Thursday, October 30, 2025

THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED (EIGHT O'CLOCK RENDITION)

This weekend we commemorate (I almost said "celebrate" here, mea culpa; such is not the case) All the Faithful Departed.

In lieu of the Entrance hymn this Sunday, we will sing a responsory: Grant them eternal rest, O Lord (Breaking Bread hymnal, #812).  While it's categorized in the hymnal under "Order of Christian Funerals", this Introit is proper for all Masses of the Dead, including funeral Masses and for All Souls.  The response is a translation from the Latin Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis.  Also, the Gloria is omitted.

I have to say that on one All Souls Day, I felt quite crept out.  Usually right after Halloween is finished, certain mainstream media begin the 24/7 playing of little ditties that they pass as Christmas music, right on until Christmas Day (how quickly they forget, Christmas STARTS at Christmas Eve and continues up through the Baptism of the Lord in January, not ends on Christmas Day).  Well on this one particular All Souls Day, I took my daughter to work on the way to my 9:00 AM Mass (she wasn't licensed to drive at the time).  As I proceeded back toward I-295 to go to Mass, I suddenly hear The Most Wonderful Time of the Year playing on the radio.  I couldn't change the station fast enough for two reasons - 1) I never liked the song to begin with, and 2) What's so "wonderful" about All Souls Day?  There's nothing to celebrate.  We commemorate all those gone from us and pray for their souls to be fit for heaven.

Therefore:

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria is omitted.
Sanctus: #9 on page 14 (ICEL chant setting, in English)
Memorial Acclamation: #12 on page 17 Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: page 26, single Amen (do do-re, or, if you're in a modal mood, so so-la, or fa fa-so)
Agnus Dei: #846 Mass XVIII

PROPER OF THE MASS:

Readings: page 228 in the Breaking Bread hymnal
Psalm 23: R./ The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (Owen Alstott)
Alleluia: Theodore Marier

HYMNS, CHANTS, etc.
Introit (in lieu of Entrance Hymn): #812 Grant them eternal rest, O Lord (Owen Alstott)
Offertory hymn: #458 I heard the voice of Jesus say ("Kingsfold") (Listen)
- This nifty arrangement comes from Manchester Cathedral, United Kingdom.
Communion hymn: Jesus, Son of Mary ("Adoro Te Devote") (duet: Brian and Doris)
- This is the same tune as another hymn we've sung on occasion, "Godhead here in hiding"
Recessional hymn: Sing with all the saints in glory ("Hymn to Joy")
- The tune most widely used for "Joyful, joyful, we adore thee", or the finale of Beethoven's famed Ninth Symphony.

Prelude and postlude will be improvisations based on the Requiem aeternam and In Paradisum, respectively, as they are the appointed Latin entrance and recessional propers for the Mass for the Dead.  One should note that the Mass for the Dead (including funerals and All Souls Day) is the only time where a proper recessional is appointed in the Roman Missal.  Otherwise, no recessional is appointed at all, and, like many a parish church, a hymn is customarily sung in its place.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace.  Amen.  May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.  Amen.

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Thursday, October 23, 2025

SUNDAY XXX at VIII O'CLOCK

This will be the last numbered Sunday of the Year for the next three weeks.  The following Sunday (November 2) is the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed (or for short, All Souls Day).  The Saturday Mass, although on November 1 (which is normally All Saints Day) is the anticipated Mass for All Souls, as it is a late afternoon/evening Mass.  Because All Saints falls on a Saturday this year, 1 - there is no obligation, and 2 - All Saints would only apply to any morning Masses celebrated on that day.  The Sunday after that (November 9) is the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.  While St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican is the Pontifical Basilica, St. John Lateran is the Cathedral of Rome, and the official seat of the Pope as Bishop of Rome.

Numbering of Sundays of the Year will resume on November 16 (Sunday XXXIII), but not for long as the Sunday after that (November 23) is the Solemnity of Christ the King (formal title: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe).

Without further ado, for THIS Sunday...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Pew Missal, page 224
Psalm 34: R./ The Lord hears the cry of the poor (BMP) (PDF)
Alleluia: Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp.

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #434 Love divine, all loves excelling ("Hyfrydol") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: #450 The King of love my shepherd is ("St. Columba") (Listen)
Responsory during Communion: Magnificat (Tone VIII/Ciro Grassi)
Recessional hymn: #724 Rejoice, the Lord is King ("Darwall's 148th") (Listen)

The listen links for this Sunday's entrance and recessional hymns feature some really cool arrangements from Buffalo, NY.

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Thursday, October 16, 2025

SUNDAY XXIX at 8:00

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Pew Missal, page 222
Psalm 121: R./ Our help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)
Alleluia: Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp.

