Jane G. Meyer’s Sweet Song is a sweet story about St. Romanos the Melodist.

St. Romanos lived in the sixth century, and there isn’t a lot known about him for sure. He is said to have composed over 1,000 hymns celebrating the saints and feasts of the Church. Fewer than a hundred of his works survive.

The very first hymn he wrote is one of the survivors. It’s sung in Christmas services in Orthodox churches to this very day. And Sweet Song is the story of this hymn.

Romanos was a favorite of the Patriarch. He worked hard, lighting lamps, cleaning chalices, mending vestments. And he should have sung portions of the Liturgy. There was just one problem.

Romanos couldn’t sing.

That wasn’t the only problem Romanos had, of course. There was also the fact that he had trouble reading. And then there were the people who laughed at him and mocked him because he couldn’t do what came so easily to everyone else.

On Christmas Eve, the church was packed. Both the patriarch and the emperor were there, and as many people as could be crowded in. When it was time to sing the praises, the other readers pushed Romanos out onto the ambo to sing.

And he couldn’t. Nothing came from his mouth. He fled and found a quiet hiding place, while someone else sang the praises.

The dream of St. Romanos

Later, when the church was empty, Romanos went to the icon of the Theotokos, where he cried and prayed and cried some more. Eventually, he fell asleep. And in his sleep, he dreamed.

In St. Romanos’s dream, the Theotokos came to him. She had a scroll in her hand. She touched it to his lips and told him to swallow it. He did. And then he woke up. There was still a sweet taste in his mouth.

And when he got to the church and opened his prayer book, he realized that he could read. He tested his voice, and he could sing.

And during the Liturgy on the morning of the Nativity of Christ, the patriarch blessed St. Romanos to sing a hymn honoring Christ’s birth. And this is what he sang:

Today the Virgin gives birth
To the One who transcends all
And the earth offers a cave
To the One who cannot be approached.
The angels with the shepherds
Sing His glory.
And the Wise Men
With the Star travel on their way.
For our sake a young child is born
Who is God from all eternity.

Here it is, sung by the choir of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church in Minneapolis. While we have St. Romanos’s words, we don’t have his melody. The choir at St. Mary’s uses my favorite melody for the hymn. I think you’ll love it, too.

At the back of Sweet Song, Meyer includes a page with more information about St. Romanos.

Illustrations by Dorrie Papademetriou

I knew Dorrie Papademetriou’s name from one of her earlier works, The Story of Mary, The Mother of God, which she wrote and illustrated. I love The Story of Mary (as you can read in my review) And I love her illustrations in Sweet Song, too. The illustrations fill every page from edge to edge. The colors are rich and saturated. It’s just beautiful.

Besides illustrating picture books, Papademetriou has worked in fashion, advertising, and museum curation. She’s is the founder and designer of MudGirl Studios. MudGirl Studios helps homeless and disadvantaged women learn job skills and earn supplemental incomes. Its goal is to help the women they serve transition from poverty to self-sufficiency.

Kontakion for St. Romanos

You were adorned from childhood with the godly virtues of the Spirit;
you were a precious adornment of the Church of Christ, all-wise Romanos,
for you made it lovely with beautiful hymnody.
Therefore, we entreat you, grant your divine gift to those who desire it,
that we may cry out to you: “Rejoice, all-blessed Father, beauty of the Church.”

Read More

17 essential picture books for Orthodox Christian kids: These 17 picture books feature Orthodox Christian characters that children can relate to. Their stories are well told, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

The best picture books with disabled characters: These picture books provide engaging stories about children who have a range of disabilities.

The Life of St. Brigid: A review: This book is another lovely saint story by Jane Meyer.

Buy the Books!

Catherine's Pascha and The Saint Nicholas Day Snow
These delightful books will give Orthodox Christian children the chance to see themselves in books. And they’ll give other children the chance to see books that feature cultural practices they may not be familiar with.

Catherine’s Pascha

FINALIST IN THE 2015 USA BEST BOOK AWARDS
Catherine doesn’t like vegetables. She doesn’t like naps. She doesn’t like it when her mom combs her hair. She loves hot dogs, chocolate cake, and her best friend, Elizabeth. Most of all, she loves Pascha! Pascha, the Orthodox Christian Easter, is celebrated in the middle of the night, with processions and candles and bells and singing. And Catherine insists that she’s not a bit sleepy.

Celebrate the joy of Pascha through the magic of a book: Catherine’s Pascha. Available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, and my webstore.

The Saint Nicholas Day Snow

Shoes or stockings? Horse or sleigh? Does St. Nicholas visit on December 6 or on Christmas Eve? Will a little girl’s prayer be answered? When Elizabeth has to stay at Catherine’s house, she’s worried about her grandmother, and worried that St. Nicholas won’t find her. The grownups, though, are worried about snow.

Celebrate the wonder of St. Nicholas Day through the magic of a book: The Saint Nicholas Day Snow. Available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, or my webstore.

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