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Views from the Choir Loft

Hymn for the Season of Septuagesima? • Yes!

Jeff Ostrowski · February 11, 2023

ULTON J. SHEEN used to say: “If the Catholic Church were as holy as some wanted it to be, they themselves would be afraid to join because of their sins.” On a telephone call, Monsignor Robert Skeris reminded me that the men of the Church are often corrupt, but the institution itself remains sine ruga et macula (“without blemish or wrinkle”). Sometimes it takes centuries for the Church to ‘course correct’—and a good example would be the hymn corruptions introduced by Pope Urban VIII, which were not corrected until 330 years later. JANSENISM would be another example.

Special Hymn • In a moment, we will discuss the season of Septuagesima. Did you know there’s a special hymn for that season? Here it is:

M To access this hymn’s media in the Brébeuf Portal, click here.

Season of Septuagesima • I believe it was wrong for the post-conciliar reformers to eliminate the season of Septuagesima. Someday, this will be corrected. One of the most prominent post-conciliar reformers was Father Louis Bouyer (d. 2004), who was a close friend of Pope Saint Paul VI. (I’m told Paul VI wanted to make him a cardinal, but Bouyer refused.) Here is what Father Bouyer said about eliminating Septuagesima:

“I prefer to say nothing, or very little, about the new calendar, the handiwork of a trio of maniacs who suppressed—with no good reason—Septuagesima and the Octave of Pentecost and who scattered three quarters of the Saints higgledy-piddledy, all based on notions of their own devising! Because these three hotheads obstinately refused to change anything in their work and because the pope wanted to finish up quickly to avoid letting the chaos get out of hand, their project, however insane, was accepted!”

“Ordinary” Time? • Some people hate the term Ordinary Time (which translates “Tempus per annum”). Father Valentine Young, OFM, refused to use that term. He always called it: Through the Year. In the 1962 MISSALE ROMANUM, the time after Epiphany is called: “Tempus per annum ante Septuagesimam,” as you can see:

The 1962 Missal has the “Season of Septuagesima,” which reminds Catholics that Lent is coming:

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

Filed Under: Articles, Featured Tagged With: Louis Bouyer Oratorian Priest, Ordinary Time, Rev Fr Valentine Young OFM, sine ruga et macula Last Updated: February 11, 2023

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About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Quick Thoughts

    Vespers Booklet (4th Sunday of Lent)
    The organ accompaniment booklet (24 pages) which I created for the 4th Sunday of Lent (“Lætare Sunday”) may now be downloaded, for those who desire such a thing.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Vespers Booklet, 3rd Sunday of Lent
    The organ accompaniment I created for the 3rd Sunday of Lent (“Extraordinary Form”) may now be downloaded, if anyone is interested in this.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Weeping For Joy! (We Hope!)
    Listening to this Easter Alleluia—an SATB arrangement I made twenty years ago based on the work of Monsignor Jules Van Nuffel—one of our readers left this comment: “I get tears in my eyes each time I sing to this hymn.” I hope this person is weeping for joy!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“Victoria not only made his professional debut as church organist: he also continued active on the organ bench until the very eve of his death. Indeed, during his last seven years at Madrid (1604-1611) he occupied no other musical post but that of convent organist.”

— Dr. Robert Stevenson (1961)

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