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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

Faith Seeking Understanding

Fr. David Friel · April 21, 2013

VERY SAINT HAS A FEAST DAY at some point throughout the year on which the Church celebrates his or her life, work, and sanctity. Today, April 21st, is the feast of St. Anselm, the great philosopher and theologian of the eleventh century for whom my parish is named. Because he is our parish patron, today is a Solemnity for us here in northeast Philly.

Anselm is truly one of the great thinkers in Church history. For this reason, he is one of the “Doctors of the Church.” He wrote numerous very important theological texts, each of which is worthy of our study. For now, though, let’s consider just one of Anselm’s brilliant ideas.

St. Anselm had a sort of motto that sums up a good bit of his life and teaching. In Latin, the famous motto is: fides quarens intellectum. In English, that literally means: “faith seeking understanding.” That certainly sounds nice and pious, but what does it mean? What does it matter?

It means that faith comes before understanding. We don’t have to understand God in His entirety in order to have faith. Faith comes first, and then it leads us to deeper understanding. We see this so clearly in the Easter season. When Mary Magdalene & Peter & John went to the tomb and found it empty, they certainly did not understand everything that had happened. But, the Scriptures tell us that they “saw and believed” (John 20:8). Their lack of understanding didn’t keep them from having faith. Rather, they began with faith, which led them to greater understanding at Pentecost and in the days & weeks that came after.

We have to be careful, though. It’s not good enough to say, “I have faith, so I don’t really need to understand.” Not at all! Remember, the motto is “faith seeking understanding.” So, yes, we begin with the virtue of faith, which is paramount, but we must absolutely seek deeper understanding.

Think about your own faith. What have you done lately to nurture that faith, to seek understanding?

§ Have you thought about reading a little bit out of your Bible?
§ Have you made the effort to participate in Advent & Lenten adult faith formation events at your parish?
§ Does your family own a catechism?
§ Have you ever stopped to make a visit at an adoration chapel in your area?

We need to move beyond the idea that graduating from Catholic school or receiving Confirmation prepares us with everything we need to know about our faith. Personally, I went through 21 years of Catholic school, and I know I still have room to grow and learn.

Our faith seeks understanding. Is that statement true for us? There are still more than six months remaining in this “Year of Faith” that we are celebrating as a Universal Church. What could your parish do, and what could you do individually, to seek greater understanding of our holy Catholic faith?

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

“We have baptized about 240 this year … All the labors of a million persons—would they not be worthwhile if they gained one single soul for Jesus Christ?”

— Father Isaac Jogues, writing to his mother

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