By: Maria Williams

Why do you sing Christ?

From my earliest years, I loved going to Mass and catechism. In my violent family, faith saved my life. When I went to Lisieux, the city of Saint Therese, at the age of 6, I felt a gentle light enveloping me, and I didn’t even know about Therese. It was like a calling to religious life, which came several times in my life, and then faded away. I was perhaps too distracted, too drawn to ordinary life. But this quest for God, for the absolute, was always within me. In New York ten years ago, just after the world tour of the play St. Therese, I felt again this very clear calling to religious life. I met Father Enrique Salvo, director of vocations in New York, who invited me to pray, even more, to discern. During a stay in a convent, two words came to me in prayer: artist Missionary. To give my life to faith through my life as an artist. This prayer from Christ came to me during a visit to Carmel Mission in California, the first convent dedicated to St. Therese in 1925 in the US. 

How did this project come about?

a few months ago during a concert I gave in Malibu at Olandar. At the end of the performance, Leigh J. McCloskey  and Carla suggested I meet one of the audience members, renowned as a virtuoso pianist. She offered to play a piece by Chopin on the piano. The moment she started the Prelude in E Minor, I was moved to tears. The sheer beauty of each note of Chopin resonated throughout my entire being.

Immediately, the idea came to sing his melodies and the most beautiful prayers, including my dear Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux, and many others like St. Paul, Mother Teresa, St. John of the Cross, etc. A friend, Rosa, living in Paris, just reminded me that the last house I occupied in Paris (in the 20th arrondissement) before permanently moving to the United States, was very close to Père Lachaise Cemetery, where the body of Frederic Chopin rests. Yes, I lived right near Chopin… and more than ever, I feel his soul in my heart.

What are you aiming for with this project?

In our world, so violent, so stressed, more than ever we must pray. Nothing is more powerful than the energy of a prayer filled with love. We all know that praying, nourishing our soul, calming our mind is essential, even vital, to survive today. But the whole question is that we forget this evidence, that we understand. How not to forget that there is within us, greater than us, that there is a quality of love greater than our human love, a quality of peace, of forgiveness, which surpasses us. This is the symbol of Christ. Not to forget the presence of God, not to forget the love of God. With Maryna Kysla, we will give this concert Praying with Chopin for the Christmas season at Carnegie Hall in New York, on December 10, and by following us on social media, you will discover the entire world tour that we are preparing for 2024, 2025

I would add that given the situation in Ukraine, it is essential to support Maryna, her family, and all the people in Ukraine who are living every second in the trauma of a war as terrifying as it is incomprehensible. Sharing our single, our album, coming to the concert is a very concrete way to support Maryna and Ukraine.

Questions To Maryna Kysla

Could you share about your life?

I was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine, my musical journey began at age 5 when I first touched the piano keys. My mother, a singer in a local choir, unknowingly ignited my lifelong passion. Recognizing my talent, she ensured I received a global education, studying under remarkable teachers like Peter Serkin, Melvin Chen, and Ning An. Music became my passport I performed across continents, discovering its universal language. The piano, my refuge, resonates with my soul. Today, it remains my faithful companion, healing and connecting beyond mere notes.

What do you feel when you play Chopin?

As we know, Frederick Chopin, fleeing Poland during the Polish Russian War, sought refuge in Paris. His music became a fragile boat carrying hopes and memories of his homeland. As a Ukrainian, I feel strongly connected to his story. When I play Chopin, I imagine bridging the earthly and the divine. I picture Frederic Chopin praying as he composed, seeking inspiration from the heavens. I feel his presence a dialogue of sounds and spirit. Every note becomes a vessel for emotions. In those moments, I am both pianist and storyteller, weaving connections that transcend time and place.

Do you believe this project can support your family and friends in Ukraine?

My relatives remained in Ukraine, they are now not far from the city of Kharkiv, they suffer and live in constant fear of war constant destruction and daily explosions overhead. My mother managed to escape, she is now with me, and my brother with his wife and two small daughters remained in the war, I am very worried about them. 

