Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 12:09am

Magnificent

The song is called Magnificent by the musical group U2.  It was a minor hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States in A.D. 2009 (and a major hit in Greece).

Some entrepreneurial YouTuber recreated the music video and turned it into a pretty decent contemporary ‘Christian’ music video.  The music video now celebrates the Triune God, the Eucharist, of course the love of God all coupled within a strong Pro-Life message.  There’s even a guest appearance of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI!

(Biretta Tip: Meg)

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Don the Kiwi
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 1:39am

Thanks Tito, that was awesome.

I suspect a couple of scenes from Godzone.

The budding tree fern – known as pikopiko – from which the ensignia, the koru, is designed – the ensignia on Air New Zealand aircraft, amonst other things.
And secondly, the huge tree. I think it is a photo of our two thousand year old kauri tree – known to the maori as Tanemahuta – the “god” – or old man , of the forest, situated in the Waiapu forest in Northland, NZ. This tree was just a seedling when Christ was born.
Thanks.

Tito Edwards
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 1:47am

Don the Kiwi,

Thanks for explaining some of those scenes from the music video.

You live in a beautiful country.

By the way the name of the Waiapu forest is very similar to Hawaiian. Are Maori of Polynesian descent? I grew up in Hawaii and I recognize the word structure of many of the Maori words and they are strikingly similar to Hawaiian!

e.
e.
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 11:40am

Isn’t Bono, U2’s lead singer, Catholic?

I have caught him several times wearing a rosary around his neck during a concert or other public performance.

Don the Kiwi
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 2:01pm

Hi Tito.

Yes, Maori are Polynesian. They call themselves “Te Maori” which simply means “the people”.
Go to Wikipedia or google, insert “Polynesian Triangle”. This is a vast area of the Pacific, drawing lines from NZ in the Sth. west, to Hawaii in the North, and Easter Island in the Sth.East. Maori populated all these islands, and those in between – Tonga, Saomoa,Cook Is., Tahiti etc. They were amazing navigators. NZ was settled by maori from around the 8th century AD, in large ocean going canoes – two lashed together forming catamarans – the bulk of them arrived in 12th and 13th centuries.
e.g. the Takatimu canoe – or “waka” the maori word – which landed here at Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty, left Takatimu beach on the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, probably in the 12th.century. A young maori guy who worked for me, his tribe have in their verbal history the canoe leaving Takatimu beach. About ten years ago he went over to Rarotonga – the people there (who also call themselves “Te Maori”) recounted virtually the same story in their verbal history. He met all his relatives. Maori have a strong family association – they know their family history – or “whakapapa” – very well ; the old ones teach it to the young ones still. Maori culture is very strong and has undergone a revival over the past 50 years, to the extent that now, we use the maori language in some of our prayers at Mass – especially the Sign of the Cross.
I was in Hawaii in 2002 – spent a week on Oahu, mainly in Honolulu. I also noticed the similarity in the languages. Its interesting, that before Europeans “discovered” the Pacific, a maori from NZ could have gone to Tahiti (whence Hawaii was populated) or Hawaii, and would have been understood. (provided they didn’t eat him first 😉

sd
sd
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 5:24pm

Not sure about the accuracy, but I read somewhere this summer that “Magnificent” is based on the Magnificat…sure can make the heart swell the same way!

Tito Edwards
Monday, October 26, AD 2009 11:53pm

I was wondering if it was a play on words done by the songwriter regarding Magnificat and Magnificent.

Michael J. Iafrate
Tuesday, October 27, AD 2009 12:20am

It was a minor hit in both the United Kingdom and the United States in A.D. 2009 (and a major hit in Greece).

Your tone here suggests that you are now approaching blogging as a sort of time capsule, speaking to aliens from the future. Why?

Tito Edwards
Tuesday, October 27, AD 2009 12:31am

Michael,

Illegal or legal aliens?

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