One More Time.

"Listen up you primitive screwheads!"

CONGREGATION DE CULTU DIVINO ET DISCIPLINA SACRAMENTORUM
Prot. N. 569/00/L
Dear Father:
March 14, 2000
This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.
This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:
1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.
2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The "fast" and "abstinence" which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church.
The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).
Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,
Sincerely yours in Christ, [signed]
Mons. Mario Marini Undersecretary

This Lent, Let Us Fast From Stupidity.

Anita from V for Victory has an awesome post on the stupid concept of fasting from holy things. In parishes throughout the U. S. (and no doubt other place as stupidity know no boundaries), the faithful are being deprived of one of prime sacramentals of the Church, namely Holy Water. This in spite of the fact that Rome has made it clear that this is only to be done between the Mass of the Lord's Supper and the Easter Vigil. In parishes throughout the U. S. (and no doubt other place as stupidity know no boundaries), children are being denied the Sacrament of Baptism in spite of the fact that we are instructed to baptize children as soon as it is practical. In parishes throughout the U. S. (and no doubt other place as stupidity know no boundaries), Lent is being twisted to promote radical environmentalism and a liberal political agenda instead of being used to draw the faithful closer to Christ.

I propose that we fast from these destructive, useless, and stupid innovations and embrace a traditional, Catholic Lent. Just sayin'.

Don't Roll Over For Komen.

Many of us are feeling like we were played by Komen today: because we were. Don't accept this passively. If you donated money to them, call them and DEMAND a refund. If you have to, cancel the check or credit card charge.

New Orthometric Initiative!

FIRST FRIDAY FAST AGAINST FAKE SCIENCE AND BUREAUCRATIC OVER-REACH.

Index Of Fobidden Hymns (Gather, Pt. XI).

This includes the hymns for funerals.  Notice how they just assume that the deceased is just going to go to Heaven. No prayers for them are necessary at all. It also includes songs for "Penance and Reconciliation". No a peep about the Sacrament of Confession. It is a microcosm of what is wrong with theology.

Numbers 851-900:

854-I Know That My Redeemer Lives: HH.
859-The Hand of God Shall Hold You: HH, P. It just assumes the deceased is going to Heaven.
860-I, the Lord: SIGV. No, He is the Lord. You are the creature.
861-Song of the Exile: HH.
864-Song of Farewell: SWTR. (Just use "In Paradisum".)
867-Wherever You Go: HH.
869-We Will Serve the Lord: HH.
875-Jesus, Heal Us: HH.
880-Deep Down in My Soul: HH.
882-Healer of Our Every Ill: HH.
883-Ashes: H, HL. "To create ourselves anew"? I don't think so.
884-I Want to Call You: HH, NAU.
892-God of Eve and God of Mary: C, DO.

And that's it for "Gather". Keep your eyes open for a wrap-up post.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, P=Presumptuous,  PC=Politically Correct,  SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Devil Dog's Dog And Frog.

(Yes, I know it is likely a toad. But toad doesn't rhyme with dog.)

Devil Dogs' Dog.

Dad's unit adopted a pack of stray dogs while in Vietnam. They even built the dogs their own bunker for when they came under fire. Here is one of them.

Photo Project.

I have started scanning my dad's slides from Vietnam into the computer. A man who served with dad is going to help me identify who and what they contain. Most of them I have a general idea about, but this one I know the story. Dad stepped on a punji stick. Fortunately, his boots had a steel insert in the sole, but one of them cut into the side of the boot, as you can see here.

Holy Day!

This year the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God is a Holy Day of Obligation in my diocese! But only because it falls on a Sunday. Suppressed/transferred holy day rant delayed until Ascension Thursday next.

Action-Figure-Palooza!

Filling the hole in my soul left by my mom selling my GIJoes at a garage sale in September 1980.

Afterburner with Bill Whittle: Three Years Under Obama

Random Liturgical Gripes.

