Precious moment.

I wanted to post this Sunday, but I forgot.
I was at the 10:30 Latin mass at my parish, and during the paternoster, I noticed someone on the other side of the aisle across from me singing it from memory with basically correct pronunciation.
He was about three or four years old.

Canon.

Pachelbel.


LULZ.

Concelbration.

We all know about concelbration. but I have a question: The reformers at V-II wanted to re-introduce concelbration because it had been an ancient practice of the Roman Rite, but why didn't they do it in the same way that it had actually been done?
The Ordo Romanus says of concelebration:

"On festivals, that is to say on Easter Day, Pentecost, St. Peter's Day, and Christmas Day, the cardinal Presbyters assemble, each one holding a Corporal in his hand, and the Archdeacon comes and offers each one of them three loaves. And when the Pontiff approaches the altar, they surround it on the right and the left, and say the Canon simultaneously with him, holding their loaves in their hands, and not placing them on the Altar, so that the Pontiff's voice may be heard the more strongly, and they simultaneously consecrate the body and blood of the Lord, but the Pontiff alone makes a Cross over the Altar."

From this, we see that:

1) Not all priests were allowed to concelebrate

2) It was only permitted four times a year.

3) They said all of the canon, but silently.

4)They each have their own bread to consecrate, which they hold in their hands.


Once again, the reformers fail at re-introducing something by ignoring, or simply failing to know about documented history.

*Dies Repeatedly*

The single most impressive photograph I've ever seen.

GO HERE.

NOW.

I was at the retreat thingy at the seminary that day. I actually saved my candle from the candlelight procession, and I put it next to my vocations prayer card. I really like this post on the sacrament of penance. It's just awesome. So read it. Read it NOW.

GO HERE.

NAOW.
Well, it's true. Unfortunately, a lot pf priests and bishops don't realize they;re often the cause of Catholics leaving the church. I get very, very angry when I think about all the beauties of Catholicism that many Catholics never know. They never know the beauty of truth, and they leave. Or worse, they do know, but cognitive dissonance gets a hold of them, and they leave. Indeed, sometimes the only reason I respect certain bishops is because of their apostolic authority. Otherwise, I'd be glad to indulge myself by calling them spineless self-serving fools whose interest is more in PC-ness and monetary gain than spreading the gospel. In fact, by my definitions, I'd say most American bishops are politicians I mean really, look at the USCCB and tell me that it does'nt work like a political party? The constanc concessions to the liberal elite who currently run the place, the crowd pleasing, the definitions-that-don't-define-anything. Fortunately, the Biological Solution should give us a chance to fix everything that the boomer generation screwed up in it's misguided and narrow attempt to be 'relevant.' Give us 20-30 nyears and things will be better.

Because it's almost plagiarism....

I've been watching these videos to help myself with improvisation/hymn arrangements. This guy's amazing. I mean really, listen to Duke Street or Diademata for instance. aside, some kind person e-mailed me a link to some free downloadable sheet music a day or so ago, so I'm set! Now, I have to talk to Fr. Navit at St. Francis de Sales about letting me practice there, and if that does'nt actually work out, there's St. Donatos, or I could ask Fr. James at Lourdes. Really, I need a place with proper reeds and some kind of 32' pedal stop. Off to practice!

*EDIT*
Great. I walk two blocks in the snow and ice for practice, and what do I find but that the priest, the secretary, and everyone else at the church have given themselves the day off. So no one's there with the key. I swear, next time I go to practice I'm sending my brother to the hardware store with the key to make a couple copies. I've had ust about enough pf these people randomly canceling my practices, having other choirs and musicians practice at my time, or simply not showing up with the key, all without bothering to call me before I walk all the way down there.

So I got the music, but these guys are giving me grief with practice.

This was my propsed music for the day:

Dialogue, Andante and Toccata in C minor- (My own composition)

Fantasia from BWV 542-Bach

hymn tune " St. Anne", with variations by me.

humn tune "Nicea" and improvisations.

Complete the Gloria and start the Santus from my Missa Prima for organ and five-part choir.

Random Improvisations.

SNOW DAY!

No school!

More Epic Awesomeness,

Edward Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance. Ignore that nasty overplayed bit in the middle and enjoy the beginning and end.

He's right , you know.

I'm beginning to agree that this whole "Stimulus plan" is really going to be a bit of a ridiculous failure, and is simply bad policy. Really, is'nt it only playing into and continuing many of the failing policies of the past, only with a shiny new face? Or is it just me?
Ron Paul

Cantate Domino.

It's the introit for next Sunday in the 2002 Roman Missal, but it's not in the Liber Usualis, nor was it in the 1962 missal. There's the introit 'Cantate Domino" on the fourth Sunday after Easter in the older missal, but it's completely different.

Abe Kun.

......

*Dies Repeatedly*

The Epic Awesomeness that is the allegro vivace from Widor's 5th organ symphony. I won't paste Diane Bish's interpretation, even though it's one of my favorites. I just can't.

I know how to fix the economy!

All we have to do is get rid of some of those damned poor people.*
I'm sure Mrs. Sanger would be extremely proud of..........Mrs. Pelosi.


