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Views from the Choir Loft

Mothers as dwellings

Veronica Brandt · May 11, 2013

OCTOR NILS BERGMAN came up with the idea that the newborn’s natural habitat is the mother. He found premature babies did much better with maternal skin to skin contact rather than keeping them in special cots. It makes sense that after nine months on the inside there would still be that bond, but amazing the way the body out does the expensive equipment.

It reminds me of the blessing for expectant mothers which sounds suspiciously like the prayer at the end of Compline “Visita quaesumus Domine habitationem istam” “Visit, O Lord, this dwelling”. The mother becomes the dwelling place of a new person.

Before children you may be classified by what you do to earn a living. As a mother your children seem to replace any previous qualifications. This can be frustrating when you think of all the time and money that went into earlier life, but after a while that pales compared with the amazing yet commonplace needs of your family. And the amazing love that grows over time.

Pope Francis made headlines for lauding the role of women in his April 3 address (Read it here) The address tackles the need for faith in the Resurrection of Jesus. The women at the tomb are held up as models of faith and joy in spreading the news. But not just women, mammas and women (mamme e donne). He goes on to say that mothers and women have a special role in witnessing to their children and opening the doors to the Lord, “in following him and in communicating his Face, for the gaze of faith is always in need of the simple and profound gaze of love.”

It may seem like a very inefficient way to pass on the faith. Even having children close together that’s only about one new proselyte each year. Plus ongoing commitment for a good 18 years for each one. Surely in a digital age we can find the killer app to do this much more effectively! But that is not God’s way. Love takes time, and gets better over time.

From the same address: “It is the heart that counts for God, how open to him we are, whether we are like trusting children.” It’s not just getting the message across to the next generation that makes motherhood special, but the outpouring of the mother’s life. We grow to trust God over time, to rest secure in the hope that He has a plan and the plan is Good.

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 Veronica Brandt

Veronica Brandt holds a Bachelor Degree in Electrical Engineering. She lives near Sydney, Australia, with her husband and six children.—(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —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

“Franz Liszt was an eminent keyboard virtuoso but a dangerous example for the young. … As a composer he was terrible.”

— Clara Schumann

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Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

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