A Chart That Says It All …
What a stark contrast between the (discredited) translation from the 1970s and the 2011 translation!
Articles
A Simple Plan To Improve Music At Mass
Are all musical styles acceptable for Mass? Movie directors realize such a notion is bogus.
What passion cannot music raise and quell!
John Dryden’s Song for Saint Cecilia’s Day – in praise of the power of music
Saint Cecilia and Why the Word is Preeminent
I confront a challenge most musicians of sacred music face: the battle between the Word and musical “feel.” From the Word, emanates a life: all that is love, all that is beauty, all that is sacrifice and service to God.
Is the Mass “Just” the Mass?
It is too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that nothing else matters in the liturgy besides “Jesus is present.” This is a superficial and relativistic way of thinking that has to be challenged and corrected, if the Real Presence is to be of any benefit to us—indeed, if our faith in the Real Presence is even going to survive.
Royal Stumbling Blocks
For believers, however, the crucifixion is not a moment of despair, but of triumph. We proudly profess our “weak” Savior, for we know that His weakness was the means of our salvation.
Catholic Line Art, Black and White • Installment #42
I will be releasing hundreds of these B/W religious line art drawings for free and instant download. These beautiful Catholic “woodcuts” were done with magnificent skill. “Download Free Traditional Catholic Clipart”
Rory Cooney Needs “Healing” From Pope Benedict’s Liturgical Reforms
Consider these lines from GIA’s newest hymnal (Worship IV): “Who is this who eats with sinners, calling luckless losers winners?” Did they really just use the phrase “luckless losers” in a Catholic hymn book?
“Look Beyond The Bread You Eat” (Part 1)
Even after so many years, recalling this statement makes my brain explode with rage.
“Look Beyond The Bread You Eat” (Part 2)
It dawned on me that nothing I’d been saying had made the slightest impact. I had literally been wasting my breath.
St. Catherine of Alexandria, November 25th
Brilliant. Beautiful. Beheaded.
Must Art Be Permanent?
A Thought from Evelyn Waugh
A Dream Come True: 1965 Missal Online!
“The Conference of Bishops has given permission that, when a qualified man is not
available, a woman may proclaim the readings prior to the gospel, while standing outside the sanctuary.” — 1970 Statement
The Politics of Sacred Music
Architecture? Incense? Piano? Guitar? Organ? Chant? Old translation? New translation? Latin? Inclusive or non-inclusive language? All the above sometimes have emotions assigned to them distracting from prayer. Putting God first is counter-cultural, but it should be apolitical.
More Thoughts On The 3-Year Lectionary …
“The Instruction pretends that we actually do have Propers for the Mass, whereas everyone knows that today the Mass Propers are sung perhaps at one Mass in ten thousand.” — Professor László Dobszay