Society of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of St. Gregory the Great

2012-03-12T06:30:00.001-07:00

Today, March 12, is the feast day of the SSGG's patron saint, St. Gregory the Great. Everyyear since 2008, the Society of St. Gregory the Great has celebrated anextraordinary form Mass in honor of its patron. This year, of course, we arewithout a priest to celebrate such a Mass; Bishop Skylstad was invited to say a low Mass for the Society, but declined due to his schedule conflicts.

From the website of the Society of St. Gregory the Great:

Pope St. Gregory I, "the Great"

b. circa 540 d. 604

Pope from 3 Sept 590 to 12 Mar 604

Pope St. Gregory the Great was the second to be called "the Great," and he was the first pope to have been a monk. He was one of the most influential writers for the papacy. He was a junior deacon at the time of Pelagius II's death, yet he was elected unanimously. He immediately wrote the emperor to withhold his approval for his election, which was then required. The emperor did not withhold his approval, and so when the imperial mandate arrived, Gregory accepted consecration as Bishop of Rome under protest.

Gregory was a vigorous promoter of monasticism and of the liturgy, especially music. His name is forever associated with plainsong chant.

For a more detailed biography, read the account by Sr. Catherine Goddard Clark, M.I.C.M., of the Slaves of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, from which is excerpted the following:

Every day, he fed at his own table twelve poor pilgrims, whom he insisted on serving himself. We are told that one day when he entered the dining room he saw not twelve men, but thirteen. He inquired of his steward why there was an extra guest, but the astonished steward maintained that they had only the usual number.

"I am sure I see thirteen!" the Pope insisted.

As the meal progressed, Saint Gregory noticed that the countenance of one of his guests kept changing from time to time. Now he would find himself looking into the face of a handsome young man, and again his gaze would fix itself on the same face become suddenly old and venerable. When he could stand the mystery no longer, Pope Gregory drew the strange man aside.

"What is your name?" he asked him.

"Do you not remember," his guest replied, "the merchant who came to you one day at Saint Andrew's Monastery and told you that he had lost all his possessions in a shipwreck, and whom you gave twelve pieces of money and the silver dish which was your treasured remembrance of your beloved mother? I am the merchant to whom you gave your mother's dish. Rather, I am the angel whom God sent to you to prove your charity. Now, do not fear," he added, seeing Saint Gregory's trembling amazement, "it is for the alms of that silver dish that God has given you the Chair of Saint Peter. And behold, God has sent me to be your guardian as long as you remain in this world. Whatever you ask will be granted you through me."

On New Advent is another biography worth reading, from which this is taken:

In art the great pope is usually shown in full pontifical robes with the tiara and double cross. A dove is his special emblem, in allusion to the well-known story recorded by Peter the Deacon (Vita, xxviii), who tells that when the pope was dictating his homilies on Ezekiel a veil was drawn between his secretary and himself. As, however, the pope remained silent for long periods at a time, the servant made a hole in the curtain and, looking through, beheld a dove seated upon Gregory's head with its beak between his lips. When the dove withdrew its beak the holy pontiff spoke and the secretary took down his words; but when he became silent the servant again applied his eye to the hole and saw the dove had replaced its beak between his lips.

Pope St. Gregory the Great lies in the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome.

Deus, qui animae famuli tui Gregorii aeternae beatitudinis praemia contulisti: concede propitius; ut qui peccatorum nostrorum pondere premimur, ejus apud te precibus sublevemur. Per Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O God, who didst bestow upon the soul of Thy servant Gregory the rewards of eternal happiness; mercifully grant, that we who are oppressed by the weight of our sins, may be relieved through his intercession. Amen.

Sancte Gregori, ora pro nobis.

On Mutual Charity: St. Francis de Sales

2012-03-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

The source of the following excerpt is: The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Lent. This is from the sermon for the third Sunday of Lent; I’ve excerpted only a small portion of it here.

MUTUAL CHARITY

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation.” Luke 11:17

In today’s Gospel [Lk 11:14-28], Our Lord insists that every kingdom divided against itself (not united in itself) is brought to desolation. … These words are among the most remarkable, noteworthy and important that our Divine Master ever spoke. For this reason the ancient Fathers carefully interpreted them.

They agree that our Savior had three kinds of concord or union in mind when He spoke, where division in any of them results in desolation…Since it would require too much time to speak of all three unions, I will dwell only on the third, that which we ought to have with each other. This union or concord has been earnestly preached, recommended and taught to us by Our Lord, equally in word and example. He does this so forcibly and in such admirable terms that He appears to forget to recommend to us the love we ought to have for Himself and for His Heavenly Father. He does this to better inculcate in us the love and union He wants us to have for one another. He even calls the Commandment of love for the neighbor His Commandment (1) [Jn. 15:12], His most cherished one. He came into this world to teach us, as our divine Master. Yet nothing is so stressed, nothing stated so completely as the observance of this Commandment. He does so with good reason, for the beloved of the Beloved, the great Apostle St. John, assures us that anyone who says that he loves God and does not love his neighbor is a liar. [1 Jn. 4:20-21]. On the other hand, he who says he loves his neighbor but does not love God also contradicts the truth. That simply cannot be. To love God without loving the neighbor, who is created in His image and likeness [Gen. 1:26-27], is impossible (2).

…

Why, then, does Our Lord want us to love one another so much, and why, ask the majority of the holy Fathers, did He take so much care to equate this precept to the Commandment of the love of God? [Matt. 22:39]. It astonished the Fathers that these two Commandments are said to be similar to each other, because one pertains to the love of God and the other to the love of the creature: God, who is infinite, and the creature who is finite; God, who is Goodness itself and from whom all good comes to us, and man, who is full of malice, through whom so many miseries come upon us. For the Commandment to love the neighbor includes also the love of enemies. [Matt. 5:43, 44] O God! What disproportion between the objects of these two loves, and yet these two Commandments are alike to such a degree that the one cannot exist without the other and must necessarily increase or perish in proportion as the other increases or perishes, as St. John declares. [Jn. 3:30]

Mark Antony once purchased two young slaves who were brought to him by a trader. At that time children were sometimes sold, as is still done in some countries today. There were men who supplied them and engaged in this business much as we do with horses in our country today. These two children resembled each other so perfectly that the trader tricked Mark Antony into believing that they were twins, for otherwise how could they resemble each other so perfectly? When they were separated from one another, it was particularly difficult to tell which was which. They were such a rarity that Mark Antony valued them greatly and paid dearly for them. But when he brought them to his house, he found that each spoke a different language. Pliny relates that one was from Dauphiny and the other from Asia, places incredibly distant from each other. Discovering that they were not only not twins, but not even from the same country or born under the same king, Mark Antony flew into a rage and became incensed with the person who had sold them to him. But a certain young character convinced him that their resemblance was that much more remarkable inasmuch as they were from different countries and had no connection with each other. That calmed him. He came eventually to value them so highly that he would have preferred losing all his property to losing these two children, such a rarity did he find in their resemblance.

This helps us to appreciate the fact that, in the same way, the commandments of love of God and love of neighbor resemble each other as much as these two slaves of whom Pliny speaks, even though they too are from “countries” very remote from each other. Indeed, what could be more remote, I ask you, than the Infinite from the finite; than divine love, which relates to the immortal God, from love of neighbor, which relates to mortal man; than the one, which relates to Heaven, from the other, which relates to earth? Because of all this, this resemblance is all that much more amazing. Therefore, like Mark Antony, we should purchase both these loves as twins coming forth from the merciful Heart of our good God at the same time. For simultaneous with His creation of man in His image and likeness, God commanded him to love both God and neighbor.

…

Brethren: Be imitators of God, as very dear children… (Eph 5:1)

Children who have a good father ought to imitate him and follow his commandment in all things. Now, we have a Father better than all others and from whom all good is derived. [Jas. 1:17]. His commandments can be nothing but perfect and salutary. Thus we should imitate Him as perfectly as possible, and also obey His divine ordinances. But of all His precepts, there is none which He stresses so earnestly, nor for which He has indicated that He desires so exact an observance, as that of the love of neighbor. The Commandment to love God is higher than the Commandment to love the neighbor; but since nature offers greater resistance to the love of neighbor, it was necessary that we should be encouraged in a more particular manner to its practice.

Let us love, then, to the whole extent of our hearts, in order to please our heavenly Father, but let us love reasonably; that is, let our love be guided by reason, which desires that we love the soul of the neighbor more than his body. But let us love his body also, and then, in proper order, all that pertains to the neighbor, each thing according to its merits, for the proper exercise of this love.

More on Our New Bishop

2012-03-09T13:55:00.000-08:00

The Catholic Sentinel updated their coverage to include details from the press conference held in Bend. It also includes details from previous stories about Fr. Cary, saying

Small decisions he made give a sense of his balanced approach. He once asked parishioners to thank musicians and choirs after Mass as opposed to applauding after songs. When lines for the sacrament of reconciliation grew long because of his popularity as a confessor, he gently asked those who come weekly or bi-weekly to keep their confessions brief if possible to make way for those who come less often.

When a committee held a dinner mixing new and long-time parishioners, Father Cary thanked them, then urged all members to keep the welcome going long term.

In 2001, he stood up publicly when fringe groups in southern Oregon began posting billboards critical of Pope John Paul and the Catholic Church.

“This lowers the level of civility, which is the basis of social peace,” he told the Catholic Sentinel, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Portland. “If that same billboard had a statement against Jews, against Blacks, against Hispanics, there would rightly be an outcry against it.”

The Bend Bulletin also ran a story with details from the press conference. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into Fr. Cary’s life given by things he himself is quoted as saying in the Bend Bulletin article:

Cary grew up in Prineville and lived in the area until 1973. “Every time I come to Prineville, I think, ‘Why did I leave here?' ”

Cary was inspired to become a priest when he was 6, thanks to the Rev. Thomas McTeigue, the priest at St. Joseph Church in Prineville. “I wanted to do as he did ... and serve God the way he did,” said Cary.

Fr. Cary is a strong pro-life priest as well. The Bulletin article notes:

Bishop-designate Cary has been a stalwart in the pro-life movement. He would hold Masses in memory of children who died by miscarriage, stillbirth or abortion, describing “an invisible death, an invisible loss, with an invisible grief." Former director of the Archdiocese of Portland's pro-life office, he has in past months been active in opposing construction of a new Planned Parenthood facility in Springfield, near Eugene.

As for plans for the future, Fr. Cary seems prudently cautious:

Although Cary is familiar with Central Oregon, he isn't familiar with all of the issues of the diocese, saying he doesn't feel prepared to answer questions about the challenges of the diocese “in any real way.” Cary does believe one of his greatest tasks will be getting to “know the people I serve and to get them to know me.”

The Bend Bulletin notes that Fr. James Radloff, new pastor of St. Francis of Assisi parish, “wonders if Cary is traditional or more progressive, saying ‘he’s an unknown’.”

This 6-minute video, a tribute to Fr. Cary created when he left Sacred Heart parish in Medford, perhaps gives a little insight into the answer to that question. (Go here for more videos of Fr. Cary preaching.)

Prayer for Bishops...and Bishops-Elect

2012-03-09T05:59:00.000-08:00

By all accounts that I’ve heard so far, the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Baker, Fr. Liam Cary, is “orthodox”, “wise”, and “gentle”.

Nevertheless – and perhaps especially if he is a good, holy priest – he will need our prayers as he becomes our shepherd.

In a post from a few years ago, Fr. Z slavishly translated the collect for the feast of St. Ambrose, “whose ministry helped to shape Church and State relations for a thousand years”. Fr. Z suggested that this is a good prayer for bishops…and bishop-elects.

Here’s his analysis and translation:

COLLECT (2002MR):

Deus, qui beatum Ambrosium episcopum
catholicae fidei doctorem
et apostolicae fortitudinis exemplum effecisti,
excita in Ecclesia tua viros secundum cor tuum,
qui eam fortiter et sapienter gubernent.

A great deal turns on fortitudo and fortis, whence comes the adverb fortiter.

Fortitudo means, in a physical sense, "strength", but is rather rare in that sense in ancient Latin. In the moral sense it is "firmness, manliness; fortitude, bravery, courage, intrepidity". Fortis the adjective also goes beyond mere physical strength.

In the Catholic sense, fortitudo is a cardinal virtue and gift of the Holy Spirit. Fortitude is the virtue by which a man faces evils with self-control when afraid. It is the virtue by which a man enters into great difficulties, and therefore it is associated with patience and perseverance. This sense flavors my…

SLAVISHLY LITERAL VERSION:

O God, who made blessed bishop Ambrose
to be a teacher of Catholic Faith
and an example of apostolic fortitude,
rouse up in your Church men after Your own Heart,
that they may govern her wisely and bravely.

I agree with Fr. Z: this is a wonderful prayer to pray for our bishops – especially in these trying times.

I’ll be praying this prayer especially for the bishop-elect of the Diocese of Baker, Fr. Liam Cary.

Our New Bishop

2012-03-08T06:31:00.002-08:00

And…the envelope please…(drumroll)…

The new bishop of the Diocese of Baker is…

Fr. Liam Cary,

currently pastor of St. Mary parish in Eugene, Oregon.

From Whisper In The Loggia:

After a thirteen-month vacancy, the Stateside church's longest diocesan opening is finally settled -- at Roman Noon today, the Pope named Fr. Liam Cary, 64, a priest of Portland in Oregon currently serving as a pastor in Eugene, as bishop of Baker...
…
While Cary would become a priest of Portland, he was actually born in the Baker diocese and entered high-school seminary to study for the priesthood there. After college, however, he left formation to work among migrants and the poor in Chicago, California and Oregon, according to the official bio. He re-entered seminary in 1987 and was ordained a priest in 1992, just after his 45th birthday.

I’ll have more info later.

UPDATE:

The VIS statement says:

Vatican City, 8 March 2012 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Liam Stephen Cary of the clergy of the archdiocese of Portland in Oregon, U.S.A., pastor of the parish of St. Mary in Eugene, as bishop of Baker (area 173013, population 502,610, Catholics 37,029, priests 60, permanent deacons 12, religious 25), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Prineville, U.S.A. in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1992. Before ordination he spent many years working with poor people and migrants. Since becoming a priest he has worked in pastoral care in a number of parishes and as vicar forane.

Here’s what I’ve gleaned from Google:

Father Liam Cary, previously served as vocation director of the Archdiocese of Portland, and assisted at St. Luke in Woodburn. He served 12 years as the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Medford, and was appointed pastor of St. Mary Parish in Eugene effective July 2011.

The Catholic Sentinel says that he was born in Portland – not Prineville as the VIS announcement states – in 1947; well, it seems we can at least know he’s an Oregon native! Father Cary was ordained in 1992.

According to the St. Mary website, the Traditional Latin Mass is offered on the second and fourth Sundays of the month there. Perhaps this bodes well for a resurgence of the EF Mass in the Bend area.

There are some videos of Fr. Cary preaching and teaching here; it appears they are mostly from 2009.

I also found a 2007 interview with him courtesy of the Carmel of Maria Regina (Aquero Foundation) in 2007. Here’s an excerpt where he tells his vocation story:

Q10: If you are willing, can you tell your vocation story?

“I already started with the first part of it. That I am the oldest in my family and when my sister came along, I was three, all of the sudden I lost my parents’ undivided attention and I was very conscious of that. Roughly at that point, we moved to a new place and we became very tied to our pastor. He was at our house all the time and everyone in my family thought he was the greatest person in the world, and he was a very great priest as a matter of fact, he was a very fine priest. And I wanted to take his place, unconsciously, I think I thought this would bring my parents undivided approval forever. So that was good. When I was 14 I entered the seminary and was there for 9 years. I left after a year of college because I wanted a different experience, although I still wanted to be a priest. I just thought it would be wise to have some different life experience. So, I got more than I expected, I got 15 years of it. I came back after 18 years, and then it was with the definite maturity that this is it. I mean can’t put this off any longer or I’ll be on Social Security.”

Was there a defining moment for you, or did you just always have that interior knowledge that you were called to be a priest?

“I always had, by the grace of God, as long as I can remember, even during that 'leave of absence' if you will, saying, 'I’m going to be a priest someday.' I always knew it. But there was a moment, if you want, a 'defining' moment. Yes, there was one in that sense when I finally sought counseling from a different priest and I then went on retreat with the specific intention of deciding. I went to talk to a priest before going on this retreat, and I kind of realized when I drove over to see him, that my decision was already made underneath. It was just a matter of acknowledging that it was made. When I got back, I made the Stations of the Cross and it was one of the most painful I’ve ever made, because I knew I was about to surrender my independence. I was 41 years old at the time, had a life of my own, and my way of doing things. I realized that if I really became a priest it would involve sacrificing my independence, and that was very difficult to contemplate. But then I did it. It has occurred to me in later years that if I had not sacrificed my independence, I never would have learned what it is to be free. Once I followed this call, I found out who I could really be.”