Liturgist Animus Against Penance What is up with that? It seems that the liturgical establishment is pushing for the elimination of the penitential rite act whenever they can. Funeral Mass? Eliminate it. Ash Wednesday? Eliminate it. Nuptial Mass (in the new Missal)? Eliminate it. I seem to remember reading that Bugnini suppressed it in the first draft of the Mass of Paul VI. Add to the post-conciliar transformation of Advent from a penitential season to one of joyful expectation (whatever that means). There seems to two ideas at work here. First, there can be too much penance and that joy and penance are mutually exclusive. Bunk and double bunk. Penance is joyful in that it draws us closer to Christ. There is also the ancient Christian principle that worship and celebration must be preceded by penance. I guess these are the same types that think we can't have crucifixes because we are 'an Easter people'.

Apostles' Creed in place of the Nicean-Constanipolitan. I love the 2002 Misale Romanum and its new English translation. However, I don't think the option to use the Apostles' Creed is a good idea. We need more specificity about our Faith, not less.


Advent Police. My first year at the seminary, the Ice Queen (tm) decreed that there would be no Christmas decorations at all during Advent. (I think she was descended from Burgermeister Meisterburger.) It made for the most depressing December EVER! Jesse Trees just don't cut it. I hear more and more of similar bans. Get a grip folks. I understand the desire to appreciate the Liturgical Season of Christmas, but get a grip folks. Saying Merry Christmas does not destroy Advent and neither do Christmas lights and trees. This problem can addressed by the gradual introduction of Christmas decorations culminating on December 25th and by leaving them up until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Liturgical Puritanism in not the answer.

(Later addition) Liturgical Newspeak.  "Eucharistic Liturgy", "Reconciliation", and "Gathering Space (or any 'space' for that matter)", I am thinking of you! The liturginazis hate traditional terminology. While the Mass is a Eucharistic Liturgy, it is not the only one; see Benediction and a Communion Service. Confession is only Reconciliation if one is guilty of a mortal sin. Our churches are more than just 'spaces' for worship. Just stick to the traditional terms and everyone will know what you are talking about.

Index Of Forbidden Hymns (Gather, Pt. X).

Numbers 801-850:

801-For the Life of the World: HH, NAU, DO, LC.
808-We Are God's Work of Art: HH, NAU.
810-You Are God's Work of Art: HH, NAU.
813-Song of the Chosen: NAU, DO.
815-You Satisfy the Hungry Heart; DTD Please give me an article!
816-Let Us Be Bread: DO, SIGV.
817-Jesus, Wine of Peace: HH, DO, SIGV.
821-Bread of Life, Hope of the World: DO. Excuse me, lead us to the Father.
824-I Myself Am the Bread of Life: SIGV.
825-As the Grains of Wheat: HH, DO.
827- Bread for the World: DO.
828-I Am the Bread of Life: SIGV.
831-Take and Eat: SIGV.
833-Now in This Banquet: HH, DO.
842-Take and Eat This Bread: SIGV.
844-Without Seeing You: HH.
845-The Song of the Supper: DO.
847-Song of the Body of Christ: HH, H, NAU. We come to share HIS story....We come to know His rising from the dead.
849-Table Song: HH, DO.

Why am I not surprised that there are so many problems with the "Eucharist" songs.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct,  SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

My Great-Grandfather.

I found some very interesting information on my great-grandfather in the Google book "Pianos and Their Makers" by Alfred Dolge.

Born at Berlin, Germany, in 1869, he had the benefit of that thorough training for which the schools of Germany are renowned. After passing through the grammar and manual training schools, he continued his studies of the higher branches at the evening and Sunday school, where he acquired all the knowledge of mathematics, drafting, etc., necessary to become a competent piano constructor. Under the personal tutelage of the well-known piano maker Eduard Werner, of Berlin, Richtsteig mastered in the course of lime all the details of piano making. Competent to earn his own living, he came to America in 1888 and engaged with Bush and Gerts, of Chicago. In order to perfect himself more particularly in the art of scale drawing, he bided his time for an opportunity to study under Henry Kroeger of Steinway fame. He remained at Kroeger's factory in New York for one year, when he was induced to assume the foremanship in the finishing department of his old employers, Bush and Gerts, of Chicago.

