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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

The Devil’s Parody

Dr. Peter Kwasniewski · February 14, 2013

AINT AUGUSTINE says that our Lord Jesus Christ heals us both by what is like us and by what is unlike us. Christ is man, and so through his humanity he heals man; but Christ is God, and by his divinity, too, he heals man. Indeed, he can heal with his human touch because his human touch is that of Almighty God.

In parody of this, the devil―the “ape of God”―seeks to harm man both by like means and by unlike means.

Although the devil is pure mind, operating far above the realm of images, he leads men into the mindless activities of modern entertainment―television, video games, movies, virtual reality, where dominates the unreality of flickering images. Although silent in his intellectual evil, he leads men into ever greater noise―the din of speakers and earbuds, the satanic rock music, drowning out thought, choking noble aspirations, pushing souls ever downward into the rhythm of the concupiscible passions, chasing away the silence in which God can begin to speak. Although bodiless, he leads men into a fixation with bodies and bodiliness, such that they cannot raise their minds to spiritual things.

Speaking of likenesses, on the other hand, the devil is swift in thought and fleet in motion, and he goads modern man to become ever more seeming swift, ever more fleeting. Demonic speed translates into our mad rushing round, our minds never at rest, our desires always on the prowl, seeking what we may devour. Demonic “mastery over nature” is reflected in our technological ambitions, which are still far inferior to what the least demon has always been able to do (when permitted by Divine Providence), and yet which are approaching more and more that infernal power of distorting and maiming reality that the demons exercise in their hatred of material creation and especially of man, its pinnacle and lord. For the devil is, as St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us, “the enemy of human nature.”

The devil is, one might say, the limit case of a mentality focused on self-will, the cult of the ego, which is the very anti-spirituality that informs modern America and the modern West. The “pro-choice” mentality echoes the demons’ choice to reject the divine means to happiness: the demons want everyone to be trapped in the same egoism as they are. Sartre and Camus are merely translating into human language the constant experience of the damned. As St. John Damascene remarked, the demons carry hell with them wherever they go. And, to paraphrase Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, hell is pushing its way into this world, as modernity welcomes the demonic into its bosom.

In contrast, the pro-life mentality echoes and imitates the good angels who chose eternal life by the power of sanctifying grace, the divinely appointed means to a supernatural end. It sees in all life an image of the Life itself, the eternal life that is properly God’s and streams forth into the joy of countless saints in glory. Let us pray that we may be always guarded and guided by the holy angels, since, as the Apostle tells us, “we are not contending with flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12).

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 Dr. Peter Kwasniewski

A graduate of Thomas Aquinas College (B.A. in Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy), Dr. Peter Kwasniewski is currently Professor at Wyoming Catholic College. He is also a published and performed composer, especially of sacred music.

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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) 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
    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
    “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

    “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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Indeed, we may not hope for real Latin poetry any more, because Latin is now a dead language to all of us. However well a man may read, write, or even speak Latin now, it is always a foreign language to him, acquired artificially. It is no one’s mother tongue. Does a man ever write real poetry in an acquired language?”

— Rev’d Adrian Fortescue (d. 1923)

Recent Posts

  • Why A “Fugue” Here?
  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)

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