Views from the Choir Loft

Midnight Mass

Fr. David Friel · December 24, 2012

OME FOLKS WOULD THINK IT CRAZY to head out in the dead middle of a cold & snowy night to attend Christmas Midnight Mass. But there’s nothing better we could do. Can you think of a better expression of our faith than this? We believe that God, in an incomparable act of love, sent His only Son to become a Baby on this earth to bring us light. It’s only fitting that we should trudge ourselves out of our houses, in the darkest moments of the day, to welcome this Child of Light among us.

What Child is this? Who has come among us? The Christmas liturgy, itself, tells us: “Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.” He is the “Wonder Counselor,” a “Prince of Peace,” “God Hero!” He is Love Personified! Now that He is here, salvation has dawned upon us. Just a single breath of the Christ Child would have been enough for us to be saved, because (at last!) there was Someone Who could pay the debt of sin.

But God had even more beautiful plans. He sent His Son not only to redeem the world, but to teach us how to be light, ourselves. When we put the needs of others ahead of our own, we spread light through the world. When we practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, we bring light to this world. When we give of ourselves without counting the cost, we become the light of the world. In all these ways, we have the power to dispel the darkness that surrounds us with the Light of Christ, which cannot be conquered or hidden or dimmed.

Catholics make a statement by clinging to the tradition of Midnight Mass. We tell the Baby Jesus, as well as the whole world, that we will not hold back the light of our faith. When challenged, we will respond with the light we have received. We are on a mission to continue the mission of Jesus: the mission of illuminating the darkness of the world.

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Not only have we seen a great Light, but we are choosing to let that Light shine brightly in our hearts, in our neighborhoods, and in our world. As St. John says so beautifully in the Prologue to His Gospel: “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

May the witness of our lives in the coming Year of Our Lord 2013 shine forth with the wonderful Light of Christ!

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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).

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

Luis Martínez Must Go!

Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]

—Jeff Ostrowski

Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!

A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!

—Jeff Ostrowski

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