On the "Te Deum"

Long ago in the 1980s, even before I was Catholic, even before I had ever heard it sung, I had discovered the majesty of the "Te Deum." My first encounter with it was in King James-era English associated with the Anglican tradition. I noticed that it appeared in a couple of different translations in the Book of Common Prayer. In the older Cranmer-and-Coverdale vintage English translations, it had a power that is hard to describe. But I never heard it sung in church. I only heard it in recorded performances of settings by various classical composers -- Tallis, Lully, Purcell, Mozart, Berlioz, etc.

Once I heard Tom Howard describe how he was moved to tears when he first read the hymn, such was its powerful effect on him. And he was very nearly moved to tears just reading an excerpt for us:

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee;
The Father of an infinite Majesty;
Thine honourable, true and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost ...

When I became a Catholic, I noticed that the Te Deum seldom appeared anywhere, and I wondered why. I did see it published in issues of Magnificat magazine, which I picked up here and there. Yet I never heard it sung on any occasions in church, except in the distally-related hymn, "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name," which isn't quite the same thing.

Apart from the "classical" Gregorian Chant settings, such as this 5th Century Monastic Chant setting, which I find beautiful, I have always thought (due, perhaps, to my particular idiosyncratic failings of taste) that it would be appropriate for the hymn to have a bold martial setting that could be accompanied easily by men in a congregation -- something that would strike terror into the hearts of The Enemy, like Wagner's "Flight of the Valkyries" in Apocalypse Now. The closest thing I've run into yet was this setting with majestic organ accompaniment by Pierre Cochereau, the Maîtrise of Notre-Dame in Paris (courtesy of Fr. John Zuhlsdorff, January 11, 2011).

I love the smell of incense at Benediction in the morning. It smells like ... victory.

Kentucky Fried Chicken: a Japanese "Christmas Tradition"

Check out the crazy but interesting facts at "Today I Found Out" (December 23, 2010).

[Hat tip to C.B.]

The effects of "choice" on Black America

Black History Month: Life Speakers Series
Free of charge and open to all

From left to right:

• PASTOR CHRISTOPHER BROOKS Thursday, February 3, 2011, 7 - 8:30 p.m. @ Evangel Ministries, 13660 Stansbury Street, Detroit, MI 48227
• ELDER DR. LEVON R. YUILLE, Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7 - 8:30 p.m. @ The Bible Church, 611 E. Cross Street, Ypsilanti, MI 48198
• REV. DANIEL TRAPP, Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 7 - 8:30 p.m. @ St. Augustine & St. Monica Catholic Church, 4151 Seminole Street, Detroit, MI 48214
• PASTOR, SUFFRAGAN BISHOP D.L. BRADLEY, Thursday,
  February 24, 2011, 7 - 8:30 p.m. @ Bethlehem Temple Apostolic Faith Church, 22645 Quinn Road, Clinton Twp., MI 48035

Sponsored by Right to Life of Michigan

For further details, see Print Flyer.

Related

• "Planned Parenthood for blacks: 'humane' alternative to death camps" (Musings, September 4, 2010)
• Maafa 21: Black Genocide in 21st Century America (CD & Trailer)
• Maafa 21 (whole movie on YouTube)

Don't worry. Be happy. Things are fine.

Life is too short for depressing Jeremiads. Bring on the happy-clappy; the touchy-feely. What's truth got to do with it? Party on, dudes! Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Come whistle past the graveyard with me. Let's sing a New Church into being, my friends! (Ever read them lyrics? Dynamite.) These are the good ol' days. We are Church! AmChurch. The wave of the future. The hope of the young. The Voice of the Faithful. We've got to exorcise all those dark, judgmental, negative thoughts about sin, guilt, and condemnation. The light of FAITH and HOPE needs to chase away the clouds of DOUBT and FEAR. Feel that fresh breeze blowing in your face? That's the balmy breeze of the Spirit of Vatican II, and this is the springtime of the New Church, a New Pentecost.

So, you surely won't want to listen to the wretched realism of this guy:

• Time for answers [on why the NCR is allowed to call itself 'Catholic'] (Jan. 3)
• The Larger issue [on who is actually in charge in chancery offices] (Jan. 4)
• What is going on? [naming bishops courting anti-Catholic politicians] (Jan. 5)
• Hell on earth [on the earthly effects of failing to uphold Church teaching on faith and morals] (Jan. 6)
• What to do! [on how to start bailing water from the leaking Barque of St. Peter] (Jan. 7)

Well, which is it? Which will it be? Happy thoughts? Or wretched realism?

