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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

The Lord as “Dominus”

Fr. David Friel · November 24, 2013

LOVE LANGUAGES. I’ve always loved studying and experiencing other languages. At my grade school, we were lucky to study four years of Spanish. In high school, I had four years of German and one year of Latin. And, in the seminary, I studied a combined 14 semesters of Spanish, Latin, Hebrew, & Greek. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that, after all that study, the only language I speak fluently is English (and that’s debatable at times!).

The more deeply one becomes involved in sacred music, the more the need for a working proficiency in Latin becomes necessary. So much of the treasury of music for worship uses what continues to be the mother tongue of Roman Catholics.

Those who attend Mass in Latin, whether the Ordinary or Extraordinary Form, will know the phrase Dominus vobiscum, to which the response is Et cum spiritu tuo. The meaning, of course, is: “The Lord be with you. And with your spirit.”

I like that first word very much: Dominus. That’s a great word for “Lord,” because it is related to our English word, “dominate.” That well describes what our Lord is supposed to do. He is supposed to “dominate” our lives!

Does He? The Church celebrates Jesus today as “Christ the King.” If He’s not the King of our hearts, where else will His dominion be?

What dominates your life?

•  Some people let guarding & building up their reputation dominate their lives.

•  Some people are dominated by soccer or football or cheerleading.

•  Others are dominated by depression.

•  Countless numbers of people are dominated by an addiction.

•  And, for those who aren’t, many times our lives are dominated by the addiction of someone else.

•  Some people’s lives are dominated by debt and financial woes.

•  Tons of people are dominated by their phones and iPads and other gadgets.

•  For some people, it’s hatred and grudges that they allow to dominate them.

•  For many musicians, it is the endless pursuit of perfection that consumes, enslaves, and dominates us.

Exactly one month from tomorrow, we will be celebrating Christmas. If you should go to Midnight Mass, you will hear from the Prophet Isaiah in the first reading. This is what he will say: “For unto us a Child is born, a Son is given us; upon His shoulder, dominion rests.”

Allowing God to have dominion in our lives is essential for our happiness. It doesn’t take a lot of work, and you don’t have to speak any fancy languages. All you have to do is give God control.

Will you let Christ be King of your heart? Will you let Him dominate your music, your family, and your life?

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Latin 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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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 1960s reformers had no chance of success since their goal was “recasting from top to bottom—and in a few months!—an entire liturgy which had required twenty centuries to develop.”

— Professor Louis Bouyer, close friend of Pope Saint Paul VI

Recent Posts

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  • “Musicam Sacram” (5 March 1967) • Does It Apply?
  • “What Martin Luther Said…”
  • “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)

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