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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

Fathers Must Turn Their Hearts To Their Children

Adam Raha · August 17, 2024

Malachi 4:6: “He will turn the hearts
of the fathers to their children, and the
hearts of the children to their fathers;
or else I will come and strike the land
with total destruction.”

REMEMBER how deeply I was struck by this scripture when I first encountered it as a parent. I was a new father, and still had a lot to learn. Even now, as I ponder it, I realize I still do! I have eight children—one of whom was just married—on down to my five year old. We have homeschooled them all, and within that context, I have come to appreciate the “unwritten curriculum” of the role of the father in the home.

Fatherless Children • Something prevalent in modern culture is fatherless children. Indeed, we can see and imagine that if families had “present” fathers, we’d cease to see the levels of loss of religion, addiction, crime, disinterest in education, lack of common sense, and listlessness that we do seem to see among the young … even in “normal” suburban hubs where schools are full. I don’t necessarily mean children with no dad. I mean “absent” fathers. This even exists in homes where the family is nuclear and the father is not divorced from the mother, but everything “seems normal”. For that matter, this effect takes place with mothers as well—but for our purposes, we’ll focus on the “roots” of a family (and by extension, society): fathers.

Professor Of Psychology • I once had a psychology professor tell me that fathers provide the “bucket” (for instance, things like boundaries), and the mother whatever goes into the bucket (love, care, concern for others, and so forth.). That being said, to develop his idea further, I think it’s true that the father not only provides the bucket but also the capacity to receive what the mother may in turn fill it with. For as goes the father, so the child. In seeing his father love and nurture his mother, he gives the child the capacity to receive her. Notice this is simply the capacity to do so—it does not mean it will happen. So too though, the child needs to see the father be the authority figure in his home – at minimal, in matters of his religion. But also, the child must see the father love Christ, his wife, and his children. Acts of love in the family make present the love of the Heavenly Father for the Son, and the Son for the Father, indeed the love of the Trinity.

The Church Fathers • To better understand this scripture passage, let’s view it through the person of John the Baptist, and how our Church Fathers understood its importance for the Church. By extension, we can draw lessons in having a loving authority from it as fathers. (I know I have.)

John the Baptist:

(Matthew 11:11) “Truly, I say to you,
among those born of women there has
risen no one greater than John the
Baptist; yet he who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

HE ADVENT of John the Baptist is a great figure in regard to the relationship between Fathers and their children, for through our baptism, we are priest, prophet, and king, and this needs to hold a special authoritative role in FATHERS, rooted in the love of Christ. May we through the example of the saints becoming “least” (by way of humility), become like this, just as Matthew foretold. John the Baptist spoke as one who had authority (the spirit of authority was in him), but made it clear he was not the one, and pointed to He who was. Through his preaching and ministry (baptism, personal example, and spoken word), he gave the children of Israel the capacity to receive the love of Christ.

His Lineage • John the Baptist was from a priestly lineage. His father, Zechariah, was a priest of the division of Abijah, and his mother, Elizabeth, was also a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5). This makes John the Baptist a descendant of the priestly tribe of Levi. His Role: John the Baptist’s role was as a prophet and forerunner of the Messiah, preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry through his preaching and baptism of repentance. Our lineage & role? Quite similar, by virtue of our Baptism.

Crucial Balance • The coming of John the Baptist, (in the spirit and power of Elijah) is the beginning of Christ establishing the heart of God turned toward the Son, and the Son to the Father, and is the very example of how fathers can and should achieve a harmony between the love he ought to show toward his children (i.e. the turning of his heart toward them) and the holding of authority in his family. Not only are both possible, but necessary, for if the balance should be off, the children will either lack their “bucket” or not have the capacity to receive what goes into it. Both Origen and Augustine offer us light into this.

Origen • First, consider Origen’s link made between the person of Elijah and John the Baptist, most especially in regard to the spirit in which he (John) came:

“But do not marvel in regard to what is said about Elijah, if, just as something strange happened to him different from all the saints who are recorded, in respect of his having been caught up by a whirlwind into heaven, so his spirit had something of choice excellence, so that not only did it rest on Elisha, but also descended along with John at his birth; and that John, separately, “was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb,” and separately, “came before Christ in the spirit and power of Elijah.” For it is possible for several spirits not only worse, but also better, to be in the same man. David accordingly asks to be established by a free spirit, and that a right spirit be renewed in his inward parts. But if, in order that the Saviour may impart to us of “the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and reverence,” he was filled also with the spirit of the fear of the Lord; it is possible also that these several good spirits may be conceived as being in the same person. And this also we have brought forward, because of John having come before Christ “in the spirit and power of Elijah,” in order that the saying, “Elijah has already come,” may be referred to the spirit of Elijah that was in John; as also the three disciples who had gone up with Him understood that He spake to them about John the Baptist.” [Origen, Commentary on Matthew, Book XII]