In 1898 he accepted the position as designer and constructor for the Starr Piano Company, of Richmond, Ind., where he designed scales for upright and grand pianos, including a concert grand. Eminently successful in these efforts, he became desirous of starting in business for himself. Opening business at Milwaukee, in 1905, he experienced all the trials and tribulations of the beginner, until he found in Edmund Gram a man congenial to him, filled with his own ideals, and possessed of the same ambition to build a piano of the highest order. Under the name of Gram-Richtsteig Company a partnership Gramwas formed in October, 1908. By the close of 1908 fifty pianos had been disposed of; the year 1909 closed with sales of two hundred fifty pianos, which number was doubled in 1910 and again doubled in 1911, so that larger manufacturing facilities had to be provided for. Richtsteig did not aim for a sky-rocket success; he knew that he had to train and educate men to build the artistic piano which he had designed. Deft handling of tools is not sufficient to make artistic pianos; the men must know the why and wherefore. To train his men properly, Richtsteig started the first technical school for piano makers in America, at his Technical factory, in 1908. The proposition was accepted with enthusiasm Scho°I by the young men in his employ. Only men who had practical experience in piano building were admitted. The tuition was free, Richtsteig devoting his evenings to teaching his men the fundamental laws of piano construction.

He soon had a sufficient force of thoroughly educated artisans, which enabled him to increase the output of his factory to keep pace with the ever-growing demand. The superior qualities of the Gram-Richtsteig piano were quickly recognized by the trade and the instrument was accepted as one of the leaders.

The thorough piano maker, Richtsteig, had succeeded in constructing a piano comprising all that modern methods suggest, and had embodied in it many original ideas which enhanced the durability and reliability of the same, yet he was not contented. He knew that all piano manufacturers were laboring under the difficulties presented by the delicate adjustment of the action parts, which would easily get out of alignment, because of the continual change in the atmosphere from dry to wet, and vice versa. F. C. Billings, a piano tuner, had Kail Action invented a metal flange in place of the commonly used wooden frame gange, furthermore a metal frame with steel angle rails to prevent the usual warping and twisting of the ordinary wooden rail. Richtsteig took up these inventions and commenced to put them to most severe tests, improving the construction and application until he was satisfied that with these improvements the obnoxious warping of rails or loosening of flanges would be a fault of the past. The use of these metal frame actions with brass flanges in the Gram-Richtsteig piano was hailed with enthusiasm by piano dealers and attracted the attention of piano makers to such an extent that a corporation, with Max Richtsteig as president, has been formed to manufacture these patented metal actions for the piano trade at large, under the name of Gram-Richtsteig Metal Frame Action Company.

Need Another Reason To Drop "The Salt Lake Tribune"?

How about that they continue to publish bigoted anti-Catholic crap like this?

P. S. Make sure you tell them why they are being dropped. 

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. IX).

Numbers 751-800.


752-Bless the Feast: DO All banquet, no sacrifice.
753-All Are Welcome: HH, DO, NAU Stay out of the light Carol Anne!
756-Morning Has Broken: DTD I really like this hymn, but the Cat Stevens connection is still too strong.
761-God of Day and God of Darkness: HH, C, DO Waste of a good tune.
769-My Lord Will Come Again: HH.
772-We Shall Rise Again: SIGV.
782-Hail Mary: Gentle Woman: DO, PC, EP. Salvation by estrogen.
788-Magnificat: HH.
796-Litany of Saints: SWTR.
799-Alive in Christ Jesus: HH.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct,  SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God), SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Yet Another Reason I'm Glad I dropped The Salt Lake Tribune (And You Should Too!)

The 'artist' is the same horse's ass who slandered the Pope last year.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VIII).

