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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

Doing Something New

Fr. David Friel · March 17, 2013

HE LORD SAID, “I am doing something new” (Isaiah 43:19). What an appropriate passage for us to hear during this week in which our Church received a new leader. There are a lot of new things about Pope Francis: the first non-European in many centuries, the first from the New World, the first Jesuit, the first to take the name “Francis.” That is certainly a lot of change.

Anytime there is new leadership, people wonder what might change. We have seen already, in just a few days, some of the changes Pope Francis has made. For instance, the news makes a big deal out of the fact that the Holy Father did not wear the red mozzetta when he appeared on the balcony. They also picked right up on the story that he went back to his hotel to pick up his own bags and pay his bill.

Then there are all those other things the media want to see changed: no more priestly celibacy; the sanctioning of abortion and birth control; the admission of women to Holy Orders; support for homosexual partnerships. This confuses me. If the Church woke up one morning and changed her teaching on any of those things, we should all be deeply disturbed. One of two things would have to be true to make sense of that. The first explanation would be that truth has changed—that what was once wrong is now right. That fails to make reasonable sense. The second explanation would be that the Church throughout time has simply been misguided and has taught error, leading people into sin. That, too, fails to resonate with me, since the Church is the design of Christ and our holy Mother. Either of these explanations is disturbing, and any church that would submit to either of these two hypotheses is a church I don’t want to embrace. In fact, we should all run away screaming from any group that would hold either claim.

Those changes will never happen and never should. But there is plenty of change that needs to happen. The Church is actually in the business of change—not of changing dogma, but of changing hearts. If you think Pope Francis is making changes, check out what our Lord does in John, chapter 8.

There, the evangelist recounts an episode in which the Pharisees try to catch Jesus in an impossible situation. They bring Him an adulterous woman and point out that Mosaic law would have them stone her to death. They ask the Lord: “What do You say?” If He commands them to stone her, He will be accused of strict cruelty. Conversely, if He commands anything else, He will be accused of laxity. So, how does the Lord respond? He does something brilliantly new. “Let the one among you who is without sin,” He says, “be the first to throw a stone at her.” He shifts the focus from judgment to introspection, from condemnation to mercy, from legalism to love. Now that is “doing something new”!

Just as the tablets received by Moses on Mount Sinai were said to be “inscribed by the finger of God” (Deuteronomy 9:10), so now Jesus writes in the sand “with His finger.” By imitating the revelation at Sinai, Jesus teaches the Pharisees that He speaks with the same authority that underlies the Commandments of old. He reveals, moreover, that He is establishing a New Law, which is a law of love. He also shows that He has come to give us the Holy Spirit—the living “Finger” of God (digitus Dei)—and only in this Spirit can the true commands of God be lived: love and mercy.

Jesus avoids being trapped by the religious professionals of His day through His wise, though enigmatic, response. There seems to be no hesitance on His part in establishing this New Law. The Lord shows that He is at once novel and traditional. He is unpredictable yet reliable. He is young and old. He is unchanging yet relevant. He is simultaneously surprising and steady. Ancient though He may be, the Lord remains always fresh and ready to work new wonders.

We are very fortunate to have both a pope and a Savior who do not feel bound to do things “the way we have always done them.” They are, after all, the bearer of Good News, so they should not be afraid to shatter the expectations of the world. By His innovative response to the Pharisees, Jesus is able to spare the adulterous woman from the pressing crowd. Instead of being crushed by their stones, the woman’s sins were crushed by the weight of Jesus’ astonishing mercy.

The Lord not only does something new, but He also gives her the opportunity to do something new. She is given the chance to live a new life, sing a new song, and walk a new path. The same opportunities are available to us all.

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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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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 example) 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
    “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

    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
    “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

Random Quote

An Indult of the “Commission for Russia” (25 November 1929) authorizes Bishops and Administrators Apostolic in Russia to permit the celebration of Mass and the reception of Holy Communion in the afternoon or evening, on condition that a Eucharistic fast of four hours from noon be observed.

— Sacred Congregation of Rites, 25 nov 1929

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