Welcome to Baker, Bishop-elect Liam Stephen Cary!

Faith, Hope, and Charity

2012-03-06T19:53:00.001-08:00

Faith, Hope and Charity:

The Theological Virtues

by Stephanie Swee

Every Christianknows the names of the three most important virtues that he needs for eternalhappiness: Faith, Hope and Charity. In man’s journey toward his ultimatedestiny it is important to begin with the fundamentals. These God gives us asinfused virtues at our Baptism and they are nourished by the Sacraments, aswell as each individual’s own efforts to advance through the object of thisstudy, the spiritual life.

Although they gotogether, the theological virtues are distinct, as, for example, when manfinally attains the glory of heaven. Then only the love of God will exist andthe need for faith and hope will cease.[1]Likewise, “Faith can subsist without hope and charity (as in one who commits amortal sin of despair without losing his faith.)”[2]

The first of thetheological virtues, faith, is essential to the Christian life, as it allowsthe intellect to focus on the object of the soul’s fulfillment, God Himself.Belief is the beginning of seeking and faith allows man to understand that theBeatific Vision in heaven is that for which he was created. We also know that faith must not only be apassive belief, but an active seeking. “By faith ‘man freely commits his entireself to God.’ For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God’s will.[3]

Faith requires acontinuous effort to search for and submit to what God asks of us as Hiscreatures. Revelation, both the Scriptures and Tradition, are the sources forus to know God better and to follow his commandments more closely. Over andover the Church prays in the Divine Office concerning the learning and the loveof the Lord’s precepts. “Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delightsin His commands.” (Psalm 111)

Even in thenatural order, says St. Thomas Aquinas, faith has a triple justification.“Three things lead us to believe in Christ … first, natural reason … secondly,the testimony of the Law and prophets … thirdly, the preaching of the Apostles.[4]However, without the aid of grace, the Seraphic Doctor continues, we could notattain the fullness of the virtues. “when thus led, we have reached belief;then we can say that we believe, not for any of the preceding motives, butsolely because of the very truth of God …to which we adhere firmly under theinfluence of an infused light _”[5]

Because thisvirtue is so basic to our final end, the deliberate rejection of it is called“a sin against the Holy Spirit,” and cuts man off from God in a definitive way.Even if we fall into serious sin, as long as we do not choose to reject beliefin God totally, we still have the virtues of faith and hope, although receivingthe sacrament of Penance is required to restore supernatural charity to oursouls.

Faith leadsnaturally to hope, for what we see and believe is our ultimate destiny –rejoicing in God’s presence for all eternity – the will then longs for. Hopeengenders a kind of joy, which is the name C. S. Lewis gives to the yearning wehave for something outside our mortal experience. “What Lewis helped me todiscover was that at rock-bottom all desires are for heaven. ‘There have been times,’says Lewis, ‘when I think we do not desire heaven, but more often, I findmyself wondering whether, in our heart of hearts, we have ever desired anythingelse.’”[6]

But againRevelation gives us more reinforcement than just our natural longings, importantas they are. The Psalmist constantly refers to hope in the midst oftribulations. “My soul pines for your salvation; I hope in your word,” (Psalm118) And God’s infused grace is the fountain of hope. “This doctrine ofgrace leads us also to an entirely supernatural hope composed of confidence inthe divine mercy and abandonment to it.”[7].

Because hopeengages the will, it helps us to overcome all kinds of temptations againstkeeping the commandments and also against discouragement. “Let us … put on thebreastplate of faith and charity, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”(Cor. 12:12)[8]. Many times in the Old Testament, characters such as Abraham are seen to hopeagainst great odds. When his wife, Sara, was of advanced age and Abraham had noheirs and no prospect of any, it took heroic acts of faith and hope to continueto believe and hope in God’s promise that He would make him the “Father of manynations.”

Another exampleof hope was that of Moses, one of many of the chosen people whom Christ recapitulatedin His life. “Moses, in striking contrast to all the turmoil and agitationaround him, moved with quiet firmness and reliance solely upon the Lord.” [9]His kind of trust is the operation of hope, which in its highest form cannot beshaken by the vicissitudes of life or by the temptations of the Evil One.

Man can find inhimself the basis for faith and hope in a higher Being, because he is oftenaware of his own powerlessness in the face of the challenges of his earthlylife, which engenders a belief that a supreme intelligence is governing things.And man is also aware from an early age that he has a desire for something thatno earthly pleasure or pursuit can satisfy, which leads to hope in higherPower.

But charity, thegreatest of the Theological Virtues, is pure gift. The love of God and neighboris not as natural to man as are the other two virtues and crowns them in a waymade possible only by God’s grace. “The practice of all virtues is animated andinspired by charity, which ‘binds everything together in perfect harmony’ (Col.3:14) It is the form of the virtues; it articulates and orders them … it is the source and the goal of theirChristian practice. Charity upholds and purifies our human ability to love andraises it to the supernatural perfection of divine love.”[10]It is also the highest virtue because it deals with the attainment of all man’slonging – to be united with the object of his love in the perfection of theBeatific Vision.

Charity isalways from and through and in Christ, the Messiah who brought mankind the NewDispensation. “Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By lovinghis own to the end, He makes manifest the Father’s love, which He receives.”[11]For the first time, the Jews heard that the greatest of all commandments was tolove God and to love their neighbor as they loved themselves.

While humans areon earth, however, it is necessary to keep growing in the depth of thetheological virtues and this requires the infused moral virtues. “Thetheological virtues are demanded by the very nature of grace … the moralvirtues are demanded by the theological virtues because to be ordained to theend (faith, hope and love in and of God) requires a proper disposition to themeans.” [12] We do this by exercising the moral virtues –prudence, which corresponds to faith; temperance and fortitude, which bolsterhope, and justice, which is the proper exercise of charity. We also receivestrengthening in the three key virtues by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and thecounsels of the Beatitudes.

So, whilesanctifying grace gives us all three of these virtues and actual grace andinfused moral virtues give us the ability to persevere in keeping themoperative, we need finally to focus our minds on the words of St. Paul withregard to their importance.

“So faith, hopeand love, these three, abide, but the greatest of these is love.” (I Cor.13:13) The three theological virtues are the fountainhead from which theChristian draws as he seeks to grow in the love of God as perfectly as he canin this life and in complete fulfillment in heaven, where only Love remains.

[1] Aumann,Jordan, O.P., Spiritual Theology,(London: Sheed and Ward, 1980), p. 85.

[2] Aumann,p. 85.

[3]The Catechism of the Catholic Church. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994), p. 446.

[4]Garrigou-Lagrange, Reginald, O.P., Christian Perfection and Contemplation.(Rockford, Ill.:Tan Books and Publishers, 2003), p. 67.

[5]Garrigou-Lagrange, p. 67.

[6]Martindale, Wayne, Beyond the Shadowlands. (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books,2005), p. 16.

[7]Garrigou-Lagrange, p. 105.

[8] Catechismof the Catholic Church, p. 448.

[9] Quay, Paul, S. J., The Mystery Hidden forAges in God. (New York: Peter Lang, no date given), p. 257.

[10] Catechismof the Catholic Church, p. 449.

[11] Catechismof the Catholic Church, p. 449.

[12] Aumann,p. 86.

Latin Lesson V

2012-03-04T20:15:00.001-08:00

This week we will try two more familiar prayers in Latin:The Pater Noster (Our Father) and theGloria of the Mass.

Since the new translation has come out, the English of theGloria is almost a literal translation of the original Latin. Despiteperceptions to the contrary, the Novus Ordo Mass was written in Latin, maystill be said (indeed, is encouraged to be done) in Latin, and follows closelythe Latin of the Traditional Latin Mass in the main parts of the Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, etc.)

It is Lent, so the Gloriais not said or sung for the next five weeks – until Holy Thursday – but it isused in most seasons throughout the liturgical year, and choirs are encouragedto sing it either in the new English chants or in Latin, even when the Mass isin the vernacular.

Remember in the phonetics that accompany these prayers,syllables in all capital letters are the accented syllables. Also, at the endof words or in unaccented syllables, the “ay” sound for “e” is more likely tobe shortened, especially when spoken rather than sung. It will become more like“eh,” as Panem (PAH-nehm).

PaterNoster

PaterNoster, qui es in caelis,

(PAHtayr NOHS-tayr kwee ays in CHAY-lees)

sanctificeturnomen tuum.

(sahnk-tee-fee-CHAY-toorNOH-mayn TOO-oom)

Adveniatregnum tuum,

(ahd-VAY-nee-ahtRAYN-yoom TOO-oom),

fiatvoluntas tua,

(FEE-ahtvoh-LOON-tahs TOO-ah)

sicutin caelo, et in terra.

(SEE-kootin CHAY-loh ayt in TAY-rah)

Panemnostrum cotidianum

(PAH-naymNOHS-troom koh-tee-dee-AH-noom)

da nobis hodie;

(dah NO-bees HOH-dee-ay)

etdimitte nobis debita nostra

Ayt dim-MITT-tayNOH-bees DAYH-bee-tah NOHS-trah)

Sicutet nos dimittimus

(SEE-kootayt nohs dim-Mitt-tim-moos)

debitoribusnostris

(day-beet-TOHR-ee-boosNOHS-trees)

Et nenos inducas in tentationem,

(aytnay nohs in-DOO-kahs in tayn-tahnt-see-OH-naym)

Sedlibera nos a malo. Amen

(SaydLEE-bay-ra nohs ah MAH-loh. AH-mayn)

Here's a chant version in both English (first) and Latin (starting at about the one-minute mark) - the pronunciation is very clear.

Gloriain Excelsis

Gloria inexcelsis Deo,

(GLOH-ree-ahin eks-CHAYL-sees Day-oh)

et interra pax hominibus

(ayt inTAYR-rah pahks hoh-MEE-nee-boos)

bonaevoluntatis

(BOH-nayvolh-loon-TAH-tees)

Laudamuste,

(low-DAH-moostay)

benedicimuste,

(bay-nay-DEE-chee-moostay)

adoramuste, glorificamus te,

(ahdoh-RAH-moos te, gloh-ree-fee-KAH-moos tay)

Gratiasagimus tibi,

(GRAHT-see-ahsAH-jee moos TEE-bee)

proptermagnam gloriam tuam.

PROHP-tayrMAHN-yam GLO-ree-ahm TOO-ahm)

DomineDeus, Rex caelestis,

(DOH-mee-nayDAY-oos rayks chay-LAYS-tees)

DeusPater omnipotens.

(DAY-oosPAH-tayr ohm-NEE-poh-tayns)

DomineFili unigenite,

(DOH-mee-nayFEE-lee oo-nee-JAY-nee tay)

JesuChriste,

(YAY-sooKREES-tay)

DomineDeus, Agnus Dei,

(DOH-mee-nayDAY-oos, AHN,yoos DAY-dee)

FiliusPatris,

(FEE-lee-oosPAHT-rees)

quitollis peccata mundi,

(kwee TOHL-leesPayk-KAH-tah MOON-dee)

Misererenobis

(mee-say-RAY-rayNOH-bees)

quitollis peccata mundi,

(kwee TOHL-leespayk-KAH-nah, MOON-dee)

suscipedeprecationem nostrum

(SOO-shee-payday-pray-kah-see-OH-naym NOHS-tram)

Quisedes ad dexteram Patris,

(kweeSAY-days, ahd DAYKS-tay-ram PAHT-rees)

misererenobis

(mee-say-RAY-rayNOH-bees)

Quoniamtu solus sanctus.

(KWOh-nee-ahmtoo SOH-loos SAHNK-toos)

Tusolus Dominus,

(tooSOH-loos DOH-mee-noos)

Tusolus Altissimus, Jesu Christe.

TooSOH-loos ahl-TEE see moos YAY-soo KREES-tay)

CumSancto Spiritu,

(koomSAHNK-toh SPEE-ree-too)

ingloria Dei Patris. Amen.

(inGLOH-ree-ah DAY-ee PAHT-rees, AH-men.)

I haven't found a good chant version in Latin yet...

St. Francis de Sales: Heavenly Conversation

2012-03-04T05:57:00.002-08:00

The source of the following excerpt is: The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Lent.

This particular passage is from the saint’s sermon for the second Sunday of Lent, on “Eternal Happiness”. It comes from the middle of the sermon; I was quite taken with the description of the heavenly conversation enjoyed by the saints.

Let me remark first of all that in eternal felicity we will know each other, since in this little spark of it which the Savior gave to His Apostles He willed that they recognize Moses and Elias, whom they had never seen. If this is true, O my God, what contentment will we receive in seeing again those whom we have so dearly loved in this life! Yes, we will even know the new Christians who are only now being converted to our holy Faith in the Indies, Japan, and the Antipodes. The good friendships of this life will continue eternally in the other. We will love each person with a special love, but these particular friendships will not cause partiality because all our affections will draw their strength from the charity of God which, ordering them all will make us love each of the blessed with that eternal love with which we are loved by the Divine Majesty.

O God! What consolation we will have in these heavenly conversations with each other. There our good angels will give us greater joy than we can imagine when we recognize them and they speak to us so lovingly of the care they had for our salvation during our mortal life, reminding us of the holy inspirations they gave us, as a sacred milk which they drew from the breast of the Divine Goodness, to attract us to seek the incomparable sweetness we now enjoy. “Do you remember,” they will say, “the inspiration I gave you at such a time, in reading that book, or in listening to that sermon, or in looking at that image?” For example, St. Mary of Egypt’s good angel will remind her of the inspiration which converted her to Our Lord and which was the foundation of her heavenly destiny. O God! Will not our hearts melt with indescribable delight in hearing these words?

Each of the saints will have a special conversation according to his rank and dignity. One day our glorious Father, St. Augustine (of whom I speak, since I know it pleases you), {6} had a desire to see triumphant Rome, the glorious St. Paul preaching, and Our Lord among the people curing the sick and working miracles. Oh, my dear souls, what consolation this great saint now has in contemplating the heavenly Jerusalem in its triumph, the great Apostle Paul (I do not say great in body for he was small, but great in eloquence and sanctity) preaching and intoning those praises he will give throughout eternity to the Divine Majesty in glory! But what incomparable consolation for St. Augustine to see Our Lord work the perpetual miracle of the blessed felicity which His death has acquired for us! Imagine the divine conversation these two saints might have with each other, with St. Paul saying to St. Augustine: “My dear Brother, do you not recall that in reading my epistle [Rom. 13:12-14] you were touched by an inspiration which moved you to be converted, an inspiration which I had obtained for you from the divine mercy of our good God by the prayer I offered for you at the very moment you were reading what I had written?” Will not this, dear Sisters, bring an incomparable sweetness to our holy Father’s heart?

Let us imagine this: Suppose that Our Lady, St. Magdalene, St. Martha, St. Stephen and the Apostles were to be seen for the space of a year in Jerusalem, as for a great jubilee. Who among us, I ask you, would wish to remain here? For myself, I think we would embark at once, exposing ourselves to the peril of all the hazards which fall upon travelers, so that we might experience the grace of seeing our glorious Mother and Mistress, Magdalene, Mary Salome, and the others. After all, pilgrims expose themselves to all these dangers only to go and revere the places where these holy persons have placed their feet. If this is so, my dear souls, what consolation will we receive when, entering Heaven, we will see the blessed face of Our Lady, all radiant with the love of God! And if St. Elizabeth was so carried away with joy and contentment when, on the day of Our Lady’s visitation, she heard her intone that divine canticle, the Magnificat [Lk. 1:39-55], how much more will our hearts and souls thrill with inexplicable joy when we hear this sacred Chantress intone the canticle of eternal love! Oh, what a sweet melody! Without doubt, we will be carried away and experience most loving raptures which, however, will take from us neither the use of reason nor of our faculties. Both will be marvelously strengthened and perfected by this divine meeting with the holy Virgin, to better praise and glorify God, who has given her and each of us so many graces – among them, that of conversing familiarly with her.

