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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Follow the Leper

Fr. David Friel · November 24, 2011

Six months and three days ago, I received the greatest gift I’ve ever received when I was ordained a priest of Jesus Christ. What an extraordinary experience it has been! I wanted to be a priest for a long time, but I never could have imagined what a blessing it would be. I have never had more to be thankful for in my entire life than I do this Thanksgiving.

We can never be too grateful. St. Paul says that he gave thanks to God “always” (1 Corinthians 1:4). Always is a lot.

Are there things in life for which we’re not grateful? Sure. Why do we have to sit in traffic? Why do we have to put up with telemarketers & junk mail? Maybe someone very close to us died this past year. Perhaps someone’s addiction or anger or immaturity has complete rule over your life. There are things in everybody’s life for which we’re not real thankful. But—just as surely—there are things in everybody’s life that are worth our thanks.

The story of the ten lepers who are healed in Luke 17 proposes two ways in which we can respond. In this Gospel story, although Jesus heals ten lepers, only one leper comes back to the Lord to express thanks. What happens with the other nine? I imagine that each one of them used an excuse. They probably thought of something they had to be ungrateful for, instead of thinking of the awesome gift of the Lord.

The one thankful leper likely had plenty of things that he, too, could have groused about. After years as an ostracized leper, he probably had no money, nowhere to live, no food. He surely would have had no friends or family to rely on. But he’s not blinded by what he doesn’t have or by the problems of his situation. He takes a moment to go back to Jesus, to thank Him, to just be grateful.

Every year, as Americans, we follow the example of that one leper. Even though things might not be perfect in our lives, we take a moment to go back to the Lord, to thank Him, to just be grateful. We give Him thanks and praise.

The last six months and three days have been the most extraordinary time of my life. How has this last year been for you? What are the gifts you’ve received? What are the things in which you’ve succeeded? What are the good things God has done in your life?

For all of those things: Deo Gratias!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It is very curious, rather barbarous, much too ornate, immeasurably less dignified than ours now, anything in the world rather than archaic or primitive.”

— Fr. Fortescue describing the “Sarum Use” in 1912

Recent Posts

  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Worship the Lord in Holy Attire
  • “How to Conduct 90 Vespers Services Each Year and Live to Tell the Tale.”
  • 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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