If you truly want to help the soul of your neighbor, you should approach God first with all your heart. Ask him simply to fill you with charity, the greatest of all virtues; with it you can accomplish what you desire. (Saint Vincent Ferrer, +1419)
Day: April 5, 2022
Lassus’ Psalmi Poenitentialis
Orlando de Lassus (ca. 1532 – 1594), a Dutch composer of the late Renaissance, was also one of the most prolific and influential, up there with Palestrina and Victoria, producing over 2000 surviving works, in Latin, French and Italian, all of them vocal pieces. We have nothing purely instrumental from the pen of Lassus. Perhaps[…]
The Seven Penitential Psalms
When you are old—as I am—a single word or event can release a flood of memories. That happened to me when I noticed that today’s responsorial psalm is number 102. For this psalm is one of the seven penitential psalms that used to be an important element of Catholic piety. I remember, for instance, when[…]