Music has a special power to unite us, to make memory and to express what sometimes we cannot say with words. In the life of the Mother Candida Family, the hymn occupies a significant place: it is an expression of identity, gratitude and belonging.
Mother Candida’s hymn is not only a musical composition. It is a way of recognizing the imprint of her life, of thanking her for her dedication and of allowing us to gather as a family around the same spirit. Like all hymns, it is born to celebrate, to remember and to strengthen what unites us as a community.
Over time, this hymn has been interpreted in different ways, each with its own nuance, but all conveying the same essence: a life given to God and a mission that is still alive today.
Three versions to pray, remember and share
We would like to make available three versions of Mother Candida’s hymn, which can help us to pray, to celebrate and to feel part of this great family.
This version, interpreted by the Orfeón Donostiarra, gathers the musical richness of the original hymn, whose lyrics and music were composed by authors who knew how to express with depth the spirit of Mother Candida.
In addition to this version, there are other interpretations that many are surely familiar with and that have accompanied celebrations, meetings and significant moments in different parts of the world.
Each interpretation of Mother Candida’s hymn is an invitation to listen with the heart, to let ourselves be touched and to make this story we share our own.
A resource for the entire Mother Candida Family
Along with these versions, we also make available the scores of the hymn, so that they can be used in communities, schools, groups and celebrations.
Because music is not kept… it is shared. And when we make it our own, it becomes a prayer, an encounter and a shared journey.
We also offer the lyrics. It is very expressive of the life, mission and charism of the Daughters of Jesus. Pilar Linde, fi, everything can help us to connect deeply with the hymn.
We offer some hints for reflection and prayer with the lyrics of the hymn:
Can an ‘old’ hymn still say something today?”
At first glance, a hymn may seem far away: words from another time, an inherited music, a history that has already passed…
But perhaps the real question is whether there are still people who want to live what the hymn sings.
Because, deep down, this hymn speaks of something very current:
- of people who want to live a meaningful life,
- of women capable of blazing trails,
- to trust even in uncertain times,
- to bring hope where others see only weariness,
- to cross borders,
- to educate,
- to illuminate,
- to believe that another world is possible.
The lyrics speak of a simple woman, "poor craftswoman without science"who didn’t wait for everything to be clear to begin with. And that connects very much with our today: nobody has their life solved, but even so we continue to look for how to love, how to serve, how to leave a mark.
When the hymn reads: "thou goest forth opening ways in faith" it does not speak only of St. Candida Maria de Jesus, it also speaks of every person today:
- accompanies others,
- educates,
- listening,
- creates community,
- communicates hope,
- works for a more humane world,
- or try to live authentically amidst the noise.
And perhaps one of the most topical phrases is: "For a land without borders."
Because today’s borders are not only geographical: there are social, digital, emotional, cultural and internal borders. And we still need people capable of crossing them to meet the other.
Listening to this hymn today is also a way of saying: the charism lives on, the mission continues, and each generation needs to find its own voice to sing the same hope.
What hymn phrase speaks to your life today?”
Listen to the hymn and stop on a phrase that “touches” your heart, a phrase that connects to your current moment. For example:
- “put all trust in Him”.
- “messenger of hope”
- “you are blazing trails”
- “for a land without borders”
- “your zeal that never dies”
- “leads the world to the Light”
And ask yourself:
- Where do I need to live this today?
- What would have to happen for this sentence to be true in my life?
- If a hymn were written today about our generation…what would it say?”
We invite you to write a new verse, or simply add a phrase that expresses you. Check out these examples in case they inspire you: “for a hyper-connected world, be true presence”; “open paths in the midst of fear”; “bring light in times of darkness”.
May this hymn continue to be for us a meeting place, a living memory, and may we remember who we are and where we are going when we sing it.
