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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

Making time

Veronica Brandt · August 31, 2013

Nap attack Nap Attack, drawn by Peter Brandt T LAST THE HOUSE IS QUIET. There are a few hours at the end of a Saturday to write a post for the beginning of the same Saturday half way across the world. I wish there were more occasions I could leave things 10 hours too late and still get them in on time!

But apart from living on the other side of the date line, how do we make time for all the good things there are to do? There are obvious things, like avoiding time-eaters: television and facebook spring to mind. Prioritizing tasks. Just doing what needs to be done and skipping over as much of the rest as you can safely get away with.

But sometimes it helps to do more. I mean more than the bare-bone necessities. Being generous can make it easier to meet the tasks.

Viktor Frankl finds that happiness does not depend on having what you want, but finding meaning in your situation. He talks about cases where a crippling accident can make people happier in the long run, not that you need suffering to be happy, but that comfort alone does not produce happiness. When we drop our quest to be comfortable, then the adventure begins.

The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness. — Pope Benedict XVI.

I have two choirs each singing Mass once a month at different parishes. One likes psalm tones, Paul IV’s Jubilate Deo booklet and having music in a folder in the order it is sung. The other sings from the Liber Usualis, plus polyphony when possible and likes to try different Mass settings. There is a big difference in ability between the two, I grant you that, but also a big difference in how easy it is to put in the preparation for each one. And you can guess which one my sons like to join in with.

And hopefully now I’ll go snooze like that tiger cub while the other half of the world awakes.

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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 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 propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —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

“The free space which the new order of Mass gives to creativity it must be admitted, is often excessively enlarged. The difference between the liturgy with the new liturgical books, as it is actually practiced and celebrated in various places is often much greater than the difference between the old and new liturgies when celebrated according to the rubrics of the liturgical books.”

— Cardinal Ratzinger (1998)

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