What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Welcome to another installment of What Does the Prayer Really Sound Like? 

Today we will hear the prayers for Gaudete Sunday, the 3rd Sunday of Advent in the 1962 Missale Romanum.  I speak all the prayers and readings and also sing the Collect and Post Communion prayers in the Solemn Tone.

I also have some more seasonal music and chant for Gaudete.

http://www.wdtprs.com/prayercazt/071212_3_advent.mp3

If priests who are learning to say the older form of Holy Mass can get these prayers in their ears, they will be able to pray them with more confidence. So, priests are my very first concern. 

However, these audio projects can be of great help to lay people who attend Holy Mass in the Traditional, or extraordinary form: by listening to them ahead of time, and becoming familiar with the sound of the before attending Mass, they will be more receptive to the content of the prayers and be aided in their full, conscious and active participation.

My pronunciation of Latin is going to betray something of my nationality, of course. Men who have as their mother tongue something other than English will sound a little different.  However, we are told that the standard for the pronunciation of Latin in church is the way it is spoken in Rome.  Since I have spent a lot of time in Rome, you can be pretty sure my accent will not be too far off the mark.

I deliver them at a slower pace than I would ordinarily during Mass.  But hopefully the pace will help you hear the words a little more clearly.

If this was useful to you, let your priest friends know this resource is available.  And kindly make a little donation using the donation button on the left side bar of the blog or or by clicking here.  This is a labor of love, but those donations really help.  And don’t forget to check out the PODCAzTs!

Pray for me, listen carefully, and practice practice practice.

I am not able to tell how many might be using this project from iTunes, but my podpress plugin is shows results for downloads.

 

 

Here is a great story from the University of Maryland’s newpaper.

My emphases and comments.

 

A return to tradition for campus Catholics
Patrick Moehrle
Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: News

Students at the Catholic Student Center are trying to infuse the present-day Mass with some customs from the past.  [Does this sound like the "gravitational pull" I have been talking about?]

For the past two months, students at the CSC have gathered each Wednesday before the evening Mass, or the Catholic worship service, to learn prayers and portions of the service in Latin, the formal language of the Catholic Church. During the same time period, four students learned the traditional songs and chants of the church as part of the Schola Cantorum, an all-male choir with a name that means "school of song" in Latin.

The semester’s work culminated in an extra Mass celebrated Nov. 30 in Latin with music provided by the schola. Approximately 25 students attended that Mass, said the center’s chaplain, the Rev. Kyle Ingels.

Ingels, who taught the Latin translations for the service, said he decided to start the informal classes because he wanted the students to learn the official language of the church. Teaching the Latin traditions is also a way to diversify the activities offered at the center, he said, which helps the center reach out to a wider variety of students.

"There is a lot of interest these days in learning about some of the more traditional aspects of the faith, Latin being one of them," Ingels said. "Latin is a beautiful language, a beautiful tradition, and it is still the official language of the Catholic Church throughout the world."

The students are learning the modern Mass translated into Latin and accompanied by the traditional Gregorian chants rather than the older regimented Tridentine Mass, Ingels said. The Tridentine Mass, celebrated entirely in Latin, was discontinued in the mid-1960s after Catholics expressed concern that it had become too impersonal. Some churches have added Tridentine Masses since September, when Pope Benedict XVI decreed that they could be celebrated once more.

The schola was taught by Dominican Brother Louis Senzig, who has long had an interest in traditional music, Ingels said.

Students who learned the Mass in Latin said they have benefited from it.

"It is a return to tradition," said sophomore government and politics major Martino Choi. "It is a way to praise God in a vocal manner, which appealed to me."

Learning the ancient language is a way to separate everyday life from spiritual life, senior philosophy major Josh Guenther said.

"The saints talk about how spirituality is separate from the world, and Latin is separate from our everyday conversation, and I think that makes the Mass said in Latin all the more special," he said.

 These young people get it.

I hope you readers can help this fellow who wrote by e-mail: 

We are planning to celebrate a Novus Ordo "Low" Mass in Latin (ad orientem!) on December 15, 2007. Only the readings and the Gospel will be in the vernacular.
 
