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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

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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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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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 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 propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —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 Catholic Church holds it better for the sun and moon to drop from heaven, for the earth to fail, and for all the many millions on it to die of starvation in extremest agony, as far as temporal affliction goes, than that one soul, I will not say, should be lost, but should commit one single venial sin, should tell one willful untruth, or should steal one poor farthing without excuse.”

— Saint John Henry Newman (1865)

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