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Views from the Choir Loft

Being Amazed

Fr. David Friel · March 16, 2014

ANY CHANGES were ushered in with the Third Edition of the Roman Missal in English. Among them, one of my favorites is the inclusion of a unique “Prayer over the People” with the orations for each day of Lent. These prayers are optional, but I like to use them because of the richness of their theology and because they contribute to the sense that Lent is a sacred time unlike the rest of the year.

The “Prayer over the People” appointed for today, the Second Sunday of Lent, is striking. Drawing upon the Gospel of the Transfiguration, it addresses the subject of beauty. The text of the prayer is as follows:

Bless your faithful, we pray, O Lord, with a blessing that endures for ever, and keep them faithful to the Gospel of your Only Begotten Son, so that they may always desire and at last attain that glory whose beauty he showed in his own Body, to the amazement of his Apostles. Through Christ our Lord.

The fullness of Beauty, we are to understand, was on display atop Mt. Tabor in the Body of our Lord. What must that experience have been like? Every artist has experienced moments in which his or her breath was taken away by beauty. It can happen while standing in front of a Rembrandt, or while listening to the string section of an orchestra, or while standing at the conductor’s podium before a polyphonic choir; it can happen while picking flowers, or while watching sunrise, or while meeting a stranger. But, none of these beauties are the fullness of Beauty.

What was the reaction of the chosen three who witnessed the Transfiguration? We are told that their reaction was “amazement.” How long has it been since you were truly “amazed” by the beauty of something or someone?

This could be a great Lenten discipline. What if we set out to be amazed at least once a week, in a truly profound manner? It would require exceptional sensitivity, developed interiority, and adequate silence on our part. Attempting to be “amazed” at this level might be too difficult to accomplish once a day, but perhaps once a week would be an approachable goal.

To be amazed in the same way that Peter, James, and John were amazed would, indeed, be a blessing on all people!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty, Roman Missal Third Edition Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served as Parochial Vicar at Saint Anselm Church in Northeast Philly before earning a doctorate in liturgical theology at The Catholic University of America. He presently serves as Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

Alabama Assessment!

We received this evaluation of Symposium 2022 from an Alabama participant:

“Oh, how the Symposium echoed the words of Cardinal Merry Del Val: …choosing only what is most conformed to Thy glory, which is my final aim. In one short and fast paced week, the faculty and attendees showed me the hand of God and our Lady working in our lives. The wide range of education—from Gregorian Chant, jazz modes in organ improvisation, to ‘staying sane’ while leading a choir—were certainly first-class knowledge from the best teachers of the art. However, the most powerful lesson was learning how to pray as a choir. The sacrifice of putting songs together, taking time to learn the sacred text, meditating on the church teaching through the chants, and gaining the virtues required to persevere in these duties were not only qualities of a choir but of a saint. The sanctification of the lives of the attendees was a beautiful outcome of this event … and that in itself is worth more than a beautifully-sung Solesmes style chant!”

—Jeff Ostrowski
PDF Download • Trinity Sunday (22 pages)

Feel free to download this Organ Accompaniment Booklet for Trinity Sunday (Second Vespers). Notice how the modes progress by number. Psalm 1 is mode 1; Psalm 2 is mode 2; Psalm 3 is mode 3; Psalm 4 is mode 4; Psalm 5 is mode 5. I am told by an expert that other feasts (such as Corpus Christi) are likewise organized by mode, and it’s called a “numerical office.”

—Jeff Ostrowski
10 June 2022 • “Official” rhythm of plainsong

I continue to search for the most beautiful way to present the “pure” Editio Vaticana scores. (Technically, the “pure” rhythm of the official edition is what everyone is supposed to use.) You can download my latest attempt, which is the Introit for this coming Sunday: Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. Because this is not an ancient feast, the Introit had to be adapted (perhaps around 750AD). Prior Johner says the adaptation is “not an entirely happy one.”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The following few hints on the selection of voices may be useful: (1) Reject all boys who speak roughly, or sing coarsely; (2) Choose bright, intelligent-looking boys, provided they have a good ear; they will much more readily respond to the choirmaster’s efforts than boys who possess a voice and nothing more; therefore, (3) Reject dull, sulky, or scatter-brained boys, since it is hard to say which of the three has the most demoralizing effect on his more willing companions.”

— Sir Richard Runciman Terry (1912)

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