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Views from the Choir Loft

The Hope of Sinners

Fr. David Friel · December 8, 2012

OSES. KING DAVID. Mother Teresa. John Paul II. Martha Washington. Nero. Queen Victoria. Joe DiMaggio. Venus Williams. Paul McCartney. Father Friel.

What’s the link? What do all those folks have in common? Are they all Biblical characters? No. Do they all share the same birthday? No. Were they all left-handed? No. So what do they all have in common? They’re all sinners! Every last one of them is a sinner.

In fact, you could add almost any name to that list, and they’d fit right in. One notable exception is Jesus. He wasn’t a sinner. But, then again, He’s God. If that were it, though—if Jesus were the only exception—something would be missing. After all, Jesus isn’t even a human person. He’s a Divine Person, Who took to Himself a human nature. So, if He were the only man ever to live without sin, there would really be no reason for hope.

But God is very wise, and, in the fullness of time, He planned to do something extraordinary. He planned to create a human being who would be sinless. He planned to create a human person, as the Letter to the Ephesians puts it, “without blemish.” He planned the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

By the Immaculate Conception, we mean the singular privilege given to Mary whereby she was preserved from any stain of sin from the moment of her conception onward. At no point has she ever borne the guilt of sin, because God, foreseeing Jesus’ death on the Cross, applied the merits of His Sacrifice to Mary in advance. That’s why Mary has rightly been called “nature’s solitary boast.” She is the only human person ever to have been immaculately conceived.

Moses. King David. Mother Teresa. John Paul II. Martha Washington. Nero. Queen Victoria. Joe DiMaggio. Venus Williams. Paul McCartney. Father Friel. Yes, we’re all sinners. But there’s hope for each of us. Why? Because, if God could create Mary as the Immaculate Conception, He can re-create all of us so that we might be “without blemish” in heaven.

In the words of the Miraculous Medal Novena: “O Mary, conceived without sin: pray for us, who have recourse to Thee!”

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 served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    PDF • “For General Use Until Advent”
    If you conduct a volunteer choir, you might consider using this Simple Piece #40273 (“Adésto Sáncta Trínitas”) which can be used during the rest of the liturgical season until Advent. It's based on the well known hymn tune: OLD HUNDREDTH. Rehearsal videos are available at #40691. A live recording of #40273 (“Adésto Sáncta Trínitas”) by a volunteer choir is here (#40065).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • (This Coming Sunday)
    Our volunteer choir appreciates training videos, so here's my attempt at recording “Exáudi Dómine Vocem Meam,” which is the INTROIT for this coming Sunday. This coming Sunday is Dominica Post Ascensionem (“Sunday after the feast of the Ascension”). It is sung according to the official rhythm of the Catholic Church.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Volunteer Choir Attempts “Kýrie Eléison”
    My volunteer choir attempted the polyphonic KYRIE that will be sung at this year's Sacred Music Symposium. If you're interested, you can listen to the live recording from last Sunday. The piece is based on the ancient plainchant hymn melody: Ave Maris Stella. Polyphony like this is truly intricate and wonderful. It reminds me of the quote by Artur Schnabel: “music that's greater than it can be performed.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

Tournemire could be charming or he could bite your head off. One day I could not replace him at St. Clotilde because I had a wedding to play at another church. Tournemire played on Sunday, period—that was all. He did not play weddings and so forth. (He put all that on my back.) So I went to Tournemire’s house to tell him, “Master, I am sorry but, for once, I cannot replace you. I have another obligation to fulfill.” He said, “Get out of here!” I left for good.

— Testimony of Maurice Duruflé

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