Rites being used for worship during Holy Father's USA visit

[benedictgal]

You do realize that everything for these masses was approved by the papal master of ceremonies…Msgr. Marini…

Yes, frommi, but, I also remember a very curious statement made by His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze regarding Papal Masses that seems very appropriate for this discussion:

Somebody can say, “but the pope visited this county and the people danced”. A moment: Did the pope arrange it? Poor Holy Father – he comes, the people arranged. He does not know what they arranged. And somebody introduces something funny – is the pope responsible for that? Does that mean it is now approved?

He made these remarks in 2003 and the topic centered around Liturgical Dance. Even though these remarks are five years old, I suspect that things like this will pop up at these Papal Masses, as well (although I don’t think it will be as blatant as dancing, especially since he’s not going to an LA Congress). Msgr. Marini probably went on good faith with whatever DC planned as far as the music was concerned. Remember, strange music was also heard during the last WYD Mass and this led Pope Benedict to call for some much-needed changes.

 

[frommi]

Yes, frommi, but, I also remember a very curious statement made by His Eminence Francis Cardinal Arinze regarding Papal Masses that seems very appropriate for this discussion:

He made these remarks in 2003 and the topic centered around Liturgical Dance. Even though these remarks are five years old, I suspect that things like this will pop up at these Papal Masses, as well (although I don’t think it will be as blatant as dancing, especially since he’s not going to an LA Congress). Msgr. Marini probably went on good faith with whatever DC planned as far as the music was concerned. Remember, strange music was also heard during the last WYD Mass and this led Pope Benedict to call for some much-needed changes.

I’m definitely curious to know what you think are the bad songs that have been chosen.

Again, it looks like a solid selection of music from throughout the entire history of hymnody…not just the narrowness of one era that many would prefer take centerstage.

 

[Spiller]

Perhaps, EM and arg, you may not have read or properly understood the underlying reasons for our criticisms, especially where the music for the DC Mass is concerned. The “liturgical team” planning this particular liturgy probably didn’t read the Holy Father’s many writings on music, especially Sacramentum Caritatis, where he famously writes that as far as the Mass is concerned, “one song is not as good as another.”

Yes, I am thrilled that he’s coming here. However, I am disappointed in the efforts of those planning the liturgies (from our end) because** they have failed in providing the best and finest music that we have to offer.** Instead, they are using the Mulligan Stew approach and really cheapening what should be a solemn and beautiful celebration. I mean is Mass of Creation the finest piece we have produced as a Mass setting? I don’t think so, not in th every least. At least NYC fares a little better where the music is concerned.

As I said, the only upshot is that Pope Benedict (who, is also a classically trained musician and is well versed in what Sacred Music should sound like) will experience first-hand what many of us have to suffer through week after week in our parishes.

Are you serious?

In all sincerity, who are you to judge what’s better (or worse) or the reading lists of these people? You don’t care for their programming so you cast dispersions on their formations. I find that problematic.

There are going to be MILLIONS of Catholics (via EWTN) that are DEEPLY nourished by this Mass – possibly more than if the Mass was celebrated just was you wished…

My gut feel is that the Pope through his own staff would have long ago vetoed anything that was found to be substandard – or even less than optimal. Further I think they actually had a big part in the actual process.

In the end I guess I give the Pope’s staff and the DC staff a grerat deal more credit…

 

[Spiller]

I’m definitely curious to know what you think are the bad songs that have been chosen.

Again, it looks like a solid selection of music from throughout the entire history of hymnody…not just the narrowness of one era that many would prefer take centerstage.

Yeah! What you said!

 

[brotherhrolf]

I’m definitely curious to know what you think are the bad songs that have been chosen.

Again, it looks like a solid selection of music from throughout the entire history of hymnody…not just the narrowness of one era that many would prefer take centerstage.

