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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

Can You Love Liturgy Too Much?

Jeff Ostrowski · April 6, 2015

061 Tenebrae OLY WEEK with the FSSP here in Los Angeles was unforgettable. The Easter Vigil, which began at 11:00pm, was conducted in complete darkness (until the Gloria), except for the light of candles. The darkness helped our minds focus. As the Exsultet was being sung, these words caught my attention:

“O inæstimábilis diléctio caritátis: ut servum redímeres, Fílium tradidísti!”
The precious favor of Thy love delivered up to death Thine only Son to buy back a slave’s life.

Giving up one’s child can only be fully appreciated by a parent, and this hit me like never before. Moreover, I began to feel utterly unworthy to be in God’s presence. In a few moments, I would enter the Sanctuary—along with another cantor, both of us wearing cassock & surplice—kneel down, and begin leading the Litany of the Saints. I was quite uncomfortable entering the Sanctuary; I would have preferred to hide under a rock.

At that moment, I realized the Liturgy is a type of SHIELD, helping us approach God without being obliterated by His Purity. Nothing we sinners can do will “earn” our salvation according to strict justice. Yet, fulfilling our role in the liturgy—praising God according to the ancient rites of the Church—is pleasing to Him, and this gave me comfort. I did not run from the Church; I sang the Litany as best I could.

According to Rocco Palmo, someone associated with the Congregation for Divine Worship recently intimated they will take the following approach to liturgy:

“Go by the book. Don’t make a fuss about it. And remember that liturgy’s always a means to an end—not an end in itself.”

Anyone with a rudimentary theological knowledge understands that liturgy is not an end in itself. 1 On the other hand, we ought to pay careful attention to the liturgy and perform our actions as perfectly as we can.

I USED TO ASSUME THAT ANYONE who denigrates the Traditional Latin Mass de facto had evil intentions. In recent years, I’m more inclined to think it’s a misunderstanding. Those who have little experience with the Extraordinary Form often characterize things in way I find utterly perplexing. They’ll take innocent actions—such as receiving Holy Communion kneeling or wearing traditional Church vestments—and explain them in ways I never imagined after decades of attending the EF. It reminds me of the comedian who explained the etymology of MANKIND by breaking it into fundamental parts: “mank” and “ind.”

Consider the words of Msgr. Francis Mannion, who has been horrified 2 to observe the resurgence of the Traditional Mass:

“I must say that having attended a number of Tridentine celebrations in recent years, I have been left with the impression that it is the ritual—rather than God—who is being worshipped. There can be a kind of idolatry here.”

Imagine a young boy wishing to please his father by carefully polishing his shoes. Is it really “idolatry,” or is it a child showing love to the parent? More than 1,200 people attended our EF Holy Week services; I would be reluctant to accuse a single one of idolatry.



NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

1   Traditionally, Catholics use the acronym “TARP” to remember the four ends: Thanksgiving, Adoration, Reparation, and Petition. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen has reminded us that “TARP” comes close to matching the order of importance, too!

2   To be fair, many critics of the Extraordinary Form went to the seminary at a time when the Old Testament was deëmphasized and are, therefore, unaware of the “ritualism” (to use one of Msgr. Mannion’s favorite words) of the Jewish ceremonies.

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 Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    (Part 2) • Did they simplify this hymn?
    Choirs love to sing the resplendent tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1929, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. Their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Father Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1929 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. As always, the Germans added an organ INTRODUCTION. For the record, I posted a different harmonization a few months ago which was downloaded more than 2,000 times.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF • “Lectionary Comparison Chart”
    Various shell corporations (in an effort to make money selling Sacred Scripture) have tinkered with the LECTIONARY texts in a way that’s shameful. It’s no wonder Catholics in the pews know so few Bible passages by heart. Without authorization, these shell corporations pervert the official texts. Consider the Responsorial Psalm for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year A). If you download this PDF comparison chart you’ll notice each country randomly omits certain sections. Such tinkering has gone on for 60+ years—and it’s reprehensible.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Monsignor Klaus Gamber Speaks!
    An interesting quotation from the eminent liturgist, Monsignor Klaus Gamber (d. 1989): “According to canon law, a person’s affiliation with a particular liturgical rite is determined by that person’s rite of baptism. Given that the liturgical reforms of Pope Paul VI created a de facto new rite, one could assert that those among the faithful who were baptized according to the traditional Roman rite have the right to continue following that rite; just as priests who were ordained according to the traditional Ordo have the right to exercise the very rite that they were ordained to celebrate.”
    —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 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

Bishops have a duty towards both wise and foolish. They have to rouse the devotion of the carnal people with material ornament, since they are incapable of spiritual things.

— St. Bernard of Clairvaux (†1153)

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