Cras, Die 29 aprilis

S. Catherinae Senensis
Virginis et Ecclesiae Doctoris

Introit: Dilexisti iustitiam
Alleluia: Adducentur
Offertory: Fliliae regum
Communion: Quinque prudentes virgines

Does anyone know what vel ad libitum means (Latin)?

Welcome Home

Congratulations to Gavin, who was received into full communion with the Catholic Church this evening. May God keep you all your days, and may your new patron, St. Pius X, send you many blessings.

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

There aren't five sentences on the page, but the fifth line says, "Benedixisti, Domine, ter-(ram)"

Graduale Triplex

Chant? Always!

And now for something completely different!

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

"It is just in this that the moral worth of the character is brought out which is incomparably the highest of all, namely, that he is beneficient, not from inclination, but from duty."

Kant, Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals

Philosophy homework? Always!

This seems a little obvious, but....

This article at MSN.com says that scientist have suddenly discovered that studying the back of the Shroud of Turin might be a good idea.

Does this seem ridiculous to anyone else?

Heard in the music building:

"Come on, that doesn't sound very Alleluiatic."

Lipatti-Patti-Glinka-Poulenc of the Reiner on the roof

Courtesy of Mixolydian Mode

Some of the Funniest Music Jokes outside of Jane and Lizzy's Music Theory homework!

The New Missal

Last Monday I had a meeting with my academic advisor to talk about my classes for next year. My advisor also happens to be our Schola director, who runs the Gregorian chant Mass here. When we were finished discussing class stuff, he asked me if I would like to see a copy of the draft of the new English translation of the Missal.

I'm still not entirely sure why he showed it to me, or even why he had it, but he told me that this was the draft the bishops had just gotten to look at and approve (or not). I looked through it a bit. There were some odd notes about the translation written on a few pages which I asked him about--he said they had been written by a monsignor whose name I don't recall. Some of the notes seemed silly to me. The draft had facing pages of Latin and English, and even I, a first-year Latin student, could see that some of the question-marked words were pretty accurate. The only question-marked word which might have gone either way was in the Confiteor; the Latin word nimis was translated "exceedingly." There was a note next to it which said "excessively?" Now, both are acceptable translations of nimis according to my Latin dictionary, but they have different connotations in English. "Exceedingly" seems to mean more like "greatly," while "excessively" has the connotation of "too much." I think "exceedingly" was a better choice, and I hope it isn't altered.

Time was short, so I didn't get to look at it thoroughly, but for the most part I liked what I saw. The translations seem to be closer to the original. Some people have complained about the use of language, saying that it does not resemble what we use in ordinary speech, but I don't see that as a problem. The Mass should influence our culture, not vice versa. The sentence structures in the Latin tend to be complex, and this time around, this has not been sacrificed in translation. The current translation has chopped it up into short little sentences, but next time, hopefully, the sentence structure will be of higher complexity than the writing of a reasonably bright fifth-grader.

I confess I didn't look much at the Ordinaries. As Dr. Schaefer pointed out, "I don't care about the translation of the Ordinaries. We sing them in Latin anyway."

A really nifty post at Summa Contra Mundum.
Easter greetings in many languages.

Tá Críosd ar éirigh! Go deimhin, tá e ar éirigh!

A Blessed Easter to You

Resurrexi, et adhuc tecum sum, alleluia:
posuisti super me manum tuam, alleluia:
mirabilis facta est scientia tua, alleluia, alleluia.

I am risen, and I am always with you, alleluia
you have placed your hand upon me, alleluia:
your wisdom has been show to be most wonderful, alleluia, alleluia.

(Introit for Easter Sunday)

I've updated and added several links, and deleted a few that were no longer active. If any of the links don't work, or if I've linked to your site using a name you'd rather not use, let me know.

"Il faut bien que je supporte deux ou trois chenilles si je veux connaitre les papillons..."

French Find Saint-Exupery's Plane

Mass of the Lord's Supper
St. Francis Xavier Parish, Spokane WA

Processional hymn: Lord, Who at Thy First Eucharist (tune: Unde et Memores)
Kyrie: Missa Simplex (in English)
Gloria: Gloria II for Feasts and Solemnities, by Carrol Thomas Andrews
Psalm: Psalm 145 (unknown, suspect it is from By Flowing Waters)
Washing of the Feet: Mandatum Novum (Taize)
Offertory: Ubi Caritas
Sanctus, Memorial Acclamation, Doxology: Mass of Creation
Agnus Dei: Mass XVIII
Communion: "Taste and see how good the Lord is." (chant-type of unknown origin, suspect it is from By Flowing Waters)
Transfer of the Holy Eucharist: Pange Lingua (alternating verses in Latin and English)

Celebrant: Pastor, Fr. Dan Barnett

The Mass was nice. The church is smallish and pretty, build of concrete block but in a traditional cruciform shape. It has a lovely arched, wooden ceiling, and the choir sang from the loft in the back. The carpeting under the altar is a vibrant red, and the wonderful gold altar cloth stood out nicely against it. The priest is young, 35-40ish, but as another one of the choir ladies pointed out, he could pass for 25. He had quite nice vestments and was wearing a cassock under them. He was assisted by five altar servers and a deacon in a dalmatic.
I really like singing in a "normal parish." Singing at what is technically a parish-sponsored Mass but what looks more like a university-sponsored Mass is both taxing and too easy. The hardships and joys are different from those of a parish. We don't hear about how we need to raise money to fix the roof or maintain the organ or pay the religious ed teachers. We don't usually have babies crying, or the elderly man in the wheelchair's occasional coughs to interrupt us. The chapel is so small that there is no need for electronic amplification. There are never any weddings, baptisms, confirmations, or funerals. We have a rotation of five or six priests who say chant Mass, and never see any of them outside that time unless one happens to be a Jesuit whose class we are taking.
It was nice to be in a place which has a sort of settled routine and a sense of community. There were young families and single people and elderly folks who greeted each other as they came in. They know their priest and deacon, and they know each other. I miss that.

Antiphona:
Hosanna filio David: benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Rex Israel: Hosanna in excelsis.

Hymnus ad Chrustum Regem:
Gloria, laus, et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe Redemptor: Cui puerile decus prompsit Hosanna pium.

Communio:
Pater, si non potest hic calix transire, nisi bibam illum: fiat voluntas tua.