Views from the Choir Loft

Midnight Mass

Fr. David Friel · December 24, 2012

OME FOLKS WOULD THINK IT CRAZY to head out in the dead middle of a cold & snowy night to attend Christmas Midnight Mass. But there’s nothing better we could do. Can you think of a better expression of our faith than this? We believe that God, in an incomparable act of love, sent His only Son to become a Baby on this earth to bring us light. It’s only fitting that we should trudge ourselves out of our houses, in the darkest moments of the day, to welcome this Child of Light among us.

What Child is this? Who has come among us? The Christmas liturgy, itself, tells us: “Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.” He is the “Wonder Counselor,” a “Prince of Peace,” “God Hero!” He is Love Personified! Now that He is here, salvation has dawned upon us. Just a single breath of the Christ Child would have been enough for us to be saved, because (at last!) there was Someone Who could pay the debt of sin.

But God had even more beautiful plans. He sent His Son not only to redeem the world, but to teach us how to be light, ourselves. When we put the needs of others ahead of our own, we spread light through the world. When we practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, we bring light to this world. When we give of ourselves without counting the cost, we become the light of the world. In all these ways, we have the power to dispel the darkness that surrounds us with the Light of Christ, which cannot be conquered or hidden or dimmed.

Catholics make a statement by clinging to the tradition of Midnight Mass. We tell the Baby Jesus, as well as the whole world, that we will not hold back the light of our faith. When challenged, we will respond with the light we have received. We are on a mission to continue the mission of Jesus: the mission of illuminating the darkness of the world.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Not only have we seen a great Light, but we are choosing to let that Light shine brightly in our hearts, in our neighborhoods, and in our world. As St. John says so beautifully in the Prologue to His Gospel: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

May the witness of our lives in the coming Year of Our Lord 2013 shine forth with the wonderful Light of Christ!

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

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).

“Music List” • 9 Nov. (Dedic. Lateran)

Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 9 November 2025, which is the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the sensational feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin.

—Jeff Ostrowski

PDF Download • Offertory (9 Nov.)

This year, the feast of 9 November replaces the Sunday. The OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF file) for 9 November is exceedingly beautiful. The ‘Laterani’ mansion at Rome was the popes’ residence for a thousand years. The church there still is the cathedral church of Rome—“Mother and Head of all churches of the City and of the World,” says the inscription over the entrance. It is dedicated to Our Holy Savior, but has long been commonly known as “St. John Lateran” owing to its famous baptistery of St. John the Baptist. In this church, the pope’s own ‘cathedra’ (episcopal chair) stands in the apse.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Job Opening • $65,000 per year +

A parish 15 minutes away from me is looking for a choir director and organist. The parish is filled with young families. When I began my career, I would have jumped at such an opportunity! Saint Patrick’s in Grand Haven has a job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year including benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” I lived in Kansas for 15 years, Texas for 10 years, and Los Angeles for 10 years. Michigan is the closest place I know to heaven!

—Jeff Ostrowski

“Reminder” — Month of November (2025)

On a daily basis, I speak to people who don’t realize we publish a free newsletter (although they’ve followed our blog for years). We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and refuse to run annoying ads. As a result, our mailing list is crucial to our survival. Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.

—Jeff Ostrowski

Gospel Options for 2 November (“All Souls”)

We’ve been told some bishops are suppressing the TLM because of “unity.” But is unity truly found in the MISSALE RECENS? For instance, on All Souls (2 November), any of these Gospel readings may be chosen, for any reason (or for no reason at all). The same is true of the Propria Missæ and other readings—there are countless options in the ORDINARY FORM. In other words, no matter which OF parish you attend on 2 November, you’ll almost certainly hear different propers and readings, to say nothing of different ‘styles’ of music. Where is the “unity” in all this? Indeed, the Second Vatican Council solemnly declared: “Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not implicate the faith or the good of the whole community.”

—Corpus Christi Watershed

“Our Father” • Musical Setting?

Looking through a Roman Catholic Hymnal published in 1859 by Father Guido Maria Dreves (d. 1909), I stumbled upon this very beautiful tune (PDF file). I feel it would be absolutely perfect to set the “Our Father” in German to music. Thoughts?

—Jeff Ostrowski