But, you may ask, if it is true, as you say, that we will converse with all those in the heavenlyJerusalem, what will we say? Of what shall we speak? What will be the subject of our conversation? O God! My dear Sisters! What subject? Surely of the mercies which the Lord has shown us here on earth and by which He has made us capable of entering into the joy of a happiness which alone can satisfy us. I say “alone” because in this word “felicity” every sort of good is comprised. They are, however, but one single good, the joy of God in eternal felicity. It is this unique good which the divine lover in the Canticle of Canticles asked from her Beloved (she practices true wisdom here, for following the advice of the wise man [Eccles. (Sir.) 7:40], she considers the end, and then, in light of this, the means). “Kiss me,” she cries, “O my dear Beloved, with the kiss of your mouth.” [cf. Cant. 1:1 (2)]. This kiss, as I shall soon exclaim, is nothing other than the happiness of the blessed.

But of what else will we speak in our conversations? Of the death and Passion of our Lord and Master. Ah, do we not learn this in the Transfiguration, in which they spoke of nothing so much as the excess He had to suffer in Jerusalem, excess which was none other, as we have already seen, than His sorrowful death? Oh, if we could comprehend something of the consolation which the blessed have in speaking of this loving death, how our souls also would expand in thinking of it!

Let us pass on, I pray you, and say a few words about the honor and grace that we will have in conversing even with our incarnate Lord. Here, undoubtedly, our felicity will reach an inexpressible and unutterable height. What will we do, dear souls, what will we become, I ask you, when through the Sacred Wound of His side we perceive that most adorable and most lovable Heart of our Master, aflame with love for us – that Heart where we will see each of our names written in letters of love! “Is it possible, O my dear Savior,” we will say, “that You have loved me so much that You have engraved my name in Your Heart?” It is indeed true. The Prophet, speaking in the name of Our Lord, says to us: “Even if it should happen that a mother forget the child she carried in her womb, I will never forget you, for I have engraved your name in the palms of my hand.” [Is. 49:15-16]. But Jesus Christ, enlarging on these words, will say: “Even if it were possible for a woman to forget her child, yet I will never forget you, since I bear your name engraved in My Heart.”

Ember Friday: A Meditation

2012-03-02T06:23:00.001-08:00

Here’s another meditation from Denys the Carthusian, preceded by a few biographical words. I posted the one for Wednesday here. You can read the whole exercise at this website.

A Devout Exercise of the Purgative Way
Appointed for each day of the week

by Denys the Carthusian

Introduction by the Translator

Denys à Ryckel, better known as Denys the Carthusian, was born in the year 1402 at Ryckel, a village near St. Troud, in the Bishopric of Liège. In his twenty-first year he entered the Carthusian Order at Roermond in Holland, and there died in the year 1471 at the age of sixty-nine.

By scholastic writers he has been given the title of Doctor Ecstaticus (the Ecstatic Doctor), both from his frequently having been rapt in ecstasy, as well as from the depth and sublimity of his valuable writings on the contemplative life.

He is also, probably, the most prolific of ecclesiastical authors. His entire works, as recently re-edited, fill no less than forty-two stout quarto volumes, forming in themselves an almost complete ecclesiastical library.

...

Friday: Of Our Lord's Passion

Behold and see, my soul, how much and how dearly Christ, God's only begotten Son has loved you. He was made man for you; and for you he died a most bitter death. His sufferings verily were all the sharper from the tender fashion of his making.

See how those ruthless men seized Him and held Him, Christ Jesus, the most loving Son of God! See how they bound Him and dragged Him off. They plucked his beard and his hair, they blindfolded his lustrous eyes. They spat in his sweet face and struck his ruddy cheeks and holy lips, mocking and blaspheming as they cried: "Prophesy unto us o Christ who is he that struck You". Then, see how they led Him bound like a robber before Pilate, bore false witness against Him, the Holy of Holies, God's only Son. See Him sent to Herod and how He is sent back to Pilate. They stripped Him shamefully before the whole crowd, tied Him to a pillar and scourged Him with grievous stripes till his bones showed through the flesh. He was crowned with sharp thorns which pierced into his sacred head, and they put a purple garment on him in mockery. Watch then, as they strike his thorn-crowned head with a reed, till the blood from his forehead courses down his face, fills his eyes, oozes into his mouth and ears; and then bending the knee before Him in mockery they say: "Hail, King of the Jews"!

My soul, behold how in such a plight, Jesus was led to the people, "bearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment": his face all dappled in blood, as the lowest of men. Recall how the raging and maddened crowd yelled out: "Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!" See Him as He stands before Pilate and Herod and says never a word, with his head bowed, the image of a patient and most meek lamb. He is condemned to death by Pilate, and see Him as they lead Him away bearing his own cross between two thieves and raise Him aloft amongst criminals. His whole body was stretched out cruelly to the dislocation of his members, the opening of veins, the numbering of all his bones. They gave Him gall and vinegar to drink and then cruelly mocked Him saying: "Let Christ the King of Israel come down now from the cross. If He be the Son of God, let Him come down. He saved others, Himself He cannot save".

Remember how hanging in agony on the cross, Christ spoke seven words, saying: "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do". To the thief he said: "This day shall you be with me in Paradise". To his most sweet mother He said: "Woman, behold your son", and to the disciple John: "Behold your mother". To his Father He cried: Eli, Eli lamma sabacthani? That is: "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?" Later, He said: "I thirst"; when they had given Him vinegar, He said: "It is finished". And lastly: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"; and so "bowing his head, He gave up the ghost". Oh, what was his sorrow for his sweet mother! How lovingly and patiently did He not pray for his executioners! And though he suffered agonies of thirst in his body, He thirsted yet more after our salvation, so that He suffered more in soul by his compassion than by his bodily pains.

O my soul, be not ungrateful nor unmindful of all this. Behold who is He that suffers for you. See the width and depth of his sufferings. Strive to follow in his footsteps. Learn to suffer patiently and to rejoice in adversity. In every temptation have recourse to the memory of these things: grave them deep on your heart, and time and again call them back to mind.

Turning Toward the Lord: Ad Orientem Worship

2012-02-29T18:17:00.000-08:00

I was interested to read an article from the NationalCatholic Register the other day, entitled “ThePriest Was Facing the Other Way” by Matthew Warner.

Mr. Warner tells us that he has never experienced theextraordinary form of the Mass, but would like to. In other words, he’s open tothe experience. It seems to me that many people who’ve never been to an EF Massare interested in learning more. And many have profound insights once they doexperience it.

In his article, though, Mr. Warner doesn’t describe an EFMass; he describes his experience at a novusordo Mass which was celebrated ad orientem. Ad orientem means “to the east”; there are historical andtheological reasons for the development of a “sacred direction”. Churchesused to be “oriented” – they were built with the sanctuary at the east end ofthe building; that way, the people and the priest all faced east as together theyworshipped God. Even if a church is not physically oriented toward the east, thereis still a “liturgical east”, represented by the sanctuary and the altar.

Mr. Warner writes:

Not too long ago, however, Iattended an Ordinary Form of the Mass where the priest was facing away from the congregation during the consecration.Of course, that was the normal practice prior to Vatican II. But I had never experiencedit. In the Ordinary Form of the Mass today, the priest faces the congregation the whole time.

A correction: as Mr. Warner is now no doubt aware, in the NOMass, the priest is not required to face the congregation the whole time. Infact, the wording of the GIRM and the rubrics of the Mass suggest that the all-to-commonpost-Vatican II interpretation that the priest should face the people isincorrect (more on that another time). Consider this quote from Turning Towards the Lord, by U.M. Lang:

…When we speak to someone, we obviously face the person. Accordingly, the whole liturgical assembly, priest and people, should face the same way, turning towards God to whom prayers and offerings are addressed in this common act of trinitarian worship…The catchphrase often heard nowadays that the priest is “turning his back on the people” is a classic example of confounding theology and topography, for the crucial point is that the Mass is a common act of worship where priest and people together, representing the pilgrim Church, reach out for the transcendent God.

Back to Matthew Warner’s article: Mr. Warner experiencedprecisely the sense of all present “turning to the Lord”. Here’s hisdescription:

…All I want to say is that whenthe priest held up the bread and wine and offered them up to the Father as theBody and Blood of His Son, I experiencedMass in a different way than ever before.

At every other Mass I had everbeen to, I had seen the priest holding up the Body and Blood toward me. Holding them up for an audience to see - or at least, that is what I naturally perceived from theway it was done. If you are just observing the Ordinary Form of the Mass,this is the part where you’d say, “Oh, this is where the priest holds up thebread and wine to the congregation.”

But when the priest was facingaway from me this time, I got a verydifferent impression. It really hit home to me more than ever that in thatmoment I was participating in something,not just observing. That I wasn’t justbeing shown something, but that we were the ones offering the somethingtogether — through the priest. Allbecause the priest was facing the other way. The position of his body justseemed to resonate more with what we were doing. That’s all.

It just reminded me that themotions of the liturgy are always communicating something important…

Yes. The motions, the words, the language, the music, the “smellsand bells” – each is a part of the Mass that “communicates something important”about our worship of God.

I know of only one priest in the Diocese of Baker whoregularly celebrates the Novus Ordo adorientem. In many of the parishes I’ve visited, ad orientem worship would be next to impossible because of theposition of the altar.

That’s a sad fact.

As Fr. Z noted in hiscommentary on Mr. Warner’s article:

Imagine, not ever havingexperienced this, even though it is really the norm according to the rubrics.

This brings me back to myincessant cry that, in order to have a revitalization of our Catholic identity,we have to have a revitalization of our liturgical worship.

For example:

What's the focus of the prayer here?!

Okay, to be fair, here's a more liturgically correct novus ordo Mass, with the priest facing the people, as most of us in the Diocese of Baker are used to seeing (although one might wish we did in fact often see altar boys with cassock and surplice instead of the usual seven-dwarf costumes that pass for albs. But I digress...)...

Still, doesn't this ad orientem celebration (below) give a completely different "feel"?

Denys the Carthusian: A Meditation for Ember Wednesday

2012-02-28T15:02:00.000-08:00

A Meditation for Ember Wednesday

I’ve taken the following from this website. Go there for the whole thing. I find these meditations to be very powerful prompts to examine one’s conscience and amend one’s life.

A Devout Exercise of the Purgative Way
Appointed for each day of the week

by Denys the Carthusian

[From the prologue:]

If then, you desire to become wise and pleasing to God, spurn the discretion of this world, nor desire to please it. No rational creature, not excepting the angels, can or could be saved, except by laying aside his own will, and by conforming it and subjecting it to the Divine Will. And the more truly shall he so do, so much the mightier grace shall he gain.

Therefore, the more fully and completely, for God's love you shall forsake yourself, the more perfectly you shall subject your will to the direction of another's – apt for the matter – by so much shall you be dearer to God, and attain to loftier perfection. The proud are likened to hills, the humble to vales, and God's grace is like to rain. Now, just as rain does not lodge nor gather on the mountain tops, but in the hollows: and the deeper the vales the greater the store of rain there: even so, the Holy Ghost with His grace, abides not in the hearts of the proud, but of the humble; yea, in greater measure the lowlier those hearts.

And because in sinning, man prefers his self-will and fleeting good to the Divine unchangeable Will, the uncreated and supreme Good, which choice mounts up to contempt of God; contrariwise, for such contempt, the sinner must first of all contemn himself with all his heart, and count himself worthy of all confusion and punishment. Again, since man, who should take no delight save in his Creator, in sinning, delights in creatures inordinately and corruptly; so ought the sinner take to himself hearty sorrow for such delectation, and bear due punishment for his guilt.

Wednesday: On the terrors of the last Judgment

Behold, o my soul, how terrible will be the last Judgment when the whole world shall be wrapt in flames blazing up higher than the loftiest peak by many an ell. Then shall come down from Heaven attended by the whole company of angels and saints, Christ, the stern judge. The dead shall rise again and stand before the face of Christ the Lord. The bodies of the damned, weighed down like so much lead, shall lie prone on that earth they have loved too well. They shall be more horrible that when they lay rotting in the tomb as loathsome food for worms; sheets of flame too shall light upon them.

O my soul, how shall not those wretched creatures be pressed on every side: above them, their Judge, all mercy gone and full of wrath; below them Hell, yawning open; on this side and that the devils ready to accuse them. Yea, and all the angels and saints and the whole of mankind too, stirred up against them! At that moment every one of their sins shall be made plain to the whole world. The judge will sum up their record of sin and pronounce sentence: "Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire". What awful fear shall seize upon them as He forms these words, and as they see the earth open to swallow them up. Yes, they know the next moment shall see them amidst eternal flames, captives forever with the devils in the prison-house of Hell. While in the same instant looking upwards, they may see the blessed climbing Heaven's heights in a very ocean of delights.

Think too, o my soul, of your own particular judgment. As soon as you shall have passed from this body, you shall be hauled before the bar of Christ and strictly judged by Him. Yea, tremble at this judgment; walk in holy fear and watchfulness before the all-seeing eye of your judge: pray without ceasing that in the day of account, your lot shall be not with the damned, with whom is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Altar Rail

2012-02-27T20:16:00.002-08:00

At TheNew Liturgical Movement, Shawn Tribe notes:

We recently learnt that Fr. JayFinelli (better known to some as the "iPadre")and his parish, Holy Ghost in Tiverton, Rhode Island, are returningto the use of the altar rail for the reception of Holy Communion:

“For the past few years, anumber of people have asked why we can’t use the Altar Rail for Sunday Masses.So, after much thought and prayer, distribution of Holy Communion will takeplace at the Altar Rail, beginning on the 1st Sunday of Lent.”

I don’t know whether the accompanying photo in the NLM article is actually fromthat parish, but it’s beautiful:

As far as I know, there is only one church in the Diocese ofBaker that has an altar rail: St. Mary’s in Pendleton. In a renovation of thesanctuary, Fr. Bailey Clemens procured a high altar and an altar rail from adismantled church, and had them installed at St. Mary’s.

Altar rails seem to be making a come-back in many parishesaround the country. An article in the NationalCatholic Register (from July 2011) notes:

Altar rails are present inseveral new churches architect Duncan Stroik has designed. Among them, theThomas Aquinas College Chapel in Santa Paula, Calif., the Shrine of Our Lady ofGuadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., and three others on the drawing boards.

Altar (Communion) rails arereturning for all the right reasons.

Said Father Markey: “First, theHoly Father is requiring holy Communion from him be received on the knees.Second, it’s part of our tradition as Catholics for centuries to receive holyCommunion on the knees. Third, it’s a beautiful form of devotion to our blessedLord.”

James Hitchcock, professor andauthor of Recovery of the Sacred (Ignatius Press, 1995), thinks the railresurgence is a good idea. The main reason is reverence, he said. “Kneeling’spurpose is to facilitate adoration,” he explained.

When Stroik proposed altarrails for the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, “Cardinal [Raymond] Burke likedthe idea and thought that was something that would give added reverence to theEucharist and sanctuary.”

The NCR article also addresses a question many people ask:

They may be returning, but werealtar rails supposed to be taken out of sanctuaries?

“There is nothing in Vatican IIor post-conciliar documents which mandate their removal,” said Denis McNamara,author of Catholic Church Architecture and the Spirit of the Liturgy(Hillenbrand Books, 2009) and assistant director and professor at theLiturgical Institute of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein,Ill.

Cardinal Francis Arinzestrongly affirmed this point during a 2008 video session while he was stillprefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of theSacraments: “The Church from Rome never said to remove the altar rails.”

Latin Lesson IV: Ave Maria

2012-02-27T07:51:00.001-08:00

Now that you have the basics of Church Latin, we will try some simple prayers. Theywill be marked phonetically, so it will be easy to practice correctpronunciation.

Followingthe prayers is a review some rules from the first few lessons. If you need arefresher, you can do the review first, and then come back to the prayers.

Here isthe Hail Mary in Latin, with phonetics following each line:

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is withthee

AveMaria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.

AH-vay Mah-REE-AH, GRAHT-see-ah PLAY-nah,DOH-mee-noos TAY-koom.

Blessed are thou among women,

Benedictatu in mulieribus,

bay-nay-DEEK-tahTOO een moo-lee-AY- ree- boos

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb,Jesus.

Etbenedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.

Ayt bay-nay-DEEK-toos FROOK-toos VAYN-trees TOO-ee YAY-soos

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

SanctaMaria, Mater Dei,

SAHNK–tah Mah-REE-ah, MAH-tayr DAY-ee,

pray for us, sinners,

Ora pronobis peccatoribus

OH-rahproh NOH-bees payk-ah-TOH-ree-boos,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

nunc etin hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

noonkay teen HOH-rah MOHR-tee NOHS-tray. AH mayn.

