buchwald Ash Wednesday Assisted Suicide Astronauts Atheism Athletes Babies Baptism Beatification Beauty Bible Biochemistry Bioethics Birds Bishop Lori Bishops Blasphemy Books Canon Law Canonization Capital Punishment Cardinal Burke Cardinal Dolan Cardinal George Caritas Catechesis Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic Catholic Education Catholic Higher Education Catholic Social Teaching Celibacy Cemeteries Character Charity Chastity Cheapskate Christian Unity Christmas Churches Civil Rights Cloning Comedy Communion of Saints Community Kitchens Confession Confirmation Conscience Consequences Consistory Constitution Contraception Conversion Cooking Councils of the Church Creativity Criminal Justice Cristero War Crucifixion Crystal Cathedral Culture Death Death and Dying Death Penalty Department of Health and Human Services Diaconate Dictatorship of Relativism Dignity Disability Discrimination Dissidence Divorce Doctors of the Church Early Church Fathers Easter Economics Ecumenism Education Encyclicals Environmentalism Episcopal Church Eucharist Euthanasia Evangelism Evangelists Evangelization Evolution Excuses Facebook Faith Families Family Fashion Fasting Fatherhood Federal Government Feminism Fiction Film First Amendment First Communion For Greater Glory Forgiveness Free Speech Friends Friendship Gender Discrimination Germany Gnosticism Good Friday Government Grace Greed Gregorian Calendar Happiness Health Heaven Heresy History Holidays Holiness Hollywood Holy Land Holy Saturday Holy Spirit Holy Week Holy Year Home Sweet Home Homosexuality Hope Humanism Humility Humor Imagination Immaculate Conception Immigration Impulsivity In Vitro Fertilization Incarnation Indulgences Infallibility Internet Islam Italy Jerusalem Jesus Judaism Justice Kathleen Sebelius Labor Movement LCWR Lent Life Literature Liturgy Lourdes Love Magi Marketing Marriage Martyrdom Martyrs Mary Mass Media Medical Ethics Mexico Michigan Miracles Missionaries Modernism Modesty Monks Monothelitism Motherhood Movies Mushrooms Music Muslim Mystery Mysticism Mythology Nativity Natural Law Nature New Evangelization New Media New Year New Year's Resolutions Nostalgia Obscenity Occult Old Testament Origen Orthodox Orvieto Pallium Papacy Parenting Patience Patriarch Bartholomew Patriotism Peace Peace and Justice Penitence Pentecost People Persecution Philosophy Poetry Political activism Political Correctness Politics Polls Pop Culture Pope Benedict XVI Pope Francis Pope John Paul II Pope John XXIII Pope Paul VI Pope St. Pius X Pope Urban VII Population Prayer Preaching Prejudice Pride Priesthood Pro-Life Protestantism Psychology Purgatory Queenship of Mary Racism Rape Real Presence Reconciliation Reformation Relics Religious Religious Liberty Reliquary Renewal Reproductive Technology Resurrection Rights Romance Rome Royalty Sacraments Sacred Heart Saints Satanism Science Science Fiction Scripture Seal of Confession Secularism Seniors September 11 Seventy Times Seven Sexuality Sharks Sin Smoking Social Communications Social Justice Social Networking Social Sciences Space Exploration Spirituality Sports St. Luke St. Patrick's Day St. Paul St. Peter St. Teresa of Avila Stations of the Cross Steve Jobs Superstition Supreme Court Symbolism Synod Technology Teen Rebellion Television Terrorism Thankfulness Thanksgiving Theology Think This, Not That Tobit Toilets Toys Tradition Traditions Transplants Travel Trinity Twitter U.S. Air Force Uncategorized United Nations USCCB Valentine Vatican Vatican Archives Vatican Blogfest Virtue Vocations Where We Pray White Heart Women World Day of Social Communications World Meeting of Families World News World Youth Day Worship Writing Year of Consecrated Life Year of Faith Year of Mercy Youth

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does the Greek word "Agape" mean in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Eternal Life Unconditional Love Grace Peace