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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

Eating from Above

Fr. David Friel · August 22, 2012

I was talking to a group of high school students the other day, and I could tell how excited they were to go back to school . . . not at all! Some of them were talking about having biology this year, which reminded me of when I had biology class in freshman year.

I loved the class, partially because Mr. Franchella was an awesome teacher and partially because of the anticipation of the fourth quarter. My buddies and I spent the whole first three quarters anxiously awaiting the fourth quarter and the exciting opportunity to dissect a frog.

I guess I learned a thing or two in the first three quarters, too. One thing, in particular, that I remember is this fact: every organism needs to obtain energy in order to live.
• So grass, for instance, gets its energy through photosynthesis.
• Then, some animals, like grasshoppers, eat the grass.
• Then rats get their energy by eating grasshoppers.
• And then snakes eat the rats.
• And then, finally, hawks eat the snakes.
I think we called that a “food chain” when we were in bio class. Creatures higher on the food chain get their energy by consuming those lower on the chain.

We, as humans, are organisms, so we need to get our energy from somewhere. To some degree, we accomplish that through eating various minerals, plants, and animals. But, there is something unique about us as humans. Whereas eating meat and vegetables is sufficient for many other animals, that kind of eating is never really sufficient for mankind. If we humans only ever eat that which falls below us on the food chain, we may be physically fed, but we’ll still be malnourished.

Humans—and humans alone—are given the great privilege of consuming not only that which falls below us on the food chain, but also that which sits above us on the food chain. We are given, namely, the gift of the Eucharist. We can eat cows & pigs & chickens & turkeys & carrots & potatoes all we want. But we will never be satisfied if we do not eat “the Bread that came down from heaven.”

The Lord says so much, Himself: “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you do not have Life within you.” The Lord gives us the antidote to all our hunger, for “[His] Flesh is true food, and [His] Blood is true drink.” The Eucharist is not a symbol, nor is it a metaphor. It truly is the sacred Body and precious Blood of Jesus. Jesus says to us, “Just as . . . I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on Me will have Life because of Me.”

As I learned in biology class, every organism needs to get its energy from somewhere. If we are to be filled with true energy—with Life, Itself—we must eat not only from below, but from above. God lowers Himself to become our very Food. May we find our deepest nourishment and our highest energy in the unfathomable gift of the Eucharist!

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

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“This chapter hereby extends the prohibition of 13 June 1561 against loaning singers or instrumentalists on any account whatsoever to include even the humblest choirboy.” [From “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

— Sevilla: Chapter Resolution (10 June 1562)

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