A final note: In the phonetic version ofthe book I borrowed from, the long character of each vowel is stressed. But inpractice in some words the vowels would be shortened more. For example, in theLatin word, “in,” the “I” takes on more the sound of a short “I” in Englishthan of the phonetic “ee.” In “Amen,” the pronunciation would be more like“AH-men,” than the author’s “AH-mayn.”

Next: The Pater Noster (Our Father) and theGloria of the Mass.

Review:

Althoughvowels have long and short pronunciations, much of the time, particularly whenLatin is sung, the long pronunciation is used. So think of the “a” in Latin as “ah;” “e” as“ay;” “I” as “ee, “u” as “oo,” and “o” as “oh.” We have seen that “y” used as a vowel is treated like a long “i.”

Theconsonants that differ from English are:

“c” –before i or e, sounds like “ch,” beforeother vowels like “k.” “Ch” in Latin isalways pronounced like a “k” in English.

“g” –before I or e, sounds like soft “g” or “j”; before other letters it is hard,like the “g” in “go.

“gn” -in any Latin word sounds like “ny” as in “canyon.”

“h” –contrary to most Latin grammars, this letter in Italianate Latin is alwayssilent.

“I” - (sometimes written as “j”) when used as aconsonant sounds like the English “y.”

“s” - like the “s” in “sing,” never like the “s”in “raise.”

“sc” –before a, o, u or a consonant, sounds like “sk.” Used before I or e, it soundslike “sh.”

“th” –always like a hard “t,” as in “ten.”

“ti” –when followed by a vowel or preceded by any other letter, except s, t or x,sounds like “tsee.”

“x” –in words beginning with “ex” that are followed by a vowel,or the consonants “h”or “s,” like “gs.”

“x” –in all other cases, like “ks.”

“z” –this letter was not mentioned previously and is rare in Latin, but does occur.It is pronounced as if it were written “dz” as in the word “obryzum.” (OH-BREEDZ-OOM.”)

St. Francis de Sales on Temptation

2012-02-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

The source of the following excerpt is: The Sermons of St. Francis de Sales for Lent. This is from the sermon for the first Sunday of Lent; I’ve excerpted only a small portion of it here.

TEMPTATION

This is an admonition of the Sage: “My son, if you intend to serve God, prepare your soul for temptation,” [Sirach 2:1] for it is an infallible truth that no one is exempt from temptation when he has truly resolved to serve God. This being the case, Our Lord Himself chose to be subjected to temptation in order to show us how we ought to resist it. Thus the Evangelists tell us: He was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted [Matt. 4:1; Mk. 1:12; Lk. 4:11]. I shall draw lessons from this mystery for our particular instruction, in as familiar a manner as I am able.

In the first place, I note that although no one can be exempt from temptation, still no one should seek it or go of his own accord to the place where it may be found, for undoubtedly he who loves it will perish in it. [Ecclus. (Sirach) 3:27] That is why the Evangelist says that Our Lord was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted; it was not then by His choice (I am speaking with regard to His human nature) that He went to the place of temptation, but He was led by the obedience He owed to His heavenly Father.

…

But wait a little, I pray you, and see how certain it is that no one who comes to serve God can avoid temptations. We could give many examples of this but one or two will suffice. Ananias and Saphira made a vow to dedicate themselves and their possessions to the perfection which all the first Christians professed, submitting themselves to obedience to the Apostles. They had no sooner made their resolution than temptation attacked them, as St. Peter said: Who has tempted you to lie to the Holy Spirit? [Acts. 5:1-3]. The great Apostle St. Paul, as soon as he had given himself to the divine service and ranged himself on the side of Christianity, was immediately tempted for the rest of his life. [2 Cor. 12:71. While he was an enemy of God and persecuted the Christians he did not feel the attack of any temptation, or at least he has given us no testimony of it in his writings. But he did when he was converted by Our Lord.

Thus, it is a very necessary practice to prepare our soul for temptation. That is, wherever we may be and however perfect we may be, we must rest assured that temptation will ‘attack us. Hence, we ought to be so disposed and to provide ourselves with the weapons necessary to fight valiantly in order to carry off the victory, since the crown is only for the combatants and conquerors. 12 Tim. 2:5; Jas. 1:12]. We ought never to trust in our own strength or in our courage and go out to seek temptation, thinking to confound it; but if in that place where the Spirit of God has led us we encounter it, we must remain firm in the confidence which we ought to have that He will strengthen us against the attacks of our enemy, however furious they may be.

Let us proceed and consider a little the weapons which Our Lord made use of to repulse the devil that came to tempt Him in the desert. They were none other, my dear friends, than those the Psalmist speaks of in the Psalm we recite every day at Compline: “Qui habitat in adjutorio Altissimi” [“Who dwells in the aid of the Most High”]. [Ps. 90 (91)]. From this Psalm we learn an admirable doctrine. He speaks in this manner as though addressing Christians or someone in particular: “Oh how happy you are, you who are armed with the truth of God, for it will serve you as a shield against the arrows of your enemies and will make you victorious. Therefore, do not fear, O blessed souls, you who are armed with this armor of truth. Fear neither the terrors of the night, for you will not stumble into them; nor the arrows that fly in the air by day, for arrows will not be able to injure you; nor the business that roams in the night; much less the devil that advances and reveals himself at noon.”

O how divinely well-armed with truth was Our Lord and Master, for He was truth itself. [Jn. 14:6]. This truth of which the Psalmist speaks is nothing other than faith. [1 Thess. 5:8]. Whoever is armed with faith need fear nothing; this is the only armor necessary to repel and confound our enemy; for what can harm him who says Credo, “I believe” in God, who is our Father, and our Father Almighty? In saying these words we show that we do not trust in our own strength and that it is only in the strength of God, “the Father Almighty” that we undertake the combat, that we hope for victory. [Ps. 17 (18):30; 43 (44):6-7; Heb. 11:33-34; 1 In. 5:4]. No, let us not go on our own to meet temptation by any presumption of spirit, but only rebuff it when God permits it to attack us and seek us out where we are, as it did Our Lord in the desert. By using the words of Holy Scripture our dear Master overcame all the temptations the enemy presented to Him.

But I want it to be understood that the Savior was not tempted as we are and that temptation could not be in Him as it is in us, for He was an impregnable stronghold to which it did not have access. Just as a man who is vested from head to foot in fine steel could not be injured in any way by the blows of a weapon, since it would glance off on either side, not even scratching the armor; so temptation could indeed encompass Our Lord but never enter into Him, nor do any injury to His integrity and perfect purity. But we are different. If, by the grace of God, we do not consent to temptations, and avoid the fault and the sin in them, ordinarily we are nevertheless wounded a little by some importunity, trouble, or emotion that they produce in our heart.

Our Divine Master could not have faith, since He possessed in the superior part of His soul, from the moment that He began to be, a perfect knowledge of the truths which faith teaches us; however, He wished to make use of this virtue in order to repel the enemy, for no other reason, my dear friends, than to teach all that we have to do. Do not, then, seek for other arms nor other weapons in order to refuse consent to a temptation, except to say, “I believe?” And what do you believe? “In God” my “Father Almighty?”

…

I doubt not that many prefer the end of today’s Gospel to its beginning. It is said there that after Our Lord had overcome His enemy and rejected his temptations, angels came and brought Him heavenly food. [Matt. 4:11]. What joy to find oneself with the Savior at this delicious feast! My dear friends, we shall never be capable of keeping company with Him in His consolations, nor be invited to His heavenly banquet, if we are not sharers of His labors and sufferings. [2 Cor. 1:7]. He fasted forty days, but the angels brought Him something to eat only at the end of that time.

These forty days, as we said just now, symbolize the life of the Christian, of each one of us. Let us then desire these consolations only at the end of our lives, and let us busy ourselves in steadfast resistance to the frontal attacks of our enemies. For whether we desire it or not we shall be tempted. If we do not struggle, we shall not be victorious, nor shall we merit the crown of immortal glory which God has prepared for those of us who are victorious and triumphant.

Let us fear neither the temptation nor the tempter, for if we make use of the shield of faith and the armor of truth, they will have no power whatsoever over us. Let us no longer fear the three terrors of the night. And let us not entertain the vain hope of being or wishing to be saints in three months! Let us also shun both spiritual avarice and the ambition which occasion so much disorder in our hearts and so greatly impede our perfection. The noonday devil will be powerless in causing us to fail in our firm and steadfast resolution to serve God generously and as perfectly as possible in this life, so that after this life we shall go to enjoy Him forever. May He be blessed! Amen.

St. Francis de Sales on Fasting: Part II

2012-02-24T19:03:00.003-08:00

Here is the rest of the sermon by St. Francis de Sales on fasting; Part I is here.

The second condition is never to fast through vanity but alwaysthrough humility. If our fast is not performed with humility, it will not bepleasing to God… St. Paul in the epistle that he wrote to the Corinthians [1Cot: 13]…declared the conditions necessary for disposing ourselves to fast wellduring Lent. He says this to us: Lent is approaching. Prepare yourselves tofast with charity, for if your fast is performed without it, it will be vainand useless, since fasting, like all other good works, is not pleasing to Godunless it is done in charity and through charity. When you discipline yourself,when you say long prayers, if you have not charity, all that is nothing. Eventhough you should work miracles, if you have not charity, they will not profit youat all. Indeed, even if you should suffer martyrdom without charity, yourmartyrdom is worth nothing and would not be meritorious in the eyes of theDivine Majesty. For all works, small or great, however good they may be inthemselves, are of no value and profit us nothing if they are not done incharity and through charity.

I say the same now: if your fast is without humility, it isworth nothing and cannot be pleasing to the Lord…

But what is it to fast through humility? It is never to fastthrough vanity. Now how can one fast through vanity? …To fast through vanity isto fast through self-will, since this self-will is not without vanity, or atleast not without a temptation to vanity. And what does it mean to fast throughself-will? It is to fast as one wishes and not as others wish; to fast in themanner which pleases us, and not as we are ordered or counseled. You will findsome who wish to fast more than is necessary, and others who do not wish tofast as much as is necessary. What causes that except vanity and self-will? Allthat proceeds from ourselves seems better to us, and is much more pleasant andeasy for us than what is enjoined on us by another, even though the latter ismore useful and proper for our perfection. This is natural to us and is bornfrom the great love we have for ourselves.

Let each one of us examine our conscience and we will findthat all that comes from ourselves, from our own judgment, choice and election,is esteemed and loved far better than that which comes from another. We take acertain complacency in it that makes the most arduous and difficult things easyfor us, and this complacency is almost always vanity. You will find those whowish to fast every Saturday of the year, but not during Lent. They wish to fastin honor of Our Lady and not in honor of Our Lord. As if Our Lord and Our Ladydid not consider the honor given to the one as given to the other, and as if inhonoring the Son by fasting done for His intention, one did not please theMother, or that in honoring the Virgin one did not please the Savior! Whatfolly! But see how human it is: because the fast that these persons impose onthemselves on Saturday in honor of our glorious Mistress comes from their ownwill and choice, it seems to them that it should be more holy and that it shouldbring them to a much greater perfection than the fast of Lent, which is commanded.Such people do not fast as they ought but as they want.

There are others who desire to fast more than they should… Onthis matter the great Apostle complains [Rom. 14:1-6], saying that we findourselves confronted by two groups of people. Some do not wish to fast as muchas they ought, and cannot be satisfied with the food permitted (this is what manyworldly people still do today who allege a thousand reasons on this subject...The others, says St. Paul, wish to fast more than is necessary. It is withthese that we have more trouble. We can easily and clearly show the first thatthey contravene the law of God, and that in not fasting as much as they should,while able to do it, they transgress the commandments of the Lord. But we havemore difficulty with the weak and infirm who are not strong enough for fasting.They will not listen to reason, nor can they be persuaded that they are notbound by it [the law of fasting], and despite all our reasons they insist onfasting more than is required, not wishing to use the food we order them. Thesepeople do not fast through humility, but through vanity. They do not recognizethat, being weak and infirm, they would do much more for God in not fastingthrough the command of another and using the food ordered them, than in wishingto abstain through self-will. For although, on account of their weakness, theirmouth cannot abstain, they should make the other senses of the body fast, aswell as the passions and powers of the soul.

You are not, says Our Lord, to look gloomy and melancholiclike the hypocrites do when they fast in order to be praised by men andesteemed as great abstainers.{3} [Matt.6:16-18]. But let your fasting be donein secret; therefore, wash your face, anoint your head, and your heavenlyFather who sees what is hidden in your heart will reward you well. Our DivineMaster did not mean by this that we ought to have no care about the edificationof the neighbor. Oh, no, for St. Paul says [Phil. 4:5]: Let your modesty beknown to all. Those who fast during the holy season of Lent ought not toconceal it, since the Church orders this fast and wishes that everyone shouldknow that we are observing it. We must not, then, deny this to those who expectit of us for their edification, since we are obliged to remove every cause of scandalto our brothers. But when Our Lord said: Fast in secret, He wanted us tounderstand: do not do it to be seen or esteemed by creatures; do not do yourworks for the eyes of men. Be careful to edify them well, but not in order thatthey might esteem you as holy and virtuous. Do not be like the hypocrites. Donot try to appear better than others in practicing more fasting and penancesthan they.

…Accomplish your good works in secret and not for the eyesof others. Do not act like the spider, which represents the proud; but imitatethe bee, which is the symbol of the humble soul. The spider spins its web whereeveryone can see it, and never in secret. It spins in orchards, going from treeto tree, in houses, on windows, on floors -- in short, before the eyes of all.In this it resembles the vain and hypocritical who do everything to be seen andadmired by others. Their works are in fact only spiders' webs, fit to be castinto the fires of Hell. But the bees are wiser and more prudent, for theyprepare their honey in the hive where no one can see them. Besides that, theybuild little cells where they continue their work in secret. This representsvery well the humble soul, who is always withdrawn within herself, withoutseeking any glory or praise for her actions. Rather, she keeps her intentionhidden, being content that God sees and knows what she does.

…Do not allow your fast to resemble that of hypocrites, who wearmelancholy faces and who consider holy only those who are emaciated. Whatfolly! As if holiness consisted in being thin! Certainly St. Thomas Aquinas wasnot thin; he was very stout. And yet he was holy. In the same way there aremany others who, though not thin, nevertheless fail not to be very austere andexcellent servants of God. But the world, which regards only the exterior,considers only those holy who are pale and wasted. Consider a little this humanspirit: it takes account only of appearances and, being vain, does its works tobe seen by others. Our Lord tells you not to do as they do but to let your fastbe done in secret, only for the eyes of your heavenly Father, and He will seeyou and reward you.

The third condition necessary for fasting well is to look toGod and to do everything to please Him, withdrawing within ourselves inimitation of a great saint, St. Gregory the Great, who withdrew into a secretand out-of-the-way place where he remained for some time without anyone knowingwhere he was, being content that the Lord and His angels knew it.

…Cassian says: What will it profit you to do what you aredoing for the eyes of creatures? Nothing but vanity and complacency, which aregood for Hell alone. But if you keep your fast and do all your works to pleaseGod alone, you will labor for eternity, without delighting in yourself orcaring whether you are seen by others or not, since what you do is not done forthem, nor do you await your recompense from them. We must keep our fast withhumility and truth, and not with lying and hypocrisy -- that is, we must fastfor God and to please Him alone.

…This is all that I had to tell you regarding fasting andwhat must be observed in order to fast well. The first thing is that your fastshould be entire and universal; that is, that you should make all the membersof your body and the powers of your soul fast…If you do that, your fast will beuniversal, interior and exterior, for you will mortify both your body and yourspirit. The second condition is that you do not observe your fast or performyour works for the eyes of others. And the third is that you do all youractions, and consequently your fasting, to please God alone, to whom be honor andglory forever and ever.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.Amen.

Fasting: St. Francis de Sales

2012-02-24T06:10:00.001-08:00

In the Ash Wednesday Mass I attended, the homily came from the pen of St. Francis deSales, the patron saint of the Diocese of Baker. The source of the followingexcerpts is Source: TheSermons of St. Francis de Sales for Lent.

Ideally,I would have spread this out over Thursday, Friday, and Saturday after AshWednesday; however, constrained by circumstances, I missed the opportunity topost on Thursday. We’ll squeeze the three day plan into two instead.

