You know that one place in your heart that is hidden that it is often forgotten by yourself as well? Gregorian Chant has the ability to find that secret place. Not only does it find it, but it has the ability to reveal to it secrets that most will not discover on their earthly pilgrimage. Below are some of my favorite pieces.
Gloria XI
Sanctus XI
Salve Sancta Parens (Introit for the Feast of the Visitation-July 2nd!)
Propers for Easter Sunday
How can Haec Dies (see last video, 4:42 mark) not burn your heart with fire for Love Of Christ?
On this Octave Day of Corpus Christi (or Feast of St. Barnabas in the 1962 Missal) I was thinking about how important the externals and music are when the Liturgy is celebrated. There is a certain segment of the Church who I would consider to "low church" who would be in favor of pure "simplicity." They would say things like:
Why do we need elaborate chasubles when cheaper ones will work too?
Why Gregorian Chant? It is too complex for the People of God. What we need is Dan Schutte and some guitars.
What is the need for a High Altar when a simple table altar will work as well?
Traditionalists should stop worrying about expensive chalices and patens are start to worry about the poor in the streets!
When I hear comments like these and others made in a similar fashion, I must confess that it perturbs me greatly. When you look at the life of man, his whole day is full of the banal. He goes through the daily duties of his life and even though he might look forward to certain part, it he was honest with himself, he would tell you that those duties are mundane. However, when such a man goes to Church on Sunday, does he not deserve the greatest of Divine splendor? Why does Divine Worship have to be bland as well? This reminds me of a certain Priest who would give financial support to the homeless only if they attended Mass first. The parish offered both the Old and New Rite and it was clear that over time, more of the homeless were attending the Traditional Rite. Father, being curious about this, asked one of the homeless men why he went to the Mass in the Old Rite. I do not recall the exact response but I believe that the man told the Priest that the TLM was sublime and showed him a Beauty that he had never experienced.
I like this story because many of us have fallen into this mindset where religion needs to simple and complexity should be left to the "more important things in life." For example, how many of those who object to the chant Civabit Eos (Introit for Corpus Christi) and would give great shouts of joy for Schutte's Here I am Lord?
True Sacred Music
What? Why?
The really tragic thing about it is that since so many Catholics have grown up with music like Schutte's, they will object with great anger if you told them that their music "ministry" has failed them. They are like the men, who in Plato's Allegory of the Cave, refuse to leave their cave and would even kill someone from the outside just to preserve their state of ignorance.
Wake up, my fellow Catholics! You deserve better. You deserve all the Tradition the Church has! You have this one life to save your soul and so use all the Wisdom the Church has given us for 2000 years. The Chant, the Old Rite, the Traditional Office, these will be your anchors towards Heaven and your consolations here on your pilgrimage.
Quam multi de altari
accipiunt, et moriuntur, et accipiendo moriuntur! Unde dicit Apostolus:
Judicium sibi manducat et bibit. Nonne buccella Dominica venenum fuit
Judae? Et tamen accepit. Et cum accepit, in eum inimicus intravit: non
quia malum accepit, sed quia bonum male malus accepit. Videte ergo,
fratres, panem caelestem spiritaliter manducate, innocentiam ad altare
apportate. Peccata, etsi sunt quotidiana, vel non sint mortifera;
antequam ad altare accedatis, attendite quod dicatis: Dimitte nobis
debita nostra, sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris. Si dimittis,
dimittetur tibi: securus accede, panis est, non venenum.
That eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself." Is it not written " When Jesus had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas
Iscariot, the son of Simon, and after the sop Satan entered into him" And yet he took it. And when he had eaten it, the enemy entered in and
possessed him. Not because what he ate was evil, but because he, being
evil, dared to eat that which was good. Look to it well, then, brethren,
that ye take spiritually the Bread Which cometh down from heaven. Bring
innocency with you to the Altar. Though your sins be daily, let them
not be deadly. Before ye draw near to the Altar, think well what it is
that ye say "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass
against us." "For, if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you" and ye may draw near boldly, for unto you It is Bread, and not poison.
From the Third Nocturn of Matins in Day VI in the Octave of Corpus Christi
On Saturday evenings, after First Vespers, I plan on posting musical pieces/compositions/songs that I would consider to be "good" music. Some will be of a classical bend while many other pieces will be more modern.