Pray, and what era would that be? The last 40 years or the last 1000 + years of chant, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical or Modern music. Should we be limited to Haugen, Haas, Joncas et al? Do you think the compositions they wrote are equivalent to Gabrielli, Monteverdi, Vivialdi, Mozart, Bruckner, et al? I know Robert LeBlanc personally. I have sung his “Spirit of God” many times. It is a lovely hymn but he is not in the same category as Haugen, Haas, Joncas et al. There is very little written in the last 40 years that approaches what has gone before and that which does, was not written by Catholics.

 

[IrishAm]

Perhaps, EM and arg, you may not have read or properly understood the underlying reasons for our criticisms, especially where the music for the DC Mass is concerned.

Perhaps, benedictgal, our colleagues on the board EM and arg have read and properly understood the underlying reasons for your criticisms and disagree with you.

 

[frommi]

Pray, and what era would that be? The last 40 years or the last 1000 + years of chant, Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical or Modern music. Should we be limited to Haugen, Haas, Joncas et al? Do you think the compositions they wrote are equivalent to Gabrielli, Monteverdi, Vivialdi, Mozart, Bruckner, et al? I know Robert LeBlanc personally. I have sung his “Spirit of God” many times. It is a lovely hymn but he is not in the same category as Haugen, Haas, Joncas et al. There is very little written in the last 40 years that approaches what has gone before and that which does, was not written by Catholics.

My point is that the music being used comes from many different eras…the only Haugen composition I saw in use was Mass of Creation, no David Haas compositions are part of any of the services…there are some modern compositions from writers like Bob Hurd and Paul French…and there is Mozart and others.

It spans MANY eras of Catholic hymnody…which is what a mass like this should do.

Music didn’t grind to a halt with the death of Pope Gregory.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

I just got back from a week-end retreat. The monk who gave us our talk, is a fan of Pope Benedict XVI, which was a surprise for me. This monk usually leans towards the left on issues. Anyway, he spoke about the Pope’s message of how the “church” according to the Pope’s encyclical he handed us, is the “world.” He showed where the Pope says that Jesus died for “all” people.

I found this so contradictory from what trads in this forum, who are big fans of Pope Benedict have posted. From their post, I got the impression that Pope Benedict XVI, was going to do away with Vatican II, the Novus Ordo and guitar free and anything other than Gregorian Chant, at Mass. From what the monk correctly showed, the opposite is the case, when it comes to Pope Benedict. Apparently, Pope Benedict is more liberal than what the media and neo-Catholics make him out to be.

The monk’s conference impressed me enough, that I ran down to the monastery book store and purchased a book by Pope Benedict XVI.

Jim

 

[benedictgal]

This is the music for the DC Mass, as posted in the Christus Vincit blog (btw, the blogger got into a debate with the DC liturgist). If you notice, some of the selections come from the OCP arsenal, not exactly the paradigm of sacred hymnody:

Plenty Good Room-------------------------------Spiritual
Come, O Spirit of God---------------------------Manolo
Sing Aloud Unto God our Strength------------Nelson
Go Up To The Altar Of God--------------------Chepponis
Ave Verum Corpus-------------------------------Mozart
Spirit of God---------------------------------------LeBlanc
Concertato On Grosser GottHoly God, We Praise Thy Name
O Spirit All-Embracing--------------------------Holst/Proulx
Ave Maria-----------------------------------------Dett
O Holy Spirit By Whose Breath----------------Latona
Kyrie------------------------------------------------Roberts
Gloria – Mass of the Angels---------------------Proulx
Lord, Send Out Your Spirit----------------------Peloquin
Easter Gospel Acclamation----------------------Luckner
Trilingual Intercessions--------------------------Hay
Let All the World in every Corner Sing-------Argento
Ven Espiritu Sancto
Sanctus - Mass of Creation----------------------Haugen
Memorial Acclamation – Mass of Creation—Haugen
Fraction Rite---------------------------------------Honoré
The Lord’s Prayer
Psalm 100 – All the Earth-----------------------Deiss/Proulx
Jesus Is Here Right Now------------------------ Roberts
Ubi Caritas---------------------------------------- Hurd
Pange Lingua-------------------------------------Manolo
My God and My All-----------------------------Zaragoza
Love’s Redeeming Work Is Done-------------Ogden

By the way, many of Hurd’s compositions for Mass settings are very problematic becasue he takes excessive liberties with the Mass parts, especially those in Spanish. Fr. Manolo, a Paulist priest, focuses more on social justice issues than on God in many of his compositions.