The trouble is that, here in Manila, Latin Missals (Novus Ordo, not Tridentine) are excedingly rare, and even great churches don’t have it! I’ve tried looking through the Internet for the Latin propers on December 15 and I’ve had no success at all. I already have the entire Ordo Missae and Prex Eucharistica I in Latin, so no problems there. What I need are the following:
 
1) Entrance Antiphon
2) Collect 
3) Responsorial Psalm (this is only Low Mass so I’m not looking for the proper verses from the Graduale)
4) Alleluia verse
5) Communion Antiphon
 
I’d also like to know if we have the option of having a Votive Mass of the BVM on December 15 (I assume that there won’t be any Gloria still)
 
Pardon me for my ignorance, but I don’t have anyone else to turn to right now. I’d appreciate any help that could come my way, either from you or from people you could refer to me. Thanks!

UPDATE 12 Dec 2007 – 17:21 UCT

Archbishop Hart of Melbourne quoted "Say The Black, Do The Red" in a recent address to the Council of Priests of the Archdiocese of Melbourne.

Faithfulness on the other hand requires that because of the strong connection between liturgy, faith and doctrine, we celebrate the liturgy according to the liturgical books and their General Instructions without variations, except in cases which the books provide.  The general rule of “say the black and do the red” with clarity and fervour obtains within these parameters.
 

UPDATE 24 Nov 2007 – 17:06 UCT

Card. DiNardo used the phrase in an interview with ZENIT:

With regard to the liturgy, I think we can take a cue from the liturgical piety of the Church Fathers. In the Fathers, you see an emphasis not only on the words said at Mass, but also the importance of the gestures of the liturgy. In other words, say the black, do the red.

Here is a fascinating story from Astronomy Picture of the Day about the rover Spirit on Mars… racing to survive!

Explanation: The Martian rover Spirit is now in the race of its life. The rolling robot is trying to reach an outpost to spend the winter, but it keeps getting bogged down in soft sand on Mars. Earth scientists hope that Spirit can reach a slope on the northern edge of the unusual feature dubbed Home Plate, before the end of this month when northern winter will be phasing in on Mars. Reaching this slope will likely allow the rover to tilt enough toward the Sun to create a needed increase in the efficiency of its energy-absorbing solar panels. This map shows the path of Spirit from July 2004 until just last month. 

I fixed the link to the audio of the Exsultet on the post about St. Ambrose back on 7 December.  Use the embedded player!

Here is the Collect for Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent.

COLLECT:
Omnipotens Deus, qui nos praecipis
iter Christo Domino praeparare,
concede propitius, ut nullis infirmitatibus fatigemur,
qui caelestis medici consolantem praesentiam sustinemus.

This prayer is ancient, from Rotulus 6 published together with the Veronese Sacramentary.

Notice the image of Christ as medicus, physician.  

English translation?

I think maybe some of you might take a crack at it today.

I don’t know if this went around on the blogosphere or not.  The great FA deserves a biretta tip for this link to an article from CNA:  o{]:¬)

I added my emphases.

Catholic Navy chaplain shares story of Iraqi conversion
Muslim woman asks—“Do you give up so easily on Jesus?”

Baghdad, Dec 4, 2007 / 04:48 pm (CNA).- Recently, CNA had the opportunity to send a writer to the Anbar Province of Iraq to cover the experiences of a Catholic chaplain working in the trenches. What follows is his recounting of the amazing encounter he had with this apostle in the desert.

Father Bautista: Apostle in the Desert
Joe Burns, War Stringer

A few weeks ago, I returned to the U.S. after spending a week with Army troops in Iraq.  More specifically, I spent six and a half days with my son’s outfit, the 63rd Ordnance Company stationed at Al Taqaddum.  Al Taqaddum is a former Iraqi airbase, nicknamed TQ, and lies about 50 miles west of Baghdad in the Anbar Province near Ramadi.  My son Mike and I spent the first three days in Baghdad while I was processed for my press pass and then waited for a helicopter to become available to take us to TQ.

Al Taqaddum is covered in dust. In some areas where vehicles had repeatedly driven, the earth was ground down to a fine powder several inches deep (I was tempted to look for Neil Armstrong’s footprints!).  The dust in this part of Iraq is so prevalent that it hangs in the air at all times of the day and night, clinging to clothing, nostrils and eyes.

On the second day at Al Taqaddum, I was privileged to attend Mass said by Fr. Jose A. Bautista-Rojas, a Navy chaplain who ministers to the Marines and soldiers at TQ and in the Ramadi area.  It was a hot, dry, windy and desolate day. 

In the 30 minutes prior to Mass, Fr. Bautista discussed recent events of the day with the three of us: my son Mike, his commander Captain Tom Heilman, and myself.

The setting for our conversation was a makeshift wooden chapel, sparsely furnished with the plastic chairs we sat on and a small white table for an altar. Being inside this simple chapel was like finding an oasis in the desert.  What made this oasis most refreshing was the time we spent with Fr. Bautista, a man of irrepressible good humor, joy and generosity.