Here’sPart I of the Saint’s sermon for Ash Wednesday (Part II is here):

FASTING

These first four days of the holy season of Lent serve as apreface to indicate the preparation that we ought to make in order to spendLent well and to dispose ourselves to fast well. That is why I thought of speakingto you, in this exhortation, of the conditions which render fasting good and meritorious…

To treat of fasting and of what is required to fast well, wemust, at the start, understand that of itself fasting is not a virtue. The goodand the bad, as well as Christians and pagans, observe it. The ancientphilosophers observed it and recommended it. They were not virtuous for thatreason, nor did they practice virtue in fasting. Oh, no, fasting is a virtueonly when it is accompanied by conditions which render it pleasing to God. Thusit happens that it profits some and not others, because it is not undertaken byall in the same manner.

We find some people who think that to fast well during theholy season of Lent it is enough to abstain from eating some prohibited food.But this thought is too gross to enter into the hearts of religious, for it isto you I speak, as well as persons dedicated to Our Lord. We know very wellthat it is not enough to fast exteriorly if we do not also fast interiorly andif we do not accompany the fast of the body with that of the spirit.

That is why our Divine Master, who instituted the fast, greatlydesired in His Sermon on the Mount to teach His Apostles how it must bepracticed [Matt. 6:16-18], which is a matter of great profit and utility (forit would not have been becoming to the greatness and majesty of God to teach auseless doctrine. That could not be.). He knew that to draw strength andefficacy from fasting, something more than abstinence from prohibited food isnecessary. Thus He instructed them and, consequently, disposed them to gatherthe fruits proper to fasting. Among many others are these four: fasting fortifiesthe spirit, mortifying the flesh and its sensuality; it raises the spirit toGod; it fights concupiscence and gives power to conquer and deaden itspassions; in short, it disposes the heart to seek to please only God with greatpurity of heart.

It will be very helpful to state clearly what must be done tofast well these forty days…Now, among all the conditions required for fastingwell, I will select three principal ones and speak familiarly about them.

The first condition is that we must fast with our wholeheart, that is to say, willingly, whole-heartedly, universally and entirely.

[St. Bernard] says that fasting was instituted by Our Lordas a remedy for our mouth, for our gourmandizing and for our gluttony. Sincesin entered the world through the mouth, the mouth must do penance by beingdeprived of foods prohibited and forbidden by the Church, abstaining from themfor the space of forty days. But this glorious saint adds that, as it is not ourmouth alone which has sinned, but also all our other senses, our fast must begeneral and entire, that is, all the members of our body must fast. For if wehave offended God through the eyes, through the ears, through the tongue, andthrough our other senses, why should we not make them fast as well? And notonly must we make the bodily senses fast, but also the soul's powers andpassions -- yes, even the understanding, the memory, and the will, since wehave sinned through both body and spirit.

How many sins have entered into the soul through the eyes, asHoly Scripture indicates? [1 In. 2:16]. That is why they must fast by keepingthem lowered and not permitting them to look upon frivolous and unlawfulobjects; the ears, by depriving them of listening to vain talk which servesonly to fill the mind with worldly images; the tongue, in not speaking idlewords and those which savor of the world or the things of the world. We oughtalso to cut off useless thoughts, as well as vain memories and superfluousappetites and desires of our will. In short, we ought to hold in check allthose things which keep us from loving or tending to the Sovereign Good. Inthis way interior fasting accompanies exterior fasting.

This is what the Church wishes to signify during this holy timeof Lent, teaching us to make our eyes, our ears and our tongue fast. For thisreason she omits all harmonious chants in order to mortify the hearing; she nolonger says Alleluia, and clothes herself completely in somber and dark colors.And on this first day she addresses us in these words: Remember, man, that youare dust, and to dust you shall return [Gen. 3:19], as if she meant to say:"Oh man, quit at this moment all joys and merrymaking, all joyful and pleasantreflections, and fill your memory with bitter, hard and sorrowful thoughts. Inthis way you will make your mind fast together with your body."

This is also what the Christians of the primitive Church taughtus when, in order to spend Lent in a better way, they deprived themselves atthis time of ordinary conversations with their friends, and withdrew into greatsolitude and places removed from communication with people. For the same reason,the ancient Fathers and the Christians of the year 400 or so were so careful tospend these forty days well that they were not satisfied with abstaining fromprohibited meats, but even abstained from eggs, fish, milk and butter, andlived on herbs and roots alone. And not content with making their bodies fastin this manner, they made their minds and all the powers of the soul fast also.They placed sackcloth on their heads in order to learn to keep their eyeslowered. They sprinkled ashes on their heads as a sign of penitence. They withdrewinto solitude to mortify the tongue and hearing, neither speaking nor hearinganything vain and useless. At that time they practiced great and austerepenances by which they subjected their body and made all its members fast. Theydid all this with full liberty, neither forced nor constrained. Note how theirfast was accomplished whole-heartedly and universally; for they understood verywell that since not only the mouth has sinned, but also all the other senses ofour bodies and powers of our soul, the passions and appetites are full ofiniquities. It is thus reasonable that, in order to make our fast complete andmeritorious, it should be universal, which is to say, practiced in both bodyand spirit. This is the first condition to be observed in order to fast well.

[Thesecond and third conditions are addressed here.]

A Church Over the Rainbow

2012-02-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

Looking at the photos below, I think that if I could go inside this incredible church, I'd feel like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz:

"Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!"

But...this is Holy Cross Shrine in Pfeifer, Kansas.

This beautiful church once served Holy Cross Parish, but the parish was dissolved in 1993. Still, a few parishioners maintain the church and it is open to the public from 8am to 8pm daily.

More information and a couple more photos here.

A Meditation for Lent

2012-02-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

A few words from St. Augustine – a good meditation as we enter the season of Lent.

Do you want God to be appeased? Learn what you are to do that God may be pleased with you. Consider the psalm again: If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; in burnt offerings you will take no delight. Are you then to be without sacrifice? Are you to offer nothing? Will you please God without an offering? Consider what you read in the same psalm: If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it; in burnt offerings you will take no delight. But continue to listen, and say with David: A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God does not despise a contrite and humble heart. Cast aside your former offerings, for now you have found out what you are to offer. In the days of your fathers you would have made offerings of cattle – these were the sacrifices. If you wanted sacrifice, I would indeed have given it. These then, Lord, you do not want, and yet you do want sacrifice.

You will take no delight in burnt offerings, David says. If you will not take delight in burnt offerings, will you remain without sacrifice? Not at all. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God does not despise a contrite and humble heart.

You now have the offering you are to make. No need to examine the herd, no need to outfit ships and travel to the most remote provinces in search of incense. Search within your heart for what is pleasing to God. Your heart must be crushed. Are you afraid that it might perish so? You have the reply: Create a clean heart in me, O God. For a clean heart to be created, the unclean one must be crushed.

We should be displeased with ourselves when we commit sin, for sin is displeasing to God. Sinful though we are, let us at least be like God in this, that we are displeased at what displeases him. In some measure then you will be in harmony with God’s will, because you find displeasing in yourself what is abhorrent to your Creator.

This is an excerpt from Sermon 19, 2-3: CCL 41, 252-254, which you can view here.

Sacred Music Colloquium: Now Is the Time!

2012-02-20T16:44:00.000-08:00

Foranyone with the slightest interest in Gregorian chant, here is your chance tolearn more and become inspired by the beauty of our Catholic music heritage.

Here’ssome of the information. Find the full details at TheChant Café:

Sacred Music Colloquium XXII will be the most exciting andlargest in history. It will be held at the remarkable Cathedral of theMadeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah

Dates: June 25-July 1, 2012.

This year we are expanding in new directions. You do not need to regard yourself as a singer or even a musician toattend. There are plenty of Gregorian choirs for first-time singers, and sessions are available for those who optnot to sing in a polyphonic choirs. There will be opportunities for bothprofessional musicians and non-musicians who are just interested in thewell-being of music at liturgy.

The venue of the Cathedral in Salt Lake is beautiful beyonddescription. Historically significant as well as aesthetically magnificent, theCathedral of the Madeleine ranks among the finest locations ever made availablefor the Sacred Music Colloquium, which has grown in size in scope every yearfor six years.

Register now
The Schedule for Colloquium XXII
Register for the Little America Hotel
Colloquium XXII Chant Course Descriptions
Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring the Colloquium with full page ad in the Colloquium packet, write programs@musicasacra.com.

The year 2012 promises to be the grandest ever with newopportunities for learning, singing, listening, and interacting with the bestminds and musicians in the Catholic world today. The Cathedral Choir School hasbeen wonderfully accommodating and opened up the full use of its facilities forthe Colloquium.

SOME COLLOQUIUM HIGHLIGHTS:

Extensive training in Gregorian chant under a diverse and world-class faculty, with choices of a chant class for beginners, and intermediate and and advanced chant classes;
Morning and afternoon sessions all week with lectures and workshops with the best of the best thinkers and doers in the world of Catholic music;
Optional choral experience with one of four large choirs singing sacred music of the masters such as Palestrina, Vierne, Bruckner, Victoria, Byrd, Tallis, Josquin, and many others;
Daily liturgies with careful attention to officially prescribed musical settings;
Experience in singing or just listening to Mass settings, motets, chants, and responses;
Residency in a full service hotel;
Two gala dinners with top lecturers and events;
Training in English chant from newly published works;
Training in vocal production and technique;
Conducting practicum;
Training for Priests in the sung Mass;
Pedagogy demonstrations;
Composers’ Forum;
Seminars on parish music management, integrating sung parts of the liturgy, polyphonic repertoire for beginning and more established choirs;
All music, including prepared packets of chant and polyphony, as part of registration.

Go to The Chant Café for all the details.

Chant in the "Domestic Church"

2012-02-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

An article by J.Jacob Tawney posted at TheNew Liturgical Movement provides some good information and suggestions for “IntroducingChant into the Domestic Church”. Be sure to read the whole thing. In the meantime, here are some excerpts:

Themusic proper to the Roman Rite is Gregorian Chant. This point has been repeatedby numerous Popes, by the Second Vatican Council, and by liturgical scholarsspanning the centuries. There are many reasons for this, of course, but theprimary one is that Gregorian Chant grew alongside the liturgy, so much so thatthe two are intrinsically connected. Where there is liturgy, there is chant,and where chant is absent, the liturgy suffers greatly.

…

…itseems that (1) if the music proper to the Catholic Church is chant, and (2) ifthe domestic church is the first place that we encounter worship, then itfollows that Gregorian Chant should find a place within the life of the family.

He mentions three ways to introduce chant to children. Thefirst is, of course, to take them to Mass – a Mass where chant is sungregularly! That’s not happening anywhere in this diocese on a regular basis, soif you want to foster a love of chant and sacred music in your children, you’llhave to find other ways.

Second, the author mentions using quality recordings to bringchant into the “domestic church”. He recommends the following:

I'm sure this child is listening to
Gregorian chant!

Whenpurchasing quality recordings, I would begin with the schola out of Oregon thatcalls themselves Cantores in Ecclesia and is directed by Dean Applegate. Theyhave three albums available. The first is O Lux Beatissima, which is acollection of the Mass Ordinary and many other common Catholic chants. Thesecond is Cantemus Domino,which contains examples of Mass Propers. The third is Inclina Domine which has more Massparts from both the Ordinary and the Propers. (If you are looking for where tobegin, my own personal opinion is with O Lux Beatissima.)

However, we live in an age where many people are posting quality recordings forfree online. A quick Google search can usually lead to a plethora of highquality pieces.

The author goes on to add:

Thethird way in which to bring the chant of the Church into the family is byactually teaching young children these “Catholic classics.”

… Forinstance, in the season of Advent the chant is the Alma Redemptoris Mater. Theothers include Ave Regina Caelorum (Lent), Regina Caeli (Easter), and the SalveRegina (Ordinary Time). Over the years, my children have been picking up eachof these (and the Ave Maria as well). This past Advent we added the last of thecollection (Alma Redemptoris Mater), and nothing touched my heart more thanwhen three of my children greeted me at the door about a week later excited totell me that they had “learned it.” There they stood in front of the fireplacemantel, and they chanted in unison the most angelic melody I have ever heard.

Please read the entire article here!

Incense: Scents and Sensibility

2012-02-18T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here’s a great resource site: Smells and Bells. It deals primarily with...uh...smells (incense) and bells (sanctus bells). Matthew D. Herrera, owner the site, introducesthe resources by noting:

I have prepared a pair of shortbooklets which explore the history and current use of incense and sanctus bellsas powerful devotional aids in the Catholic Church. I have also included a copy of Sacred Signs, a wonderful little work bythe late Msgr. Romano Guardini, that should be of great interest to anyone witha love for Catholic liturgy.

The booklets are packed with good information on thesetopics, and are available to anyone who wants to download and print them. Mr. Herrera invites us to do so:

If you have a desire to(re)introduce incense and sanctus bells into your parish, I would suggestprinting and forwarding copies of my booklets to your pastor or parishadministrator. Perhaps even your bishopmight enjoy copies for his library. Please send the booklet with a short cover letter similar to the one Ihave included. While I retain thecopyright to both monographs I hereby give permission for their downloading anddissemination so long as they are not altered in any way or sold. Please free to contact me with any questionsor comments. Thanks for visiting andGodspeed in your efforts.

Visit the site to view the booklets, the letter he mentions,and his contact information.

In the meantime, I’ll address the use of incense, usingexcerpts from Mr. Herrera’s booklet available on the site. The booklet coversthe history of the use of incense, biblical references to its use, types ofincense, the how-to’s and the when-to’s, and even charcoal! It’s very complete.

But the section on objections to the use of incense caught my attention.

I know from experience that many people – or at least a fewwho are very vocal – dislike incense at Mass, and do what they can todiscourage its use. Here are someexcerpts on this subject from Mr. Herrera’s booklet (my emphases):

All too often the knee-jerkresponses to complaints about the liturgical use of incense is to completelyremove it from the celebration of the Mass. While the rubrics for the OrdinaryForm of the Mass don’t require incense to be used, choosing to banish it altogether is an action thatstrips solemnity and historical continuity away from the Mass. There arefar more positive ways of dealing with sensitivities to incense smoke.

The first step should be to catechize the faithful on theimportance of incense and why incense has historically been part of the Mass.Most Catholics’ understanding of incense seems to stop at the ability of incenseto mask unpleasant odors. All too often people complain about the use ofincense simply because they don’t likethe smell or because using itextends the Mass for a few minutes. A little education will often sooththeir discomfort.

Catechesis on the subject may or may not change the mostrecalcitrant minds, but it would most likely help some to overcome their ownobjections or be less swayed by the unreasonable stance of others. Mr. Herrera’sbooklet offers much in the way of this catechesis; I’ll touch on it below, butit’s well worth reading the entire booklet to get this information.

Next is to choose a type ofincense that will be the leastirritating to sensitive individuals. One must be certain to choose anall-natural, pure resin or oleoresin incense. White Copal is one example of a mild,all-natural pure resin incense that is very reasonably priced. The strongerfrankincense and myrrh incenses are also good choice. One must however becareful to choose a brand that uses hypoallergenic essential oils in theblending process.

….

There must also be sensitivityto the fact that some blends – even those of high quality incense simply do not smell good to some people.This sensitivity seems particularly true in the Western World. Courteous feedback outside of the Massshould be encouraged and records kept of which blends are favored by thecongregation and not simply a few individual.

(p. 18-19)

In an earlier section of the booklet, Mr. Herrera addressesthe question “Why Do We Use Incense?” He makes the following points:

In the Old Testament Godcommanded His people to burn incense (Exodus 30:7, 40:27, etc.). Incense is a sacramental used to venerate, bless, andsanctify. Its smoke conveys a sense of mystery and awe. It is a reminder ofthe sweet smelling presence of our Lord. Its use adds a feeling of solemnity tothe Mass. The visual imagery of the smoke and the smell reinforce the transcendence of the Mass linkingHeaven with Earth, allowing us to enter into the presence of God. It symbolizes the burning zeal of faithwhich should consume all Christians while the fragrance symbolizes Christianvirtue.

[He quotes Msgr. RomanoGuardini here.] “The offering of anincense is a generous and beautiful rite. The bright grains of incense are laidupon the red-hot charcoal, the censer is swung, and the fragrant smoke rises inclouds. In the rhythm and the sweetness there is a musical quality; and likemusic also is the entire lack of practical utility: it is a prodigal waste ofprecious material. It is a pouring out of unwithholding love.”

Incense and the smoke ofburning incense have been offered as gifts to God and to others since ancienttimes. In a more practical visual sense as the fragrant smoke ascends it also symbolizes our prayers rising to Heaven…

[Guardini again]: “The offering of incense is like Mary’sanointing (of Jesus) at Bethany. It is as free and objectless as beauty. Itburns and is consumed like love that lasts through death. And the arid soulstill takes his stand and asks the same question: What is the good of it?

