True Meaning Of The Word “Liturgy”
Historically, “liturgy” referred to a service done for the people, not by them.
Jesus said to them: “I have come into this world so that a sentence may fall upon it, that those who are blind should see, and those who see should become blind. If you were blind, you would not be guilty. It is because you protest, ‘We can see clearly,’ that you cannot be rid of your guilt.”
A theorist, organist, and conductor, Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He completed studies in Education and Musicology at the graduate level. Having worked as a church musician in Los Angeles for ten years, in 2024 he accepted a position as choirmaster for Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Michigan, where he resides with his wife and children. —Read full biography (with photographs).
Historically, “liturgy” referred to a service done for the people, not by them.
“We feel that the selection of hymns leaves little to be desired…” —From the 1942 Foreword
“Yet zephyrs vainly fan me, and flow’rs to groves invite…”
Some people accept a job as choir director and say, “I have five singers who don’t read music, so I guess that’s how it will always be.”
It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful text than Sedulius’ Hymn: Hostis Herodes Impie.
This extremely rare Catholic hymn book is here made available for the first time ever as a PDF download.
Resist the temptation to believe that Francis is 80,000 times as important as Benedict since he receives 80,000 times as much media coverage.
Can you imagine singing all those vernacular hymns while Mass is happening?
You’ll want to immediately download these scores, videos, and Mp3 files!
Many of you asked me to share the results, which I have done below.
“The vitality of the Classical Rite is as fresh as ever.”
Many don’t realize that all the EF chants for the Holy Family can be used at OF—cf. section 397 of the Ordo Cantus Missæ.
Here is an except from a Church bulletin published in December of 2014.
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