The events of that morning for Fr. Bautista included a Mass he had just conducted in Ramadi at a Marine detachment.  What made the Mass unique, was that his “congregation” consisted of one lonely Catholic Marine.  When Father Bautista arrived in Ramadi along with his personal bodyguard, a strong young, well-armed Marine, he visited a detachment of eight men, only one of whom was Catholic.  Undeterred, he told the Marine he would be happy to say Mass for him.

The young Marine confided to him, “You know Father, back in the States, I didn’t go to Mass that often, but out here I find myself longing to go to Mass again.  But I’ve been here for seven months and you’re the first Catholic chaplain I’ve seen.”   Fr. Bautista spent some time listening to his story and asking questions about his family.   Then he said Mass for this single Marine, in the presence of countless angels and saints who rejoiced with them.

As Fr. Bautista continued speaking with us, he described the fascinating story of a young Muslim woman who was entering the Church under his guidance through the RCIA process.  Her story was moving.  While working with Americans, this woman, who must remain anonymous, was touched deeply when she realized that the U.S. medical personnel not only treated wounded Americans and Iraqi civilians, but also treated wounded enemy combatants, including one who was known for having killed U.S. Marines.  As she put it, “This cannot happen with us.” 

This dramatic extension of mercy even to enemy soldiers caused her to take the next cautious step.  She asked Father Bautista to “tell me more about Jesus.”  As Father described Jesus and his life in the Gospels, one thing stood out among the rest for the Muslim woman he called “Fatima” (not her real name) and that was how kindly Jesus had related to, as she put it, “the two Mary’s.”  Fatima was moved to see how Jesus deeply loved Mary, his mother, who was sinless, but also how Jesus deeply loved Mary Magdalene, who was “a great sinner.”  As these discussions continued, Fatima reached a point where she said to Father Bautista, “I want to become a Christian.”

Since Father Bautista sees himself as a chaplain for all troops, not just Catholics, he decided to introduce Fatima to other chaplains from Protestant and Orthodox backgrounds.  After some time had passed, Fatima returned to Father Bautista and said, “I want to become a Catholic like you.”  When Father asked her the reason for her decision, she said, “You were the only one who told me about the other Christians, so you left me free to decide for myself.  That’s how I knew this was the right decision.”

As their catechetical lessons developed over time, Fatima’s family discovered her plan and was warned sternly by her father that if she continued on this path, she would be disowned by the entire family and would never have contact with them again.  At this point, Father Bautista became concerned for Fatima’s well-being and cautioned her to look carefully at the consequences of her decision and to think seriously before continuing her path into the Church.

Fatima paused for a moment and then looking intently at Father Bautista asked, “Do you give up so easily on Jesus?”  [Fantastic.  This is a raw glimpse of the spirit of the martyrs of the early Church.] The question took Father aback for a moment, but then he thought, “This is incredible; this Muslim woman is already bearing witness to me about how important my own faith is!”

As he related it, this woman’s question had caused him to give greater thanks for his faith and for the great privilege of sharing Christ with others.  Fatima is currently continuing the RCIA process with great courage and joy.

In a wonderful irony, the first words she will hear spoken during the Liturgy of the Word in the Rite of Acceptance will be those spoken to her great ancestor, Abraham: “Leave your country (and your kindred and your father’s house), and come into the land I will show you” (Gen 12:1).

After sharing this moving testimony, Father Bautista excused himself to prepare to celebrate Mass for us.  Moments later, as he led us in the prayers of Mass, I was struck by how blessed I was to be present in this moment, in the ancient dusty land of Abraham, who so willingly offered his only son to God.  Now, together with Abraham and his son, Isaac, with all the angels and saints, with our own brave son and his commander, we returned to this same land and heard these magnificent words:

“Look with favor on these offerings and accept them as you once accepted the gifts of your servant Abel, the sacrifice of Abraham, our father in faith, the bread and wine offered by your servant Melchisedech …” 

Here, in the same treeless, windy, dusty desert from which God had called Abraham, Christ had returned.  Now, through the hands of his servant priest, Father Bautista, a perfect offering was made to fulfill the offering attempted by Abraham.  And through this same priest, the Good News that was foretold to Abraham now returned to his homeland to bear witness to a courageous Muslim woman; a woman who was willing to sacrifice everything to know this Jesus who forgives even his enemies and who loves even the sinful Mary.