Sunday, October 30, 2005

ELECTRONIC TITHING

Jeff Miller, alias THE CURT JESTER, has done it again. This guy is just hilarious.

Years ago, I had come up with a Top Ten list, in the style of David Letterman -
TOP TEN SIGNS YOU'VE BEEN TO A BAD MASS.

10. Both standard and happy clappy styles of music are gone. Rap music at the altar.
9. Altar servers are those short fat Oompa Loompa guys.
8. Vodka in the chalice.
7. Liturgical dancers dressed like Britney Spears.
6. Credit cards taken at the Offertory.
5. Celebrant brags about his desire to watch "fake wrestling" after Mass - as part of his Homily.
4. Immersion baptism takes place in a large inground hot tub; priest says "bring your bathing suits".
3. Hosts replaced with M&M's.
2. Pets come to church and drink from the Holy Water.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN YOU'VE BEEN TO A BAD MASS:
1. You're at St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis.

Well, folks, the Curt Jester has found a way to satisfy #6. You guessed it - the Tith-O-Matic!

Enjoy! Jeff is a hot ticket!

Peace,
BMP

MUSIC for ALL SAINTS and SUNDAY XXXII
at HOLY GHOST CHURCH

First of all - I have to say this:
For our first major anthem at Holy Ghost, the Holst "Let All Mortal Flesh" this Sunday was glorious! People loved it! Father loved it! I loved it!

ALL SAINTS - NOVEMBER 1, 2005
7:00 PM

Introit:
- Proper: Tone 8 - Let us all rejoice in the Lord and keep a festival in honor of all the saints. Let us join with the angels in joyful praise to the Son of God. (Vs.) Rejoice in the Lord, you just, for praise from the upright is fitting.
- Hymn: SINE NOMINE - For all the saints (Music Issue, #723)
Gloria: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Psalm: Grail/Gelineau - Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Alleluia: Murray
Offertory: LASST UNS ERFREUEN - Ye watchers and ye holy ones (Music Issue, #724)
Sanctus, Mysterium, Per Ipsum: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Lord's Prayer: chant (English)
Agnus: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Communion: Page - Remember, Lord, thy servants
Recessional: NICAEA - Holy, holy, holy (Missalette, #19)

SIDENOTE on "REMEMBER, LORD, THY SERVANTS"
As the Gospel reading and Communion Proper for All Saints both reveal the Beatitudes, I found it fitting (in 1991) to write a Responsory that would fit both All Saints and All Souls. The antiphon is Remember, Lord, thy servants, when thou dost take thy throne. The verses (there are five) are based on the Beatitudes. The piece has all the makings of a Gelineau-style responsory (metrical one-line antiphon, with one-beat-per-bar verses).

SUNDAY XXXII - NOVEMBER 6, 2005
Saturday Vigil 4:30 / Sunday 7:30, 9:00, and 10:30

Introit:
- Proper (10:30): Tone 8 - Let my prayer come before you, Lord: listen and answer me. (Vs.) O Lord, God of my salvation, day and night I cried before you.
- Hymn: ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR - Hail, Redeemer, King divine (Music Issue, #736)
Gloria: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Psalm: Grail/Gelineau - My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord, thirsting for you, my God.
Alleluia: Murray
Offertory: SINE NOMINE - For all the saints (Music Issue, #723)
Sanctus, Mysterium, Per Ipsum: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Lord's Prayer: chant (English)
Agnus: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Communion:
- Responsory: Gelineau - My Shepherd is the Lord (Music Issue, #749)
- Proper (10:30): Tone 8 - The five wise virgins took oil in flasks with their lamps; at midnight there was a cry: Behold the bridegroom is here; come out and meet Christ the Lord.
Recessional: HYFRYDOL - Alleluia! sing to Jesus (Music Issue, #740)

SIDENOTE on the COMMUNION PIECES:
"My Shepherd is the Lord" covers one option of the Proper, that is, the first option used in the Roman Missal. This proper, though only covering Years B and C in the Gregorian Missal (note: this is Year A), covers Year A as well in the Roman Missal.
"The Five Wise Virgins..." covers the Year A option in the Gregorian Missal.
Another option in the Roman Missal (which I didn't use this time) is The disciples recognized the Lord Jesus in the breaking of the bread.

