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Views from the Choir Loft

Heart of Jesus

Fr. David Friel · June 7, 2013

ECENTLY, I ATTENDED the ordination and first Mass of Thanksgiving of a friend of mine. It was a weekend filled with great joy and zeal and hope. The Church’s liturgy is always powerful, but, for such occasions as these, the wonder of it all often seems more palpable. This was especially true during the homily at the Mass of Thanksgiving, which my friend celebrated and preached.

It was the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, and he was preaching about the incomprehensibility of God’s love for us. To demonstrate how awesome this love is, the newly minted priest shared a quote from our Pope Emeritus. On the occasion of the Inauguration of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI said this:

“Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary. . . . There is nothing more beautiful than to know Him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him. The task of the shepherd, the task of the fisher of men, can often seem wearisome. But it is beautiful and wonderful, because it is truly a service to joy, to God’s joy which longs to break into the world.”

In the middle of this quote, my friend had to stop. It was a very pregnant—about eight months—pause. After nearly a full minute of gathering himself, he continued. This wasn’t a moment of flashy drama or trite histrionics. It was a moment in which he communicated and the entire congregation intuited that this preacher had, in fact, personally experienced the profound love about which he was preaching. It seemed, to me, most appropriate. After all, the love of God is ineffable—literally, unspeakable.

Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, a day on which we specially consider the Lord’s love and tender compassion. I love this feast day. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, though, if every day we could be moved to tears by the enormity of God’s love for us?

As the newly ordained priest paused during his homily, I was reminded of St. John Vianney’s insight that “priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus.” If that is so, my friend is off to a good start!

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 served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and teaches liturgy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    Hymn by Cardinal Newman
    During the season of Septuagesima, we will be using this hymn by Cardinal Newman, which employs both Latin and English. (Readers probably know that Cardinal Newman was one of the world's experts when it comes to Lingua Latina.) The final verse contains a beautiful soprano descant. Father Louis Bouyer—famous theologian, close friend of Pope Paul VI, and architect of post-conciliar reforms—wrote thus vis-à-vis the elimination of Septuagesima: “I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed (with no good reason) Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising!”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Introit • Candlemas (2 February)
    “Candlemas” • Our choir sang on February 2nd, and here's a live recording of the beautiful INTROIT: Suscépimus Deus. We had very little time to rehearse, but I think it has some very nice moments. I promise that by the 8th Sunday after Pentecost it will be perfect! (That Introit is repeated on the 8th Sunday after Pentecost.) We still need to improve, but we're definitely on the right track!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplified Antiphons • “Candlemas”
    Anyone who desires simplified antiphons (“psalm tone versions”) for 2 February, the Feast of the Purification—which is also known as “Candlemas” or the Feast of the Presentation—may freely download them. The texts of the antiphons are quite beautiful. From “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium” you can hear a live excerpt (Mp3). I'm not a fan of chant in octaves, but we had such limited time to rehearse, it seemed the best choice. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to learn “Lumen Ad Revelatiónem Géntium,” which summarizes Candlemas.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Our Christian people regard with great joy everything that contributes to the splendor of the ceremonies. Jesus—who was poor in His private life—received ointment on His feet. See Thomas Aquinas (Prima Secundae, q. 102, art. 5, ad 10) and the holy Curé of Ars. The Church has always loved beautiful churches, and so forth. We must preserve our sacred patrimony and make sure sacred objects do not become secular possessions.”

— Abbot & Council Father denouncing “noble simplicity” during Vatican II

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