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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

Humility

Fr. David Friel · February 17, 2013

AVE YOU EVER HAD A LONG DAY? Maybe it was a rough day at work or a tough day at school. Maybe you were sick or tired. At the end of a long day, you only want a couple of things. You might want to sit down and take off your shoes. You might want to take a hot, relaxing shower. And, more than likely, you’ll want something to eat. If you’ve ever been in that position, then you know something of what it was like for Jesus during His temptation in the desert.

St. Luke tells us that Jesus hiked from the Jordan River, where He was baptized, into the desert. He spent forty days and forty nights there, in the wilderness, and He undertook a fast the entire time. Imagine how hungry you would be if you fasted for forty days and forty nights!

At the end of that time, Satan walks onto the scene. What does he say? “If you were really God, You could turn stones into bread to eat.” Of course, the amazing truth is that, yes, Jesus could actually do that! He could turn stones into bread very easily. But He won’t do it. He refuses. Why? Because Jesus wants to experience everything we experience as humans—even hunger. The devil’s temptation is cunning, but Jesus refuses to satisfy His stomach so that He could share in our suffering.

What does the devil try next? He says, “If you were God, You could throw Yourself off a cliff and command the angels to catch You.” Again, yes, indeed, He could. But He again chooses not to. Jesus has lots of power, but the purpose of His power is not to impress people or merely entertain them. So, again, Jesus shows His true strength by actually showing restraint. He shows His true power by withholding His power.

But the devil comes back once more. This time, he leads Jesus up a high mountain. One of the things I love to do is go camping and backpacking, so I’ve had the opportunity to climb numerous mountains. If you’ve ever done it yourself, then you know it’s an amazing experience. You may think you’re in the middle of nowhere, but when you stand on the very top of a tall mountain, you can see towns & villages & cities for a hundred miles or more. It’s easy to feel like you’re the “King of the Hill.” It’s easy to feel like you have power over everything you can see.

That is the false sense of power that Satan uses to tempt Jesus. He says, “If you just worship me, I’ll give you power over all the kingdoms of the world.” I suspect we’ve all had that very same temptation come our way. When their children are very young, parents have lots of control over what they do and what they wear and what they eat. As fun & beautiful as it is to watch children grow, it is hard to let go of our control and give them greater independence. Or maybe sometime you received a promotion at work. The more people there are below us, the more tempting it is to think that we have power over them. It can make us feel good when we think we have minions. But that’s not what the best leaders are like, is it? The best parents and bosses you’ve ever known aren’t the ones who lord their power over you. They’re the ones who seek to serve—the ones who look out for the best interests of their children and their employees.

Didn’t we see such a great example earlier this week, when our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, announced his decision to resign as our Holy Father. The pope has authority and exercises leadership over more than a billion people across the globe. It must be tempting to hold on to that “power.” But, in a great act of courage and humility, Pope Benedict has chosen to set that power aside, for the greater good of the Church.

Truly good leaders are humble. They are servants. The Church has taught for centuries that humility is the root virtue. Without humility, in other words, it’s impossible to demonstrate any other virtue. It’s impossible to show courage or patience or wisdom if we do not possess humility. It’s impossible to show loyalty or purity or generosity if we don’t first show forth humility.

We are right at the beginning of Lent. What a great thing it would be if we could all grow in humility throughout this holy season. In our prayers & fasting & almsgiving, let’s ask for the grace to be inspired: by the humble example of the good parents and employers we’ve known; by the humble example of our Holy Father; and by the example Jesus Christ, Who is the very model of humility.

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

    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. However, on the feasts website, the chants have been posted for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C), which is this coming Sunday: 6 July 2025.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —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

Far from dreading an encounter with the Iroquois, Fr. Garnier often told us he would be quite content to fall into their hands and remain their prisoner if—while they were torturing him—he at least had a chance of instructing them as long as his torments lasted. If they allowed him to live, it would afford him a golden opportunity to work for their conversion, which was now impossible, since the gateway to their country was closed as long as they were our enemies.

— Father Ragueneau (Jesuit Relations)

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