*Most of them are minorities anyway. And yes, I wanted to use a word stronger than 'minorities'.

Part XI: Nobis Quoque to the Per ipsum.

The priest now prays a prayer for all of us :

"Nobis quoque peccatoribus famulis tuis, de multitudine miserationum tuarum sperantibus, partem aliquam, et societat em donare digneris, cum tuis sanctis Apostolis et Martyribus: cum Joanne, Stephano, Matthia, Barnaba, Ignatio, Alexandro, Marcellino, Petro, Felicitate, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucia, Agnete, Caecilia, Anastasis, et omnibus Sanctis tuis: intra quorum nos consortium, non aestimator meritim sed veniae, quaesumus, largitor admitte. Per Christum Dominum nostrum"

"To us sinners also, thy servants, who hope in the multitude of thy mercies, vouchsafe to grant some part and fellowship with thy holy Apostles and Martyrs: with John, Stephen, Matthias, Barnabas, Ignatius, Alexander, Marcellinus, Peter, Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia, Anastasia, and with all thy saints: within whose fellowship,. we beseech Thee, admit us, not weighing our merit, but granting us forgiveness Through Christ our Lord."

In this prayer, we recall the sinfulness of man. Remember, not of your merits but of Christ's are you called to partake of the bread of angels. Blessed Tomas a Kempis says in a book on the blessed sacrament:

"But understand that you cannot by any merit of your own make this preparation well enough, though you spend a year in doing it and think of nothing else. It is only by My goodness and grace that you are allowed to approach My table, as though a beggar were invited to dinner by a rich man and he had nothing to offer in return for the gift but to humble himself and give thanks.

Do what you can and do that carefully. Receive the Body of the Lord, your beloved God Who deigns to come to you, not out of habit or necessity, but with fear, with reverence, and with love.

I am He that called you. I ordered it done. I will supply what you lack. Come and receive Me.

When I grant the grace of devotion, give thanks to God, not because you are worthy but because I have had mercy upon you. If you have it not and feel rather dry instead, continue in prayer, sigh and knock, and do not give up until you receive some crumb of saving grace."

Remembering our sinfulness, we beg God to grant us, through is tender mercies, some share i the heavenly glory of the blessed. For each of us individually is fulfilled the saying "
Remember also, where a king is, there also may be his court , so also it is that where our Lord is, there also are his glorified saints. The church wants us to remember this, and that we are not alone. We have all the saints to pray with us and for us four all our needs. So now, let us pray for tat purity to have made a large and clean upper room were our lord may make is place and eat the pasch with us. ( Mark 14:12-16), or as Thomas a Kempis says in te voiceof Crist:

"I AM the Lover of purity, the Giver of all holiness. I seek a pure heart and there is the place of My rest.
Prepare for Me a large room furnished and I with My disciples will keep the Pasch with you.
If you wish that I come to you and remain with you, purge out the old leaven and make clean the dwelling of your heart. Shut out the whole world with all the din of its vices. Sit as the sparrow lonely on the housetop, and think on your transgressions in bitterness of soul.
Everyone who loves prepares the best and most beautiful home for his beloved, because the love of the one receiving his lover is recognized thereby."

All of these saints made mention of in tis prayer are all saints commemorated by the early church at Rome. They were te St. Judes, St. Tereses and St. Pios of the day. We could now ask the intercession of our patron saints for any needs we have.
Lastly, a prayer is made in thanksgiving for all the gifts on the altar. The priest joins his hands and says:

"Per quem haec omnia Domine, semper bona creas, sanctificas, vivificas, benedicis et praestas nobis."
"Through whom, O Lord, thou dost ever create all these good things, dost sanctify, quicken, bless, and bestow them upon us."

Formerly, the food that the early Christians would eat at the agape meal that followed the holy liturgy would be blessed at this point wit these words. An agape meal can be thought of as an extended parish social, if you will.
The canon of the mass is ended wit a final offering to the Father, and the most visible one. The priest takes the chalice in one hand, and the host in the other, and holds them aloft facing the altar, te cross, ad mystically, to our Father in heaven. In such a position, it's quite obvious tat something is being offered to someone. But even still, a prayer accompanies tis ceremony. The priest says:

"Per ipsum, et cum ipso, et in ipso, est tibi Deo Patri omnipotenti, in unitate Spiritus Sancti, omnis honor et gloria, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen"
"Through him, and with him, and in him, God the Father almighty, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory are thine.Throughout all ages, world without end. Amen"

All respond "Amen". This is called the Little Elevation, because it is not given as much ceremony as the first at the consecration. This prayer comes from scripture like many of the prayers and actions of the mass, namely, from  Romans 11:36:h

 "Quóniam ex ipso et per ipsum et in ipsum ómnia. Ipsi glória in sæcula. Amen."

See now, for a final time, the priest presents our blessed redeemer before the Father as a willing victim, as St. Tomas Aquinas says in is Corpus Christi sequence; " Cum Isaac immolatur, Agnus pascae deputatur, Datur manna patribus" " Isaac bound, a victim willing, Pascal Lamb its life-blood spilling, manna to the fathers sent."