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Views from the Choir Loft

The Church Is Alive And Strong!

Jeff Ostrowski · May 23, 2013

AY 18, 2013, was a powerful day of Grace. My brother, Mark, was ordained to the Transitional Diaconate by the Most Reverend Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann.

The image you see toward the upper right was taken the night before, while the seminarians were practicing. After that, we all took part in a beautiful Sung Vespers and Holy Hour.

The music for the Ordination was sensational. Lucas Tappan has created an unbelievable “school of singing.” He currently directs forty (40) children and a whole bunch of adults. Their “sound” was so beautiful. I was not expecting to hear such a beautiful “sound.” Musicians will understand what I mean when I refer to the “sound” of the voices: lovely, unforced (as Fr. Finn would say!), and trained well. By the way, they used a Chabanel Psalm I composed, and it sounded amazing the way they sang it. They had all the high voices sing every other verse, and the low voices sang the alternate verses. All present joined each Refrain. Lucas is to be commended for his fine work.

Archbishop Naumann gave the finest sermon on priestly celibacy I ever heard. You can read it here:

      * *  Sermon on Celibacy by Archbishop Naumann

A few excerpts:

Of all the of these ordination promises, celibacy is perhaps the most counter-cultural.

In its first chapters, the scriptures speak to us the truth that human beings are not meant to be alone. We are built to be in communion with others. The relationship of marriage has a special place of importance above all other human friendships and bonds. The Bible tells us for this reason a man and woman leave father and mother in order to become one in flesh and spirit. According to the scriptures, the love of husband and wife most closely approximates the love of God for His people. Even heaven itself is described as a wedding banquet.

The Church asks those who will lead and shepherd her communities of Faith to give up the possibility of marital love as a prophetic witness that there is something even more important to our happiness than even beautiful intimacy possible in Christian marriage. More essential to our joy as human beings – no matter if we are married or single or a religious sister or priest – is intimacy with God.

In a world that mixes up physical sexual intimacy with love, this bold witness of celibacy is crucial. In a world where many are confused about something as fundamental as the nature of marriage, where many no longer are able to distinguish between pornography and beauty, where the lie of the sexual revolution – that physical sex is essential for happiness – continues to dominate our music and movies, prophetic celibate love is desperately needed.

Our culture continues to cling to the deception that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness, even though we are surrounded by the collateral damage of the sexual revolution – more that 50 million children aborted, epidemics of depression and physical disease, high divorce rates, and children deprived of the love of a father and a mother.

But the most astonishing thing was to hear my brother preach on Sunday. He did an incredible job.

May Jesus Christ be praised. In spite of all the evil in the world, He still takes care of His Church. The Church is strong. The Church is vibrant. Jesus Christ still offers His Grace to those willing to accept it.

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 Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

Ronald Knox explained why the Modernists do not compose hymns: “Birds of prey have no song.”

— Fr. George William Rutler (2016)

Recent Posts

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