Strap yourselves in folks! It's gonna be a bumpy ride. This selection includes the topics of discipleship, social concern, peace, unity, and gathering; all topics that are ripe for sneaking in leftism under the guise of Christianity. (Nota Bene: even though I was sorely tempted, this review was not composed under the influence of single malt--or even Ripple.)

Numbers 701-750:

703-Song of St. Patrick: HH. (Is there nothing that Marty will leave in peace?)
704-I Am for You: SIGV.
706-Never the Blade Shall Rise: SIGV.
708-I Danced in the Morning: HL, DTD, SIGV, H. Yuck and waste of a good tune.
709-We Will Drink the Cup: HH, NAU. "We are the Church, we are the body; we are God's great work of art!"--need to work on that self-esteem there buddy.
710-Adundant Life: HH.
711-The Harvest of Justice: HH.
712-On Holy Ground: DO.
716-Let Justice Roll Like a River: HH.
718-We Are Called: HH, NAU.
719-For the Healing of the Nations: DO, LC "Dogmas that obscure your plan"?
721-Voices That Challenge: HH, LC, PC. Cited in the dictionary under "politically correct".
728-Peace is Flowing Like a River: DTD.
729-Prayer of Peace: HH, DO. Based on a pagan prayer, nice.
731-Let There Be Peace on Earth: DTD, C (the alternative version).
732-World Peace Prayer: HH, DO. The refrain is from the Upanishads. Paganism--nice.
733-We Are Many Parts: HH, DTD.
734-No Longer Strangers: HH, NAU.
735-They'll Know We Are Christians: DTD.
739-Diverse in Culture, Nation, Race: PC, NAU.
742-Now the Feast and Celebration: HH, DO. Forgets the "not yet" part of "now and not yet".
743-Come to Us: SIGV.
744-Gather Us In: HH, DTD. This makes Baby Jesus cry.
745-What is This Place: H. This place is an icon of Heaven, doofus.
750-We Gather in Worship: DO. Universalist and Indifferantist. 

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, PC=Politically Correct,  SIGV=Singing In God's Voice (i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Black Is Beautiful!

I love All Souls' Day. It is a great and comforting thing to pray for the poor souls. It is also a wonderful opportunity to witness against the de facto Universalism of the current age. AND, it is fun to make the LiturgiNazis heads spin around a la "The Exorcist" by wearing Black Vestments.

Prayer for the dead is one of the things that attracted me to the Catholic Church. Like so much about the Church, it just made sense. We need help, both Divine and human, to live the life of Faith here on Earth. We are not perfect and cannot be perfect. Few people die perfectly united to God. Without Purgatory, I would despair at the possibility of my own salvation. But we have it and have had it from Apostolic times. Christians have always prayed for the dead. It is part of our work as Christians; to aid and support our brothers in Christ on the other side of the veil.

It is definitely not something that fits in well with the Modern (or Modernist) mindset. The "loving thing" is assume that everyone is in Heaven. After all, God is forgiving and all merciful. There may be a Hell, but it is empty of humans. How many funerals do we hear this at? I have heard it a lot. (Even from preachers that wear miters.) It is a nice thought, but it does not jibe with reality. God is merciful, but also just and He respects our free will. He will not force His forgiveness and out sanctification on us. So yes, I think people do go to Hell and many of those who don't stand in need of purification before they are able to stand before the Face of God.

Black Vestments express this reality rather well. And that is exactly why the 'with it' crowd doesn't like them. They buy into Universalism. Black Vestments express both the human and Divine realities surrounding death. They respect the human need to mourn even with the sure and certain hope in the Resurrection of the Dead. They also respect the uncertainty and pious fear of the soul before the Divine Judge. Yes, violet works for this too, but I am a Latin traditionalist and love the black. White is just presumptuous.

And while we are at it, can we rework the Order of Christian Burial to better reflect orthodox theology?

"South Park" Forsees Occupy Wall Street.

