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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Simplest “Agnus Dei” Ever Published
    Our choir is on break during the month of July. I needed a relatively simple “Agnus Dei,” so I composed this setting for organ & voice in honor of Saint René Goupil. It has been called the simplest setting ever composed. I love CARMEN GREGORIANUM (“Gregorian Chant”), especially the ALLELUIAS, INTROITS, and COMMUNION ANTIPHONS. That being said, some have pointed out that certain sections of the Kyriale aren’t as strong as the Graduale or Vesperale. There’s a reason for this—but it would be too complicated to explain at this moment.
    —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 choir shall henceforth sing or say no anthems of our Lady or other Saints, but only of our Lord, and then not in Latin; but choosing out the best and most sounding to Christian religion they shall turn the same into English, setting thereunto a plain and distinct note for every syllable one: they shall sing them and none other.”

— 1548 Edict of King Edward VI (a heretic) for Lincoln Cathedral

Recent Posts

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  • Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
  • Pope Saint Paul VI to Consilium (14 October 1968)

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