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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

Three Years Later

Fr. David Friel · November 30, 2014

HE SEASON OF ADVENT arrives today, bringing with it a whole new “Year of Grace.” Perhaps we should use this phrase, “Year of Grace,” more frequently, as I think it is fuller & richer than simply speaking about the start of a new “liturgical year.” It’s not that there is anything wrong with the idea of the liturgical year and its various cycles; it’s just that “Year of Grace” sounds so less calendar-based.

At any rate, today we call to mind the words of Isaiah, the great Advent prophet: “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down!” This is a sentiment that so many people in history have shared: the people of Israel, your ancestors, my ancestors, probably even the cavemen. They have all cried out to God, saying, “Oh, Lord, if you would just come down here!” It’s a human desire that is universal to every time & place: the desire to have God come down and be close to us.

The extraordinary thing for us, as Christians, is that God has done just that. He has “come down” here to Earth. That is the unbelievable reality we will celebrate on Christmas—what we might call Christ’s coming in history. But, it is important to remember that God’s coming down to Earth was not a once-and-done deal. The Lord comes to us in prayer, in the Sacraments, in the ordinary affairs of our daily lives, does He not? That is what we might call Christ’s coming in mystery. And, we believe, the Lord will come back to Earth at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. That is what we might call Christ’s coming in majesty. So, the fact that we weren’t alive at the time Jesus walked the Earth does not put us at a disadvantage. Christ came once in history, but He comes to us in mystery all the time, and He promises us that He is coming again in majesty.

It was three years ago today that the Roman Church in the Anglophone world began using the Roman Missal, Third Edition. To commemorate this occasion, I would like to reflect on how the three comings of Christ parallel three blessings I have experienced in the new Roman Missal.

IRST, this new translation has put us in touch with our history. There is no question that the words we now pray are more faithful to the Latin original than the texts of previous editions. Why is this important? Because these words & sentiments & images have been prayed by generations & generations of Catholics. These new prayers connect us with our great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents in a new and deeper way. They also connect us with all our brothers & sisters throughout the world who pray the same words & sentiments & images—just in other languages.

ECOND, this new translation has put us in touch with mystery. Some of the new words and phrases might not have been immediately understood by all Catholics worshippers at first glance. But that is not a bad thing. If anything in the Mass causes us to ask a question or wonder about what we mean—can that possibly be a bad thing? It is not necessary, for example, to understand at the outset and in completeness every Scriptural allusion made by the ordinary & proper prayers. There is a role for personal & group study, so that these texts can be understood more deeply. Everything that may have seemed at first mysterious has really been nothing more than an invitation—an invitation to greater, deeper understanding.

HIRD this new translation has certainly put us in touch with God’s majesty. We have all heard in the proclamation of these texts how sacred the new language is. And that, too, is good. The language we use at Mass should not be ordinary or everyday, pedestrian or colloquial. Our private prayer can be in informal, everyday language. But, when we gather as a community to celebrate the sacred liturgy, our language, too, should be sacred. The language of this Missal is beautiful, and the world is in dire need of true beauty. The beauty of these new prayers is a definite reminder to us of God’s majesty.

I have made no secret of my support for this Missal. In an article for Homiletic & Pastoral Review (Roman Missal 3.0: Updates Installed) and in numerous blog posts (for example, HERE, HERE, & HERE), I have praised, defended, & explored this new Missal. It is not, of course, above critique; there are changes I would make. On the whole, however, it is such a vast improvement over the previous Sacramentary that my overwhelming response is one of gratitude.

I am grateful to those who labored to bring us this Missal, and I am grateful to the Holy Spirit, Who guided their work. May Christ continue to come to us through these sacred words!

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Authentic Liturgical Renewal Reform, Beauty, Bishop Arthur J Serratelli Vox Clara, ICEL New Translation of the Roman Missal, Reform of the Reform, Roman Missal Third Edition 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

    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
    “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
    “Music List” • 27th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Readers have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I’ve prepared for 5 October 2025, which is the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). 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 spectacular feasts website alongside the official texts in Latin. Readers will want to check out the ENTRANCE CHANT posted there, which has a haunting melody (in the DEUTERUS MODE) and extremely powerful text.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“In chronological order, [Dom Pierre Combe] traces the Gregorian reform from its beginnings under Dom Guéranger in 1833, to the problems of the Vatican Commission on Sacred Music in the first decade of the 20th century. As one reads the topic headings and development of their content, one wonders how such an innocent and un-warlike subject such as Gregorian chant could have been the focal point of such an intense and continuing battle among scholars and churchmen for so many decades.”

— Dr. Theodore Marier (1968)

Recent Posts

  • “Three Reasons To Shun Bad Hymns” • Daniel B. Marshall
  • “Puzzling Comment” • By A Respected FSSP Priest
  • New Bulletin Article • “12 October 2025”
  • “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
  • “American Catholic Hymnal” (1991)

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