The Exposition of the Holy Lance at St Peter’s Basilica
The YouTube channel of EWTN recently published a video about the exposition of the Holy Lance at St Peter’s basilica on the first Saturday of Lent. This was formerly done on the Ember Friday, which was...
View ArticleThe Apple of Her Eye
“The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, which is in the east, and there he put the man he had fashioned. From the soil, the Lord God caused to grow every kind of tree, enticing to look at and good to...
View Article“Now About the Midst of the Feast” - Christ the Teacher in the Liturgy of Lent
Today’s Gospel in the Roman Rite, John 7, 14-31, begins with the words “Now about the midst of the feast”, referring to the feast of Tabernacles, which St John had previously mentioned in verse 2 of...
View ArticleOn the Sanctification of Time
In “Processing through the Courts of the Great King,” I spoke of how the many courtyards and chambers of the King’s palace prior to his throne room, or the many precincts and rooms of the Temple...
View ArticleThe Twentieth Anniversary of the Death of Pope St John Paul II
Today marks the twentieth anniversary of the death of Pope St John Paul II, whose reign of almost 26½ years is the third longest in history, after those of St Peter (traditionally said to be 32 years,...
View ArticleTenebrae: The Church’s “Office of the Dead” for Christ Crucified
The Catholic Institute of Sacred Music cordially invites you to the final event of its 2024–2025 Public Lecture and Concert Series.Tenebrae: The Church’s “Office of the Dead” for Christ...
View ArticleMusic for Lent: The Media Vita
The hour of Compline is far more variable in the Dominican Office than in the Roman, often changing the antiphon of the psalms, the hymn, and the antiphon of the Nunc dimittis. This was true of most...
View ArticleThe Offertory Incensation, Part I
Lost in Translation #122After preparing and offering the gifts and himself, the priest blesses the incense. As he places three spoonfuls of incense onto a live coal, he says: Per intercessiónem beáti...
View ArticleMy Interview on Holy Week with Christopher Jaspers on Pipes with Augustine
A few days ago, I gave an interview to Mr Christopher Jasper, the founder and director of the online Gregorian Chant Academy. The main subject of our interview is the various reforms of Holy Week, but...
View ArticleSitientes Saturday, The Last Day of Lent
In the liturgical books of the traditional Roman Rite, today is the last day of “Quadragesima”, the Latin word for Lent; since the mid-ninth century, tomorrow has been called “Dominica de Passione”,...
View ArticleThe Feast of Saint Mary of Egypt
The feast of St Mary of Egypt has never been on the General Calendar, but it is often found in the supplements of the Missal and Breviary “for certain places.” April 2 is the most common date, but in...
View ArticlePassion Sunday 2025
The Vespers hymn for Passiontide Vexilla Regis, in alternating Gregorian chant, according to a different melody than the classic Roman one, and polyphony by Tomás Luis de Victoria.
View ArticleMary in the Old and New Testaments: The Overshadowed and Unhewn Mountain
Hail, O Theotokos, Maiden of many names: Tabernacle, Vessel of Manna, Table, Lampstand that bears the Light, burning Bush, overshadowed Mountain of God! (from Orthros - Morning Prayer - of the Melkite...
View ArticleDaniel and Habacuc in Passiontide: Postwar Casualties
The Epistle at the traditional Latin Mass for the Tuesday of Passion week is the wonderful scene of Daniel thrown into the lion’s den by his enemies and expected to be scarfed down like cat food, but...
View ArticleByzantine Holy Week Schedule in Rome
If you are planning on being in Rome for Holy Week during this Jubilee year, you should certainly make an effort to attend services in the Byzantine Rite at the church of St Anthony the Abbot on the...
View ArticleA Comprehensive Guide to the Theology and Practice of Veiling
The latest release from Os Justi Press is a revised and expanded new edition of Anna Elissa’s Mantilla: The Veil of the Bride of Christ, this time in full color. (It first came out 9 years ago in...
View ArticleThe Anti-Iconoclast Mass of Passion Thursday
Today’s Divine Office contains an unusual feature: the antiphons of the Benedictus and Magnificat are not taken from the Gospel of the Mass (Luke 7, 36-50), as they are on nearly every other day of...
View ArticleA Choirmaster’s Reflections on the Twelve Passion Gospels: Guest Article by...
One of the most powerful services of the extremely rich Byzantine Holy Week is Matins of Great and Holy Friday, known as the Matins of the Twelve Gospels. This consists of the (mostly) regular order of...
View ArticleThe Offertory Incensation, Part II
Cardinal Hayes incensing the altar at the opening Mass for the 7th National Eucharistic Congress at the Public Auditorium in Cleveland, 1935Lost in Translation #123 When the priest incenses the altar,...
View ArticleThe Mass of Passion Thursday - Continued
In yesterday’s article, I described the Roman station church of Passion Thursday as a place of exile for Eastern iconodule monks whom the persecution of the iconoclast Byzantine emperors had driven...
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