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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

    A Nice Hymn In Spanish
    In my humble opinion, this is a really beautiful hymn in Spanish. If I practice diligently, I’ll be able to pronounce all the words properly. If you’re someone who’s interested in obtaining a melody only version (suitable for your congregational ORDER OF WORSHIP) you can steal that from this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 21st in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Our choir returns on Sunday, 24 August 2025. Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for it, which is the 21st 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. When it comes to the feast of the Assumption (15 August 2025), I have uploaded the music list for that Mass—but not the “bi-lingual” Mass in the evening (Spanish, Latin, and English) which has completely different music.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Entrance Chant” • 21st Sunday Ordin. Time
    You can download the ENTRANCE ANTIPHON in English for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) which is coming up on 24 August 2025. Corresponding to the vocalist score is this free organ accompaniment. It’s set in a melancholy mode, but if you heard my choir’s female voices singing it your soul would be uplifted beyond belief. If you’re someone who enjoys rehearsal videos, this morning I tried to sing it while simultaneously accompanying my voice on the pipe organ.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    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

Random Quote

“The council did not say Latin should be abolished. It said Latin should be used. […] While at Ecclesia Dei, I once received a letter from a chancery office in the United States, asking me if I didn’t know that the council had abolished Latin!”

— Cardinal Mayer, Prefect (1985–1988) of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship

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