2 Chronicles 7:14 says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." And Hosea 4:6 says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children." Oh, how dark and dreadful! Listen. Do you hear that sound? That wouldn't be the distant rumble of thundering hooves. The four horsemen of the apocalypse. I mean, would it? Of course not. Don't be stupid. What are we? Fundamentalists?

Say, and as long as you're up, would you grab me another beer from the fridge and bring some more salsa for these Doritos? I think American Idol is coming on. Oh, and don't forget to smile. God loves you. Just like you are. But you knew that. God don't make junk.

Translations and the Guardian Angel Prayer

Tridentine Community News (January 9, 2011):

More comments and questions have been generated about translations into the vernacular than about any of our other column topics. This week, a reader asked about the Prayer To One’s Guardian Angel found in the Manual of Indulgences. The current (2006) edition phrases the prayer as follows:

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom his love entrusts me here, enlighten and guard, rule and guide me. Amen.

Our reader mentioned that she had been taught a different wording of this prayer:

Angel of God, my Guardian dear, to whom His love commits me here, ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

She asked if reciting the “old” wording of the prayer still gained a Partial Indulgence. The answer is found in two places:

First, the heading to this prayer in the Manual of Indulgences states: “A partial indulgence is granted to the faithful who devoutly invoke the care of their guardian Angel with a duly approved prayer (e.g.: Ángele Dei).” The widely-recalled traditional translation has not been abrogated, thus it is presumably still “a duly approved prayer”, seeing as how it is a translation of the same original Latin prayer with the same essential meaning. Thus the old wording would indeed be suitable to gain the indulgence.

Second, the First General Concession in the opening section of the Manual of Indulgences states: “A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while carrying out their duties and enduring the hardships of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.” In other words, most any sincerely offered prayer will gain a partial indulgence, as long as one has a general intention to gain indulgences.

Why specify any particular prayers at all, if any prayer will do? The Church is instructing the faithful about the principal subjects for which to pray. Clear examples are given for those areas, to serve as models for other, perhaps more spontaneous prayers. The faithful might not necessarily think to pray for the Holy Father, for the souls of the faithful departed, or for the intercession of Ss. Peter & Paul, were it not for some master guidelines, provided in this principal reference book for devotional prayer.

We should be grateful to Holy Mother Church for the liberality with which she offers grants from her treasury of graces.

Next St. Albertus Mass: January 23

The first Extraordinary Form Mass at St. Albertus Church in 2011 will be held in two weeks, on Sunday, January 23 at noon.

Music for this Mass will be provided by members of the choir of Detroit’s St. Matthew Church. The Mass setting will be Albert Rosewig’s Mass in F, a rarely-performed composition for which sheet music was discovered while cleaning up the choir loft at St. Albertus. Celebrant for this Mass will be Fr. Mark Borkowski.

Additional Tridentine Masses at St. Albertus in 2011 will be held on the following Sundays at noon: March 20, May 15, July 17, August 21, September 18, October 16, and November 6.

Mass Intentions Available

You may request that a Mass be said for a specific intention, or for a living or deceased person(s). Fill out one of the pink forms found at the missal table at the entrance to the church, place the form in an envelope with the Mass stipend ($20 for a Requiem Mass with Catafalque; $10 otherwise), and drop the envelope in the collection basket. To find out if a specific date is available for an intention, at St. Josaphat, call the office at (313) 831-6659; at Assumption-Windsor, call (519) 734-1335.

At the present time, Assumption has most of the dates in 2011 booked. St. Josaphat, however, has many dates open, especially for weekday Masses. Readers from Assumption who would like a Mass intention earlier than can be provided at Assumption are welcome to mark on the Mass Intention form that St. Josaphat is acceptable, and we will forward your offering across the river. Make your check out to the Windsor Tridentine Mass Association, and the WTMA will forward the stipend to St. Josaphat.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Principal Sunday Masses are not listed.

Mon. 01/10 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria after the Epiphany)

Tue. 01/11 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria after the Epiphany)

Thu. 01/13 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Commemoration of the Baptism of the Lord)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for January 9, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]

Martin Mosebach to speak in New York City

The prize-winning German novelist, film-maker, and writer on liturgy, Martin Mosebach, will be speaking in New York City on Sunday the 30th of January, following a Solemn Mass at 5 P.M. at the Church of Our Saviour at 59 Park Avenue (at 38th Street). His lecture will be in the undercroft at 7 P.M. The subject of the talk will be “The Old Roman Missal: Loss and Rediscovery.”

According to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf's post (January 7, 2011), Mass will be celebrated in the “Extraordinary Form” with music provided by the St. Mary’s (Norwalk, CT) Schola Cantorum: Palestrina’s Missa sine nomine, motets by Palestrina and Victoria, and all the proper Gregorian chants. David Hughes directs the Schola.