Now, to those of you who object to the points that I have been raising, maybe you might do well to read the articles that the Holy Father wrote on Sacred Music while he was Joseph Ratzinger, as well as his Apostolic Exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, where he notes:

Liturgical song

1. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that “the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love” (127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).

Can any of my detractors say, with a straight face and with complete honesty, that any of what Pope Benedict wrote in Sacramentum Caritatis is reflected in the selections for the DC Mass? I think not.

The problem is that we have gotten so accustomed to the banal, the trite and the insipid that we wouldn’t recognize a piece of sacred music if we heard it.

When Pope Benedict XVI visited the Pontificate Institute of Sacred Music, he also made some very telling remarks, which, unfortunately, have been ignored:

am pleased in this context to recall what the Second Vatican Council established with regard to sacred music. In line with an age-old tradition, the Council said it “is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, n. 112). How often does the rich biblical and patristic tradition stress the effectiveness of song and sacred music in moving and uplifting hearts to penetrate, so to speak, the intimate depths of God’s life itself! Well aware of this, John Paul II observed that today as always, three traits distinguish sacred music: “holiness”, “true art” and “universality” or the possibility that it can be proposed to any people or type of assembly (cf. Chirograph Tra le Sollecitudini, 22 November 2003; ORE, 28 January 2004, p. 6). Precisely in view of this, the ecclesiastical Authority must work to guide wisely the development of such a demanding type of music, not “freezing” its treasure but by seeking to integrate the valid innovations of the present into the heritage of the past in order to achieve a synthesis worthy of the lofty mission reserved to it in divine service.

At least the folks in NYC have gotten a better idea.

 

[benedictgal]

This is what NYC will feature at the Yankee Stadium (again, courtesy of Christus Vincit):

Yankee Stadium – Celebration of the Eucharist: April 20, 2008
Dr. Jennifer Pascual, Director of Music/ Mass Conductor
New York Archdiocesan Festival Chorale
Cathedral of St. Patrick Choir
Ulster County Vicariate Choir, Michael Sweeney, Director of Music
Donald Dumler, Organist
John Des Marias, Cantor
Joe Simmons, Psalmist
Entrance of concelebrants:
Symphony No. 9 in D minor – Ludwig van Beethoven
I. Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso
II. Molto vivace
Entrance of the Holy Father:
Hymnus Pontificius – Charles Gounod, arr. Alberico Vitalini
Dixit from Vesperae Solennes de Confessore – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Music for Mass:
Jesus is Risen/ Cristo Jesús Resucitó – arr. John Rutter
Tu es Petrus – Dom Lorenzo Perosi
Kyrie – from Litany of the Saints, adapt. Richard Proulx
Gloria from Missa O Magnum Mysterium – Tomás Luis da Victoria
Psalm – Dr. Jennifer Pascual
Alleluia (VICTORY) arr. Wm. Glenn Osborne
Credo III
Trilingual Intercessions – Michael Hay, orch. Wm. Glenn Osborne
How Lovely is thy Dwelling Place – Johannes Brahms
Sanctus from German Mass – Franz Schubert, adapt. Richard Proulx
Christ Has Died/ Amen - Franz Schubert, adapt. Richard Proulx
Agnus Dei from Missa O Magnum Mysterium – Tomás Luis da Victoria
Panis Angelicus – Cesár Franck, Marcello Giordani, Tenor, Metropolitan Opera
Sicut Cervus – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Ave Verum – Alexandre Guilmant, orch. Deborah Jamini
Amén. El Cuerpo de Cristo - John Schiavonne, orch. Carl MaultsBy
Let Us Break Bread Together – arr. Carl MaultsBy
This is the Feast – Richard Hillert, arr. Richard Kidd
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee/ Jubilosos te Adoramos – from Hymn to Joy
Fantasy – Bruce Saylor
Symphony No. 9 in D minor – Ludwig van Beethoven
IV. Presto

Amen, the one by Fr. Schiavonne, is a rare hymn from OCP that actually sounds impressive. Let Us Break Bread Together is a piece I’ve never heard.