In 2005, "South Park" aired the episode "Die, Hippie, Die", which prophesied the whole occupy (bowel) movement with eerie accuracy:

Cartman:	Ma'am, I need to clear out your giggling stoners and your drum-cricle hippies RIGHT NOW, or soon they're gonna attract something much worse!
Elderly Woman:	Ooooo.what's that?
Cartman:	The college know-it-all hippies.
	[The neighborhood, day. A red car pulls up to the curb. On the back window is a decal which says "University of Colorado at Boulder" Three men and three women step out of the car]
Driver:	[wearing green jacket] Wow, my friend Brittany was right. This is a really laid-back place.
Woman 1:	[wearing tan jacket] Yeah, this will be a great place to spend spring break. [Stan, Kyle, and Kenny approach them]
Kyle:	Hey, let's ask them. [the boys are wearing shoulder totes with magazines peeking out from them.]
Stan:	All right. [the two parties meet] 'Scuse me. [holds out a clipboard] Hello, we are selling magazine subscriptions for our community youth program. Would you like to help young people like us by purchasing a subscription of your choice?
Driver:	Oh wow, you guys shouldn't be doing that. Don't you know what you're doing to the world?
Kyle:	Wha- whataya mean?
Man 1:	[wearing a guitar over his back] You're playing into the corporate game! See, the corporations are trying to turn you into little Eichmanns so that they can make money. [the other man is busily eating chips]
Stan:	Who are the corporations?
Woman 2:	[a blonde with a psychedelic fish on her shirt] The corporations run the entire world. And now they fooled you into working for them.
Stan:	Are you serious?? We never heard that.
Driver:	We just spent our first semester at college. Our professors opened our eyes. The government is using its corporate ties to make you sell magazines so they can get rich.
Kyle:	Ugh! Those dirty liars!
Kenny:	(Sonofabitch!) [throws down his shoulder tote]
Man 2:	[has finished his chips] This is a really nice town you have here. That's why the corporations are trying to use you to take it down.
Stan:	Well... Well what do we do?
Driver:	Just hang with us for a bit. We'll fill you in on everything you haven't been told.

Random Thought....

while mountain biking (and neither falling, tipping, or crashing) and listening to my iPhone on random shuffle.

If I hadn't named my blog Orthometer, what would I have named it? (Click here for the story behind the name.)
--"Somewhere to the Right of Genghis Khan." As in, he is....
--"To the Mattresses" Yes, it is from "The Godfather." But, this could definitely be misunderstood.
--"Spores, Molds, and Fungi." I like this one the best.

This is what happens when I listen to German Opera, Monophonic Chant, Billy Joel, Stevie Nicks, and Steeleye Span.

The Snit About Mitt.

Hey, I rhymed.

Anyway, no doubt you have heard about the Southern Baptist Minister (and Rick Perry supporter) who opined last week that the election of Mitt Romney would be a big boost for the cult which is Mormonism. Some of you may be wondering what the Utah priest (me) thinks about the whole thing. (Outside of Utah, I have been asked a lot about what I think about Mitt. It ranks up there with do you ski and are there Catholics in Utah. The answer to the former is, no I try to avoid Californians. The answer to the later is, we are number 2!) I'll answer it in four parts.

Is Mormonism a cult? It depends on what you mean by cult. Do they dance around in airport and drink poisoned KoolAid, no. Are the orthodox Christians? Not by a long shot. The complete list would take too long, but suffice it to say that their Polytheism, belief in a god with many wives, doctrine of Eternal Progression, and the fable which is the Book of Mormon is enough to exclude them from the club. (Go here for documentation in case you think I am exaggerating things.) It is, in fact, enough to classify them as non-Christian in a doctrinal sense. This does not mean that they do not have a Christian morality in many ways. (Remember the yeoman's job they did in California fighting same-sex marriage.) However, they do engage in certain cult-like behavior with regards to proselytism. In the near future, I will do a post on the cult techniques they use in making converts especially among teens. And there is the fact that they are not at all upfront about their own doctrines.

