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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

Recipe for A Happy 2013

Fr. David Friel · January 1, 2013

HEN YOU USE MOST BIBLES, they won’t lay flat when opened to the Book of Numbers. That’s not for any occult reason, but because we don’t spend a whole lot of time reading that book! Therein, however, one finds quite a number of beautiful passages. In one, the Lord teaches Moses what has become known as “the priestly blessing.” The first day of a new year is a fine occasion to remember those beautiful words of blessing, which God, Himself, gave to us:

This is how you shall bless the Israelites.
Say to them:
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!

There are more words, too, that God spoke to Moses which are worth remembering today, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Mother of God. It was the Lord speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai when we received the 4th Commandment: “Honor thy father and mother.” When we hear those words repeated, we so often think of them as a warning to children about how to behave toward their parents. That is certainly a good and true way of understanding the 4th Commandment, but it is also about more than that.

The 4th Commandment refers not only to our obligations toward our human mothers and fathers, but also to our Mother & Father in heaven. We have a duty, therefore, to love & honor & serve Mary, as well as our Lord. How do we serve Mary? We serve the gentle Virgin by praying her rosary, by celebrating her feast days, and by wearing the brown scapular & miraculous medal.

We would be wise to obey the 4th Commandment in its entirety. If we want to be happy, if we want to be fulfilled, and if we want to go to heaven, we must obey God our Father and Mary our Mother. Apart from their goodness to us, none of us would have any hope of salvation. God could have saved us on His own, but He chose to use the Blessed Virgin as an instrument in our salvation. So, even now, anyone who would hope to be close to God must remain close to His holy Mother and His holy Church.

“Honor thy father and mother.” Those were not just God’s words to Moses. Almighty God speaks those wise words to us, as well, to govern our family life here on earth. They are words that, in a deeper sense, dictate how we must respond with love to our heavenly Father and the Blessed Mother. If we heed that Commandment in both of its senses, we can rightly expect happiness in this new year of grace.

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

    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
    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

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

The 1960s reformers had no chance of success since their goal was “recasting from top to bottom—and in a few months!—an entire liturgy which had required twenty centuries to develop.”

— Professor Louis Bouyer, close friend of Pope Saint Paul VI

Recent Posts

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  • The Tallis Scholars
  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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