“Rorate Mass” (FSSP) • 12 December 2020
Attendance was standing room only. Afterwards, the children presented roses to Mary—as the entire parish prayed the Rosary—and then we consecrated California to Jesus Christ.
“Homily — 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM
As the Gloria during Mass suggests, we should “thank Him simply because of His great glory.” When is the last time you did that?
“Martinelli’s Letter” (dated 18 February 1910)
My recent post on the repercussion has induced some to ask: “Can we just sing whatever rhythm we want for the Vatican Edition? What about mensuralism? What about Bonvin and Vollaerts?” For those of us who work in the Extraordinary Form, we must follow the rhythm of the Editio Vaticana, and this was addressed in […]
Offertory Compared • “Ave Maria” (4th Sunday of Advent) vs. “Ave Maria” (Immaculate Conception)
Consider the melody found in “Le Graduel Romain,” published in 1800—nine years before Napoleon Bonaparte kidnapped Pope Pius VII
9 December 2020 • A Cool Tradition
Before the reforms of the “Code of Rubrics” (1961), antiphons at Vespers were abbreviated in a cool way. For example, look at this antiphon, Ecce Veniet (from Vespers on the 4th Sunday of Advent). But that tradition—as far as I know—ended in 1961, with §191 which said: “The whole antiphon is always said before and […]
Gregorian Chant • “How To Sing The Repercussion” (such as: Bistropha, Tristropha, etc.)
Each monastery had its own particular way of singing plainsong.
“Homily — 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM
Yes, these are extraordinary times—and they require something extraordinary from us.
Book Title • “English As She Is Spoke”
One who translates Aquinas expects to be cross-examined by those who understand philosophy and Latin; but Bible translators are liable to be cross-examined by anybody, because everybody thinks he knows what the Bible means.
(Ecuador) • Archbishop Poisoned on Good Friday
It happened during the “Mass of the Presanctified” celebrated on Good Friday, 30 March 1877.
30 November 2020 • “Case in point”
The Solesmes rhythmic markings, which often contradict the official rhythm, do such damage to the antiphons of the Divine Office that—in my humble opinion—they should be abandoned. (In reality, this will never happen.) But sometimes, they do great damage to the melody of the Graduale Romanum, and I would offer the Offertory for the 1st […]
The “Winking” Part • Where’d Father Lasance Get It?
A curious translation which Father Lasance “borrowed” for the Ash Wednesday Introit…
Extremely Rare! • Pages from the “Directorium Chori” (Solesmes Abbey, 1864)
The entire edition was destroyed in a fire (circa 1866) except four rare copies.
27 November 2020 • ACCENTS
Certain Latin words are constantly mispronounced. For example, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is supposed to be pronounced “Cármina” but people frequently pronounce it as “Carmína”—wrong! Another example: Nova organi harmonia is supposed to be pronounced “órgani” but many people erroneously say “orgáni.” A somewhat tricky word is incipit. In Latin, it would be “íncipit” while […]
Feast of the Holy Family • Where did it come from?
The Consilium asked (15 March 1965): “Is it pleasing that the feast of the Holy Family be suppressed?” • Discussion of the First Sunday After Epiphany; the Feast of the Holy Name; the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord; the two (2) instances of different “Jubilate Deo” Offertories which repeat; “Abhinc Duos Annos” (23 October 1913); and many other items+
“Homily — 1st Sunday of Advent, Year B” • Father Valentine Young, OFM
All of us are now closer to our moment of death than we were last year or in any time in the past.