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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

Ministry vs. Edification

Fr. David Friel · January 5, 2014

HERE IS A COMMON turn of phrase that I have often heard from brother priests. It’s a sort of heart-warming sentiment that sounds very pious and inviting at first. I find myself, however, wholeheartedly disagreeing with it.

This is roughly how the saying goes. The priest will say, “Many times during my priesthood, I have gone to visit people in their homes and in hospitals and in hospice centers. I may have thought that I was going there to minister to them. But, during the course of the visit, I discovered that it was really they who were ministering to me.”

I am neither a curmudgeon nor a clericalist. I recognize and have experienced the very thing these priests are trying to express. More often than I could ever recount, I have been inspired by the faith of the homebound; the perseverance in hope of the sick & dying; the honesty & humility of penitents; the trusting vulnerability of the addicted; the genuine gratitude & remarkable generosity of the poor; and so many other examples of courageous Christian witness.

Yet I still take issue with this particular phrasing. There is, after all, no such thing as “lay ministry”; the laity may engage in a particular apostolate, but the word “ministry” specifically refers to the evangelical work of a deacon, priest, or bishop. “Ministry,” without a doubt, has become one of the most misused and abused words in ecclesiastical vocabulary. Liturgical musicians, for example, often refer to “music ministry,” when it would be better to refer to the apostolate (or the work) of sacred music.

There is no contesting the fact that priests need not only to be ministers, but also to be the recipients of ministry. But this ministry can only come from another sacred minister. So many things in recent times (especially in the liturgical realm) have confused and blurred and obscured the authentic, Catholic notion of ministry. One thing that strongly supports the real meaning of the term, however, is the corrected translation of Et cum spiritu tuo in the Third Edition of the Roman Missal.

The USCCB website acknowledges that the response “And with your spirit” is addressed only to an ordained minister because “spiritu refers to the gift of the spirit he received at ordination.” The same web page explains further:

The dialogue is only used between the priest and the people, or exceptionally, between the deacon and the people. The greeting is never used in the Roman Liturgy between a non-ordained person and the gathered assembly.

That ordained ministers have received a unique configuration to Christ is not a novel interpretation of sacramental theology. The reservation of this classic Roman dialogue for use between priests & people supports this understanding. Notably, a layperson leading a Communion service does not use this dialogue. Why? Because he or she does not possess the gift of the Spirit specific to sacred ministers. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:4).

Every priest will acknowledge that he is constantly inspired in many & various ways by the laity, but it would be inaccurate to describe this as ministry. Lest I be accused of lodging a complaint without proffering a solution, let me propose a better way of expressing what so many priests want to express. Would it not be better to say that priests can be “edified” by their people, rather than “ministered to” by them? “Edify one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11; Romans 14:19).

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Roman Missal Third Edition, The Old ICEL Translation of the Mass, USCCB Secretariat of Divine Worship 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

    New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
    My pastor requested that I write short articles each week for our parish bulletin. Those responsible for preparing similar write-ups may find a bit of inspiration in these brief columns. The latest article (dated 12 October 2025) talks about an ‘irony’ or ‘paradox’ with regard to 1960s switch to vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
    The American Catholic Hymnal, with IMPRIMATUR granted (25 April 1991) by the Archdiocese of Chicago, is like a compendium of every horrible idea from the 1980s. Imagine being forced to stand all through Communion (even afterwards) when those self-same ‘enlightened’ liturgists moved the SEQUENCE before the Alleluia to make sure congregations wouldn’t have to stand during it. (Even worse, everything about the SEQUENCE—including its name—means it should follow the Alleluia.) And imagine endlessly repeating “Alleluia” during Holy Communion at every single Mass. It was all part of an effort to convince people that Holy Communion was historically a procession (which it wasn’t).
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Canonic” • Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Fifty years ago, Dr. Theodore Marier made available this clever arrangement (PDF) of “Come down, O love divine” by P. R. Dietterich. The melody was composed in 1906 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (d. 1958) and named in honor of of his birthplace: DOWN AMPNEY. The arrangement isn’t a strict canon, but it does remind one of a canon since the pipe organ employs “points of imitation.” The melody and text are #709 in the Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Of course, the new [Easter Vigil] liturgy has greatly streamlined the symbology. But the exaggerated simplification has removed elements that used to have quite a hold on the mindset of the faithful. […] Is this Easter Vigil liturgy definitive?”

— Paul VI to Virgilio Noè (10 April 1971)

Recent Posts

  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)
  • Involving Women in the Communion?
  • “Toward a More Sacred Style With Pastoral Charity” • Guest Article by Dr. Myrna Keough

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