NEW HYMN FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER:
Since last September, I've been back to the practice of introducing one new tune a month. In September, we did LAUDA ANIMA (Praise my soul, the King of heaven). In October, it was WESTMINSTER ABBEY (Christ is made the sure foundation). For November, the new tune is ST. GEORGE'S WINDSOR. Two hymns for the month associate with that tune, and we'll be using them both. Those are "Hail Redeemer, King Divine" (Sunday XXXII and Christ the King) and "Come, Ye Thankful People, Come" (Sunday XXXIII and Thanksgiving Day).

ONE LAST NOTE:
I use several factors in determining hymn selection. Not only do I read the readings, but also the Propers in the Roman Missal AND the Gregorian Missal. One may wish to note that the Gregorian Missal is derived from the Roman Gradual (or "Graduale Romanum"), the hardly used and/or little known (in North America at least) "official" hymnal of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide.

In Christ,
BMP

Saturday, October 29, 2005

A LETTER FROM FR. KOCIK ABOUT LITURGY

Fresh from THE NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT:

Fr. Thomas Kocik, who I introduced in my previous article wrote this letter on liturgy. Excellent! Any followers?

Peace
BMP

Monday, October 24, 2005

GREETINGS, NEIGHBOR!

It's a pleasure to find out that one of the priests involved in THE NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT blog is only two towns northwest of my parish. Yes - he's Father Thomas Kocik, a priest at St. Thomas More in Somerset MA, and is author of "Reform of the Reform?" For those who don't know the Fall River MA area, Somerset is just west of Fall River, and my parish in Tiverton RI is just south of Fall River. He, like my own boss, has a wonderful sense of liturgy. Hard to find two like that in a 15-minute stretch like that these days.

My opinion - the younger generation of seminarians coming around (in general) are doing something many of the priests of the '70's and '80's didn't - and that's see eye to eye with the liturgy. These younger priests/seminarians I've run into lately seem to have a pretty dang good appreciation for the Sacred. For that, I commend them!

Peace
BMP

Sunday, October 23, 2005

MUSIC for SUNDAY XXXI at HOLY GHOST

SUNDAY XXXI
OCTOBER 30, 2005 (Man, time is flying!)

Introit (10:30): Tone 8 - Ne derilinquas me, Domine Deus meus, ne discedas a me: intende in adjutorium meum, Domine virtus salutis meae. Vs.: Domine, ne in furore tuo arguas me: neque in ira tua corripias me.
Processional hymn: EIN' FESTE BERG - A mighty fortress is our God (Music Issue, #436)
Kyrie: (parrot Father)
Gloria (10:30): Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Psalm: Tone 8 - In you, Lord, I have found my peace
Alleluia: Mode VI (verse sung to Tone 6)
Offertory hymn: PICARDY - Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Missalette, #22)
- (10:30 - choir will sing the Gustav Holst arrangement of the above hymn - gorgeous arrangement if you ask me!)
Sanctus: Mass XVIII
Mysterium Fidei: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Per Ipsum: single chant Amen (with slurred "men" syllable)
Lord's Prayer (10:30): chant
Agnus Dei: Mass XVIII
Communion hymn: Batastini/Berthier - Eat this Bread (Music Issue, #343)
Proper (10:30): Notas mihi fecisti vias vitae, adimplebis me laetitia cum vultu tua Domine.
Recessional hymn: WESTMINSTER ABBEY - Christ is made the sure foundation (Music Issue, #465)

+In Christ,
BMP

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

TWO NEW BLOGS LINKED

I added two new blogs to my list of links on the right sidebar. These two are very pertinant to liturgy.

First is the joint venture created by Shawn Tribe and several others (including priests) called THE NEW LITURGICAL MOVEMENT. This blog is dedicated to the "reform of the reform" called for by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI).

The other is THE TRADITIONAL ROMAN MASS. This blog is dedicated to something almost totally forgotten in the Roman Catholic Church - the 1965 Missal - the Vatican II Missal before Pope Paul VI introduced the Novus Ordo that we know today.

