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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

Sacrificing Ourselves

Fr. David Friel · April 28, 2013

EOPLE LIKE NEW STUFF. It’s true, isn’t it? We like that new car smell. We like the feel of brand new bed sheets. We like to be the first person to dip a knife into a fresh jar of peanut butter. People like new stuff.

I’m the youngest of four, so, growing up, I rarely had anything that was new. We were used car people—garage sale people. The toys I had were toys my brother had used. Virtually all my clothes were hand-me-downs. Even the books I had for school were books my brother and sisters had used first. So, when I did get something that was new, I appreciated it all the more.

Newness is a theme in Scripture, particularly the new Testament. In the Book of Revelation, the Lamb seated upon the throne declares: “Behold, I make all things new.” What a promise! In the Gospels, Jesus announces that He will give us a “new Commandment.” What do you think the Apostles thought of that? I imagine they were excited, since, after all, most people like new stuff.

So, what is this “new Commandment”? It is this: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. What’s so new about that? Doesn’t the Old Testament teach us to “love our neighbor as ourself”? It does, indeed, but that is something very different. The new Commandment of Jesus is not to love other people in the same way we love ourselves. The new Commandment is to love other people in the same way Jesus loves us. “Love one another as I have loved you.”

That’s much more serious, because how does Jesus love us? He gave Himself up to death for us. On the Cross, He showed that He actually loves us more than He loves Himself. What do you think the Apostles thought about this “new Commandment” now?

This is the great model for us. There is no other way. Jesus, Himself, is our Way, and so every Christian must offer the gift of our very selves—our hearts, our minds, our lives. Sacrificing ourselves: this is what Jesus means when He commands us to “love one another.”

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

“Johann Baptist Singenberger (d. 1924) held in trust a letter from Pius X giving him permission to use men and women in his festival choirs. He neither published it nor used it, lest he embarrass the Holy Father.”

— Monsignor Francis P. Schmitt (August 1957)

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