Without further ado, I present to you, Chopin's Fourth Ballade!
When I converted to the Church, one of the first Churches that I attended for the Sunday TLM was a Norbertine run parish. It was here where I was slowly introduced to the beauties of this most august Liturgy with all its splendor. I am very much in gratitude of this saint for I am convinced that he had something to do with my discovery of the Mass of St. Pius V. (Now only if I can attend a Mass in the Norbertine Rite!)
Deus, qui beatum Norbertum Confessorem tuum atque Pontificem, verbi tui praeconem eximium effecisti, et per eum Ecclesiam tuam nova prole foecundasti: praesta quaesumus: ut eiusdem suffragantibus meritis, quod ore simul et opere docuit, te adiuvante exercere valeamus. Per Dominum Nostrum....
O God, Who made blessed Norbert, thy Confessor and Bishop, a brilliant preacher of thy word, and through him enriched thy Church with a new religious family, grant, we beseech thee, that by his prayerful intercession and thy help, we may be able to do what he has taught us by his words and deeds. Through Our Lord...
I was watching one of St. Josemaria Escriva's old videos where he was talking about how The Devil in the 60s and 70s introduced new fashions to women in order to destroy their modesty. Being born in the early 90s, I have no clue about what happened during this time frame but knowing about the sexual revolution it is quite clear that it was not a wonderful time for modesty and purity. The Devil introduced these fashions in dress and trends in sex which told women that if they followed these trends, they would feel the joy of being liberated.
The Devil's plan goes like this:
Corrupt the girls when they are young. Tell them to wear immodest clothing and to act and to talk impurely.
If they are corrupted in this way then it will only be a matter of time when they engage in sexual relations with men (or with women).
If they are doing this then they fall into other addictions and will slowly fall into the grasps of the Evil One.
Make them despair. Keep lying to them by telling they need more of these vices to be happy.
Rinse and repeat.
Final Result: The soul dies in a state of utter collapse. The soul enters hell.
Satan's plan also results in another dreadful situation. These girls who are corrupted will become mothers one day and their daughters will be led to these sinful habits that their parents are engaging in. Thus, leading the cycle to continue and ending with more souls in hell.
It is now 2015. These issues which were brought up in the 1960s and 70s have not changed but have become gradually worse. Society now glorifies impurity, pornography, per-maritial sex, homosexuality, transgenderism and many other abominations. Let us pray for those in the world, yes, but let us always pray for ourselves first. Even if we are fortunate to be in a state of grace, we know that it very possible to fall into these sins that the world promotes. Without the grace of God, we would be a mess. Let us have zero trust of self and place all of our hope and trust in The Holy Trinity.
Exspécta Dóminum, viríliter age: et confortétur cor tuum, et sústine Dóminum.
Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.
Viríliter ágite, et confortétur cor vestrum, omnes, qui sperátis in Dómino.
Do ye manfully, and let your heart be strengthened, all ye that hope in the Lord.
The first verse is from Psalm 26 and the second verse is from Psalm 30. These Gems were in the Divine Office today (Terce and Sext respectfully) and I found that it was interesting that two verses that were incredibly similar were found on two different hours. The reason why I posted these two verses was because when I had prayed them earlier this morning, I was reminded on how important our patience and our hope in the Lord is.
In life, we often tell Our Lord that we want A, B, or C without any regard of what A, B, or C might do for us if we actually get it. I can not count the number of times I have not received what I have asked for and then looking back and saying "Now I know why I did not get it!" When we are caught up in the moment, we can ask for detrimental things that will lead us away from Christ and bring us closer to Satan. What these two verses remind me of is the fact that eventually, if we have led holy lives and repented of our sins, the Lord will answer our cries with a definite YES. This YES will occur when we have left this Vale and will enter heaven. I think Our Lady told St. Bernadette that She could not promise her happiness in this life but only in the next. These verses get that point across. We should pray to Our Lord for temporal needs, however let us pray first for the grace of final perseverance and henceforth saving our souls in that process.
As we go through the discomforts of daily life, let us remember to strengthen our hearts and hope in the Lord.
