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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

PDF • “Spiritual Mass Plan for Church Organists”

Keven Smith · February 16, 2021

MUST THANK MY Corpus Christi Watershed colleague, Fr. David Friel, for his article last summer, “Bishop Sheen on Sanctifying the Moment.” Not only did he provide many helpful quotes from Bishop Sheen, but he also recommended the great prelate’s book, Calvary and the Mass.

I finally got a copy of the book and read it last week. It’s fantastic. It’s not a step-by-step explanation of the words or actions of the Mass, but rather a sort of spiritual game plan for maintaining the right kind of recollection at each part of the Mass.

Source: gospelimages.com

The book focuses on the Seven Last Words of Christ and links each of these words to a part of the Extraordinary Form Mass:

  • Confiteor: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34)
  • Offertory: Amen I say to you, this day you shall be with me in Paradise (Luke 23:43)
  • Sanctus: Woman, behold your son….behold your mother (John 19:26-27)
  • Consecration: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Matthew 27:46)
  • Communion: I thirst! (Matthew 27:46)
  • Ite Missa Est: It is finished. (John 19:30)
  • Last Gospel: Father, into Your hands I commend My Spirit. (Luke 23:46)

As a Catholic, I was immediately eager to apply this book to the very next Mass I attended. As a Church musician (specifically, a choir director increasingly pressed into organ duties), I also wanted to apply this book to the Masses I play.

Playing the organ at Mass is a privilege and a joy. But as I’ve discussed here before, one of the challenges is to stay recollected—to be at Mass, and not just play at Mass. You play a bit, pray a bit, play a bit. You’re constantly jumping back and forth between your hand missal and the organ bench. And I don’t want to give up and say, “Well, if I’m playing five Sunday Masses, I only have to be prayerful at the first one to fulfill my obligation.” What a recipe for spiritual mediocrity!

One thing that has helped me immensely is the concept of “praying the organ.” Simply put, you improvise on the Gregorian chant and try to pray the text mentally as you’re playing. It’s a profoundly spiritual experience, and the results are audible to the congregation. Do it convincingly, and you might hear people tell you, “The music was very prayerful today.”

Even so, it’s hard to switch gears between praying the chant and returning to the missal. So Bishop Sheen’s book seemed to be an ideal way to tie together those stretches in between propers and make the Mass seem more cohesive for me when I’m playing.

Over the weekend, I used the book to put together a Low Mass Plan for Organists. This plan helps me integrate the Seven Last Words into my habit of praying the propers while I play them.

*  PDF Download • Mass Plan for Organists

I share this document not with any sense of authority, but as a starting point for your customization. (I think this plan can work for the Ordinary Form, too, but that’s not my bailiwick.) You’ll notice that the plan calls for nothing but improvisation. I know minimal repertoire, and I love to improvise on the chant propers. But you’ll do as you like.

You’ll also notice that this is a very bare-bones document. I include the text of the Seven Last Words, but you’ll want to read Bishop Sheen’s book to put meat on those bones.

My initial results? I used this Mass Plan in my five low Masses yesterday. As always, by the time the 7:00 PM Mass rolled around, it was challenging to keep my mind prayerful because I’m human. But I did better than usual. I found that each of these brief Last Words “anchored” me to each part of the Mass and kept me from overthinking how my playing was going or what I was about to play next.

Also, I had always understood that Mass is a re-presentation of Calvary. But this book drives the point home in an especially poignant way. You’ll excuse me if I never play in major tonality again. (I’m half-joking.)

In the Extraordinary Form, the organ will soon go silent for most of Lent. But I look forward to using this Mass Plan (with continued refinement) on Laetare Sunday as well as on the handful of feast days that permit organ. Many thanks to Fr. Friel, and of course, to Bishop Sheen.

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

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Filed Under: Articles, PDF Download Tagged With: organ Last Updated: February 16, 2021

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About Keven Smith

Keven Smith, music director at St. Stephen the First Martyr, lives in Sacramento with his wife and five musical children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    Why A “Fugue” Here?
    I believe I know why this plainsong harmonizer created a tiny fugue as the INTRODUCTION to his accompaniment. Take a look (PDF) and tell me your thoughts about what he did on the feast of the Flight of Our Lord Jesus Christ into Egypt (17 February). And now I must go because “tempus fugit” as they say!
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    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
    “Reminder” — Month of October (2025)
    Those who don’t sign up for our free EMAIL NEWSLETTER miss important notifications. Last week, for example, I sent a message about this job opening for a music director paying $65,000 per year plus benefits (plus weddings & funerals). Notice the job description says: “our vision for sacred music is to move from singing at Mass to truly singing the Mass wherein … especially the propers, ordinaries, and dialogues are given their proper place.” Signing up couldn’t be easier: simply scroll to the bottom of any blog article and enter your email address.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    “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 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
    Did they simplify these hymn harmonies?
    Choirs love to sing the famous & splendid tune called “INNSBRUCK.” Looking through a (Roman Catholic) German hymnal printed in 1952, I discovered what appears to be a simplified version of that hymn. In other words, their harmonization is much less complex than the version found in the Saint Jean de Brébeuf Hymnal (which is suitable for singing by SATB choir). Please download their 1952 harmonization (PDF) and let me know your thoughts. I really like the groovy Germanic INTRODUCTION they added.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“We decided to entrust this work to learned men of our selection. They very carefully collated all their work with the ancient codices in Our Vatican Library and with reliable, preserved or emended codices from elsewhere. Besides this, these men consulted the works of ancient and approved authors concerning the same sacred rites; and thus they have restored the Missal itself to the original form and rite of the holy Fathers.”

— ‘Pope St. Pius V (Quo Primum, 1570)’

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