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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

Easter Monday

Fr. David Friel · April 1, 2013

ASTER MONDAY is a good day not to bug your pastor (unless, of course, someone is in need of the Sacraments). After the rush of Lent & Triduum liturgies, Easter Monday is an unofficial though widely embraced opportunity for clergy types to decompress and recharge. It is a necessary day of rest for many priests, who like to spend the day quietly or even alone.

I did just that thing today by driving up to the Delaware Water Gap, a gorgeous National Recreation Area in the Pocono mountain region of northeastern Pennsylvania. My goal was to climb Mt. Minsi, which I did under the mantle of very pleasant weather (high 50’s, partly cloudy). Why? Because leisure is essential to our souls. In the words of one of my favorite philosophers: “Work is the means of life; leisure the end. Without the end, work is meaningless —a means to a means to a means . . . and so on forever” (Roger Scruton).

A great deal of my childhood was spent out in the woods, leisurely hiking and camping. My hike today reminded me of how deeply formative those times were on my body, mind, and spirit. In a real sense, although I first met God in my parish church, I came to know Him in the woods of Pennsylvania and New Hampshire and Virginia and New Mexico. God speaks in so many ways, not least through the marvelous beauty of His creation.

When I reached the summit, I took my breviary out of my pack to pray Sext (Midday Prayer). Here is what I prayed:

O LORD, our God, how majestic is Your name through all the earth!
Your majesty is praised above the heavens.
From the mouths of children and of babes, You have found praise to foil Your enemy,
to silence the foe and the rebel.
When I see the heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars which You arranged,
what is man that You should keep him in mind,
the son of man that You care for him?
Yet, You have made him little lower than the angels;
with glory and honor You crowned him,
gave him power over the works of Your hands.
You put all things under his feet.
All of them, sheep and oxen, yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish of the sea that make their way through the waters.
O LORD, our God, how majestic is Your name through all the earth!

Today, I give glory to God not only for His triumphant Resurrection, but also for His kind hands, which have fashioned a world that reveals His majesty and permits true leisure. May God be praised!

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

    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 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 Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —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

Agnes De Mille: “When I see my work, I take for granted what other people value in it. I see only its ineptitude, inorganic flaws, and crudities. I am not pleased or satisfied.” — Martha Graham: “No artist is pleased.” ADM: “But then there is no satisfaction?” — MG: “No satisfaction whatever at any time,” she cried out passionately. “There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

— “Martha Graham on the Life-Force of Creativity”

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