However, in my best Texas drawl, Brookly (Joe Dellasandro imitation): DC, forget about it!

 

[frommi]

This is what NYC will feature at the Yankee Stadium (again, courtesy of Christus Vincit):

Amen, the one by Fr. Schiavonne, is a rare hymn from OCP that actually sounds impressive. Let Us Break Bread Together is a piece I’ve never heard.

However, in my best Texas drawl, Brookly (Joe Dellasandro imitation): DC, forget about it!

This is the feast was written by (GASP) a LUTHERAN…

 

[Cat]

benedictgal, so what’s your point?

Are you planning to write a letter to the Vatican warning the Pope? Is that what you think good Catholics should do?

Or protest outside of the stadium like those women in Chicago did today?

What good is your information doing for any of us on this board? Is this edifying? Uplifting? Is this making us more holy, to know that our Holy Father is being rail-roaded by his staff into accepting bad music at his U.S. Mass?

I just don’t get this at all. Why share these complaints publicly? Just keep your objections to yourself and pray about it.

I would love to be at Yankee Stadium, hear the Pope’s Mass, and listen to all that beautiful music. I hope there will be DVDs available.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will fill all the Christians in the stadium, and that at the conclusion of Mass, they will go out and be witnesses to all the earth, and that 3000 (hopefully more!) will be added to our numbers!

 

[benedictgal]

Are you serious?

In all sincerity, who are you to judge what’s better (or worse) or the reading lists of these people? You don’t care for their programming so you cast dispersions on their formations. I find that problematic.

There are going to be MILLIONS of Catholics (via EWTN) that are DEEPLY nourished by this Mass – possibly more than if the Mass was celebrated just was you wished…

My gut feel is that the Pope through his own staff would have long ago vetoed anything that was found to be substandard – or even less than optimal. Further I think they actually had a big part in the actual process.

In the end I guess I give the Pope’s staff and the DC staff a grerat deal more credit…

Actually, the problem is that, as someone in another forum noted, we tend to suffer greatly from the Cain and Abel syndrom, at least as far as the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is concerned. Your sarcasm and eye-rolling make the point all the more evident.

We are content to give God second-best, as was Cain; Abel, on the other hand, gave God the best of what he had. He gave his all, his finest. Those of us who believe that God deserves better get chastised in this threads simply because we believe, and the writings of the Holy Father, when he was Joseph Ratzinger, are indicative of this, that the current state of liturgical music is second-rate.

Msgr. Marini is there to ensure that none of the weird stuff that his predecessor allowed to creep in will show up at these Papal Masses. However, when it comes to the musical selection, he was probably acting on good faith. I suspect that once the music is actually played, there will be some words said behind the scenes, especially if someone tells His Holiness that this is the banal type of music that is played in churches week after week.

Furthermore, the Mass, the liturgy, if you will, is the chief cornerstone of the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. Throughout his years as a cardinal, the Holy Father wrote extensively and emphatically on the proper celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, inclusive of appropriate and proper sacred music.

What these selections are saying, as someone else in another forum eloquently stated, is that DC has effectively told the Holy Father that his cause is not their cause.

 

[benedictgal]

benedictgal, so what’s your point?

Are you planning to write a letter to the Vatican warning the Pope? Is that what you think good Catholics should do?

Or protest outside of the stadium like those women in Chicago did today?

What good is your information doing for any of us on this board? Is this edifying? Uplifting? Is this making us more holy, to know that our Holy Father is being rail-roaded by his staff into accepting bad music at his U.S. Mass?

I just don’t get this at all. Why share these complaints publicly? Just keep your objections to yourself and pray about it.

I would love to be at Yankee Stadium, hear the Pope’s Mass, and listen to all that beautiful music. I hope there will be DVDs available.

