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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

Ephphetha

Fr. David Friel · September 14, 2012

I vividly remember the first Baptism I ever performed. I had been ordained a transitional deacon just a week or two earlier, and I was scheduled to baptize one child that day. It was at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Doylestown, the parish where I was raised, and the baby’s name was going to be “DYLAN.” Fortunately for me, I realized about three minutes before the Baptism began that DYLAN . . . was a girl!

I remember that Baptism so vividly because, to be honest, it was only the second Baptism I ever attended, other than my own. I’m the youngest of four children, my only niece so far was born just last year, and I didn’t grow up with any younger cousins. So, since I was really the youngest in the family, I never had any occasion to go to a Baptism.

One of the prayers in the Baptismal ritual that has struck me ever since that day is an option right at the end of the ceremony. The prayer says this: “The Lord Jesus made the deaf hear and the dumb speak. May He soon touch your ears to receive His Word, and your mouth to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father.” As the priest (or deacon) prays that prayer, he touches his thumb to the baby’s lips and ears. (I remember that vividly, too, because DYLAN tried to bite my thumb!) What a beautiful prayer this is, symbolically asking that the senses of the child might be open to receive the Gospel message.

Obviously, this prayer has its roots in the healing story of Mark, chapter 7, which we heard on Sunday. In fact, the prayer is even called the Ephphetha prayer, after the Hebrew word Jesus uttered to command the senses of the deaf-mute man to “be opened.” Is this an amazing miracle? Certainly. But the story is about much more than just the physical healing of one deaf-mute man. It is a story that concerns every one of us. But, “We’re not deaf and mute,” we might protest. Or are we?

For sure, there are times when we wish we were deaf. Every time I hear the song, Call Me Maybe, I wish I was deaf! But, are there times we actually are—really, truly—deaf?

We may be basically good, church-going people, but it’s probably true of all of us that we can sometimes be deaf to the needs of those around us.
• Are we as husbands and fathers sometimes deaf to our wives and children and their need for our strength & compassion?
• Are we as wives and mothers sometimes deaf to our husbands and children and their need for affirmation & affection?
• Are we as children sometimes deaf to the simple requests of our parents and teachers?
• Can all of us turn a deaf ear to the in-laws & crazy cousins & chatty neighbors who bother and frustrate us, rather than extending a listening ear?
• Perhaps we like to be deaf to the poor around us—the homeless folks we drive by, the immigrants we see on TV, and the aging parents we choose not to visit.

In addition to our deafness, I suspect there are ways we all allow ourselves to become mute.
• It can be as simple as the famous scene in the cafeteria, in this first week of school: do we extend an invitation to the loner to sit at our table?
• Are we quick to give compliments, or do we hold back our praise?
• We’ve learned so much this past year about the scandal and destruction that comes from being silent about abuse, rather than doing the right thing and speaking up.
• Do we have the courage to take a public stand against injustices like abortion and euthanasia and same-sex partnerships?
• Maybe someone in our family struggles with addiction, but we just can’t get up the gumption to confront them, and instead we become a mute enabler.

Our Blessed Lord wants us to know that to be physically deaf or physically mute is not some arch-evil. I’ve known several people who are deaf or mute or blind, and I know they would testify that they live very happy and fulfilling lives. The far greater tragedy is when we allow our hearts to be deaf and our consciences to be muted.

As the minister prayed over us on the day of our own Baptism: May the Lord Jesus touch our ears to receive His Word and our mouths to proclaim His faith, to the praise and glory of God the Father!

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

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus 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.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —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 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

“We wish to express the hope that students of Gregorian Chant come back to the pure Vatican Edition, in the ancient block-note form, without the addition of any signs whatever, in order to achieve Gregorian unity.”

— Josef Gogniat (12 March 1938)

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