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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

Proclaiming Christ’s Kingship

Fr. David Friel · October 28, 2018

ESUS CHRIST is a matchless King. Solomon dressed in splendid clothes and built a magnificent temple; David led his army to victory in numerous battles; Pharaoh maintained an iron rule over the Egyptians and their Israelite slaves. Jesus, meanwhile, lay in a manger, shared meals with the poor and public sinners, and hung stripped and bloodied upon the Cross. Christ never looked very much like a King.

Even now, the Kingship of Christ is unique, inasmuch as the reign of God extends throughout both heaven and earth. Christ’s Kingdom is among us (Lk 17:21), as a present reality, and yet beyond us (Jn 18:36), as an eschatological reality. As the preface for the feast proclaims, the reign of God is “a kingdom of truth and life, a kingdom of holiness and grace, a kingdom of justice, love, and peace.”

All Christians, by virtue of their Baptism, are subjects of Christ’s benevolent Kingship. In addition to the many graces that flow from being Christ’s subject, this identity also entails responsibilities. Citizenship in the Kingdom of God (Phil 3:20) bestows, for example, a mission. This mission is not entrusted solely to bishops, priests, and deacons, nor is it the preserve of saints, scholars, and mystics who seem beyond the reach of ordinary people. All followers of Christ, rather, have a part to play in the realization of the Kingdom.

One of the most significant, difficult, and all-encompassing missions related to the Kingdom of God, in fact, is entrusted to the laity. According to the Second Vatican Council, the vocation of the lay faithful is to sanctify the world. In its dogmatic constitution on the Church, the Council teaches that the laity have the specific vocation of making the Church present and active in the world (Lumen gentium, no. 33). This teaching is further developed in the Council’s decree on the apostolate of the laity, which states that laypeople fulfill their mission by evangelizing and sanctifying people; by their lives, the laity are called to permeate and perfect the temporal order with the spirit of the Gospel (Apostolicam actuositatem, no. 2). The laity, in this vision, are bearers of a mission to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt 5:13-14).

Sanctifying the world, therefore, is not chiefly the task of chanceries or committees or curial officials. The sanctification of the world properly belongs to the apostolate of the laity. This extraordinary call to discipleship remains unchanged in every place, in every period, and in every person. It is the task of the laity to make the Father known, to allow the love of Christ to shine forth, and to become suitable temples for the Holy Spirit. The proclamation of the Kingdom, begun by Jesus in the countryside of Galilee, is extended through time and space by the Church, with particular reliance upon the gifts and zeal of her lay members.

HE ROMAN SOLDIER who nailed a placard to the Cross identifying Jesus as the “King of the Jews” did so as an act of sarcasm. Every Christian has the opportunity to make the same proclamation, not in mockery, but as an act of worship. By the manner of our lives and our commitment to the Gospel, we announce to all the world the joy and freedom that come from submitting ourselves to the sweet dominion of Christ the King.

This post is reprinted from the blog of the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty, where it first appeared.

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 Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    New Bulletin Article • “21 September 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 21 September 2025) discusses some theological items—supported by certain verses in ancient Catholic hymns—and ends by explaining why certain folks become delirious with jealousy when they observe feats by Monsignor Ronald Knox.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Cheap! Cheap! Cheap!
    It’s always amusing to see old diocesan newspapers—in huge capital letters—advertising the Cheapest Catholic Paper in the United States. The correspondent who sent this to me added: “I can think of certain composers, published by large companies in our own day, who could truthfully brag about the most tawdry compositions in the world!” I wonder what she could have meant by such a cryptic comment…
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    PDF Download • Dom Murray Harmonies
    Along with so many others, I have deep respect for Dom Gregory Gregory Murray, who produced this clever harmonization (PDF) of “O SANCTISSIMA.” It’s always amazed me that Dom Gregory—a truly inspired composer—was so confused when it came to GREGORIAN CHANT. Throughout his life, he published contradictory statements, veering back-and-forth like a weather vane. Toward the end of his life, he declared: “I see clearly that the need for reform in liturgical music arose, not in the 18th and 19th centuries, but a thousand years earlier—in the 8th and 9th centuries, or even before that. The abuses began, not with Mozart and Haydn, but with those over-enthusiastic medieval musicians who developed the elaborate and flamboyant Gregorian Chant.”
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Karl Keating • “Canonization Questions”
    We were sent an internet statement (screenshot) that’s garnered significant attention, in which KARL KEATING (founder of Catholic Answers) speaks about whether canonizations are infallible. Mr. Keating seems unaware that canonizations are—in the final analysis—a theological opinion. They are not infallible, as explained in this 2014 article by a priest (with a doctorate in theology) who worked for multiple popes. Mr. Keating says: “I’m unaware of such claims arising from any quarter until several recent popes disliked by these Traditionalists were canonized, including John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II. Usually Paul VI receives the most opprobrium.” Mr. Keating is incorrect; e.g. Father John Vianney, several centuries ago, taught clearly that canonizations are not infallible. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen would be another example, although clearly much more recent than Saint John Vianney.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Vatican II Changed Wedding Propers?
    It’s often claimed that the wedding propers were changed after Vatican II. As a matter of fact, that is a false claim. The EDITIO VATICANA propers (Introit: Deus Israel) remained the same after Vatican II. However, a new set of propers (Introit: Ecce Deus) was provided for optional use. The same holds true for the feast of Pope Saint Gregory the Great on 3 September: the 1943 propers (Introit: Si díligis me) were provided for optional use, but the traditional PROPRIA MISSAE (Introit: Sacerdótes Dei) were retained; they weren’t gotten rid of. The Ordo Cantus Missae (1970) makes this crystal clear, as does the Missal itself. There was an effort made in the post-conciliar years to eliminate so-called “Neo-Gregorian” chants, but (contrary to popular belief) most were retained: cf. the feast of Christ the King, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and so forth.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Solemn “Salve Regina” (Chant)
    How many “S” words can you think of using alliteration? How about Schwann Solemn Salve Score? You can download the SOLEMN SALVE REGINA in Gregorian Chant. The notation follows the official rhythm (EDITIO VATICANA). Canon Jules Van Nuffel, choirmaster of the Cathedral of Saint Rumbold, composed this accompaniment for it (although some feel it isn’t his best work).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“We must strip from our Catholic prayers and from the Catholic liturgy everything which can be the shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren—that is, for the Protestants.”

— Monsignor Annibale Bugnini (March, 1965) in L’Osservatore Romano

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