Speaking of the '65 Missal - did anyone ever notice that a good chunk of the rough draft of the in-the-works new translation of the Novus Ordo is in line with the '65 Missal? I don't mean the stuff that was eliminated (like the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar), but major prayers/hymns like the Gloria, Credo, etc.

+In Christ,
BMP

Sunday, October 16, 2005

MUSIC for SUNDAY XXX at HOLY GHOST CHURCH

SUNDAY XXX
OCTOBER 23, 2005

Introit (10:30): Tone 8 - Let hearts rejoice (ant. from Roman Missal/vs. tr. from Gregorian Missal)
Processional hymn: EIN' FESTE BERG - A mighty fortress is our God (Hedge translation, #436)
Kyrie: Parrot Father
Gloria (10:30): Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Psalm: EIN' FESTE BERG/adapt. Page - I love you, Lord, my strength
Alleluia: Murray (verse of the day sung to tone 8)
Offertory hymn: Mode VI - Ubi Caritas (in Latin, #423)
Sanctus, Mysterium, and Per Ipsum: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Lord's Prayer (10:30): Chant/adapt. Snow
Agnus: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Comm: FESTIVAL CANTICLE - This is the feast of victory for our God (#598)
Proper (10:30): Tone 8 - We will rejoice at the victory of God (Roman Missal, first option)
Out: WESTMINSTER ABBEY - Christ is made the sure foundation (#465)


+In Christ,
BMP

Friday, October 14, 2005

THE QUIET CORNER: LITURGICAL ABUSE EXPOSED!

Fr. John Kiley's "Quiet Corner" is printed weekly in our diocesan newspaper, the Providence Visitor, and is also published in the website of one of the two parishes he runs in Warwick, RI. His articles are often better than most. This one was printed in the September 15 edition, where Father had gone West, only to attend Mass and encounter a horrid scene. Chime in, y'all, and let me know if any of this stuff goes on in your parish, or your neighbor's parish.

BTW, my take on Fr. Kiley's column's: the man is a "must read". The progressives can't stand him. The Catholics love him. I'm glad he's in this diocese, and dean of his deanery. He's wonderful. He should have been head of the diocesan worship department.
Read on and enjoy!

Peace,
BMP

Thursday, October 13, 2005

MUSIC for SUNDAY XXVIII and SUNDAY XIX
at HOLY GHOST CHURCH

Hi all. Sorry I haven't posted like I should be. Net's been down and time to get to a library had been limited. Finally we have a net again here - my wife and I are up and running again in full force.

Anyways, here are last weekend's AND this weekend's music lists at Holy Ghost.

SUNDAY XXVIII - OCTOBER 9, 2005 (This Sunday past)

Introit at 10:30: Gelineau Psalm 130 - If you, O Lord, should mark our sins, Lord, who would survive?
Processional: WESTMINSTER ABBEY - Christ is made the sure foundation (#465)
Kyrie: visiting priests - they all opted to say it (not sing it)
Gloria at 10:30: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Psalm: Page antiphon / Gelineau verses - I shall live in the house of the Lord (coupled with the Gelineau setting of Ps. 23)
Alleluia: Murray (verse sung to Tone 8)
Offertory: ST. COLUMBA - The King of Love my Shepherd Is (#513)
Sanctus, Mysterium, Per Ipsum: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Lord's Prayer at 10:30: chanted (English)
Agnus Dei: Peloquin - Mass of the Bells
Communion: Gelineau Psalm 8 - How great is your name, O Lord, our God, through all the earth
Communion Proper at 10:30: Tone 8 - Remove me from all scorn and contempt...
Recessional: HYFRYDOL - Alleluia! sing to Jesus (#740)

SUNDAY XXIX - OCTOBER 16, 2005
Ordinary of the Mass same as October 9 - above

Introit at 10:30: Tone 8 - I call upon you, God...
Processional: ST. ANNE - O God, our help in ages past (#450)
Psalm: Guimont - Give the Lord glory and honor
Offertory: IN BABILONE - There's a wideness in God's mercy (#422)
Communion: Gelineau Psalm 8 - How great is your name, O Lord, our God, through all the earth
-NOTE: This is also the Proper, as appointed in the Gregorian Missal.
Recessional: WESTMINSTER ABBEY - Christ is made the sure foundation (#465)

+In Christ,
BMP