Catholic Elan

Catholic Elan

This is my latest favorite blog; if you read nothing else on here, make sure you read "A Meditation on Silence" from Wednesday, November 23rd. This piece responds to a sorely debated question within the Tridentine Community--quite beautifully, if I might add. It's been bewailed time and again, with little change (and I'm as guilty as the next guy): the lack of silence in our lives, but more particularly in the Mass. Silence isn't bad. In fact, it's quite necessary to proper development of the spiritual life. We all could do with a little more of it!!

Thanksgiving thoughts

I thought I'd share a little snapshot of my landscape. I've been going for walks since I came home for break, and, stumbling across this lovely sight, deemed it photograph-worthy.

I am never more thankful to observe the tradition of meatless Fridays than on the day after Thanksgiving when I "can't" eat leftovers. Ah, but that does leave more for the weekend--and the beginning of the next week.

The rest of break (i.e., tomorrow and Sunday) will be dedicated to working on my Rhetorical Theory paper (The Rhetoric of the Council of Trent) and my Choral Conducting paper (The Masses of William Byrd). The C.C. paper has hit a bit of a snag--my thesis originally was going to be that Byrd was influenced by Contintental contemporaries, illustrated with examples. However, my research has less-than-gently pointed out that Byrd's music really is unique because of its lack of outside influences. I'm not completely sure where the paper is going to go from here. I amassed a huge pile of resources, so that should make it easier to figure out a topic. But still, I would prefer a definitive thesis when the paper is due in a week.

Friendship

Where would we be without friends? Without those who bring us back to earth--or raise our heads and hearts to heaven, as the situation demands? Without those who give us a swift kick when we need it most or offer a prayer (or 150) when we need that, too? A thank you from the bottom of my heart to the two guys and two girls who talked to me this evening and helped me remember a multitude of things that I had forgotten.

St. Thomas More

My dear St. Thomas More, please help me understand this glorious and painful little book of yours that I'm trying to work my way through at this late hour of the night. It interests and confuses me. I would that I could speak with you about it. Perhaps in the next life, we can sit down with some cappuchino and chat. I want to understand.

At least Dr. Kennedy granted me an extension on the paper--now due Thursday instead of tomorrow. Oof.

Insipring or depressing?

If these little kids can learn to sight-sing, then dang it, so can I!!

William Byrd

I've set myself up quite comfortably in the library to get some serious research done for my paper on the Masses of William Byrd. I've been amusing myself with looking up obscure pieces mentioned in his biography, and in my travels came across this poem. It was inspired by the martyrdom of St. Edmund Campion and his two companions, set to music by Byrd as a kind of recommitment to the Catholic cause during the Elizabethan persecutions.

1.
Why do I use my paper, ink and pen,
And call my wits to counsel what to say?
Such memories were made for mortal men;
I speak of Saints whose names cannot decay.
An Angel's trump were fitter for to sound
Their glorious death if such on earth were found

2.
That store of such were once on earth pursued,
The histories of ancient times record,
Whose constancy great tyrants' rage subdued
Though patient death, professing Christ the Lord:
As his Apostles perfect witness bare,
With many more that blessed Martyrs were.

3.
Whose patience rare and most courageous mind,
With fame renowned perpetual shall endure,
By whose examples we may rightly find,
Of holy life and death a pattern pure.
That we therefore their virtues may embrase
Pray we to Christ to guide us with his grace.

Aquinas Loves You

Why I love Thomas Aquinas:

"It is against reason to be burdensome to others, showing no amusement and acting as a wet blanket. Those others without a sense of fun, who never say anything ridiculous, and are cantankerous with those who do, these are vicious, and called grumpy and rude."

--Summa Theologica, II-II.cxlviii.4, trans. Gilby.

A slap to both mysogyny and modern feminism

http://www.edithsteinproject.org/about.html

Reading a little bit about this, it seems very grounded and rational. I personally would like to get my hands on some of St. Edith's writings and see what this learned woman had to say about women and the world.

Chuch Music from a Non-Catholic Perspective

Very interesting to me, as a wannabe student of liturgical music.

A Lutheran goes to a funeral Mass

Humility

There's nothing like a Requiem Mass to give the soul a good dose of humility. Even better is a Requiem that one has to conduct, when she has only two other people, and all three are shy singers who barely know their music. I was mortified last night. I was unprepared and "understaffed," if you will.

I learned that God really does give us precisely what we need right when we need it. As I'm gathering the last shreds of my courage to go sing and just do as well as I can, in walks Tim the Engineering Student. Having seen him with a Liber Usualis before, I figure I'll take a stab in the dark: "Tim, do you know the Requiem?"

"Why, yes."

Praise God!! I couldn't have been anymore grateful had God sent St. Gregory himself down to help us. Tim helped us navigate the innavigable--Introits I hadn't studied, Communion, Libera Me (from the Absolution Service), and so on. The Dies Irae could only be described as powerful. Somehow, I ended up with six people in my choir last night (after Tim's arrival), and five of us could belt out that sequence like it was our job. And it was. We were begging for mercy on the souls of the faithful departed. I can't describe what it felt like to sing that--words just fail when confronting something beyond human comprehension.

Speaking with Tim and Father after Mass, I was enlightened as to how little I actually know about early music in general and sacred music specifically. I was so inspired by his knowledge and musicality. Indeed, God gives us what we need when we need it.