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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: 5th Sunday of Lent (Year A)

Guest Author · April 6, 2014

LL THREE READINGS from the Bible today speak of death and resurrection. However not all three speak of it in the same way. Some of them speak of death and resurrection in a metaphorical way and one of them in a very literal way. I’m sure you would know the answer if I were to ask which speaks of a resurrection from the dead in a very literal way. Since this is not a classroom, I will give you the answer and that is the third reading, the Gospel which literally speaks of Lazarus being dead and Jesus bringing him back to life again.

What about the other readings? In the first reading the prophet Ezekiel is prophesying how the Jews will return to their own land after being taken away captive. It will be as if those who had died in captivity will return to their own land and begin all over again. Now this did not literally happen, but the success of the Jews, when they return will be so great, that it will seem to have happened. Now the Bible here is not being false or untrue. We even have from official declarations from the Church that parts of the Bible are to be understood in a metaphorical sense. If that word metaphor is causing you problems, the thing to do is go to the dictionary. That is what I did and found that a metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness or analogy between them. It is figurative language, e.g. when we say a computer has a memory. Sometimes people will say they feel like a new man or person after they have had an operation. I know I did after my first by-pass operation, and it served me well for twenty two years.

The Responsorial Psalm: It would not surprise me that this metaphor of the graves being opened and the dead returning to their native land was the thought behind the choice of the De Profundis Psalm for the responsorial psalm for this occasion. That psalm, together with the Miserere is mostly associated with the Liturgy for the deceased, at least in the Traditional Liturgy.

The Second Reading: The second reading speaks of life in the flesh and life in the spirit. St. Paul quite bluntly says that if your life is in the flesh, then your life in the spirit is dead. Life in the flesh is simply another way of saying life in sin, especially mortal sin. Perhaps as children we learned that mortal sin kills the life of grace in the soul. In some respects we have to say that was a metaphor. But in other respects it is literally quite true. If we die with un-repented mortal sin we will not be able to live with Christ for all eternity. Believe me; I am not speaking metaphorically now. I am speaking quite literally. I sometimes wonder if children even in our Catholic grade schools are taught this anymore. I know it doesn’t fit in with some people’s notion of a ‘lovey-dovey’ Jesus. Yes Jesus is as kind and merciful as one could ever find. But when we confess our sins, He at least expects that we try to avoid sin in the future. Now how can people who are living in a sinful life-style, for example an invalid marriage or a same-sex marriage, say or convince themselves that they have a firm purpose of amendment, or put in simpler language that they are going to try and not sin again? Words must mean something different to them than they mean in the dictionary! Not even the Pope can dispense someone from having a firm purpose of amendment. Or to use the language in St. Paul’s epistle selection, not even the Pope can give someone permission “to live according to the flesh.” Fortunately everyone has the means at their disposal to come back to life again, at least spiritually.

The Gospel: St. Augustine points out that there are only three recorded instances when Christ brought someone back to life: 1) the daughter of Jairus; 2) the son of the widow of Maim; and 3) Lazarus, brother of Mary & Martha. Countless are the ones whom Christ brought back to life from spiritual death and in some respects these are even greater miracles. Had our Lord succeeded in effecting a change of heart in many of His enemies that probably would have been a greater miracle than bringing Lazarus back to life. These people had possibly witnessed some of our Lord’s miracles, for example the multiplication of the loaves and fish. More than likely they had heard of His cures, his raising of Lazarus from the dead, or the daughter of Jairus. And yet they simply would not believe. Spiritual writers say that was the reason He did not appear to them after the Resurrection. They still would not have believed; it just would have made their sin worse.

As I have often had reason to say: We are not here to judge others, but to examine and change our own lives. Are there any areas where we might have some hardness of heart? Maybe it isn’t in real serious matters. But it may well be something that we would prefer not to take to the grave with us. Now is the time to get rid of it. Tomorrow may be too late!


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 Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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 pope regrets that this trade in African slaves, that he believed having ceased, is still exercised in some regions and even more cruel way. He begs and begs the King of Portugal that it implement all its authority and wisdom to extirpate this unholy and abominable shame.”

— ‘Pope Pius VII, writing to the King of Portugal’

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  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
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