Martin Mosebach is author of the celebrated volume, The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006), published with a Foreword by Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J.

Update:

Stuart Chessman, "Visit of Martin Mosebach" (The Socity of St. Hugh of Cluny, January 13, 2011).

'Mother,' 'Father' Changing to 'Parent One,' 'Parent Two' on Passport Applications

Here we go again, from the same people who brought you plural third person pronouns as substitutes for third person singular (gasp!) masculine nouns.

I used to teach Japanese business executives English in Tokyo. I used to wonder what went through their minds when they read wrenchingly illogical American convolutions such as: "If ANYONE needs to use the men's room, THEY can find it at the end of the hall." And now we have the iniquitous folly of "Parent One" and "Parent Two." While they're at it, why not add "Three" and "Four"? And replace "Son" and "Daughter" with "Child One" and "Child Two"?

Would anyone like to hazard a guess what's really behind this desire to neuter language? And please don't anyone be so boorish as to say "the civil rights of gays"!

Are you "buggable"?

"Buggin' you is easy cause you're buggable ..."

Idiot sighting

I'm not sure if the story is really THAT funny or if it's the Scotch I'm sipping, but here's a bit from an email I received today:

IDIOT SIGHTING:
My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter. She said, "You gave me too much money." I said, "Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back." She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said "We're sorry but we cannot do that kind of thing." The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change.

Do not confuse the clerks at McD's.

Catholic military chaplain legend in own time

Donald R. McClarey, "Chesty Puller and Catholic Chaplains" (American Catholic, January 2, 2011) -- five times awarded the Navy Cross, a Silver Star, a Distinguished Service Cross, and a Bronze Star with a v for valor, along with numerous other decorations.

[Hat tip to C.B.]

Our brilliant dismal education results

Unbelievable!

[Hat tip to E.E.]

Over-inflated headlines?

The latest Adoremus Bulletin carries an article by the title, "The New Missal - Opening the Gateway to New Evangelization." These sorts of headlines are not uncommon these days. My fear is, however, that such language is often absurdly over-inflated, and that over-use of such language can lead readers to tune out anything that could be of value in such articles.

I am not questioning the importance of the new Novus Ordo Missal with its properly-revised translations of key texts. These represent the ongoing work of correcting a form of the Roman rite which, from the long historical view of our bimillenial Catholic tradition, is anything but settled. These corrections are important for what they are. But just as it took more than a few poorly translated words to get us into our present crisis of faith and morals, it's going to take more than a new Missal translation to rekindle the embers of Catholic faith in the land of AmChurch.

We've heard it all before -- the "New Springtime of Evangelization," the "New Pentecost," the "New Church aborning," etc., etc. It's a bit like passing out Gospel tracts to death camp inmates and announcing that you have thereby flung open the spiritual windows of their lives to the balmy winds of a New Pentecost.

A little more modesty and realism would be refreshing. Just a thought.

Sin against the Holy spirit

The following is a synopsis of a bulletin insert entitled "Those Who Defend Evildoing," by Fr. Robert D. Smith:

... It is possible to think of a sin against the Holy spirit, the sin which Christ says will never be forgiven (Matt. 12:32), as an obscure and rare sin ... But is it really so rare?

What is it? Christ identifies it quite clearly. It relates essentially to a commitment to identifying a good action as having an evil source or else evil actions as having a good source ....

... The person who defends his own sins in a public way in conversation of some kind, is often admitting not just the sin but also that he is committing a sin against the Holy Spirit. What we hear most often is not a statement such as "I arranged for an abortion. I know it is wrong, but I did it out of human weakness." No, rather we often hear, "I arranged for an abortion and did so out of the goodness of my heart to help those close to me and to help humanity." ...

What such a person is defending is what Christ Himself identifies as a sin against the Holy Spirit. "Adulterous conduct, fornication, stealing, false witness, blasphemy" do not come from a good heart, but "make a man impure" (Matt. 15:18-20). Such actions by no means constitute evidence of goodwill.

This is why all sin is so dangerous. And any delay of repentance leads strongly away from the initial sense of wrongdoing, into the increasing, naturally human conviction that one must, after all, still mean well even in the sin itself. The person who does not go this far and who keeps his sense of his own wrongdoing has retained a strong position from which to repent. Not so with the person who has allowed himself to slip into the kind of self-righteousness which involves calling himself good for his very evil acts themselves.

