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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

Fruitful Virginity

Fr. David Friel · January 1, 2014

HE COLLECT for today’s solemnity contains a very beautiful phrase. Speaking about the Blessed Mother, the oration references her “fruitful virginity,” which is a rather interesting thing to say. (Notably, this phrase was overlooked entirely by the former translation of the missal.)

“Fruitful virginity” is the same as saying “Virgin Mother,” both of which appear to be oxymorons. An oxymoron is a combination of words that have opposite meanings. It doesn’t seem like the words “fruitful” and “virginity” could ever describe the same person. And yet, in Mary, they do.

That the Son of God was borne into this world through a Virgin should remind us a bit of the creation story. We say that God created the world ex nihilo. In much the same way, Mary conceives and bears a Son “out of nothing,” with the assistance of the Holy Spirit instead of a man.

There is another Old Testament passage that comes to mind, as well. In the Book of Exodus, chapter 3, we read about Moses on Mount Horeb, where God manifests Himself to Moses through a burning bush. Moses heard the voice of the Lord calling to him, and the voice came from the bush. So he took a closer look and noticed that, despite the flames, the bush, itself, was not being consumed.

If the bush had simply been burning, that would not have been remarkable. I’m sure that was a frequent sight out in the desert. But Moses rightly says this is a “remarkable sight” (Exodus 3:3), because the bush was on fire yet was not being consumed. That right there is an image of “fruitful virginity.” Without losing anything of itself, the bush that Moses saw brought forth flames and so served as an image of God, Who creates “out of nothing” and Mary, who conceives a Child as a Virgin.

Why is it important that Mary should display “fruitful virginity”? Because motherhood and virginity are the two glories of womanhood. In the natural order, there is no way for any woman to retain both throughout the entire course of her life. It is one or the other. The vocation to motherhood and the vocation to consecrated virginity are both beautiful, but both cannot subsist in one person at the same time. With Mary, however, it is not an either-or proposition. She is both Virgin and Mother. Thus, she can be a model for every woman.

Friends, “fruitful virginity” is not just a striking phrase; it is a description of the way we are all meant to live. Whether you’re a parent with ten children or a high school student or a celibate priest, all of us are called to bring forth life by our single-hearted devotion to God. We are called to bring forth Christ in our own words and actions and so draw Him out of those around us.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, you brought forth for us our Savior, while still ever remaining a Virgin. Help us, also, to bring Jesus into this world, which longs so much for Him!

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 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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President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    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’ regarding the 1960s switch to a wider use (amplior locus) of vernacular in the liturgy.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “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 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

Random Quote

Tournemire could be charming or he could bite your head off. One day I could not replace him at St. Clotilde because I had a wedding to play at another church. Tournemire played on Sunday, period—that was all. He did not play weddings and so forth. (He put all that on my back.) So I went to Tournemire’s house to tell him, “Master, I am sorry but, for once, I cannot replace you. I have another obligation to fulfill.” He said, “Get out of here!” I left for good.

— Testimony of Maurice Duruflé

Recent Posts

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  • False Accusations
  • (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
  • PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
  • “Can Choral Music Survive?” • 3 Reasons It Will

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