ATHER VALENTINE Young used to say: “Some are incapable of saying three simple words: I don’t know.” After Vatican II, certain reformers pretended to be omniscient. More importantly, they insisted erroneously that translating everything into the vulgar tongue meant the ‘assembly’ would instantly understand. Their efforts were egregiously misguided. First of all, everyone at Mass has a different level of education. Adrian Fortescue (in a feat that even today makes certain people seethe with envy) earned three doctorates—but how many possess such knowledge? Some people have learning disabilities; another segment is illiterate; still others are hard of hearing; etc.
Facing Facts • In spite of what some claim, many prayers and readings are unclear. Monsignor Knox pointed out a particular line from Sacred Scripture in which one excellent version has “a holy person” but an equally excellent version has—for that same word—“hyena.” We can’t know for certain the ‘correct’ version, and only a very foolish & stubborn person would claim that “hyena” is basically the same thing as “a holy person.” Father Valentine was spot on: some would rather cut off their right arm then say: “I don’t know.” In a minute, I will return to this subject.
* PDF Download • INTROIT (Holy Thursday)
—Nos autem gloriári opórtet • CARMEN GREGORIANUM (Gregorian Chant).
The free organ accompaniment is conveniently posted at the flourishing feasts website.
Regarding What We Know • Years ago, I knew two priests who seemed to know everything. Please remember that this was decades before artificial intelligence such as ChatGPT, Grok, Google Gemini, and so forth.1 I remember sending the following image (which is the beginning of the ROMAN CANON) to one of those priests:
White Sticks • I was clever enough to understand the Pascha nostrum immolátus est Christus reference, but I wanted to know why the Apostles were holding white sticks in their hands. The priest was kind enough to reply as follows:
Sic autem comedétis illum: renes vestros
accingétis, et calceaménta habébitis in
pédibus, tenéntes báculos in mánibus…
From the book of Exodus, it means: “And thus you shall eat it: you shall gird your reins, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands…”
So I guess there were people who actually did know everything!
Maundy Thursday • For the record, here’s how the “Nos Autem” appears in the Sherborne Missal, choosing to emphasize not the Holy Eucharist—nor the Pascal Lamb—but ‘service’ to others and the institution of Holy Orders:
1 I’m personally opposed to “artificial intelligence” because I believe it harms learning, makes us less human, and—for the record—often provides information that’s false. My personal belief is that AI is going to cause a tremendous amount of harm. I suppose time will tell.
