World Youth Day: Catholicism or Corruption?

OK, if most of you don't already know what World Youth Day is all about, watch this video. Is this the kind of thing the youths of our parishes are asking sponsorship to attend? What would Our Lord ask us on the Last Day on how we spend our money up to the last farthing?

Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart

Most sacred, most loving Heart of Jesus, You are concealed in the Holy Eucharist, and You bear for us still. Now, as then, You say: “With desire I have desired.” I worship You with all my best love and awe, with fervent affection, with my most subdued, most resolved will. For a while You take up Your abode within me. O make my heart beat with Your Heart! Purify it of all that is earthly, all that is proud and sensual, of all perversity, of all disorder. So fill it with You, that neither the events of the day, nor the circumstances of the time, may have the power to ruffle it; but that in Your love and Your fear, it may have peace. Amen.

Palestrina, we love you

Here's another attempt at Sicut Cervus, this time as the offertory hymn for Corpus Christi 2008 with Rev. Fr. Couture as celebrant.

Next is Panis Angelicus as the communion hymn of the same feast. Apologies from Tenor 1 as his voice was affected by the aircond and having difficulties of hitting the high notes during pp, thus his use of falsetto. We will be attempting this again on another occasion, Deo volente. This is fast becoming our favourite piece after Sicut Cervus....

Mark of the Beast Theater

From the infamous St. Joan of Arc parish in Minneapolis, this is their so-called Palm Sunday celebration. No prizes for guessing that they believe they originate from animals, with the spirits of the animals watching over them....


Updated: The video owner has disabled embedding, but you can still view it here.

A party of old fogeys gone cuckoo

I think Simon Cowell (of American Idol fame) would say: "You can't sing, you can't dance, so stop wasting our time and get the hell out of here!"

Learn how to pray and sing TLM

I am reproducing here a posting from Argent about this...from St. John Cantius parish website. The Canons Regular have given us Sancta Missa. For $28 you get a lot! Here's the section Epistola-Evangelium

Oratio – Epistola – Evangelium

50. Oratio – Tonus Festivus
51. Flectamus Genua
52. Humiliate Capita Vestra Deo
53. Oratio – Tonus Solemnis
54. Oratio – Tonus Simplex
55. Tonus Prophetiae
56. Punctum Interrogativum
57. Tonus Epistolae
58. Tonus Evangelii – Simplex
59. Tonus Evangelii – Alter Tonus
60. Tonus Evangelii – Solemnis

Trailer for the FSSP TLM Instructional Video

This DVD makes an excellent gift to your parish priests to prod them to start celebrating the TLM in the spirit of our Holy Father Benedict XVI's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum. You can get it here.

Beata nobis gaudia

Beata nobis gaudia Anni reduxit orbita, Cum Spiritus paraclitus Illapsus est Apostolis. Ignis vibrante lumine Linguæ figuram detulit, Verbis ut essent proflui, Et caritate fervidi. Linguis loquuntur omnium, Turbæ pavent Gentilium: Musto madere deputant, Quos spiritus repleverat. Parata sunt hæc mystice, Paschæ peracto tempore, Sacro dierum circulo, Quo lege fit remissio. Te nunc Deus piissime Vultu precamur cernuo, Illapsa nobis cœlitus Largire dona Spiritus. Dudum sacrata pectora Tua replesti gratia: Dimitte nostra crimina, Et da quieta tempora. Deo Patri sit gloria, Et Filio, qui a mortuis Surrexit, ac Paraclito. In sæculorum sæcula.

Round roll the weeks our hearts to greet, With blissful joy returning; For lo! The Holy Paraclete On twelve bright brows sits burning: With quivering flame He lights on each, In fashion like a tongue, to teach That eloquent they are of speech, Their hearts with true love yearning. While with all tongues they speak to all, The nations deem them maddened, And drunk with wine the Prophets call, Whom God’s good Spirit gladdened; A marvel this—in mystery done— The holy Paschaltide outrun, By numbers told, whose reckoning won Remission for the saddened. O God most Holy, Thee we pray, With reverent brow low bending, Grant us the Spirit’s gifts to-day— The gifts from heaven descending; And, since, Thy grace hath deigned to bide Within our breasts once sanctified, Deign, Lord, to cast our sins aside, Henceforth calm seasons sending. To God the Father, laud and praise, Praise to the Son be given; Praise to the Spirit of all grace, The fount of graces seven— As was of old, all worlds before, Is now and shall be evermore, When time and change are spent and o’er— All praise in earth and heaven.

Ascribed to St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers (d. 368)

The Cistercian Monks Of Stift Heiligenkreuz

Here's a great video of the Cistercian monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz in Austria whose monastery was graced by a visit of Pope Benedict XVI last year. Enjoy!

Gregorian chanting 'can reduce blood pressure and stress'

Stress levels could be reduced simply by participating in some Gregorian chanting, researchers claimed today.

Dr Alan Watkins, a senior lecturer in neuroscience at Imperial College London, revealed that teaching people to control their breathing and applying the musical structure of chanting can help their emotional state.

He said: "We have recently carried out research that demonstrates that the regular breathing and musical structure of chanting can have a significant and positive physiological impact."

The monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz sing Gregorian melodies on their new album - the chants are said to reduce stress levels

The research involved five monks having their heart rate and blood pressure measured throughout a 24-hour period.

Results showed their heart rate and blood pressure dipped to its lowest point in the day when they were chanting.

Dr Watkins pointed to previous studies that also demonstrated such practices have been shown to lower blood pressure, increase performance hormone levels as well as reduce anxiety and depression.

The lecturer also runs Cardiac Coherence Ltd, a company that helps executives perform under stressful conditions.

He said: "The control of the breathing, the feelings of wellbeing that communal singing bring, and the simplicity of the melodies, seem to have a powerful effect on reducing blood pressure and therefore stress."

"We have found that teaching individuals to control their breathing, generate more positive emotional states and connect better with those around them – all key aspects of Gregorian chanting – can significantly improve their mental state, reduce tension, and increase their efficiency in the workplace."

Record company Universal recently chose the monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, Vienna to make an album after responding to a public interest in the genre.

The company also believes the Halo computer game series, available on PCs and Xbox consoles, sparked a resurgence in the music traditionally sung in male church choirs, as Gregorian chant-like melodies form the main soundtrack of the games.

Source: Daily Mail