Could I vote for a Mormon for president? Yes. I see nothing in the beliefs of the Mormon Church as they are implemented today that would preclude a devoted Mormon from well and faithfully carrying out the office of President of the United States. After all, we have had Unitarian presidents and their beliefs, or lack there of, trouble me more. I could not say the same thing of Muslims, Wiccans, or Satanists.

Would I vote for Mitt? Yes, but only holding my nose. Almost anyone but Obama and all that. My problem with Mitt is not his faith but the plasticity of positions. The change markedly depending on where he is running and what he is running for. Romneycare and his position on Global Warming are far more troubling to me than Perry's Gardasil error. I just don't trust his conversion to Conservative values and the love affair that the state media has for him is equally troubling. In many ways, he has all of George W's faults and none of his virtues.

Do I think that the Mormon Church would exploit his election? You betcha. And in many ways it would aid in their project of be seen as mainstream. But, it might end up hurting them. After all, what good did the election of JFK do for the Catholic Church in America?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VII).

OK, I'm back from the annual EOHSJ meeting in lovely Las Vegas and a few days of vacation. Time to start up the Gather destruction machine again.

Numbers 651-700:

654-With a Shepherd's Care: DO, C.
656-Thy Kingdom Come: NAU.
658-Bring Forth the Kingdom: HH, DO ("City of God" Lite.)
659-Blest Are They: HH, DO, NAU.
660-Onward to the Kingdom: HH, DO "God above, and God below"?
663-As a Fire Is Meant for Burning: H "Not to preach our creeds or customs"?
664-Church of God: TMV.
670-Whatsover You Do: DTD, TMV "Whatsoever you do, just finish this song."
672-I Am the Vine: SIGV.
676-You Have Annointed Me: SIGV.
678-City of God: H, DTD, DS. Pelagianism with a catchy tune.
680-You Are Called to Tell the Story: DO Singing! Dancing! Sharing! Living! Ewww.
682-God Has Chosen Me: NAU. Hubris.
683-Servant Song: SIGV.
685-Moved by the Gospel, Let Us Move: C.
686-Here I Am, Lord: DS, SIGV, NAU, DTD.
690-Anthem: DO, NAU, DTD.
694-Now We Remain: HH, NAU.
695-Only This I Want: DS. Shutte's best.
699-We Have Been Told: HH, SIGV.
700-The Summons: SIGV.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Coming Next Year!

Roman Calendar Wishlist.

There are 59 days until the next important step in the Reform of the Reform hits the United States. Good bye banal paraphrase and hello accurate, elegant translation!

Perhaps then we should look forward to possible upcoming steps. Of course new translations of the rest of the Roman Liturgy are in the offing. I hope to live to see Ad Orientem, a return to traditional practice in receiving Holy Communion, more traditional sacramental rites, and the scraping of the Book of Blessings.

But I would also like to see a reform of the Roman Calendar that restores many traditional elements. It would include:
--restoration of Advent as a penitential season.
--restoration of the semi-season of Septuagesima.
--a change of Ordinary Time to the seasons of Epiphany and Pentecost.
--additions of octaves for each Solemnity.
--the restoration of Rogation and Ember Days.
--the addition of the feast of St. Erik to the general calendar.

I Have Mafia Ties!

So show me proper respect by voting for Orthometer in all categories over at the Crescat.

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. VI).

Time for another installment. The ribs seem to be knitting back together. And on Monday, I begin my annual retreat at the Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Alhambra, CA. This year the retreat master is Fr. Robert Spitzer, SJ. I am really looking forward to it.

Number 601-650:

602-Though The Mountains May Fall: DS, DTD
604-You Are Near: DS, DTD (Original version with the original four letter word.)
607-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: EP Martin Luther, arch-heretic, nuf said.
608-Be Not Afraid: SIGV, DTD Be afraid, be very afraid.
611-On Eagle's Wings: SIGV, DTD.
617-Blest Be the Lord: DS, DTD.
624-Faith, Hope and Love: HH, HL.
628-No Greater Love: SIGV.
629-God Is Love: HH.
633-Lover of Us All: DS, SIGV.
638-Eye Has Not Seen: HH.
640-A Touching Place: HL. The title and verses violate Safe Environment rules.
645-Show Us the Path of Life: HH.
647-Come to Me: SIGV.
649-You Are Mine: HH, SIGV.
650-Come to Me: HH, SIGV.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs -- Another View.

