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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

Homily: 2nd Sunday of Lent (Year A)

Guest Author · March 16, 2014

N BOTH THE ORDINARY and the Extraordinary form of the Liturgy, the Gospel about Jesus’ Transfiguration is read on this Sunday. This practice goes so far back in history that no one knows for sure when the practice started. We can only speculate as to the reasons why. The most likely reason would be very similar to the reason that Jesus had in showing Himself to his apostles in all his glory, or as he is going to appear to all of us in heaven. It certainly was to prepare them for what was soon to come in His passion and death. I don’t want to sound disrespectful, but with the exception of St. John it seems the other two apostles seemed to forget about this when the going got tough for Jesus. But as the famous quote from Pope Francis goes, “Who am I to judge?” We probably would have acted more like St. Peter and the other apostles during our Lord’s sufferings and death than we would have acted like St. John.

I do think that today’s Gospel incident offers us a good opportunity for some catechesis on the notion of heaven. I hate to have to say it, but I fear many Catholics’ notion of heaven is a very negative thing. Extremely put, I once heard it said that few people would be interested in going to heaven if there were no hell! Maybe that is putting it too harshly and negatively, and if it be true in some cases, it is due to misinformation or poor instruction. Pope Francis and the Bishops are speaking of a need for a new Evangelization or a Re-evangelization. That big word simply means knowing our Catholic Faith. Authorities in the Church are waking up to the fact that for about the last fifty years the people have been poorly catechized or taught their Catholic religion. Unfortunately this happened even in Catholic schools where parents thought their children were being taught the Catholic Faith. It even affected some seminaries which produced poorly trained or educated priests. Fortunately this is beginning to turn around, but we have a long way to go before the situation is truly rectified. Pardon the expression, but some parents who ‘smelled a rat’ were the ones who rightfully assumed the education of their children by home-schooling. Some too refuge in some privately organized orthodox school. But I do think home-schooling was the most practical solution for most.

So is it any wonder that people have little or no idea of what heaven is? And if that is the case, why work so hard to get there? I don’t deny the fact that it takes faith to believe in heaven; it takes faith to want to go to heaven. Our so-called old-fashioned, out-dated catechisms very wisely said that God made us to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world, so that we might be happy with Him forever in heaven. It wasn’t an accident that the ‘know’ part came first. You can’t love or serve anyone unless you first know them. Our poor people today are missing out because of their poor catechesis in the basic knowing required. In heaven we will know and love God as He really is. But how can we want to love and serve Him in this world if we first don’t know about Him?

UR KNOWING GOD IN HEAVEN will be perfect or complete, or ‘face to face’ as the catechism and the Bible put it. If I only knew you for example, by letters that we had written, or nowadays by emails, or even only by telephone conversations, I would not know you ‘face to face’ because I had never really met you. Our knowing God on this earth is very imperfect. St. Peter and the other two apostles got a temporary glimpse of what it was like to see Christ in all His glory. That is why St. Peter wanted to stay there. And that is what awaits us also. We can’t really describe in words how wonderful it will be. There are passages in the Bible that attempt to do this. We are told “there will be no more sorrow, and every tear will be wiped away.” Of course that is something that we can somewhat understand. But then St. Paul tells us after he had a vision of heaven that ”eye has not seen, nor hear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Another aspect of heaven that people frequently wonder about is what I call the ‘societal’ nature of heaven. This refers to the fact that in heaven we will be reunited with our loved ones. I do believe this is an aspect that we can more readily understand. I especially look forward to meeting my sister and two brothers whom I never met because they died before I was born. Compared to our enjoying God, I’ll admit this will be minor, but it still can be a consideration.

I mentioned before the need for faith to believe in heaven and therefore to really want to go to heaven. Unfortunately the world around us isn’t concerned about heaven, primarily because it doesn’t even know that much about heaven. I’m sure that God will take that into consideration in judging them. But people would actually be living not only a holier, but even a happier life even now if they lived in a way that they were always conscious that their true home and goal was heaven. I’ve witnessed this when privileged to visit a convent of cloistered Carmelite nuns. They have given their lives and themselves to Jesus and it seems that Jesus has already allowed them to share some of the joy of heaven.

No heaven without the Cross: The Church has lived through turbulent times in the past and survived, and I’m sure the same thing will happen again. In the last fifty years, the Church has gone through some rather great difficulties. We are only now beginning to assess the damage. I can’t predict if the worst is over or if greater trials are still to come. But as Jesus told St. Paul: “My grace is sufficient for thee.” I don’t believe in suffering for things that have never happened. When they do happen, God will give the grace. The Liturgy in the Ordinary form presents God’s promise to Abraham to be a great nation. At that time Abraham had no children. But he did have great trust in God. We too need trust in God that in His mercy He will get us to heaven. In the Epistle for the Latin Mass St. Paul encourages the Christians not to be like the Gentiles who know not God. We may be sinners at times, but we do know God. And that is why so often in the liturgy we pray for God’s mercy. It is true that none of us will ever deserve to go to heaven, but hopefully out of God’s mercy, we will all go to heaven and be with God for all eternity.


We hope you enjoyed this homily by Fr. Valentine Young, OFM.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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President’s Corner

    PDF Download • “Offertory” for this Sunday
    This coming Sunday, 12 October 2025, is the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). Its OFFERTORY ANTIPHON (PDF) is gorgeous, and comes from the book of Esther, as did the ENTRANCE CHANT last Sunday. Depending on a variety of factors, various hand-missals (all with Imprimatur) translate this passage differently. For instance, “príncipis” can be rendered: King; Prince; Lion; or Fierce lord. None is “more correct” than another. It depends on what each translator wants to emphasize and which source text is chosen. All these pieces of plainsong are conveniently stored at the blue-ribbon feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF example) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —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 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

“Iconographic tradition has theologically interpreted the manger and the swaddling cloths in terms of the theology of the Fathers. The child stiffly wrapped in bandages is seen as prefiguring the hour of his death: from the outset, he is the sacrificial victim, as we shall see more closely when we examine the reference to the first-born. The manger, then, was seen as a kind of altar.”

— Pope Benedict XVI (2012)

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