My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will fill all the Christians in the stadium, and that at the conclusion of Mass, they will go out and be witnesses to all the earth, and that 3000 (hopefully more!) will be added to our numbers!

So then, if you say that I shouldn’t post or express my opinions, then, what is the purpose of these forums? Many people are certainly not shy about expressing their support for the banal and insipid, especially when it comes to music. Those of us who do make a stand to defend and promote legitimate sacred music, as defined by the Holy Father in Sacramentum Caritatis, are met with rolling eyes, sarcasm and insulting commentary.

These concerns that I raise are legitimate and quite appropriate. It also shows that collectively, we don’t have a very good understanding of what sacred music means. As I said earlier, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise because it will allow the Holy Father to see first-hand the banal and trite music that many of us must endure during the Mass.

 

[Digitonomy]

Msgr. Marini probably went on good faith with whatever DC planned as far as the music was concerned.

This appears to be true. From a CNS article by Cindy Wooden in my diocesan paper,

Msgr. Marini said the Vatican did not dictate the choice of music and hymns for the U.S. liturgies.

“The repertoire is rather vast,” he said. "There will be Gregorian chant, polyphony and some hymns that are more popular in the American repertoire.

“I really like this variety of styles that has been prepared for the celebrations,” he said.

 

[JReducation]

As one who has worked for five Catholic dioceses as a pastoral minister and worked once on a papal visit, I can guarrantee you that the process of preparing the liturgy and the prayer service is a very complex one.

The papal master of ceremonies is not just given a list. He is given an entire script with recordings. He then passes this on to his team who examine everything in every detail. They make their recommendations to the Msgr who then passes them on the committee in the host country. This takes months of work. Everything is listened to, scrutinized and approved according the the rule set up by the Sacred Congregation on Liturgy.

The popes commentaries on liturgy are certainly taken into account. However, the final authority rests with the Sacred Congregation on Liturgy. There is a difference between a pope’s commentary on liturgical music and a decree that he gives to the Congregation on the Liturgy for them to implement.

The Congregations do not always apply everything that the popes say, because not everything is said with the intention binding the congregations.

The Pope lets them know what is binding when he wants to bind them, such as when he approved the EF.

As to whether we like the music or not, that’s a matter of personal taste. There is no way that the Church is going to please everyone at the same time.

It’s always someone’s turn to suffer.

But the issue here is not the music or even the liturgical celebrations. The Pope is not coming to the USA just to celebrate mass. He wants to pay with the laity, but he has other specific ends in mind. That’s why he chose the theme on hope. This is why he has also dispensed all cloistered religious from the papal enclosure.

He explained it very clearly iin his pre-visit statement. This is not a pastoral visist. This is a diplomatic visit. He is here to

1. Speak with the President of the USA and the UN on the state of the world,
2. Meet with the contemplative orders in the USA whom he greatly admires and loves, becasue he believes that of all the ministries in the Church, their ministry is the highest and most noble form of service, it even corrects errors without ever leaving the enclosure
3. Have an interfaith meeting with the American Jewish leadership
4. Discusss the sex-abuse scandal with the bishops

The agenda is really very complicated.

The Msgr. surely kept all of these in mind when planning the liturgy to ensure that the liturgy reflects the Pope’s goals for this visit.

JR

 

[anamchara]

I’m definitely curious to know what you think are the bad songs that have been chosen.

Again, it looks like a solid selection of music from throughout the entire history of hymnody…not just the narrowness of one era that many would prefer take centerstage.

I think the Pope is much more accepting of other traditions and music then many on here presume. He gets the bigger picture, which is why he is the Pope and thank God for that. I can’t wait for his visit

 

[Digitonomy]

He explained it very clearly iin his pre-visit statement. This is not a pastoral visist. This is a diplomatic visit.

I haven’t read his pre-visit statement - did he actually say it is not a pastoral visit, or did he merely emphasize the diplomatic aspects of it? It’s a bit hard to understand the purpose of giant masses in NY and DC if this is not a pastoral visit.