Check out this post on sacred music.

The Cross In Utah.

A common experience for Catholics and other who wear a cross or a crucifix in Utah goes something like the following:

Mormon: Why do you wear THAT?
Crossie: Wear what?
Mormon: That cross thing.
Crossie: Because Jesus died on it.
Mormon: Well if you mom was shot would you wear a gun?

It could be noose, electric chair, or guillotine, but you get the point: Utah and its majority religion are not cross friendly. Moreover, verbal attacks, teasing, and bullying of young people by classmates can be especially brutal.

But why the aversion to what orthodox Christians see as a sign of Christ's triumph over the Devil? There are several possibilities as Mormon doctrine and theology is nothing if not fluid. First, according to the Mormons Jesus is not God incarnate. He is merely our elder brother and savior. It has been taught that He didn't atone for our sins by dying on the Cross, but by weeping blood in the garden. Second, there has historically been an aversion to anything that smacks of traditional Christianity; think Protestantism on steroids. Third, a couple of years ago, The Salt Lake Tribune published an interesting article concerning some research by a professor at Cal State Sacramento. His thesis is that the extreme anti-cross attitude can be traced to President David O. McKay's virulent anti-Catholicism. My personal opinion is that while this may have intensified the opposition, it had been very present before. I base this upon anecdotes heard from both Catholics and Mormons that predate McKay.

Anyhow, this is yet more evidence that Mormonism cannot be considered Christian in an orthodox theological sense. (Also, interesting parallels can be drawn to the hatred of the cross that one finds in Islam.)

"But God forbid that I should glory except in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." -- Galatians 6:14.

(Image: murals in the sanctuary in the Cathedral of the Madeline, Salt Lake City.)

"Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid

Index Of Forbidden Songs -- Guest Post.

Here is an email I received from a reader. Thought you might enjoy it.

Dear Fr. Richtsteig,

Have been enjoying your running series on bad church music. Little background: Way back in the 70’s and 80’s, I was in and even directed the dreaded ‘contemporary’ music ministry at a few churches small and large. Then I was fortunate enough to get to sing in a fine chant/polyphony choir for a few years. For the last decade or so, I’ve simply avoided choirs, as good ones are far away, and the local ones drive me crazy with repertoires right off your list.

I think it’s important to distinguish between principles for choosing (or banishing) music and what to do when a song from The List shows up at Mass. For my own sanity and spiritual health, I’ve adopted this policy: If the song can be interpreted to be not heretical, I’ll go ahead and sing it. It may be awful on any number of levels, but I’m at Mass to worship God with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and so not singing a song because it’s lame or done to death or any reason other than it proclaims heresy seems less than charitable toward the rest of the people there.

I try to read the theology generously – can these words be taken to support, or at least not contradict, the Church’s beliefs? If so, I go ahead and sing them. Mostly, modern stuff is of Dubious Orthodoxy because it’s just so muddled it’s difficult to figure out what they’re really saying (except when they include loaded words meant to trigger a tail-wagging response in the target audience – that perhaps is another topic).

When they are clearly heretical – ‘What Is This Place’, I’m thinking of you! – I just bow my head and pray in silence.

Maybe, one of these days, I’ll muster the fortitude to get involved in liturgical music and planning again, and at least put up a fight against the more egregious examples.

Keep up the good work!

In Christ,

Joseph

Shallow Gravy - Jacket (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. V).

As hard as it is to believe, I have a mountain bike and enjoy riding it. But, I haven't since I moved to St. James. Well, a generous parishioner and bike nut tuned it up for me and I have been riding for a bit. Now, don't ever let anyone tell you that you never forget how to ride a bike. Yesterday, I took a tumble down the mountain side. Flipped five time resulting in a minor case of road rash, some scrapes and cuts, and some cracked ribs. And so, if I am a little too un/charitable in this installment, blame the pain and humiliation. (But, I am going riding again today.)

