The prefaces of the new translation of the Roman Missal now mention several choirs of angels which we join in singing God’s praises in the Sanctus.  Several people have asked me about the origin of the ‘nine choirs of angels,’ so I will share a paper I wrote on the topic. I have written an abstract which answers the question in a few paragraphs.  If you’re still interested and brave, read the paper further below. An anonymous sixth century monk... Read more

The invention of the light bulb has spoiled our experience of light. Even though electricity and light bulbs have allowed us to have light on demand, which is a great thing, they have also made us loose our appreciation for the piercing power of light. Most of us modern human beings have forgotten what it’s like for the sun to go down and to be left in complete darkness, trusting the moon and the starts to provide light from above.... Read more

Hoy en esta fiesta de la Epifanía recordamos a los tres reyes magos que llegaron del oriente con obsequios para el Niño Jesús.  Los regalos de los reyes con revelan aspectos del niño recién nacido.  El oro nos enseña que el niño es un rey, ya que desde tiempos antiguos el oro es considerado metal precioso reservado para los reyes. El incienso, humo perfumado que se ofrece solo a Dios, nos demuestra que Jesús es un niño divino, es Dios... Read more

[from the parish bulletin] On this feast of the Epiphany we remember the three men from the east who came bearing gifts to the child Jesus.  The gifts reveal to us who this child is: Gold teaches us He is a king, frankincense reveals He is God, and myrrh tells us one day this child will die.  As a precious metal, gold has been since ancient times a symbol for royalty.  Frankincense, which is incense, is burnt to please God,... Read more

Today the Church commemorates one of her saints, Saint John Neumann, a member of the Redemptorist Order founded by Saint Alphonsus Ligouri.  This morning I visited the shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, another Redemptorist priest, who served as the parochial vicar of Saint John Neumann at Saint Philomena Parish in Pittsburgh for six years. Saint John Neumann would eventually be consecrated bishop of Philadelphia in 1852.  Blessed Francis Xavier would work at various Redemptorist parishes in the United States... Read more

En esta Solemnidad de Maria Madre de Dios, quisiera compartir una obra musical mariana del compositor Mexicano Manuel de Sumaya.  Sumaya, mestizo nacido en Mexico, fue director de musica de la Catedral de Mexico de 1715 a 1738.  Luego trabajo en la Cataedral de Oaxaca hasta su muerte en 1755.  Sumaya representa el punto mas alto de la musica barroca mexicana en el nuevo mundo.  Debajo del video encontraran la letra de Albricias Mortales en espanol y traducida al ingles.... Read more

On this Solemnity of the Mother of God, I’d like to share a beautiful Mexican baroque work by Manuel de Sumaya written about the Virgin Mary where she is referred to as the Dawn.  Sumaya, a native mestizo Mexican, became the chapelmaster of the Cathedral of Mexico City in 1715.  Later in his career he worked at the Cathedral of Oaxaca until his death in 1755.  Sumaya represents the height of Mexican Baroque music in the New World.  Listen and enjoy.... Read more

  One week after the birth of Our Lord, every January first, we pause to consider one major implication of his birth: The divine motherhood of the Virgin Mary.  Today we acclaim her with one of the most ancient titles given to her by Christians: Mother of God, Theotokos or God bearer. We hail the Virgin Mary with such a lofty title in virtue of her role in the plan of salvation which Saint Paul so beautifully summarized: “When the... Read more

As the year comes to a close, I give thanks to God for the many blessings and challenges 2011 brought and ask for His continued guidance and grace in 2012.  I also thank you readers of my blog.  I thought having a blog would be a waste of time, so I began blogging reluctantly.  These past two years have proven me wrong.  I have realized this is an effective way to spread the Gospel and reach many folks throughout the... Read more

It is told that on December 29th 1170, King Henry II of England exclaimed in a burst of anger and in the presence of four faithful knights, “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?”  The knights interpreted the King’s words as an order to execute the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket, who had been disturbing the King’s peace by insisting on the primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the independence of the church from the king. By... Read more