Let our prayer support Ukraine, my native country, my friends and all people who need help in the whole world. 

I really believe and hope that our project our heartfelt prayer to God will bring peace and prosperity to Ukraine and the entire planet called Earth.

Link YouTube video : https://youtu.be/_wk_RpIlch4?si=YE0-TgofgSU-uW0V

Instagram profile : https://www.instagram.com/michelmeditates?igsh=M2E1aGMyMmc3cmty

Published by: Martin De Juan

Have you ever scrolled through Instagram, giving a “heart reaction” on every picture of models and actresses while your heart aches? The admiration condenses into a hollow feeling inside you. 

Times have changed. You now avoid the same mirror you used to admire yourself in when you were a carefree child. The sad truth is that the world we live in has distorted our notion of what true beauty is. Rejection and unrealistic standards have made it difficult for people to accept parts of themselves they are blessed with. 

So, turn away from the mirror and look to the sky, the birds that soar flaunting their allure; remember, the same God who clothes nature with beauty and sustenance, He who placed the stars above, painted you.

Preaching a message of self-love, a woman has taken the first step in calling out the epidemic of self-rejection that ravages people of all ages in today’s society.

Author Nadia “Cher” Major reminds you of your beauty in her book, My Big-GOD’s Masterpiece. Let’s delve into her psychology and unravel how she managed to break free from her own struggles with self-love.

Let Your Natural Differences Shine Through 

In pursuing self-love, we often find ourselves reaching for external sources, seeking solace in materialistic things. We wish to look beautiful; hence, we spend money on makeup, better clothes, and even altering the vessel we are given. But that is the problem; true beauty isn’t just what is on the surface, the superficial; it’s what is inside you. 

Nadia “Cher” Major explains that true beauty is the ability to exude self-confidence in the natural you. Knowing that we may not look like our favorite movie star, we can still rock how we look because of our differences. These are the traits that make us one-of-a-kind. There will never be anyone with the same characteristics as you, ever. Beauty is not a single mold; it comes in various shapes and colors, making our natural differences shine in our own space. 

Staying Consistent in Self-Love

That being said, remaining positive about yourself in a world that conforms to unrealistic beauty standards can be difficult. Then again, the journey of self-love is never an easy one. Sometimes, you will be tempted to falter, and obstacles will lead you astray from your transformative path. 

To those struggling to stay consistent in self-love, Nadia advises you to shift your mindset. Look at the things and people in your life you love; think of the joy they bring you and the impact you create in their lives. Think about those individuals without the very body parts you reject yourself over. 

The world is constantly changing, and so are people’s beauty standards. Hence, if we associate our definition of happiness with conforming to others’ concept of beauty, we are bound to remain unhappy. We need to realize that there is only one beauty standard that does not criticize. It’s “God’s beauty standard.”

A major aspect of Nadia’s book is how she associates faith as the key to achieving true happiness and sustaining self-love in your life. Nadia emphasizes that we are made in God’s image; He accepts us all. 

Affirmations are a powerful weapon against the voices that put us down. Nadia vouches for speaking these words of affirmation to yourself, boosting your emotions in times of self-doubt.

Here are some popular affirmations that Nadia recommends making a part of your daily routine. 

1. “I am the head, not the tail.”
2. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
3. “My beauty runs deep.”

The True Definition of Beauty

The Bible says the body is more than the clothes. Hence, our life is more valuable than our physical body. The key is to remain patient and persevere in God’s word.

It took Nadia “Cher” Major 31 years of hardship and struggle to receive a revelation about her alleged flaws regarding self-acceptance. If you wish for your breakthrough, be sincere when you pray and seek God for answers; know that He is listening and concerned about you. Most importantly, do not give up. Nadia says that your self-worth extends far beyond what you can ever comprehend. There will be times when you will feel weak, but it’s okay; you are only human.

Beauty is fleeting, but what’s inside the heart will remain constant. So take heart, walk in faith. And for when times get rough, you can find a companion in Nadia in her book, My Big-GOD’s Masterpiece: A New Me Dawning—now available on Amazon.  

Published by: Nelly Chavez