Saint Augustine • With that, now, consider Augustine and his commentary in “City of God” on this fulfillment of the law in love, as properly understood through Malachi 4:6:

“After admonishing them to give heed to the law of Moses, as he foresaw that for a long time to come they would not understand it spiritually and rightly, he went on to say, “And, behold, I will send to you Elias the Tishbite before the great and signal day of the Lord come: and he shall turn the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of a man to his next of kin, lest I come and utterly smite the earth.” It is a familiar theme in the conversation and heart of the faithful, that in the last days before the judgment the Jews shall believe in the true Christ, that is, our Christ, by means of this great and admirable prophet Elias who shall expound the law to them. […] Another and a preferable sense can be found in the words of the Septuagint translators, who have translated Scripture with an eye to prophecy, the sense, viz., that Elias shall turn the heart of God the Father to the Son, not certainly as if he should bring about this love of the Father for the Son, but meaning that he should make it known, and that the Jews also, who had previously hated, should then love the Son who is our Christ. For so far as regards the Jews, God has His heart turned away from our Christ, this being their conception about God and Christ. But in their case the heart of God shall be turned to the Son when they themselves shall turn in heart, and learn the love of the Father towards the Son. The words following, “and the heart of a man to his next of kin,”—that is, Elias shall also turn the heart of a man to his next of kin,—how can we understand this better than as the heart of a man to the man Christ? For though in the form of God He is our God, yet, taking the form of a servant, He condescended to become also our next of kin. It is this, then, which Elias will do, “lest,” he says, “I come and smite the earth utterly.” [City of God, chapter 29]

Elijah did do this for (as Origen expounded) it was John who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. It is the coming of Christ—beginning with the coming of John the Baptist—who brought with him both spirit and power, love and authority. Living in this gift is our role as fathers.

The Father’s Vocation • Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we too live in this love and by this authority. We, as he, have a calling as fathers to carry with us both spirit and power—love and authority—lest the result be a fatherless child, which is destructive to the core of our society, the domestic church, as spoken of by Pope Saint John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio (22 November 1981). God our Father did not leave us as orphans. We should also not leave our children as orphans. Rather, let us be on our way in unity with Christ, for as it says in Romans, “The night is far spent. The day is at hand.”

May John the Baptist pray for us as fathers.

You just read Adam Raha’s first article for CCW.