It isthe offering of a sweet savour which Scripture itself tells us is the prayersof the Satins. Incense is the symbol of prayer. Like pure prayer it has in viewno object of its own; it asks nothing for itself. It rises like the Gloria atthe end of a psalm in adoration and thanksgiving to God for his great glory.”

(p. 6)

Incense just makes sense!

Bishop Olmsted on Sacred Music: Part III

2012-02-15T20:44:00.000-08:00

Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix, has released partthree of his four-part series on “Singing the Mass”. This one has the subtitle, "Sacredmusic's role in evangelization", and appears in the Catholic Sun;the first two parts are accessible from links in that article, and werementioned on this blog hereand here.

In part three, Bishop Olmsted discusses the “double movement”of evangelization and enculturation: the Church proclaims the Gospel to peopleof different cultures, and at the same time pulls those people into Her own culture.He notes that:

Like Christ and in Him, theChurch engages authentic human culture wherever she finds it. She proclaims thegood news of Jesus Christ to a specific culture; and then whatever is good inthe culture she purifies and transforms, drawing it into her own communal lifein her various ecclesial "rites" (in our case, the Roman Rite).

What is the role of music, then, in this enculturationprocess? To answer this question, Bishop Olmsted addresses the differencebetween “religious” and “liturgical” music (emphases added).

The distinction betweenreligious music and liturgical music (cf. part one of this series) embodiesthis double movement: religious music is, we might say, the earthly expression of a given culture’sfaith in Christ; liturgical music is the sacramental expression of Christ and the true nature of the Church.The former tends to be particular, individual, temporal and profane; the lattertends to be universal, communal, eternal and sacred. Religious music comes from human hearts yearning for God; liturgical musiccomes from Christ’s heart, the heart of the Church, longing for us.

Many people have favorite “contemporaryChristian” songs, and it seems always a temptation to include these in theMass; often it is argued that using contemporary music will pull young peopleinto the Church in a way that the “old-fashioned” hymns or Gregorian chantcannot. However, as Bishop Olmsted points out, even though the music may comefrom “hearts yearning for God”, it is best to leave that music outside theliturgy and offer the music “from Christ’s heart, the heart of the Church” tothe faithful at Mass. (And, by the way, this music “from Christ’s heart”generally does not include themajority of the tunes from JourneySongsor Breaking Bread!)

Bishop Olmsted points out a good use of that “contemporaryChristian” music, though:

Because religious music ismarked by the particular and profane, it is especially useful for evangelization. Like St. Francis Xavier donningthe silk garments of Japanese nobility in his missionary work in Japan,religious music "wears the clothes" of those it seeks to evangelize;it becomes familiar, taking in much of the cultural forms, and where possibledoing this with minimal alteration. In religious music, the Church learns tosing, in many voices, through the familiar melodies and rhythms of variouscultures.

He then turns the analogy around to bring us back to theimportance of sacred music in the liturgy:

But in the sacred liturgy, weenter the precincts not of man's culturebut the heavenly courts of Christ,the culture of the Church, the wedding feast of the Lamb: and new festive garments are required forthis feast (cf. Mt 22:1-14). In liturgical music, the peoples drawn into thesacred liturgy learn to sing, in onevoice, through the often unfamiliarmelody and rhythm of the Church's sacred music. This oneness is exemplified(for us Roman Rite Catholics) primarily in Gregorian Chant and Polyphony, themusical "garments" of the texts of the sacred liturgy.

There’s more to the article than this - Bishop Olmsted has manygood insights to share. Be sure to read the entire article,as well as parts one and two.

Latin Lesson III

2012-02-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Before we get into the rest of the consonants in ChurchLatin, we will talk about two other matters. One is the fact that some of thereaders of this column may have had some Latin in school. If so, then you willhave to relearn some of the sounds. Classical Latin, that is, what Caesarsupposedly spoke, has different rules than Church Latin. For example, a “v” inclassical Latin is pronounced like a “w,” while it retains the “v” sound inChurch pronunciation.

A more common source of confusion, though, is that there areapproximately four major ways Church Latin is pronounced around the world. Thedifferences between them are few, but our next consonant is likely the mostproblematic.

If we use the Italian Church method, then the “h” is silent.However, some orders, such as the Franciscans, that may have a heavy presencein Northern Europe, will pronounce the “h.” We will not pronounce it, for thepurposes of this instruction. Thus, “hoc” is pronounced “ohk.” If you rememberthat one rule, you will have the letter “h” covered for the future.

“J” (or as some would insist, an “I” used as a consonant) ispronounced as if it were the consonant “y” in English. So the word “jam” – or“iam” (meaning “now”) is said as if it were spelled phonetically “yahm.”

As previously mentioned, there is no “k” in Latin. Theletters, m, n, and p sound as they do in English, and “ph” is pronounced like“f,” as English does. The letter “q” is always followed by “u” and sounds like“kw,” just as in English.

The letter “r” when used in Church Latin of the Italianschool – as we are doing here – is rolled. Before some letters, such as mostvowels, this is easy to do; when it occurs before others, such as “t” or “n,”it is more difficult to roll the “r”. Generally, just do what you can where itoccurs and you will eventually find it automatic.

The consonant “s” is what phonics terminology calls “voiceless” – i.e., it always soundslike the “s” in “sing,” never like the “s” in “raise.” Combining “s” with otherconsonants is more complex: e.g., “sc” before “a,” “o,” “u” or a consonantalways sounds like the “sc” in the English word “scope”. Before an “e” or an “i,”“sc” is pronounced like “sh” in “shall.”

The letter “t” has some variations as well. When followed by “h,” the sound is as a hard“t,” as in “ten.” When the combination“ti” is followed by a vowel or preceded by any letter EXCEPT “s”, “t”, or “x”,the “t” sounds like “tsee.” This is one of the hardest sounds to remember, butwe will give some practice with the combination in Latin words in the nextlesson.

The consonant “x” sounds like “ks” in most cases, but inwords beginning with “ex” and followed by a vowel, an “h”, or an “s,” the “x”sounds like “gs.”

That has taken us through the alphabet for Latin sounds.Next week we will use common vocabulary words in the prayer of the Church toillustrate the pronunciation given in the first three lessons.

Latin lessons I and II are on the "Latin" page.

Why Latin?

2012-02-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

On February 22, 1962, the apostolic constitution VeterumSapientia (“ancient wisdom”) was promulgated by Pope John XXIII. Thisdocument focused on the study and use of Latin, and authorized the establishmentof a “Latin academy”; and Pope Paul VI did in fact accomplish this end with thefounding of the Academicum Latinitatis Institutum in 1964. On February 23^rdof this year, marking the 50^th anniversary of the document, theAcademy will host a conference entitled "Veterum Sapientia: History, Culture and Timeliness."

VeterumSapientia is a short document which outlines the reasons why Latin isthe language of the Church, and why it is worth learning, preserving, andusing. For one thing, we are told:

Of its very nature Latin ismost suitable for promoting every culture among diverse peoples, for it givesno rise to jealousies, it does not favor any one group, but presents itselfwith equal impartiality, gracious and friendly to all.

Aha! The next time someone insists on the necessity of a “bi-lingual”Mass, you might explain how beneficial Latin would be to this end! Hmm…The factthat you are laughing at that thought (or cringing in fear at what the otherperson might do or say) shows that this document did not receive much attentionor respect in this neck of the woods.

A bilingual Mass: Latin and English

In fact, in an interview with Zenit, Father Roberto Spataro,a teacher at the Institute, characterized VSas a document that was “unfortunately quickly, unjustly forgotten”. Indeed!These days, you’d think Latin had been outlawed 50 years ago, rather thanpromoted and defended.

In the same Zenit interview, Fr. Spataro said of the upcomingconference:

We intend to re-visit thatdocument and to show how it is still very timely in proposing the need that inthe Church, especially among priests, that the great ethical, spiritual andreligious values be known that the ancient world developed and thatChristianity perfected, thus constructing the foundations of contemporarycivilization.

Asked whether he believes Latin is a “dead language” Fr.Spataro made this comment:

How can one hold as"dead" a language that is studied today by so many persons, andnourishes lofty and noble thoughts? Not forgetting that it is the language ofthe Holy See and that the liturgy in Latin attracts in ever increasing numbersthe faithful, many of them young people.

And let us not forget that Canon Law dictates that Latin is to be taught in seminaries! Ofcourse, it’s pretty obvious that that requirement has fallen by the wayside inmany places. Just try to find a priest in this diocese who is willing and ableto say the Mass in Latin! They are few and far between – and mostly due to alack of knowledge of Latin.

Returning to the document itself, we can find valuableinsights into the reasons why Latin remains the official language of the Church.VS states:

The Church should make use of alanguage that is not only universal, but also immutable… Latin, in fact, is already safe from various ambiguities associated with the meaningof words arising from popular usage,for it is understood to be set and unchanging…

For instance, the Latin word for “gay” still means “happy”!It does NOT mean homosexual!

VS alsotouches on the splendor and majesty of the Church:

… inasmuch as the CatholicChurch is founded by Christ the Lord, and it far surpasses in dignity all otherhuman associations, it is clearly therefore fitting that she should use a non-vernacular language full of nobilityand majesty.

Pope John XXIII clearly believed that Latin is important,and that it is to be used by the Church. What could be more to-the-point thanthese paragraphs?

Bishops and superiors-generalof religious orders shall take pains toensure that in their seminaries and in their schools where adolescents aretrained for the priesthood, all shall studiously observe the Apostolic See's decision in this matterand obey these Our prescriptionsmost carefully.

In the exercise of theirpaternal care they shall be on theirguard lest anyone under their jurisdiction, eager for revolutionarychanges, writes against the use of Latinin the teaching of the higher sacred studies or in the Liturgy, or through prejudice makes light of the Holy See'swill in this regard or interprets it falsely.

As is laid down in Canon Law orcommanded by Our Predecessors, before Church students begin theirecclesiastical studies proper they shall be given a sufficiently lengthy course of instruction in Latin by highlycompetent masters, following a method designed to teach them the languagewith the utmost accuracy.

And yet…when I read documents like this, I wonder what wentwrong. Nowhere in Church documents is anything written or prescribed thatcontravenes VS – not even in the documents of Vatican II, contrary to popular opinion! In fact, Blessed John Paul II reiterated themessage of VS in an address he gaveto the Institute on the occasion of the fortiethanniversary of the document in 2002. He said that the use of Latin "is an indispensable condition for aproper relationship between modernity and antiquity, for dialogue amongdifferent cultures, and for reaffirming the identity of the Catholicpriesthood."

Latin should never have been “abolished” as it seems to havebeen in the US, and never should it have been forced to take a back seat to thevernacular in the liturgy.

This final interchange with Fr. Spataro in the Zenitinterview may give us some hope:

ZENIT: In recent times,instead, it seemed that Latin was dyingout: Seminarians did not study it any longer and it was not used in the liturgy. What is your Institute doing aboutthis situation?

Father Spataro: In recentyears, tentative beginnings have taken place within the Catholic Church interms of renewed interest in the study of Latin. Among these are the birth ofnew religious communities and laymovements that have understood well how a most precious patrimony belongs to the Tradition, to the life itself of the Church, ofliturgical, canonical, magisterial, theological expressions whose content is comprehensible only in its linguisticform, namely, Latin. Hence, our Institute wishes to teach a greater number ofclerics and lay people to be able to appreciate this patrimony, so that everyChurch is able to have access to people who love the way in which truth, beauty and harmony are united in thislanguage.

Saving the World through The Liturgy

2012-02-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog is mainly to serve the mission of the Society of St. Gregory the Great - that is, "to promote divine worship in accordance with the Supreme Magisterium of the Church."

Why do we promote divine worship? The bottom line is this:

Now, it is also important to know just what it is we are saving the world from.

To that end, may I suggest you take a few minutes to consider the state of our nation at the present moment?

Here is a list of posts from ThePulp.It. For more - and there are lots more right now! - go directly to ThePulp.It and see what you find.

. . .Obama Compromise is No Compromise. . .

Published February 10, 2012 Anno Domini

Obama’s Latest Fig Leaf is Not Acceptable – The American Catholic
On Compromise & the Church’s Role in Civil Society – Fr. R. J. Araujo SJ, Mirror of Justice
Compromise or Accommodation, It’s Still Unacceptable – Tom Crowe, Catholic Vote
This Story is Still Breaking, Scroll Down for Updates – Micah Murphy, Truth & Charity
WaPo Writer: Founders Wrong on Free Exercise of Religion – A. McCarthy, The Corner
Obama Tells Reporters on Controversy: Come On, Guys – Noel Sheppard, NewsBusters
USCCB: Hawaii Bill ‘Not Much of a Compromise’ – Joan Frawley Desmond, Daily Register

Cultural Obstacles to Sacred Music

2012-02-08T18:56:00.000-08:00

If you’re serious about sacred music in your parish, there’sa great article entitle “The Blueprint: SacredMusic in Your Parish”, by Arlene Oost-Zinner and Jeffrey Tucker whichis a must-read (thanks to Wendi for pointing it out).

The authors begin with thisstatement:

Every parish can be the home for chant and sacredmusic. No situation is desperate or hopeless. Musicians who care need onlydo the necessary work and take the necessary steps.

In other words, put your excusesaway, and look for paths that will lead to the successful introduction ofsacred music in your parish!

Of particular importance for us inthe Diocese of Baker, I think, is this comment the authors make on “culturalobstacles”.

Inseeking to introduce sacred Catholic music into parishes, one must first dealwith the stark reality that our heritage in music and Latin language hasevaporated in practice. Three generations have been raised in the faithwithout the sounds of chant, and very few people under a certain age canconjure up the first notes of any popular chant from the past. In many parishes,thirty plus Pentecosts have come and gone without the “Veni Creator,” andthirty plus Lents without a single “Parce Domine.” The “Ubi Caritas” isunfamiliar, unknown to most. The Marian plainsongs of “Ave Maria,” “ReginaCaeli,” and “Salve Regina” have no meaning, musically or textually. Not eventhe “Tantum Ergo” has made it into the hymnbooks in most common use.

Now, if the chants listed in that paragraph are unfamiliarto you, you will definitely have a long row to hoe! I know that in theCathedral parish, at least a couple of them would be vaguely familiar toparishioners, but they are being used less and less as the years go by. Inanother parish, the choir has been resistant to Latin for decades, it seems,and so these chants are not at all familiar. But, regardless, the authorsinsist that this obstacle can be overcome, and they provide some practicaladvice later in the article.

It is important, though, to have some understanding of thehistory of sacred music in our parishes and in our diocese in general. I thinkthat especially in the eastern part of the Diocese of Baker, the impoverishedmusical state is due to the fact that we’re a long way from anywhere, and it’sunlikely that there were ever too many musicians available to sing and trainothers in singing chant. The title of a book by Monsignor William S. Stonepublished in 1993 is quite telling: TheCross in the Middle of Nowhere: A History of the Catholic Church in EasternOregon.

Oost-Zinner and Tucker continue:

Whenthe St. Anthony Messenger surveyedits readers in 1996 on their favorite Catholic hymns, the top three answerswere startling: 1. “Be Not Afraid” (contemporary song and the bane of all whoseek traditional music); 2. “Amazing Grace” (protestant traditional); 3.and “How Great Thou Art” (protestant traditional). Of the top twelve picksamong readers, only two were traditional Catholic (“Holy God, We Praise ThyName” and “Panis Angelicus”). It is not that the survey takers were rejectingtraditional Catholic music; most likely, it is just not known to them.

I suspect this is especially true for our Diocese. TheDiocese of Baker is one of the largest geographically in the US, but with oneof the smallest populations of Catholics. It’s not too surprising that we’vebeen susceptible to the influx of Protestant hymns in our liturgies.

The authors go on to point out that:

Nothaving exposure to solemn music at Mass, a common reaction among people is toregard it as depressing and exclusivist. This is, once again, a reflection ofthe reigning pattern of liturgical socialization that has taken place for somany decades. The purpose of most Catholic music written since about 1970 hasnot been to draw from the chant tradition but to break from it with the goal ofbringing people together in a spirit of community praise. Under the rightconditions, chant can accomplish the same, but that is not its primary purpose,and so long as people are looking forcommunity uplift as versus holiness, chant will not win out. It takes time toattract people into a new sense of what it means to worship and whatCatholicism can and should sound like. (my emphasis)

This article was written in 2003. Now we have had the “newtranslation” of the Roman Missal introduced at Mass, so at least people arestarting to get a taste of that “new sense of what it means to worship”.However, without a change in the music, the more accurate translation willeventually fade into the background. The time is ripe to sing the chantsindicated in the Missal itself.

