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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

Mothers as dwellings

Veronica Brandt · May 11, 2013

OCTOR NILS BERGMAN came up with the idea that the newborn’s natural habitat is the mother. He found premature babies did much better with maternal skin to skin contact rather than keeping them in special cots. It makes sense that after nine months on the inside there would still be that bond, but amazing the way the body out does the expensive equipment.

It reminds me of the blessing for expectant mothers which sounds suspiciously like the prayer at the end of Compline “Visita quaesumus Domine habitationem istam” “Visit, O Lord, this dwelling”. The mother becomes the dwelling place of a new person.

Before children you may be classified by what you do to earn a living. As a mother your children seem to replace any previous qualifications. This can be frustrating when you think of all the time and money that went into earlier life, but after a while that pales compared with the amazing yet commonplace needs of your family. And the amazing love that grows over time.

Pope Francis made headlines for lauding the role of women in his April 3 address (Read it here) The address tackles the need for faith in the Resurrection of Jesus. The women at the tomb are held up as models of faith and joy in spreading the news. But not just women, mammas and women (mamme e donne). He goes on to say that mothers and women have a special role in witnessing to their children and opening the doors to the Lord, “in following him and in communicating his Face, for the gaze of faith is always in need of the simple and profound gaze of love.”

It may seem like a very inefficient way to pass on the faith. Even having children close together that’s only about one new proselyte each year. Plus ongoing commitment for a good 18 years for each one. Surely in a digital age we can find the killer app to do this much more effectively! But that is not God’s way. Love takes time, and gets better over time.

From the same address: “It is the heart that counts for God, how open to him we are, whether we are like trusting children.” It’s not just getting the message across to the next generation that makes motherhood special, but the outpouring of the mother’s life. We grow to trust God over time, to rest secure in the hope that He has a plan and the plan is Good.

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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —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

“I love them that love me: and they that in the morning early watch for me shall find me.”

— Proverbs 8

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