Numbers 551-600:

558-Lift Up Your Hearts: C
569-Thanks Be to You: HH
573-Table Prayer: DO. Can you say altar?
580-Creating God: H. God revealed Himself as Father, Son, and Spirit not as Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer.
585-Song over the Waters: HH
588-Blest Are You: HH
593-We Remember: HH, DTD, NAU, H. "We" do not recreate Your love. He makes His continuing love present to us. And don't get me started on the bread and wine to share a meal stuff.

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. IV).

The famous LarryD, proprietor of Acts of the Apostasy (one of the best blogs out there), posted Top Ten Topics That Will Rock Your Catholic Blog last Sunday. It's a great post; funny with a lot truth in it. But he missed one, criticizing church music. Want the nuts to come out of the woodwork, post about that one. In the combox, I have been call sick and sad, a stumbling block to sinners, and force for destruction within the Church. Well, I am sorry if I don't fit your preconceived notions of a mealy-mouthed priest. And I am sorry if you don't like my sense of humor (de gustibus and all that). However, insulting me will not get me to stop. In fact, it will do just the opposite. I spent too much time around Marines growing up. If you think I am wrong about a particular song or category, I would like to hear your reasons why. However, "your fat, ugly, and your mother dresses you funny" is not a reason, or "you're mean and hate-filled" is neither a reason nor true. Such comments willed be deleted and you will be banned. You are a guest in my blog, act like it.

Numbers 501-550:

503-Come to the Feast: HH
504-I Have Loved You: SIGV, DTD
508-We Are the Light of the World: TMV
509-Be Light for Our Eyes: HH
511-Light of Christ: HH, DMWP Exsultet straight up, please.
520-All the Ends of the Earth: DTD
522-Glory and Praise to Our God: C, DS, DTD
523-Sing Our God Together: HH, HL
537-Sing a New Song: DS, DTD
549-You Are the Voice: HH, DO

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?

Index Of Forbidden Songs (Gather, Pt. III).

I have been asked why I don't publish a list of acceptable songs. Short answer, too much work. Longer answer, that would be too much about what I like or don't like. Don't get me wrong, I have excellent taste, but this really isn't about my taste. (OK, some of it is about my taste, but not most of it.) Certain songs just aren't appropriate for liturgical use, mainly due to theological and/or ideological contents. Others are inappropriate because they are inane and void of worthwhile content. I am not a musician, nor the son of musician (dad played the accordion), but I know crap when I hear it.

Numbers 451-500:

454-Go: SIGV
455-I Will Be with You: SIGV, HL "because I really love you. I really love." Sounds like a pick-up line, not words from the mouth of Our Lord.
456-Lord, You Give the Great Commission: G
458-The Spirit of God: NAU
462-Spirit Blowing through Creation: HH. Fighting back an inappropriate comment here.
466-Send Down the Fire: HH Artillery hymn?
467-Spirit-Friend: HH, C.
470-Send Us Your Spirit: HH
473-Alleluia, Sing!: HH
486-The King of Glory: DTD Stephen Colbert. I keep seeing Stephen Colbert.
490-Song at the Center: HH, H Neo-pagan crap.
491-God, beyond All Names: C, DO
492-All You Works of God: HH
496-Canticle of the Sun: HH, DTD
497-God of All Creation: HH, DO
499-Sing Out, Earth and Skies: HH, HL

C=Castrated, DO= Dubious Orthodoxy, DMWP=Don't Mess With Perfection, DS=Dan Schutte, DTD=Done To Death, EP=Ex-Priest, G=Germanophobic, H=Heretical, HH=Haugen&Haas, HL=Hella Lame, LC=Leftist Crap, NAU=Not About Us, SIGV=Singing In God's Voice(i. e. we are not God, SWTR= Stick With The Rite, TMV=Too Many Verses, WIG=Where is God?