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Views from the Choir Loft

To God Who Giveth Joy To My Youth

Cynthia Ostrowski · September 15, 2015

LAST SUNDAY’S Communion antiphon said “O God, from my youth thou hast taught me.” At the beginning of Mass, the priest prays: “I will go in to the altar of God; to God, who giveth joy to my youth.” Here’s a beautiful reflection on these words:

EHOLD THE YOUNG PRIEST with the holy oils fresh upon his consecrated hands. The moment for which he has been longing has arrived: he stands before the holy altar. He signs himself with the sacred Cross and the first exultant words that escape his lips are: “I will go unto the altar of God, unto, God, who giveth joy to my youth!”—beautiful expression of a soul that has clung to God, who has led him to the mount of sacrifice; heavenly expression of love for God, for whom he has despised all worldly and sinful pleasures, to find his joy in Him.

Day after day these words surge up from the heart of the minister of God. Years pass. Maturity is reached with its experience, and perhaps, honors. Old age steals on, with its rich harvest and its peculiar trials, yet the same lips pronounce the same exultant words: “I will go unto the altar of God, unto God, who giveth joy to my youth.” And when the Anointed of the Lord shall stand at the threshold of eternity, when the vision of the Immolated Lamb shall break upon his purified soul in all its dazzling beauty, his lips will once more exclaim: “I will go unto the altar of God, who giveth joy to my youth!” But now his feet must still tread the weary paths of earth; and mindful of his own weakness, the priest continues the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar…

The following pictures which remind of youth’s joys:

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: 1936 The Heart Of The Mass Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Cynthia Ostrowski

Cynthia Ostrowski holds a bachelor's degree (2005) in Geographic Information Science and a minor in Computer Science from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

Quick Thoughts

    “Glory To God” • (For Choir + Congregation)
    I wish to thank everyone for the nice comments I received vis-à-vis my Glory To God setting for Choir & Congregation. A gentleman with a musical doctorate from Indiana University wrote: “Love this setting so much. And I will pray, as you asked, for your return to composition more fully. You are very very good.” A female choir director wrote: “I love your harmonizations, your musicality, and the wonderful interplay you have with dissonance and consonance in your music. So fun to listen to, and great for intellect, heart, and soul!” A young woman from California wrote: “Thank you for releasing your new Glory To God in honor of Saint Noel Chabanel. I'm enjoying reading through the various parts and listening to your recordings.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    William Byrd • “Mass for Five Voices”
    Our volunteer choir is learning the “Sanctus” from William Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices. You can hear a short excerpt (recorded last Sunday) but please ignore the sound of babies crying: Mp3 recording. We still have work to do—but we’re on the right track. Once we have some of the tuning issues fixed, I desire to use it as an example proving volunteers can sing complicated polyphony.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Baptism” • A Unique Hymn
    Father Christopher Phillips is the founding Pastor of Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church. One of his hymns is unique and (in my humble opinion) quite beautiful. His hymn is basically a prayer to the Holy Trinity but also speaks of Baptism and the Holy Eucharist. It would be an ideal Communion hymn on Trinity Sunday or the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. You can hear live recording from last Sunday by clicking here.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

When you consider that the greatest hymns ever written—the plainchant hymns—are pushing the age of eight hundred and that the noble chorale hymn tunes of Bach date from the early eighteenth century, then what is the significance of the word “old” applied to “Mother at Thy Feet Is Kneeling”? Most of the old St. Basil hymns date from the Victorian era, particularly the 1870s and 1880s.

— Paul Hume (1956)

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