There’s a lot more in this article. Please read it here!

Why the EF Mass is Better (V-for-Victory blog)

2012-02-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

There is a great post by Anita over at V-for-Victory blog,entitled “Whythe Extraordinary Form Is Better: An Appeal to Priests”. It’s a re-post of an article she wrotesome time ago, with some additional introductory comments.

First, here’s an excerpt from her current introduction tothe older post:

…It should come as no surprise to us to findourselves under assault at this time: with her members so infected by thespirit of the world, it seems the Church has seldom been weaker.

This makes the need for traditional Catholicworship all the more urgent. Business as usual will not do. We must recover and celebrate our distinctly Catholic patrimony. We mustrebuild our moral sense, and we must present those outside the Church with aclear choice between what they have now and what they could have in the Church…

…The Holy Father meant the freeing up of thetraditional Mass to be a gift for all Catholics, not just currentdevotees. It is also a great gift to priests. How can you bear tocontinue in ignorance of half of the Roman rite? And how can you bear notto be plugged in to the tradition that nurtured centuries and centuries ofpriests and laymen before you, and brought up generations of saints? Howcan you hope to recover, in the eyes of your flocks, the dignity of thepriesthood, which has been dragged through the mud of so many scandals, withoutthe liturgy that makes that dignity shine forth more clearly than any other?

… TheExtraordinary Form of the Mass is a most powerful spiritual weapon. Seldom have we needed it more. Please do not fail to take it up and wieldit boldly.

[Then follows the older post, which is a list of reasons whyshe thinks the EF Mass is better than the Novus Ordo. Here is reason #2 of thesix she gives:]

The Extraordinary Form Sheds More Light onTruths of the Faith. One could go on meditating on the Mass untilthe end of time, and still not unpack all of its significance; but I find thatthere are some truths that the Extraordinary Rite makes moreobvious. One is the awesome dignity of the priesthood. Another is the fact that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Calvary.

Mass in the Extraordinary Form teaches me that the priest is not just any oldguy doing a job, but a man specially selected and set apart in order to performthe Holy Sacrifice. I can tell this by the fact that he is facing God, asI am, but he is permitted to approach the altar and to stand in the breach, asit were, between God and myself, obtaining God's pardon and grace for me. I can also tell this by the fact that the priest does most of the praying andperforms most of the external actions, while I sit, stand or kneelquietly. This teaches me both the futility and the needlessness ofrelying purely on my own efforts to win salvation: futile, because I ampowerless, and needless, because in that moment, God has appointed a ministerto do for me what I cannot do for myself.

And all of this teaches me that the Mass is none other than the Sacrifice ofCalvary. The priest is alter Christus: Christ, in the person ofthe priest, entering the Holy of Holies, offering His own Self to secureredemption, as Paul says in Chapter 9 of the Epistle to the Hebrews. TheHoly Sacrifice itself is offered in silence: this teaches me that I am in thepresence of Mystery. This silence is not the muteness of ignorance, northe emptiness of a deserted church; it is the expectant hush falling overCalvary as the Savior breathes his last. This moment is so solemn thatwhen the priest first approaches the altar at the beginning of Mass, he does soin stages, begging mercy and the forgiveness both of his own sins and those ofthe people. The penitential right is not slopped or rushed through, butdwelt upon, to make us understand our own sinfulness and nothingness before thestupendous mystery in which we are about to enter.

[Anita concludes:]

The Mass in the Extraordinary Form is a precious treasurethat we were foolish ever to try to change or throw away. I hope that one daythe Extraordinary Rite will become the Ordinary Rite, and eventually displacethe Novus Ordo entirely. Until that day comes...I'll continue to attendthe Extraordinary Rite whenever I can, and tough it out whenever I can't.

Be sureto read the entire post here.

Looking for a Few Good Blogs?

2012-02-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

There are many Catholic blogs to choose from; if you don’thave some favorites already, or would like to add a few, here are a fewrecommendations.

For GeneralNews and Commentary:

ThePulp.It: For Catholicnews and commentary, this is one of the best sources. This blog is like a “Reader’sDigest” of the day’s blogging all over the world. Published by Tito Edwards, itis updated several times each day, and lists the titles of a number of blogposts that provide information and analysis of current Catholic issues.

WDTPRS: or, “What Doesthe Prayer Really Say?” by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf also known as simply “Fr. Z” or “Fr.Z’s blog”. He updates numerous times through the day, and his posts include everythingfrom comments on liturgical issues, news items, his travels, and his owngastronomical creations, to photos of astronomical anomalies and of the birdsthat frequent his farm. Oh…and he generally tells us what the prayers really say, especially the Sundaycollects, with his “slavishly literal” translations; he also adds commentaryabout the history of the prayers. Fr. Z is a good source of info as to what’sgoing on in the world, what the prayer really says, and all matters liturgical.

For Liturgy:

The NewLiturgical Movement: This blog focuses on the sacred liturgy and liturgicalarts. You’ll often find wonderful photos of altars, sanctuaries, vestments, and church architecture, along with fine articles on these subjects. Also covered are particularly beautifulliturgical occasions such as ordinations or feast-day Masses. There are anumber of writers who contribute to the blog, each with his own specialty. Theemphasis is always on liturgical excellence and reverence. The NLM blog hasoften been referenced on this blog.

The Chant Café: Thisblog has been highlighted here a number of times. If you are a musician, oreven if you’re not, but you just want good music in the liturgy, this blog isworth checking on a daily basis. The focus is, of course, on chant and sacredpolyphony; there are a number of stellar contributors, with Jeffrey Tucker asthe ring leader. There are original posts as well as links to other goodarticles or videos.

The Recovering Choir Director:Aristotle Esguerra is the author of this blog, and he’s a …you guessed it…choirdirector. He is also a composer who does his part to promote reverence andbeauty in liturgical music, and he offers the means to do so to others. According to his own statement on his blog, he’sbeen shaped by and is interested in “the ongoing development of a liturgical spirituality; the realizationof the importance of liturgical music as sung prayer; and the discovery of theneed for liturgical music reform in the Latin Church according to the highestintentions of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council and prior stewards ofthe liturgy.” I think this blog is especially good for choir directors and semi-accomplishedmusicians and singers.

GeneralInterest:

Cradle Stories:by Wendi, who has been featured here a time or two. Wendi really “gets” music,both from the perspective of the person in the pew, as well as a musician. Herposts are pithy and entertaining, and not always about music! If you haven’tread any of the posts highlighted here, you’re missing out.

Fr. Julian’sBlog: I’m including this blog here because as far as I know, Fr. JulianCassar, rector of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Baker City, is the onlypriest in the Diocese of Baker with his own blog. He just started it at thebeginning of January. He also maintains the parish website of St. Francis deSales, updating it faithfully every Saturday; it’s probably the best parishwebsite in the diocese. Fr. Julian has said that he is planning to postsomething on his blog every day. So far, it’s usually been the saint or feastof the day, or a gentle story of some sort, or a favorite prayer – nothing challengingor controversial, just “easy listening” for the eyes, I guess you could say. Heincludes plenty of photos, too.

TheNew Theological Movement: For something a little meatier, try this blog byFr. Ryan Erlenbush. The posts are theological in nature (surprise!), and Fr.Erlenbush is quite adept at packing some solid information into anunderstandable essay that often will leave you amazed at the richness of ourCatholic heritage. His work has been mentioned here once or twice. Fr.Erlenbush’s articles provide a way of increasing our understanding of theliturgy, because many of these theological gems are hinted at or assumed in theliturgy or in the traditions surrounding a particular holy day.

There are lots of good Catholic blogs out there; I’ve onlymentioned the ones that focus on news, liturgy/music, and theology here. If youaren’t a regular follower of the Catholic blogosphere, and you’d like to have abetter idea of what’s going on in the world and how it affects us as Catholics,I recommend you check ThePulp.It daily. You’llstart to recognize some of the names and the blogs, and you will find the onesthat suit your own taste.

Latin Lesson II

2012-02-04T16:25:00.000-08:00

Last week we looked at the way vowels sound inecclesiastical Latin. The principle remains the same for consonants, becauseLatin is a totally phonetic language. After you have learned to say a certain combination of letters, theywill sound the same - with very few exceptions – wherever you find them.

Before taking on consonants, though, let us look at anotherkind of letter – the diphthong. This is two vowels that sound together. InLatin, there are effectively only two diphthongs: “æ” and “œ” (and they aregenerally written like that, with the letters touching, to show that they arediphthongs). Both are pronounced like the Latin “e,” i.e., as if they were along “A” in English. An example of the first is “aeternum” (forever). You say it as if it were spelled “eternum”, whichit often is. The second diphthong used in Latin is the one in “coeli” (heavens), said as if it werespelled, “celi,” which it never is.

A note about the “y” in Latin: It is sometimes used as a consonant,sometimes as a vowel, as it is in English. When used as a vowel, it is then pronouncedexactly as the Latin “I,” i.e., like an English “ee.”

A rule that is important for vowels and/or diphthongs in Latin is that all ofthem are always sounded. For example, if you have two vowels in a row, as in“esurierunt,” you would say both the “i” and the “e” in the middle of the word.Another way to put it is that where there is a vowel or diphthong, there is asyllable. So the word above has five syllables: “Ay-soo- ree-ay-roont.”

Some common words in Church Latin will be good for practice.Dominus (Lord) is pronounced“Doh-mee-noos,” while Deus (God)sounds like “Day-oos.” The name for the Blessed Virgin, Maria, is said “Mah-ree-ah.” These are very basic Latin words, which mostCatholics know from having heard them in well-known hymns, but we will addressmore vocabulary later.

Now on to consonants, which are, of course, far morenumerous than vowels. Alphabetically, Bis the next letter and it is pronounced the same way as English, like the b in “bat.” C is more interesting; when it comes before the vowels, “a,” “o” or “u,”“c” always sounds like the English “k.” When it is used before “e,” “i,” “y” oreither diphthong (ae or oe) it is pronounced like the English “ch.” When “c” isdoubled in Latin, as in the word “ecce,” (behold), it is pronounced like “tch,”i.e., “Aytch-ay.”

The next two can be dealt with quickly, as they sound mostlyas they do in English: “d” as in “down,” “f,” as in “foot.“ “G” however, changes, depending on theletters following it. It sounds like the“g” in “gold,” before consonants (except “n”) and before “a,” “o” and “u.” An exampleis “gratias” (thanks). However, before “e”,“i”, and “y,” and the two diphthongs(which are treated like “e” for our purposes) the Latin “g” sounds like theEnglish “j.” An example of this is “genuit” (kneels). Last, the “g” before an “n,” as in “magnum,”(great), is pronounced with the “n,” likethe middle letters in “canyon,” i.e., as if “gn” were spelled “ny.”

If your eyes are glazing over by now, remember that once youstart applying these rules to actual vocabulary, which we will do in laterlessons, it will soon become automatic. The ability to say or sing the mothertongue of the Church will seem worth the effort to struggle through a fewlessons.

As encouragement, there is no “k” or “w” in Latin. (Some saythere is no “J” either, because the Romans used an “i” for the consonant “j”.However, Latin transcribers often change the “i” to a “j” in order to avoid confusionwith the vowel “i.”)

Next week: More consonants, including the controversial “h”.

Who knew the controversy inherent
in learning the Latin language?!

See the first Latin lesson here, or on the "Latin Lessons" page.

Music Documents Are Sometimes Ignored!

2012-02-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

As you’re reading through some of the documents on sacredmusic suggestedby Wendi, it’s important to keep in mind that there has been flagrantdisregard for some of the key tenets of the reform of liturgical music forpractically as long as the Church has mandated certain standards.

As an example of this disregard for the authority of Rome,consider the Instruction Music in theLiturgy (Musicam Sacram), issuedin 1967. This document clearly delineates which parts of the Novus Ordo Massare to be sung, and assigns a value of importance to them by use of the term“degree”. The parts of the first degree – the most important to be sung – includethe greeting of the priest to the people in the entrance rite, and theirresponse to him; the acclamations at the Gospel; the offertory; the preface ofthe liturgy of the Eucharist; the Sanctus; the Lord’s prayer; and severalothers. All other parts are second and third degree, and should not be sungunless the first degree parts are also sung.

The US bishops disagreed with this hierarchy in their 1972 document,Music in Catholic Worship (apparentlyno longer available online):

The parts preceding the liturgyof the word, namely, the entrance, greeting, penitential rite, Kyrie, Gloria,and opening prayer or collect, have the character of introduction andpreparation. The purpose of these rites is to help the assembled people becomea worshiping community and to prepare them for listening to God's Word andcelebrating the Eucharist. Of theseparts the entrance song and the opening prayer are primary. All else issecondary. (§44; emphasis added)

It is impossible to reconcile this statement with theInstruction Musicam Sacram. And eventhough Music in Catholic Worship wasnever voted on by the bishops’ conference (it was a publication of theCommittee on the Liturgy), it was a major force in shaping the selection ofliturgical music in the United States for decades. In 2007, JeffreyTucker wrote on the NLM blog (my emphasis):

It's been 35 years since theUSCCB unleashed Music in Catholic Worshipon the country. This is the document that said "the musical settings ofthe past are usually not helpful models for composing truly liturgical piecestoday" – so much for the inestimablevalue of chant – and further said that the distinction between propers andordinary "is no longer retained."

The newer USCCB document, Sing to the Lord, is a big improvement over its predecessor.

Of course, in general, in all of the official Churchdocuments, Gregorian chant, Latin, and sacred polyphony are given “pride ofplace” according to SacrosanctumConcilium and Musicam Sacram, butyou’d never know it in the parishes of my acquaintance. In fact, you’d thinksuch things had been outlawed – especially Latin – even though Canon Law (Canon249) stipulates that seminarians (yes, even those in the

United States

!)should be “well-versed” in Latin, the official language of the Church. Wouldn’tit seem that bishops should ensure that the stipulations of Canon Law arefollowed in our seminaries?! Well, perhaps things are changing…

At any rate, while it is good to be aware of the history oflegislation on sacred music, it is also good to understand that your studiesmay not be well-regarded by those who have been shaped by previous Churchdocuments. The new translation of the GIRM more faithfully respects the moretraditional ordering of music, but you’ll have decades of habit to overcome.

Still, Wendi’ssuggestions for easing a parish toward truly sacred music have greatpromise. Patience, as she has mentioned, will be needed!

Steps Toward Sacred Music

2012-02-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

In another greatpost on how to help move your parish toward truly sacred music for theMass, Wendi has anothersingular suggestion. This follows from her previouspost where she suggested that, if you want better music, you might:

1) Determine to do something more than complain

2) Educate yourself by reading the documents aboutliturgical music

And now, Suggestion Number Three from Wendi:

Okay, maybe not at first.
But it could get better!

3) Join the choir.

That’s what she says, all right.Join the choir. I would never have thought of that! Wendi explains:

Here is the reasoning behindthe suggestion.

If you are singing, you will have a lot more credibility when you start askingfor better music. You won't be just a crank in the pew…If your music istruly awful, you will spend some time singing bad music. That however, is agolden opportunity to help the souls in Purgatory. I'm not beingsarcastic, I offer up the assault on my sensibilities for the suffering souls,every time I sing happy clappy sappy music at Mass.

And if you’re really serious about having good music at Mass…findsome! Do some googling, find something good to sing. If you’re at a loss, Wendisuggests checking out these sites: Corpus ChristiWatershed and ChoralPublic Domain Library And don’t forget to check out the resources listed onthis blog; the Chant Café is an excellent place to check regularly.

Then follow Wendi’s Suggestion Number Four:

4) Take a good piece of music in Latin (I suggestpolyphony first) to the director and ask to sing it for a Holy day orFeast. If he/she says it's too hard to sing in Latin have a similar piecein English as a back up.

Maybe all you get is one beautiful piece for Easter or Christmas.

That's ok. You'll have just introduced good music to your parish. Iguarantee you that people will hear it and want more where that came from.

They'll compliment the choir director. I'm fairly certain they aren'tcomplimenting the folk music.

She’s got some good points here. It takes time and tact tomove people from “what we’ve always done” to something that’s better and moreappropriate. While I tend to want to smack people upside the head with a Graduale Romanum, Wendi advocates a “kinder,gentler” approach. And of course, she’s right: people respond much morefavorably to compliments than criticisms! So when the choir director getscompliments on the beautiful piece of music, she or he will want to choose moreof that kind of music.

Wendialso takes away your excuse that “I don’thave time!”

