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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

Gospel Acclamation Verses … Nowhere Assigned?

Jeff Ostrowski · August 1, 2025

OR SUNDAYS in Ordinary Time, the 1970 LECTIONARY doesn’t indicate specific verses for the ALLELUIA. Instead, it sends the reader to this generic page for each Sunday’s Gospel Acclamation. I don’t understand why this decision was made by the publishers, since the official LECTIONARY (in Latin) does indicate specific verses for each ALLELUIA.1 If someone knows the answer, please email me. The 2011 edition of LECTIONARY published in the United Kingdom seems to agree with the 1970 American LECTIONARY, inasmuch as it gives multiple options for each ALLELUIA (for Sundays in Ordinary Time).

1969 Rubrics • Regarding a slightly different topic: the MISSALE RECENS was released at the very end of 1969, just four years after the 1965 Missale Romanum had been printed. The rubrics for the Responsorial Psalm read as follows:

The cantor of the psalm sings the verse at the lectern or other suitable place, while the people remain seated and listen. Unless the psalm is sung straight through without response, the congregation takes part by singing the response.

If sung, the following texts may be chosen: the psalm in the lectionary, the gradual in the Roman Gradual, or the responsorial or alleluia psalm in the Simple Gradual, as these books indicate.

Notice that the official rubrics nowhere indicate the gradual found in the GRADUALE ROMANUM must be sung in Latin. Nor do the rubrics forbid the gradual being sung in the vernacular. This contradicts a claim occasionally made by “terminally online” liturgical commentators.

Nomenclature • The MISSALE RECENS goes by many names. Several of the more common names would include: Ordinary Form; Pauline Rite; post-conciliar rite; the 1970 Missal; Novus Ordo; and so forth.

1 Strictly speaking, any Gospel Acclamation can be used at any time according to the MISSALE RECENS. Indeed, one could (technically) use the same verse Sunday after Sunday ad infinitum. But that’s not what I’m speaking of in this article.

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

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Free Gospel Acclamations Last Updated: August 1, 2025

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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 Michigan. —(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “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
    Jeff’s Mother Joins Our Fundraiser
    To assist our fundraiser, Mrs. Kathleen Ostrowski has drawn several beautiful sketches which she offers to all our readers free of charge. If you have a moment, I invite you download them at this link.
    —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

Benedict XVI in particular felt it was wrong to prohibit the celebration of Mass in the ancient rite in parish churches, as it is always dangerous to corner a group of faithful so as to make them feel persecuted and to inspire in them a sense of having to safeguard their identity at all costs in the face of the “enemy.”

— Archbishop Georg Gänswein

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