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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

Living with Uncertainty

Richard J. Clark · January 3, 2014

RJC_912_Prodigal_Son from “The Return of the Prodigal Son” (Rembrandt) O MATTER WHO YOU ARE, life brings uncertainty. But as the saying goes, there are two things that are certain: death and taxes. There is also a third: the Cross. We all carry crosses, some unique that no one else will possibly understand. Yet we serve God and each other through the very crosses we carry. Here is what is certain: we will carry one cross or another until we die. This is not morbid, but rather a joyful reminder that through suffering, we serve God and each other all the days of our lives.

This week, a busy time during the Christmas Season, one may reflect upon events past and hope for the future. One week alone, no less an entire year, may bring a roller coaster of emotions. This has been such a week.

Christmas day brought the tragic news of the death of a family member, much too young and much too sudden. So my liturgical preparation has included not only my job, but now my family. My family lifts a heavy heart alongside an ever-increasing appreciation for the gift of life.

But blessings come and go. Crosses are plentiful. Uncertainty makes life scary. No one is immune from ultimate uncertainty. Yet, there is a certainty to be found in God: No matter who you are, rich or poor, lowly sinner or saint, these words are prayed (hopefully sung) in the funeral mass:

May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem. May choirs of angels welcome you and lead you to the bosom of Abraham; and where Lazarus is poor no longer may you find eternal rest.

Be certain: God’s welcome is the same for everyone, especially for the lowly. I find this beautifully astounding every time I sing these words. In the funeral mass we pray for the deceased. Those of us on earth must continue to pray unceasingly. But like the father of the Prodigal Son, God welcomes the sinner, who like Lazarus, is no longer poor and finds eternal rest. Know that God, who is the Lover of Souls, is infinitely merciful.


HE MUNDANE CAN BRING redemption and lift the spirit. Composing often heals a heavy heart, as does the work of liturgical preparation, strangely enough. Although last minute, I hope the offering below may be of some service. As the Wise men looked East, they encountered uncertainty in their search for the Newborn King. They encountered uncertainty in a dream to avoid Herod and return another way. At the center of this uncertainty was faith in the certainty of God.

Free Download:
PDF • Vidimus stellam | Communion Antiphon | Epiphany of the Lord | for Schola, SATB, Organ

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Requiem, Singing the Mass Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

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

“It is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time at peril of being judged not to have lived.”

— Oliver Wendell Holmes

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  • (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
  • PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
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