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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

The “Basically Good Person”

Fr. David Friel · March 24, 2013

AVE YOU EVER HEARD someone say, “I’m a basically good person”? I hear it all the time. In fact, people probably tell me that exact thing (or something similar) a few times a week. Other times, it is a family member at a funeral who describes the deceased as a “basically good person.” These claims are made with such frequency that they have caused me to think a great deal about them. Would you consider it an overreaction if I suggested that such a way of thinking is the work of the devil?

The statement, itself, is actually true. We are “basically good,” as the story of creation in Genesis teaches us (Genesis 1:31). The mindset behind the statement, however, is what I find unsettling. When someone says, “I’m a basically good person,” it is a sort of gentle admission of imperfection coupled with an aggressive form of sloth. The unspoken premise underlying such a statement is that one need not bother to improve. The improvement of our lives, though—indeed, the changing of our hearts—is central to the Gospel message, which eschews complacency.

The greatest saints are always those who are most aware that they are great sinners. Read the spiritual works of Teresa of Avila. Crack open the autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola. Get to know the sermons of Jean-Marie Vianney. Dust of your copy of the Little Flower’s Story of A Soul. Remember that Blessed John Paul II would often confess daily. When St. Paul wrote about “sinners, of whom I am the worst,” he was not bloviating with false humility. These saints were all keenly aware of their powerlessness over concupiscence and their need for redemption.

This can be a great litmus test for us: if we can’t think of what we should confess, we probably need to spend more time in prayer and self-reflection. This is the practical wisdom of the Delphic oracle, “Know thyself”; knowledge of self is a pre-requisite for knowledge of God. Corollary to that, it is always and everywhere true that the less aware we are of our sinfulness the farther we are from sanctity.

Saint John said it this way: “If we say, ‘We are free of the guilt of sin,’ we deceive ourselves; the truth is not to be found in us” (1 John 1:8). In this modern age we so often speak not of sin, but of “mistakes that were made.” Rather than accuse ourselves of guilt, we prefer simply to admit that we’re not perfect. We view ourselves not as poor sinners, but as “basically good” people.

I propose that the enemy is pleased with these positions.

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

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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

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

Palestrina wrote two Masses in honor of the Blessed Virgin—one “a 6” before the Council of Trent, consequently with the tropes, and first published in 1570. In 1599 it was republished in Palestrina “Missarum Liber III” with the tropes removed, and in their place the liturgical words of the “Gloria” reiterated.

— Henry Coates

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