Can it be that when Christ dispatches His angels on Judgment Day to gather all evildoers to hurl them into the fiery furnace (Matt. 13:41-42), it will turn out that many if not most of these evildoers heading directly and headlong for damnation will have somehow, during life, in addition to their iniquity itself, committed themselves to some kind of sin against the Holy Spirit, become involved long-term in the defense of their evildoing as good?

Having a Plan Really Works: The Cincinnati Story

Tridentine Community News (January 2, 2011):

Archbishop Dennis Schnurr of Cincinnati, Ohio has been in the news over the past few months for having made two generous gestures towards Tridentine Mass Communities in his diocese. First, in Dayton, Ohio, His Excellency gave Holy Family Church to the exclusive use of the local Extraordinary Form group. Holy Family is a beautiful historic church built in the style of Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside The Walls. Holy Family had been the (non-exclusive) home of the Tridentine Mass several years ago, so in a sense the community is returning home.

More recently, Archbishop Schnurr announced that he would be giving St. Mark Church in Evanston for the exclusive use of the Cincinnati Tridentine Community. Like Holy Family, St. Mark is another Roman Basilica-like historic edifice.

Much like Detroit and Windsor, metropolitan Cincinnati straddles two dioceses. Similar to our geography, the Ohio River separates the Archdiocese of Cincinnati on the Ohio side from the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky on the other. [Did you know that the Cincinnati Airport is actually located in Kentucky?]

One of the English-speaking world’s best-known Tridentine community leaders is at the center of the storm: Mr. Ashley Paver. Paver is an Englishman who first gained renown for having co-founded Baronius Press, the company which publishes one of today’s finest hand missals for the Extraordinary Form. He moved to Cincinnati in conjunction with a decision to attend an American law school.

Not limited to Cincinnati activities, Paver is a member of the San Diego, California chapter of the Brothers of the Little Oratory of St. Philip Neri and travels there to assist with various special liturgies in the Extraordinary Form. This group is affiliated with the Brompton Oratory in London, England; the “Little Oratory” portion of its title is the name of a small church on the London Oratory campus.

Like many of our volunteers here, Paver is actively involved with Tridentine Masses on both sides of the river. He was part of the team that secured relocation of the Covington Tridentine Mass from the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption to the more suitable St. Bernard Church in 2007. Since that time the Covington Mass has moved again, to All Saints Church in Walton.

On the Ohio side of the river, Tridentine Masses have been celebrated at Sacred Heart Church, with occasional Masses at Old St. Mary’s Church, also home to an Ordinary Form Latin Mass.

Some readers may recall a point this writer made at the Latin Liturgy Association Convention in a talk about the history of the Tridentine Masses in metropolitan Detroit: Things are more likely to happen when organizers have a detailed plan. While we acknowledge and indeed emphasize the importance of prayer in advancing the cause of the Extraordinary Form, prayer without action tends not to accomplish much. We saw that first hand in the Detroit area when the only Tridentine Mass to gain approval before 2004 was one proposed by a joint committee of Canadian and U.S. individuals to the Diocese of London. A full “business plan”, and not just a request, had the credibility required to obtain approval for the Windsor Tridentine Mass in 1991. Requests in the Archdiocese of Detroit went nowhere until numerous parties created a plan in 2003, ultimately leading to approval in 2004.

Paver and his colleagues in Cincinnati had obviously learned this lesson. They quietly proposed to Archbishop Schnurr the acquisition and restoration of an historic church for the purpose of establishing a fully Extraordinary Form Mass parish. All financial responsibility would be theirs. The diocese would do nothing except provide the church and assign a celebrant. Indeed, His Excellency’s letter announcing the St. Mark’s project made repeated reference to the “plan” that had been presented to him. Groups with similar ambitions should pay heed to this experience.

The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper ran a story about the effort, featuring the adjacent photo of Paver standing in front of St. Mark’s. For further details and photos, such as the one pictured left, see the web site that has been created for the project: www.restorestmarks.org.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

Mon. 01/03 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria in Christmastide) [Celebrant may elect a Votive Mass]

Tue. 01/04 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Assumption-Windsor (Feria in Christmastide) [Celebrant may elect a Votive Mass]

Thu. 01/06 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (Feast of the Epiphany)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@stjosaphatchurch.org. Previous columns are available at www.stjosaphatchurch.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Josaphat bulletin insert for January 2, 2011. Hat tip to A.B.]

Anglican bishops convert

"Three former Anglican bishops were received into full communion with the Catholic Church during a Mass at Westminster Cathedral today (John Broadhurst, Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton – the former bishops of Fulham, Ebbsfleet and Richborough respectively). CatholicHerald.co.uk, January 1, 2010 via Rorate Caeli.