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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

CDW: “Let us return to the Eucharist with joy!”

Fr. David Friel · September 27, 2020

HURCH attendance around the world has been made difficult or precluded entirely in many territories around the globe since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even where public Masses have returned in some fashion, barriers often remain, keeping many of the faithful apart from the sacraments. The spiritual cost has been high for regular churchgoers.

Into the midst of these struggles, a beautiful letter from Rome extends a faith-filled encouragement: “Let us return to the Eucharist with joy!”

That is the title of a letter sent to the heads of episcopal conferences throughout the world by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW). The full text of the letter is available here.

Dated 15 August 2020 and signed by Cardinal Sarah, the letter was approved by Pope Francis on 3 September 2020 and began to be publicized in mid-September (see, for example, here and here).

Although many aspects of this letter deserve to be highlighted, I will limit myself to a single observation. What strikes me most is that the heart of the letter finds its inspiration in a liturgical text, namely the prayer for the dedication of a new church building.

The letter quotes the following portion of this prayer:

[…] Make this for ever a holy place […]

Here may the flood of divine grace
overwhelm human offenses,
so that your children, Father,
being dead to sin,
may be reborn to heavenly life.

Here may your faithful,
gathered around the table of the altar,
celebrate the memorial of the Paschal Mystery
and be refreshed by the banquet
of Christ’s Word and his Body.

Here may the joyful offering of praise resound,
with human voices joined to the song of Angels,
and unceasing prayer rise up to you
for the salvation of the world.

Here may the poor find mercy,
the oppressed attain true freedom,
and all the people be clothed with the dignity of your children,
until they come exultant
to the Jerusalem which is above.

The context in which Cardinal Sarah quotes this prayer is a rich reflection on Christian community, rooted in the Sacred Scriptures. As he notes: “The house of the Lord presupposes the presence of the family of the children of God.”

The Prefect further observes:

“While the pagans built temples dedicated to the divinity, to which people had no access, Christians, as soon as they enjoyed freedom of worship, immediately built places that were the domus Dei et domus ecclesiae, where the faithful could recognize themselves as the community of God, a people summoned for worship and constituted as a holy assembly.”

After reflecting on the singular importance of gathering as a Christian community, the letter states plainly: “It is necessary and urgent to return to the normality of Christian life, which has the church building as its home and the celebration of the liturgy, especially the Eucharist, as ‘the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed; at the same time it is the font from which all her power flows’ (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 10).”

Again, what strikes me most about this letter is that the CDW draws directly upon a liturgical text to make a theological argument. This may seem a simple point, but I think it is significant.

Turning to the liturgy, itself, as a source for theology is not as instinctual for many Catholics as perhaps it ought to be. This letter manages to do it simply, beautifully, and persuasively.

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

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Coronavirus Pandemic, Robert Cardinal Sarah Last Updated: September 28, 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

    “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
    Music Director Job • $80,000 per year
    Our readers will be interested in this job offering for Music Director at Saint Adalbert’s Basilica, located 40 minutes from where I live. My pastor was recently elevated to this basilica. He is offering $80,000 per year, plus benefits. I’m told Saint Adalbert’s Basilica is utterly gorgeous and contains one of America’s most magnificent pipe organs. It would be fantastic to have a colleague nearby!
    —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

“In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church’s ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man’s mind to God and to higher things.”

— Vatican II Council

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