 

[benedictgal]

I think the Pope is much more accepting of other traditions and music then many on here presume. He gets the bigger picture, which is why he is the Pope and thank God for that. I can’t wait for his visit

The problem with your statement is that it doesn’t quite jibe with what the Holy Father has written, both as Cardinal Ratzinger and as Supreme Pontiff. Sacred Music has its standards. Unfortunately, because we’ve been liturgically tone deaf for nearly 40 years, we have forgotten what truly Sacred Music is.

JReduction talks about having planned music and liturgies, including working with those on a papal Mass (JPII, I’m assuming). The Liturgical Office of the Supreme Pontiff relies, on good faith, on the folks at the local level planning the music. However, they may or may not hear the pieces until the acual liturgy begins.

What NYC has done is to plan something that is more in line with the Benedictine thought and idea of Sacred Music.

Now, regarding the intent of the Papal visit, that is perhaps something for a different thread. Although, he does have several liturgical events lined up, including a prayer encounter with seminarians, young people and the bishops, accoridng to the iternary Spiller provided for us. Yes, he will be meeting with President Bush and the UN; however, he will also be discussing several things affecting the Church in America. But, the hallmark of any Papal visit, whether it’s around Rome, Italy or the world, is the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

 

[JReducation]

I haven’t read his pre-visit statement - did he actually say it is not a pastoral visit, or did he merely emphasize the diplomatic aspects of it? It’s a bit hard to understand the purpose of giant masses in NY and DC if this is not a pastoral visit.

I saw the message on TV. It was televised. It was about 5 min. It may be on EWTN’s web site.

I don’t remember the exact words, but he was very diplomatic about it. He said that he would only visit two cities, Washington and the United nations and explained why. He did not say “this is not a pastoral visit.” He simply said, “this is why I’m going.” It was pretty clear that he was coming to deal with world issues. He also explained why he chose “Chirs our hope” as this theme for this visit.

He said, “I will go to your country to announce that Christ is our hope.” The emphasis of his five minute speech was broader than just the USA. It kept focussing on OUR HOPE.

The only faithful that he specifically mentioned were the contemplative religious. I remember that he did say that he waned to see them. From what I have read in the Catholic press, he has dispensed with the papal enclosure so that cloistered religious can leave the cloister and be with him at mass. Only a bishop can dispense with the papal enclosure.

There are little things that he said and those that he did not say that sends a message.

All papal visits are pastoral in the sense that the Pope is the shepherd of the Church.

What the Catholic media is saying is that it is not a visit to the laity. For example, he’s going to World Youth Celebration. That’s a pastoral visit. The target audience are the teenagers.

When he visited Germany, that was a pastoral visit. He spent time with the laity and with German scholars.

The only time that he has set aside for the laity are the two masses, the visit to the Jewish temple and the ecumenical service. The ecumenical service has a diplomatic goal. He wants to make sure that the Jewish and Catholic people understand that the new form of the prayer for the Jews on Good Friday is not a rejection of the Jews or a return to a prior age when there was antagonism between the two faiths. He wants Catholics and Jews to know that we are still united, not just be ecumenism, but by heritage, faith and prayer.

We have to undestand, this man is not a pastoral man. John Paul II, before he became pope had been an actor, a youth minister, a parish priest, a diocesan bishop, a diplomat and a scholar. He was used to being around people and ministering to people.

Most of Benedict’s life has been spent in the classroom as a student or professor. After that he was in Rome dong theological work. He has very little experience as a parish priest and a diocesan bishop. He is not comfortable working the masses. He is more comfortable speaking to highly educated people about very lofty ideas and realities.

This is a humble man. He recognizes his limitations. He knows that he does not have the gifts that John Paul II had to work the masses of people. He knows that he is camera shy and prefers to be around thinkers. He knows that this is where he shines and where he can do most good. So that is where he’s gong to spend more time.

Let’s admire his humility. It takes a very humble person to recognize their limitations and their gifts. True humility is honest. He knows what he’s good at and what he can’t do well.

Let’s allow him to be the person he is. He’s a very holy man. Let’s accept that gift and go with it.

JR