• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

We’re a 501(c)3 public charity established in 2006. We have no endowment, no major donors, no savings, and run no advertisements. We exist solely by the generosity of small donors.

  • Donate
  • Our Team
    • Our Editorial Policy
    • Who We Are
    • How To Contact Us
    • Sainte Marie Bulletin Articles
  • Pew Resources
    • Brébeuf Catholic Hymnal
    • Jogues Illuminated Missal
    • KYRIALE • Saint Antoine Daniel
    • Campion Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Repository • “Spanish Music”
    • Ordinary Form Feasts (Sainte-Marie)
  • MUSICAL WEBSITES
    • René Goupil Gregorian Chant
    • Noël Chabanel Psalms
    • Nova Organi Harmonia (2,279 pages)
    • Roman Missal, 3rd Edition
    • Catechism of Gregorian Rhythm
    • Father Enemond Massé Manuscripts
    • Lalemant Polyphonic
  • Miscellaneous
    • Site Map
    • Secrets of the Conscientious Choirmaster
    • “Wedding March” for lazy organists
    • Emporium Kevin Allen
    • Saint Jean de Lalande Library
    • Sacred Music Symposium 2023
    • The Eight Gregorian Modes
    • Gradual by Pothier’s Protégé
    • Seven (7) Considerations
Views from the Choir Loft

Novus Ordo Can Be Done Well!

Andrew Leung · May 14, 2015

CTL Novus Ordo can be done Well HANKS TO our beloved Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, the Extraordinary Form Mass of the Roman Rite can be said by any priest at anytime now. And it is being said throughout the whole world now. However, a new “problem” is coming up. Have you said or heard others say something like: “the Extraordinary Form (EF) is just better than the Ordinary Form (OF)”; or “the OF is done so bad and it is not even valid”; or other similar words and negative ideas of the Mass? The reality is that our Lord is present at every valid Mass and the miracle of Transubstantiation happens at both EF and OF. The priest acts as Christ himself—in persona Christi—in the Mass whether it is EF or OF. Having preferences is fine, but to dislike one of the Forms itself may be a problem.

In the recent time of the Church’s history, a very holy priest wrote this famous line:

“The Mass is long,” you say, and I reply: “Because your love is short.”|

And yes, the holy priest is St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei and my favorite saint. This line is from his book The Way. He has a great love for the Liturgy and he encourages everyone else to have the same love. Under his guidance, the priests of Opus Dei devote their lives saying the Novus Ordo Mass faithfully and in a very traditional way. This video of their 2015 Ordination reminds me of how well they celebrate the Mass. But what I really want to share is the video below. This is the highlights of the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Beatification of Álvaro del Portillo, the successor of St. Josemaría. It was celebrated in Madrid by Bishop Echevarría Rodríguez in Madrid back in September of 2014:


The video of the whole Mass can be found here. I noticed a few things from this Mass that we don’t always see in the OF Mass:

• The noble simplicity of the Bishop’s vestments and the setup of the sanctuary|
• The Mass was sung in Latin; the Bishop chanted all the prayers and the dialogues|
• The homily was given from the “throne”|
• The Bishop held his fingers together when holding the chalice and after the Consecration|
• Communion was received kneeling and on the tongue; patens were used at all the stations

If you like watching the videos of Masses with Pope Benedict, you will like watching this Mass too. The Novus Ordo can be done well and this is a great example. It was celebrated recently, publicly, and in the presence of so many Catholic prelates.

Those interested in St. Josemaría and the Liturgy will enjoy the following three short paragraphs, taken from The Way :

Show veneration and respect for the holy liturgy of the Church and for its ceremonies. Observe them faithfully. Don’t you see that, for us poor humans, even what is greatest and most noble enters through the senses?

The Church sings, it has been said, because just speaking wouldn’t satisfy its desires for prayer. You, as a Christian—and a chosen Christian—should learn to sing the liturgical chant.

“Let’s burst into song!” said a soul in love, after seeing the wonders that our Lord was working through his ministry. And the same advice I give to you: Sing! Let your grateful enthusiasm for your God overflow into joyous song.




NOTES FROM THIS ARTICLE:

Editor’s Note • There is a rumor that St. Josemaría Escrivá offered the 1962 Missal exclusively. If this is true, it does not have an important bearing upon this beautiful article by Andrew Leung, since he focuses on the Opus Dei priests. The Opus Dei priests offer the Ordinary Form.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Josemaria Escriva Novus Ordo Liturgy Last Updated: January 1, 2020

Subscribe

It greatly helps us if you subscribe to our mailing list!

* indicates required

About Andrew Leung

Andrew Leung currently serves the music director of Vox Antiqua, conductor of the Cecilian Singers, and music director at Our Lady of China Church.—(Read full biography).

Primary Sidebar

Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Booklet of Eucharistic Hymns” (16 pages)
    I was asked to create a booklet for my parish to use during our CORPUS CHRISTI PROCESSION on 22 June 2025. Would you be willing to look over the DRAFT BOOKLET (16 pages) I came up with? I tried to include a variety of hymns: some have a refrain; some are in major, others in minor; some are metered, others are plainsong; some are in Spanish, some are in Latin, but most are in English. Normally, we’d use the Brébeuf Hymnal—but we can’t risk having our congregation carry those heavy books all over the city to various churches.
    —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

“Vatican II did not say anything about the direction of the celebrant. […] I love both directions of celebrating Mass. Both are full of meaning for me. Both help me to encounter Christ—and that is, after all, the purpose of the liturgy.”

— Christoph Cardinal Schönborn (February 2007)

Recent Posts

  • Hidden Gem: Ascendit Deus (Dalitz)
  • PDF Download • Soprano Descant — “Hail, Holy Queen Enthroned Above”
  • “Dom Jausions had a skilled hand. His transcriptions are masterpieces of neatness & precision.”
  • Pope Leo XIV pays tribute to Palestrina
  • PDF Download • Palestrina’s “Ave Maria”

Subscribe

Subscribe

* indicates required

Copyright © 2025 Corpus Christi Watershed · Isaac Jogues on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Corpus Christi Watershed is a 501(c)3 public charity dedicated to exploring and embodying as our calling the relationship of religion, culture, and the arts. This non-profit organization employs the creative media in service of theology, the Church, and Christian culture for the enrichment and enjoyment of the public.

The election of Pope Leo XIV has been exciting, and we’re filled with hope for our apostolate’s future!

But we’re under pressure to transfer our website to a “subscription model.”

We don’t want to do that. We believe our website should remain free to all.

Our president has written the following letter:

President’s Message (dated 30 May 2025)

Are you able to support us?

clock.png

Time's up