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Views from the Choir Loft

St. Joseph, Fatherhood, and Inclusive Language

Richard J. Clark · March 20, 2015

RJC_832_StJosephJesusMacManus “St. Joseph and the Child Jesus” Florida, USA (2007) Dony Mac Manus AM A MIDDLE AGED white man who has no credibility weighing in on the complex and sensitive issue of inclusive language. Working in parishes for nearly thirty years, I appreciate how important this topic is to many. The nature of language is ever changing. Awareness has changed. And then it changes again.

The USCCB has grappled over the years with many aspects of how to handle inclusive language. Various publishers have struggled, revising nearly all texts to be inclusive in the early 1990’s and in the last decade walking back many of those revisions. It is a hot-button topic I should not touch with a 100-foot pole.

But what is not at debate is the inclusive nature of the message of the Gospel. More than calling all men and women, the Gospel calls all sinners. None of us are exempt.

As Jesus spent most of his time with sinners, lowly fishermen, prostitutes, tax collectors, He in fact called them to service. Today, it is the margins of society, those disenfranchised, those most unattractive to us that that the Church must call to bring back into the fold of Christ’s love.

O, AS SOMEONE WHO CANNOT speak to the challenges of being a woman, a minority, poor, or on the margins of society, I can hopefully add some small perspective as a father.

I am daily amazed at the gift of my children. Oh, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The delightful photos we show our friends are not the picture of constant reality. Parenthood often brings a sense of desperation and even failure. But the day I became a father—a daddy—was the greatest day of my life. It’s scary, humbling, and God calls me, a man, to be a better and stronger person for the sake of my children.

Out of these experiences, I propose a different perspective upon encountering masculine pronouns in prayer and song, but especially in reference to Jesus’ relationship with God, the Father—whom He called “Abba” or “daddy”: Instead of thoughts of male privilege and entitlement, one may look more to St. Joseph, the great role model for all men and fathers—loving, humble protector, advocate, and possessor of great inner-strength, all in service to God.

Furthermore, remember that St. Joseph, like Mary his spouse, said “Yes” to God—all in less than ideal circumstances. And with Mary, he raised Jesus.

Try as we might, mere words are inadequate to express God, the Father’s love for us, his children. So are we called to love one another with a love that is beyond all telling.

You can learn more about the sacred art of Dony Mac Manus and his Sacred Art School in Firenze, Italy here.

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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Richard J. Clark

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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Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“The authority of the Pope is not unlimited. It is at the service of Sacred Tradition. Still less is any kind of general ‘freedom’ of manufacture, degenerating into spontaneous improvisation, compatible with the essence of faith and liturgy. The greatness of the liturgy depends—we shall have to repeat this frequently—on its lack of spontaneity.”

— Josef Cardinal Ratzinger (2000)

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