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Views from the Choir Loft

Andrew’s Orations

Fr. David Friel · November 30, 2012

HE ORATIONS for today’s feast of Saint Andrew are a fine example of the genius of the Roman Rite. That genius has become all the more clear through the 2010 English translation of the Missal. The new Missal, by its precision & fidelity, transmits many more nuances from the original Latin than the former Sacramentary had conveyed. In Andrew’s orations, the case is clear.

The Collect uses four titles to describe Andrew, whom the Orthodox remember as the Πρωτόκλητος (“First Called”) among our Lord’s disciples. It is fitting that this first oration should incorporate titles, so as to recall the identity and role of the saint being celebrated. The titles in the Collect appear in this order: Apostle, preacher, pastor, and intercessor. These ideas were weakly captured in the Sacramentary thusly: apostle, to preach, guide, and friend. I find all four titles to be rendered with greater strength in the new prayer. Apostle is now capitalized, the label of preacher is stronger than the infinitive, pastor means much more than guide, and an intercessor is something far more defined (though not other) than a friend.

The new Prayer over the Offerings magnificently prays that the elements “which we bring” to the altar may please God “by what we have brought and be given life by what you have accepted.” The structure of the prayer highlights the action of bringing and receiving gifts in such a prominent manner that, as I offered Mass this morning, the prayer immediately called to mind the feeding of the five thousand, where it was Andrew who noticed the boy with the loaves and fishes and brought them to the Lord. This brilliant allusion is so subdued as to be unrecognizable in the former Prayer over the Gifts.

The Prayer after Communion, also, alludes to an aspect of this great saint’s life. It has long been held that Andrew was martyred on a cross in the form of a Greek chi, equivalent to the letter X. This tradition is obliquely referenced by the new oration in its request that “we, who carry in our body the Death of Christ, may merit to live with him in glory.” The marvelous Pauline language of that prayer had formerly been rendered into the anemic line, “By sharing in Christ’s suffering may we live with him for ever.”

These three orations inspire me not only to seek the intercession of Saint Andrew, but also to acknowledge the inherent genius of the Roman Rite. I am grateful to God that this genius now flowers forth more fully from the Roman Missal in English.

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

“Pope Francis breaks Catholic traditions whenever he wants because he is free from disordered attachments. Our Church has indeed entered a new phase: with the advent of this first Jesuit pope, it is openly ruled by an individual rather than by the authority of Scripture alone or even its own dictates of tradition plus Scripture.”

— Fr. Thomas Rosica (31 July 2018)

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  • Boston Auxiliary Bishop: “In offering the Traditional Mass for the first time, after removing the vestments, I knelt in the back pew and wept.”

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