Most choirs practice once aweek for an hour or two and then sing at one Mass on Sunday morning.

You're already going to Mass. So now all you have to do, is go to choirpractice once a week instead of spending that time on Facebook. (Facebookwill not miss you.)

If you care about the music, make the time.

Please go and readthe entire post! Wendi has such an amusing – and convincing – way of sayall of this.

Italian Bishop Promotes EF Mass

2012-01-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

Shawn Tribe at the New Liturgical Movement blog has highlighted a letter writtenby a bishop in Northern Italy to his clergy on the subject of Summorum Pontificum(Pope Benedict XVI’smotu proprio which liberalized the celebration of the extraordinary form of theMass, and indeed, encourages it). Apparentlythe priests in this Italian diocese have not been as open as the bishop thinksthey should be to offering the EF Mass.

Here is NLM’s translation of a few relevant paragraphs ofthe letter (which I have further condensed; read the entire article here):

Dear Priests and Deacons,

It is with much bitterness of spirit that I have found that many of you havenot taken up or made a right attitude of mind and heart toward the possibilitygiven to the faithful by the motu proprio "Summorum Pontificum" ofPope Benedict XVI, of the celebration of Holy Mass "in the extraordinaryform" according to the Missal of Blessed John XXIII, promulgated in 1962.

In the "Three days of the Clergy" of September 2007, I indicated withstrength and clarity what is the value and the true meaning of the MotuProprio, how we should interpret it and how we should accept it, with a mindthat is open to the magisterial content of the document and with a readywillingness of a convinced obedience. The position taken by the Bishop was notmissing its calm authority, strengthened by his full concordance with a solemnact of the Supreme Pontiff. The position of the Bishop was founded by reason ofhis theological argument on the nature of the Divine Liturgy, the immutabilityof the substance in its supernatural contents, and was also based on surveys ofthe practical, concrete, good sense of the Church.

[…]

I understand that in some areas, on the part of several priests and pastors,there was also the manifestation almost of ridicule toward faithful who haveasked to make use of the option, and indeed of the right, for the celebrationof Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form; there is also an expression of contemptand almost of hostility toward Brother Priests who are well prepared tounderstand and respond to the requests of the faithful...
[…]

I ask that you put away every attitude not in conformity with ecclesialcommunion, the discipline of the Church and the convinced obedience due toimportant acts of the magisterium or government.

[…]

Albenga, 1 January 2012, Solemnity of the Mother of God
Monsignor Mario Oliveri, Bishop

We all know that even though this situation is occurring inItaly, it is occurring in plenty of places in the US as well, to our greatdiscouragement at times. So “it is encouraging to see a bishop who is takingthe usus antiquior seriously both liturgically and pastorally,” Shawn Tribe notes.

Perhapssome US bishops might take a cue from their brother bishop in Italy!

Universae Ecclesiaei , theinstruction on the implementation ofSummorum Pontificum, makes it clear that bishops should be generous andaccommodating in respecting the rights of the faithful to have the extraordinaryform of the Mass made available. Paragraphs 13-14 of UE:

TheCompetence of Diocesan Bishops

13.Diocesan Bishops, according to Canon Law, are to monitor liturgical matters inorder to guarantee the common good and to ensure that everything is proceedingin peace and serenity in their Dioceses, always in agreement with the mens ofthe Holy Father clearly expressed by the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. In cases of controversy or well-foundeddoubt about the celebration in the formaextraordinaria, the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei willadjudicate.

14. Itis the task of the Diocesan Bishop to undertake all necessary measures to ensure respect for the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite, according to the MotuProprio Summorum Pontificum.

So,although the bishop does have authority to “monitor liturgical matters” in his diocese, hemust do so according to the mens(mind)of the Holy Father. Too many bishops in this country are failing to do justthat.

Andlest anyone claim that providing the extraordinary form of the Mass causes “division”within the parish or diocese, paragraph6 of the UE has this to say:

6. The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI andthe last edition prepared under Pope John XXIII, are two forms of the Roman Liturgy, defined respectively as ordinaria and extraordinaria: they are two usages of the one Roman Rite, one alongside the other. Both are theexpression of the same lex orandi ofthe Church. On account of its venerableand ancient use, the forma extraordinariais to be maintained with appropriate honor.

Let uspray that the extraordinary form of the Mass returns to the Diocese of Bakersoon!

Wendi Wonders: Do You Care, Too?

2012-01-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

Wendi cares about sacred music, and she’s not afraid to let you know it. She has some cogent thoughts on the subject and some ideas about how to help your parish move toward greater reverence in the Mass by simply following the guidelines for music which the Church Herself has laid out for us.

Wendi wrote about her daughter’s wedding here, and noted that the music for the nuptial Mass – Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony, organ – made quite a positive impression on those who attended.

The other day, she wrote more about sacred music, and why she cares about it. Read the whole thing here.

I’ll give you a few tidbits. Why does she care? Because:

I just happen to think it's THAT important. Let me try and explain why.

…what is Sacred music in the Mass designed for? What is its proper function?

There are many theories.

It's supposed to foster a sense of community.
It's supposed to help the people participate.
It's supposed to make people feel good.
It's supposed to reinforce catechesis.
It's unnecessary.
It's supposed to help people focus on Jesus.

I've heard all of those.

I think the last comes the closest, but it's not quite right.

The purpose of Sacred Music in the Mass is to draw the attention of the faithful and allow them to more fully express their joy in the eternal mysteries being celebrated.

The purpose of Sacred Music is to draw attention to the fact that this space and this time are set apart from the every day. The Mass is a banquet. A Wedding Feast. Special. Important.

Wendi has lots more to say, and you really need to visit her blog and read her posts. But she makes another point about sacred music that I want to emphasize here: it’s not about the individual - the soloist or the cantor. It’s about the music itself, and the function of the music in the Mass:

A choir on the other hand...many voices singing the congregational responses with no one person on the "mike" encourages the participation of the faithful.

Then too, a well-trained, properly rehearsed choir can give as a gift to the faithful, some of those beautiful pieces of music that are part of the treasury of the church.

One reason that the young people are turning towards chant and polyphony is the other-worldly beauty of it. We have a Schola cantorum at our church made up almost entirely of college students. It's about the chant and the Latin.

That music sounds special. Important. Set Apart. The young recognize and respond to that.

The charismatic Masses on the other hand, with their "contemporary music", my own teens pronounced boring. My daughter's fiance who self-identifies as a charismatic...attended my oldest daughter's Nuptial Mass and immediately asked if they could have that music for their wedding. He, like many others, said it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

…I find it interesting that these young people immediately and instinctively seem to grasp that which continues to elude many others: That music in the Mass isn't just an afterthought, tacked on, inserted into the Mass. It's an essential, functional part of what we are offering as a community. It's important.

It sets the Mass apart from our every-day activities (at least it should).

Sacred Music should be beautiful. It should be special. It should offer the best of what we have to offer.

And then Wendi hits us right between the eyes:

So why do I care?

I have better questions.

Why don't you care enough to demand chant and polyphony in your parish?

Why are you settling for the pap and pablum they give you?

How important is the Mass to you?

Why don't you care whether it's special or not?

Excellent questions. Think about it.

Wendi is not one to leave us wondering what to do next. Here’s her follow-up:

Ok, so I care...Now what?

…It occurs to me that some of you want change but don't know how or where to begin. In the next few posts I'll offer some suggestions on how to make your voice heard in a productive way.

Suggestion number One.

Stop simply sitting in the pew and complaining to your spouse or friends.

…If you are genuinely concerned about what your children are hearing during Sunday Mass or what you yourself have to listen to, make a determination you are going to do something about the music.

Suggestion number Two.

Educate yourself. Read the documents concerning music in the Liturgy, so when you do start asking for change, you have the proper information to back up your requests…

Here are some of her suggestions:

Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy) from Vatican II

Musicam Sacram : Instruction on Music in the Liturgy

General Instruction of the Roman Missal

And, she adds:

The one thing all these documents have in common, is the recognition that Latin and chant have pride of place in the Mass.

So start there. Get the facts to back up your requests. If you have friends that feel as you do, send them the links to the documents.

This is definitely a situation in which numbers make a difference. One person is a crank. Ten people are a minority. Fifty people are a movement.

This fits in with the request Fr. Z made of us a few days ago. He provided this paragraph from an address of the Holy Father:

As we know, in vast areas of the world the Faith is in danger of being snuffed out like a flame that no longer has any sustenance. We are at a profound crisis of faith, at a loss of a religious sense that constitutes the greatest challenge for the Church of today. The renewal of the faith must therefore be the priority in the undertaking of the whole Church in our times. I hope that the Year of Faith can contribute, with the cordial collaboration of all the members of the People of God, to bring God back anew to this world and to open to men an access to the faith, to a reliance on the God who loved us to the end (cf John 13,1), in Christ Jesus, crucified and risen.

Fr. Z added:

I will add my view that nothing of which His Holiness spoke is going to be accomplished without a renewal of our liturgical worship.

Our identity as Catholics cannot be separated from our worship.

… Lay people: band together and start requesting celebrations Holy Mass also in the Extraordinary Form. Get organized. Form a schola and start singing chant so you will be ready when the time comes. Offer to take care of all the material details. Offer to provide vestments, books, money so the priest can go get training. Start thinking about forming a group of servers, perhaps even father and son teams.

Our Catholic identity is in great need of revival right now. Sacred music, liturgical renewal, the extraordinary form of the Mass: these are essential elements of our Catholic identity.

I believe we need a top-down effort on this as well (bishops need to get on board with the EF Mass!), but if we can generate a sort of grass-roots, bottom-up effort as well, we can all converge on the renewal of our faith.

Don’t just sit there. Do something.

True Love in the Sunday Collect (from Fr. Z)

2012-01-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

Fr. Z’stranslations/explanations/discussions of the Sunday collects are alwaysedifying. Go herefor the full article. In the meantime, I have clipped several paragraphsthat seem to capture the gist of Fr. Z’s commentary.

Here is the collect for the 4^thSunday of Ordinary time (this Sunday):

COLLECT – LATIN TEXT (2002MR):
Concede nobis, Domine Deus noster,
ut te tota mente veneremur,
et omnes homines rationabili diligamus affectu.

OBSOLETE ICEL (1973):
Lord our God,
help us to love you with all our hearts
and to love all men as you love them.

Is this what the Latin really says?

NEW CORRECTED ICEL (2011):
Grant us, Lord our God,
that we may honour you with all our mind,
and love everyone in truth of heart.

SLAVISHLY LITERAL TRANSLATION:
Grant us, O Lord our God,
that we may venerate you with our whole mind,
and may love all men with rational good-will.

“Affection” just doesn’t cut it for affectus andsomething more pointed than “love” is needed too. I came up with“rational good-will”. We mustn’treduce all these complicated Latin words to “love”. Why not? Note in the prayer the contrast of the themes “reason” and “mood”, the rationalwith the affective dimension (concerning emotions) of man; in short, the headand the heart. The fact is, aproperly functioning person conducts his life according to both head and heart,feelings under the control of reason and the will. The terrible wound toour human nature from original sin causes the difficulty we have in governingfeelings and appetites by reason and will.

Today’s prayer aims at the totality of a human person: ourwholeness is defined by our relationship with God.

…

Love is at the heart of who we are and it the key to ourprayer today.

We are commanded by God the Father and God Incarnate JesusChrist to love both God and our fellow man and God the indwelling Holy Spiritmakes this possible.

But the word and therefore concept of “love” is understoodin many ways and today, especially, it is misunderstood. “Love”frequently refers to people or stuff we like or enjoy using. Bob can“love” his new SUV. Betsy “loves” her new kitten. We all certainly“love” baseball and spaghetti. But “love” can refer to the emotions andaffections people have when they are “in love” or, as I sometimes call it, “in luv”.

Luv is usually an ooey-gooeyfeeling, a romantic “love” sometimes growing out of lust. This gooeyromantic “love” now dominates Western culture, alas. The result isthat when “feelings” change or the object of “luv” is no longer enjoyable oruseable, someone gets dumped, often for a newer, richer, or prettier model.

…

True love, charity, isn’t the sloppy gazing ofpassion drunk sweethearts or the rubbish we see on TV and in movies(luv). Charity is the grace filled adhesion of our will to an object(really a person) which has been grasped by our intellect to be good.

The love invoked in our prayer is an act of will based onreason. It is a choice – not a feeling.

Charity delights in and longs for the good of the other morethan one’s own. The theological virtue charity involves grace. Itenables sacrifices, any kind of sacrifice for the authentic good of anotherdiscerned with reason (not a false good and not “use” of the other). Wecan choose even to love an enemy. This love resembles the sacrificial loveof Christ on His Cross who offered Himself up for the good of His spouse, theChurch. Rationabilis affectus reflects what it is to be trulyhuman, made in God’s image and likeness, with faculties of willing and knowingand, therefore, loving.

Knowledge and love are interconnected.

…

In seeking to understand and love God more and more we cometo understand things about God and ourselves as his images that, without love,we could never learn by simple study. The relationship with God throughlove and knowledge changes us…

…

Consider: we can study about God and our faith, but reallythe object of study is not just things to learn or formulas to memorize: theobject of our study and faith is a divine Person in whose image and likeness weourselves are made. To be who we are by our nature we personally need thesort of knowledge of God that draws us into Him. Knowledge of God (notjust things learned about God) reaches into us, seizes us, transforms us. To experience God’s love is to have certain knowledge of God, more certain thanany knowledge which can be arrived at by means of mere rational examination.

Bring this all with you back to the last line of our prayerand the command to love our neighbor, all of them made in God’s image and allindividually intriguing – fascinating, in a way that resembles the way we loveGod and ourselves. This we are to do with our minds, hearts, and all ourstrength.

Be sure to read the entirearticle; there are many nuances and explanations that have not beenincluded here. Let learning about this one prayer of Sunday’s Mass bring you toa deeper level of participation in the Mass.

Latin in the Mass: It's Not Rocket Science!

2012-01-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

One of the first things one hears from those who resist Massin the extraordinary form is “But we can’t understand anything; Latin is sohard!”

My first answer to that is in days gone by – centuries ofthem – the faithful managed to understand what was going on in the Mass and,since the invention of the printing press, have had some written materialtranslating the Mass prayers into the local language. So If one can read atall, one can read the Mass in the vernacular across from the Latin and followwhat is happening. All venues thatprovide the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, to my knowledge, providetranslations, so no one need remain ignorant of what is being said.

It's easy! One side has Latin...

...the other side has English!

The second important thing to remember is that Latin isstill the official language of the Church. Not only did the Vatican II Council not replace it, the documents of theCouncil reiterate and emphasize that Latin is the mother tongue of Catholicism,just as chant is in first place for the musical expression of liturgicalprayer.

And last, but not least, the word “liturgy” comes from theGreek leitourgia, which meansliterally “work of the people” or “public work.” Participating in the liturgy does not mean sitting in the pew saying one’s rosary, asexemplary as that might be at another time and place; nor does it mean leaving everything to the priest, servers, andchoir. Liturgy demands an attitude ofawareness and at least inner participation in the sacrifice of the Mass thatChrist has given us as the perfect worship of the Father. The word reminds usthat adoration of the Deity must be taken seriously and requires effort by all present.

One way to do that at the extraordinary form of the Mass isto learn some basic Latin. Because it isa phonetic language, Latin is a lot easier to access than many othertongues. If one learns the sound that acertain combination of letters makes, one can always pronounce the combinationwhenever it appears. For example, a “c” before an “i” or an “e” always soundslike “ch” in English, as in “cibus.”

It is logical to start any language lesson with vowels. There are five, just as in English, and eachone can be long or short, according to most Latin grammars. Some do not distinguish,but give only one sound for each vowel. However, here we will take the former view.

A long “A” soundslike “ah,” as in “Father” . A short “A” sounds like the vowel in the Englishword, “cap.” A long “E” sounds like the long “A” in English, as in the word, “lay.”A short e is the same as in most English words, such as “red.”

The “O” in Latin, when long, is exactly like a long “O” inEnglish, as in “omen.” When short, it is like the ‘O” in “or.” The long vowel“I” sounds like a long “E” in English, as in “meet,” while the short version islike a short “I” in English, as in “tin.”

Finally, the “U,” which can cause the most problems. A long“U” is pronounced like “OO” in English. Never put a “Y” sound before a Latin “U”.The short version of the vowel is like the “u” in the English word “cup.”

Next time: Some common Latin words using the vowels, bothlong and short and the way to pronounce diphthongs, which are two vowels puttogether, but said as one.

Submitted by Stephanie Swee