Did I see correctly on Sunday that the Holy Father incensed the oblata in, shall we say, an "extraordinary" way?
Maybe he was just in the zone.
St Josemaria, after the advent of the OF, used to tell his priest sons to say the old offertory prayers sotto voce, as well, evidently as a matter of assuring an enhanced spiritual experience for the priest. I do not think that younger Opus Dei priests still do this, however.
I watched the rebroadcast of part of the Mass at Yankee Stadium, just at the point where the offertory was taking place. It did appear that the Holy Father was attempting to incense the oblata in the way described for the EF. (I say attempting because the thurible though quite beautiful was also enormous, and most likely equally heavy, and it appeared that he was struggling with it).
I also noticed that he was reciting prayers throughout the incensing of the altar, but wasn't sure what he might have been saying. I was hoping there'd be "chatter" about it on the usual blogs.
As to the inclusion of the Brahms at this point, I wonder if this "harmony" between the traditional prayers and the use of the Brahms was purely (albeit happily) an accident.
I appreciate your wisdom here.
With no disrespect to your intelligent observation , I really wonder why this piece was chosen. I don't think Brahms had the Offertory prayers in mind, and the German Requiem on Easter 5? (Granted we all know this is not a traditional Requiem, and that this piece in particular is quite "heavenly/positive" in vision.)
I LOVE the Brahms Requiem, don't get me wrong, and we do it in our choir; but for a Papal Mass, this seems like a choice of "oh, this is a nice choral piece", not "oh, this would work so well at the Offertory of a Papal Mass on Easter 5". I'll think about it more. I'm not complaining, but when I heard it, I was struck at the "concert-ness" of this choice. I'm interested that you brought it up as connecting liturgically, because I didn't see it.
There is also the Protestant music issue, which I deal with daily, and that's a whole other issue...
I reckon it was the Sanctus from Brahms' German Mass, I have also heard it in the original German, which I have to say is more beautiful in the original like most songs including the chants and hymns of the Mass aka Latin. I am also looking forward to singing in a Gregorian Scola in a TLM on Sunday in Lancaster Cathedral (mentioned on the blog a few weeks ago, new Bishop).
Lisa,
Think back to the Gospel of the day. This piece fits very nicely with that. No, Brahms probably didn't know a word of the offertory prayers, but that doesn't make this harmonization any less fruitful.
Was this not a setting of - or at least inspired by - Psalm 83/84?
MBD,
It is a setting of Psalm 83(84), Quam Dilecta.
You can find the Douay version here:
http://www.drbo.org/chapter/21083.htm
It is quite beautiful and certainly echos the Gospel from John 14: 1-12 in which Jesus tells the disciples: "In my Father's house there are many dwelling places" and "I am going to prepare a place for you."
The 1965 ordo directed the priest to recite the Placeat tibi at the end of Mass as he was returning to the sacristy. It seems to me that this might be a worthwhile private devotion for priests celebrating the OF, perhaps with a private recitation of the Suscipe sancta Trinitas during the entrance procession.
For some reason, the prospect of translating "How Lovely" to Latin in order to make it usable for the Extraordinary Form strikes me as a bit alarming. I am aware, of course, that the original is in German, and so we are singing an English translation anyways.
But...if this work is translated into Latin for the EF, doesn't that mean that the same might be done with lesser music, on the premise that as long as it's in Latin, anything goes? Thus it opens the door for Latin versions of Be Not Afraid, Eagle's Wings, Our God Is An Awesome God, and so on. As we know from some preconciliar practice, the EF is not immune to bad taste. I am not arguing flat out that it would be wrong to translate "How Lovely' into Latin to use in the EF. I am just concerned as to where this idea might lead.
John M,
Perhaps it might ease your fears to think of the possibility that those who would undertake translating the Brahms would hardly be interested in translating the other stuff you mention.
The other thing to consider (more horrifying than comforting, however) is that you can sing in ANY language in the Low Mass. Also, you can sing in any language before or after a High Mass, so the door is, unfortunately, already open to this garbage.
In any case, about translating the Brahms, I was half-serious, at the most:-)
Michael
I take your point. My worry is not about the person who would translate Brahms into Latin, but with the precedent this would set for those attached to the EF who are gustatorily challenged. :-)
Qui habitat in abscondito,
in umbraculo Domini,
dicens Domino "spes mea" --
Deus meus, confidam.
Et adsumet pinnas sicut
aquilae, et faciet
fulgere sicut sol;
portabat in pugillo, pugillo.
Be afraid. Be very afraid!
5 Visitors Online
Commenting by HaloScan