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #217 We gather together ("Kremser") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: #369 Shepherd of souls ("St. Agnes") (Listen)
Anthem during Communion: Ave Maria (Franz Schubert) (featuring Doris)
Recessional hymn: #721 All hail the pow'r of Jesus' Name ("Coronation") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Friday, October 10, 2025

SUNDAY XXVIII at VIII O'CLOCK

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Pew Missal, page 220
Psalm 95: R./ If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Owen Alstott)
Alleluia: Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp.

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #212 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ("Lobe den Herren")
Offertory hymn: #471 I sing the mighty pow'r of God ("Ellacombe") (Listen)
Anthem during Communion: Lead, kindly light ("Sandon") (Listen)
Like "Praise to the Holiest in the height", which we sang for a couple of weeks last month, the text comes from Saint John Henry Newman.
Meditation hymn: #345 Gift of Finest Wheat ("Bicentennial") (vv. 1, 2, 5)
Recessional hymn: #721 All hail the pow'r of Jesus' Name ("Coronation") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Friday, October 3, 2025

SUNDAY XXVII at EIGHT O'CLOCK

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Pew Missal, page 218
Psalm 95: R./ If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts (Owen Alstott)
Alleluia: Lucien Deiss, C.S.Sp.

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #576 O God, our help in ages past ("St. Anne") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: #473 Faith of our fathers ("St. Catherine") (Listen)
Hymn during Communion: Ave Verum (Chant, Mode I with brief intervening organ improvisations)
Meditation hymn: #372 Lord, who at that first Eucharist ("Unde et Memores"/vv. 1-3) (Listen)
Recessional hymn: #471 I sing the mighty pow'r of God ("Ellacombe") (Listen)
- Same tune as such hymns as "Go, make of all disciples" and "The day of Resurrection", which we've sung before.

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Thursday, September 25, 2025

SUNDAY XXVI at EIGHT O'CLOCK

 ORDINARY OF THE MASS:

Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Breaking Bread, page 216
Psalm 146: R./ Praise the Lord, my soul (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)
Alleluia: Chant, Mode VI

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #534 Praise the Lord, ye heav'ns, adore him ("Hymn to Joy") (Listen)
Offertory hymn: #556 Praise to the holiest in the height ("Newman") (Listen)
Responsory during Communon: Psalm 119, R./ Remember your word to your servant, O Lord (Adam Bartlett)
Meditation hymn: #221 Soul of my Savior ("Anima Christi") (Listen)
Recessional hymn: #710 Ye watchers and ye holy ones ("Lasst uns Erfreuen") (Listen)

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

Friday, September 19, 2025

SUNDAY XXV at EIGHT O'CLOCK and A NEW HYMN

And today we're back to "normalcy" (quoting Warren Harding), but only "for a time" (quoting the late great Father Richard A. Bucci, the pastor of my other parish for nearly 23 years until his death a year and a half ago) as we return to numbered Sundays of the Year.  Come November there will be two consecutive Sundays that go unnumbered (and I'm not even counting Christ the King).  November 2 and 9 are All Souls Day (formal name: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed) and the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome.  I'll post more on those before the time comes.

This Sunday we will be introducing a new hymn, a hymn that I've been doing at Sacred Heart for pretty much all of the 14+ years I've been there, and I'm extremely happy to see that it FINALLY got included in the Breaking Bread hymnal.  The hymn is Praise to the Holiest in the Height.  The tune is known as two different names.  The Breaking Bread hymnal (and other hymnals) calls the tune "Billing", while  several other hymnals, including the one I work with at Sacred Heart, call it "Newman", after the author of the hymn text, Cardinal John Henry Newman, now Saint John Henry Newman.  The tune is by the English composer Richard Runciman Terry.

That said, let's jump to...

MUSIC FOR HOLY MASS

ORDINARY OF THE MASS:
Gloria: Holy Angels Mass (BMP) (or recited, celebrant's discretion)
Sanctus and Agnus Dei: People's Mass (Jan Vermulst) (Listen)
Memorial Acclamation: Save us, Savior of the world (ICEL chant)
Amen: Danish Amen

PROPER OF THE MASS:
Readings: Breaking Bread, page 214
Psalm 113: R./ Praise the Lord, who lifts up the poor (Fr. Samuel Weber, OSB)
Alleluia: Chant, Mode VI

HYMNS, etc.:
Entrance hymn: #212 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty ("Lobe den Herren")
Offertory hymn: #556 Praise to the holiest in the height ("Newman") (Listen)
Anthem during Communion: Those who love and those who labor ("Dohmnach Trionoide") (Listen)
Meditation hymn: #479 O Lord, I am not worthy ("Non Dignus") (Listen)
- Reviving yet another classic.
Recessional hymn: #206 Holy God, we praise thy Name ("Grosser Gott")

Quod scripsi, scripsi!
BMP

THE COMMEMORATION OF ALL FAITHFUL DEPARTED (EIGHT O'CLOCK RENDITION)

This weekend we commemorate (I almost said "celebrate" here, mea culpa; such is not the case) All the Faithful Departed. In lieu o...