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

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: August 17, 2024

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About Adam Raha

Together with his wife, Adam Raha has embraced the role of being the first (and most important) teachers for their eight children.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
    EARS BEFORE truly revolutionary changes were introduced by the post-conciliar reformers, Evelyn Waugh wrote (on 16 August 1964) to John Cardinal Heenan: “I think that a vociferous minority has imposed itself on the hierarchy and made them believe that a popular demand existed where there was in fact not even a preference.” We ask the kind reader— indeed, we beg you—to realize that those of us born in the 1940s and 1950s had no cognizance of Roman activities during the 1960s and 1970s. We were concerned with making sure we had the day’s bus fare, graduating from high school, taking care of our siblings, learning a trade, getting a job, courting a spouse. We questioned neither the nuns nor the Church.1 Do not believe for one instant any of us were following the liturgical machinations of Cardinal Lercaro or Father Bugnini in real time. Setting The Stage • To never question or resist Church authorities is praiseworthy. On the other hand, when a scandalous situation persists for decades, it must be brought into focus. Our series will do precisely that as we discuss the Lectionary Scandal from a variety of angles. We don’t do this to attack the Catholic Church. Our goal is bringing to light what’s been going on, so it can be fixed once and for all. Our subject is extremely knotty and difficult to navigate. Its complexity helps explain why the situation has persisted for such a long time.2 But if we immediately get “into the weeds” we’ll lose our audience. Therefore, it seems better to jump right in. So today, we’ll explore the legality of selling these texts. A Word On Copyright • Suppose Susie modifies a paragraph by Edgar Allan Poe. That doesn’t mean ipso facto she can assert copyright on it. If Susie takes a picture of a Corvette and uses Photoshop to color the tires blue, that doesn’t mean she henceforth “owns” all Corvettes in America. But when it comes to Responsorial Psalm translations, certain parties have been asserting copyright over them, selling them for a profit, and bullying publishers vis-à-vis hymnals and missals. Increasingly, Catholics are asking whether these translations are truly under copyright—because they are identical (or substantially identical) to other translations.3 Example After Example • Our series will provide copious examples supporting our claims. Sometimes we’ll rely on the readership for assistance, because—as we’ve stressed—our subject’s history couldn’t be more convoluted. There are countless manuscripts (in Greek, Hebrew, and Latin) we don’t have access to, so it would be foolish for us to claim that our observations are somehow the ‘final word’ on anything. Nevertheless, we demand accountability. Catholics in the pews are the ones who paid for all this. We demand to know who specifically made these decisions (which impact every English-speaking Catholic) and why specifically certain decisions were made. The Responsorial Psalms used in America are—broadly speaking—stolen from the hard work of others. In particular, they borrowed heavily from Father Cuthbert Lattey’s 1939 PSALTER TRANSLATION:
    *  PDF Download • COMPARISON CHART —We thank the CCW staff for technical assistance with this graph.
    Analysis • Although certain parties have been selling (!!!) that translation for decades, the chart demonstrates it’s not a candidate for copyright since it “borrows” or “steals” or “rearranges” so much material from other translations, especially the 1939 translation by Father Cuthbert Lattey. What this means in layman’s terms is that individuals have been selling a translation under false pretenses, a translation they don’t own (although they claim to). To make RESTITUTION, all that money will have to be returned. A few years ago, the head of ICEL gave a public speech in which he said they give some of “their” profits to the poor. While almsgiving is a good thing, it cannot justify theft. Our Constant Theme • Our series will be held together by one thread, which will be repeated constantly: “Who was responsible?” Since 1970, the conduct of those who made a profit by selling these sacred texts has been repugnant. Favoritism was shown toward certain entities—and we will document that with written proof. It is absolutely essential going forward that the faithful be told who is making these decisions. Moreover, vague justifications can no longer be accepted. If we’re told they are “making the translations better,” we must demand to know what specifically they’re doing and what specific criteria they’re following. Stay Tuned • If you’re wondering whether we’ll address the forthcoming (allegedly) Lectionary and the so-called ABBEY PSALMS AND CANTICLES, have no fear. We’ll have much to say about both. Please stay tuned. We believe this will end up being the longest series of articles ever submitted to Corpus Christi Watershed. To be continued. ROBERT O’NEILL Former associate of Monsignor Francis “Frank” P. Schmitt at Boys Town in Nebraska JAMES ARNOLD Formerly associated w/ King’s College, Cambridge A convert to the Catholic Church, and distant relative of J. H. Arnold MARIA B. Currently serves as a musician in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte. Those aware of the situation in her diocese won’t be surprised she chose to withhold her last name.
    1 Even if we’d been able to obtain Roman journals such as NOTITIAE, none of them contained English translations. But such an idea would never have occurred to a high school student or a college student growing up in the 1960s. 2 A number of shell corporations claim to own the various biblical translations mandated for Roman Catholics. They’ve made millions of dollars selling (!) these indulgenced texts. If time permits, we hope to enumerate these various shell corporations and explain: which texts they claim to own; how much they bring in each year; who runs them; and so forth. It would also be good to explore the morality of selling these indulgenced texts for a profit. Furthermore, for the last fifty years these organizations have employed several tactics to manipulate and bully others. If time permits, we will expose those tactics (including written examples). Some of us—who have been working on this problem for three decades—have amassed written documentation we’ll be sharing that demonstrates behavior at best “shady” and at worst criminal. 3 Again, we are not yet examining the morality of selling (!) indulgenced texts to Catholics mandated to use those same translations.
    —Guest Author
    “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 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 Mass Propers for this Sunday are conveniently stored at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
    All of the chants for 27 July 2025 have been added to the feasts website, as usual under a convenient “drop down” menu. The COMMUNION ANTIPHON (both text and melody) are exceedingly beautiful and ancient.
    —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

[Speaking about the Silent Canon, with audible “per ómnia”] — “So in all such cases it is usual for the otherwise silent celebrant occasionally to sing a clause aloud, to show how far he has arrived.”

— Father Fortescue (pages 313-314) • “A Study of the Roman Liturgy”

Recent Posts

  • PDF Comparison Chart • “Serious Problems with the Lectionary Translation”
  • “Music List” • 17th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
  • Flor Peeters In A Weird Mood?
  • Communion • “Ask & You Shall Receive”
  • Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser

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