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Views from the Choir Loft

My Wish for Each of You

Jeff Ostrowski · February 22, 2023

ATHER ROBERT SKERIS used to say: “The life of a choirmaster is a life of sacrifice.” There is no question that our vocation is one of great suffering—and we must offer up our sorrows to Jesus Christ. It cannot be any other way. As Father Thomas à Kempis wrote: The whole life of Christ was a cross and a martyrdom, and dost thou seek rest and joy? However, I believe we can take things too far. Sometimes we work so hard to improve Catholic music that we forget to enjoy the blessings Almighty God has given to us. I grew up with three brothers, and my father loved taking us camping, fishing, hunting, shooting, hiking, and so forth. (That was the way my father was raised.) I am grateful for those experiences which taught me to appreciate “the great outdoors.”

Mental Health • If we wreck our mental health, we will be no good to anybody. During this Lent, each day I am going to try to meditate on the words of Father Valentine Young, who said: “Throughout my life, I have probably suffered more from things that never happened than from things that did happen.” Let us resolve never again to worry! Let us, instead, spend that time praying to God with gratitude and enjoying the universe He created for us.

I believe this (very brief) video will improve your mental health:

Season of Lent • The season of LENT comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon word for springtime (“lencten”); that is, when the days begin to lengthen. On Ash Wednesday, the Church goes back to the book of Genesis: “Thou shalt earn thy bread with the sweat of thy brow, until thou goest back into the ground from which thou wast taken; dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” The priest sprinkles ashes over the head of each Catholic saying: “Remember, Man, that thou art dust and unto dust thou shalt return.”

I wish all our readers a holy and happy Lent!

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: February 22, 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

[on Latin] “No change in Mass: people have missals and can read. More vernacular can be useful in the Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Extreme Unction, Matrimony.”

— Cardinal Spellman (one of the Vatican II fathers)

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