Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi. Loosely translated: “The norm of prayer governs the norm of belief; the norm of belief governs the norm of living.” Many priests nowadays (including myself) are asking, “What if there’s deficient lex in … [Read more...]
The Patterns of Heavenly Things
Sacredness and Beauty in the Liturgy
January 27, 2023 by Kaleb Hammond
The history of the Catholic Church has produced an extensive tradition of sacred art, especially in the fields of painting, music, and architecture. Although this tradition has expanded and diversified over time, with variations across … [Read more...]
Perhaps Another Minor Ministry
November 25, 2022 by Rev. Basil Cole, OP
When St. Paul VI dissolved the minor orders for the Latin Church and instituted a ecclesiastical reality called “minor ministries” of acolyte and lector, he wanted laymen only to assume these ministries of the liturgy in a more ins … [Read more...]
Questions Answered – December 2020
November 25, 2020 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Joseph and the Virginal Conception Question: What was Joseph’s state of mind when he knew for certain that Mary was with child? I cannot believe he doubted her purity, despite the reality before him. Answer: This is a very important q … [Read more...]
Eight Ways to Love the Sacred Liturgy
May 19, 2019 by Fr. William Dillard
I think it is true that there is no single experience in the life of the human person that has a more profound impact upon one’s faith than the Eucharistic liturgy. The realization of what is being accomplished there cannot be u … [Read more...]
Complain, Complain!
There Are Reasons for Poor Music at Mass
November 14, 2018 by Bill Kassel
Professor Anthony Esolen, writer in residence at Thomas More College of the Liberal Arts, recently wrote an essay for the Catholic magazine Crisis in which he complained about the quality of music at Mass. He’s certainly not alone in his … [Read more...]
In Heaven, There Is Only Singing
A Review of Two of Father Rutler's Books, and an Interview with the Author
August 18, 2017 by Roseanne T. Sullivan
I was fortunate to be able to read two review copies of recent books by Father George W. Rutler. As always happens when I read his writing, I was delighted by his style, inspired by the soundness of his doctrine, and enlightened–and s … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
March 26, 2017 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: Concerning Eucharistic adoration, some chapels have a small monstrance with a door in front of it and when people are not going to be present the whole time they are instructed to close the door. Is it alright to do this with … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
March 23, 2016 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Question: At the Easter vigil, we read from Genesis that God, on the fourth day, created and separated light from darkness: on the fourth day, he created the sources of light. So, from whence comes the light of the first day? Answer: No … [Read more...]
Propers of the Mass Versus the Four-Hymn Sandwich
Two Catholic Scholars Look at "The Great Catholic Music Debate"
January 15, 2016 by Roseanne T. Sullivan
(The subtitle of this article refers to "The Great Catholic Music Debate: 'Post-Vatican Folk' vs. 'Reformist Retro'" by Bill Kassel, which appeared in this magazine, August 9, 2015. … [Read more...]
Sacred Liturgy: Great Mystery, Great Mercy
Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick Lecture, Kenrick Glennon Seminary, St Louis, MO, October 8, 2015
November 16, 2015 by Bishop Peter J. Elliott
Reflecting on the state of divine worship in the Church, I believe that this is a good time for Catholics of the Roman Rite, a very good time. Fifty years after the Second Vatican Council initiated a liturgical reform in the Constitution on … [Read more...]
The Great Catholic Music Debate
“Post-Vatican Folk” vs. “Reformist Retro”
August 9, 2015 by Bill Kassel
A funeral I attended recently illustrates a musical dilemma that fuels the ire of Catholics on Facebook whenever the subject of liturgy comes up. To set a tone of solemnity, two women chanted a Latin prelude as mourners entered. The … [Read more...]
What’s Changed?
A Comparison of Self- and Divine-Referential Pronoun Usage in Hymns Written Pre- and Post-Vatican II
July 12, 2015 by J.E. Sigler
“He that sings praise, not only sings, but also loves him of whom he sings.”—St. Augustine Noticeable Change in Pre- & Post-Vatican II Hymns Some HPR readers may be unaware that people have been arguing about the language of Church hym … [Read more...]
The Solemnities of June
Corpus Christi and the Sacred Heart of Jesus
June 13, 2015 by Stephanie A. Mann
This June is a very solemn month. There are six solemnities on the liturgical calendar: Pentecost Sunday, Trinity Sunday, Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. … [Read more...]
The “Sanctus”: A Catechetical Signpost for the Mass
February 12, 2015 by Dr. Michael Brummond
The Eucharistic Liturgy is “the source and summit of the Christian life.”[1. CCC 1324; Cf. Lumen Gentium 11. ] Active participation in these mysteries constitutes the “foremost and indispensible font” for acquiring the Christian Spirit.[2. S … [Read more...]
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