path: root/src/blog/asperges-me/index.md



---
title: Asperges Me
date: September 6, 2024
description: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop.
---

One of the most regrettable results of the post-conciliar liturgical reforms
(such as they are) is the near disappearance of the venerable "Asperges Me" from
most Catholic parishes.

If you are unfamiliar with the old Latin Mass, the Asperges Me is a ritual performed
immediately before Sunday High Masses in which the priest sprinkles those present
with holy water while words from Psalm 50 (51 for you Protestants) are sung, followed
by a doxology:

> Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed:
> Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
> Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

Having formed all four of my children in the traditional Mass, I've noticed that
the Asperges captures their imaginations in a special way. It's always the first
chant they memorize and start singing around the house, and it's never omitted when
the boys "play Mass" at home.

They watch intently as the priest processes through the church, waiting patiently
for their turn to receive a sprinkle, and imitate his reverent pause to bow when
the schola invokes the Holy Trinity. It is through this thousand year old ritual
that children come to understand the importance of their own baptism.

Most importantly, the Asperges gives us all a sense of our total unworthiness before
Almighty God, thanksgiving for the saving waters of our baptism, and our need of
forgiveness for our sins.

These physical, tangible rituals of Catholicism can make Protestants, often
accustomed to a more cerebral and abstract worship, somewhat uncomfortable. But
Holy Mother Church recognizes that we are beings of both body and soul. In our
proud modern age, performing these rituals with piety and humility can sometimes
teach us more truth than the most eloquent sermon.

<iframe class="ytembed" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDaB4LcPGg0" title="Asperges Me I - Gregorian Chant" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
---
title: Asperges Me
date: September 6, 2024
description: Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop.
---

One of the most regrettable results of the post-conciliar liturgical reforms
(such as they are) is the near disappearance of the venerable "Asperges Me" from
most Catholic parishes.

If you are unfamiliar with the old Latin Mass, the Asperges Me is a ritual performed
immediately before Sunday High Masses in which the priest sprinkles those present
with holy water while words from Psalm 50 (51 for you Protestants) are sung, followed
by a doxology:

> Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed:
> Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.
> Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy great mercy.

Having formed all four of my children in the traditional Mass, I've noticed that
the Asperges captures their imaginations in a special way. It's always the first
chant they memorize and start singing around the house, and it's never omitted when
the boys "play Mass" at home.

They watch intently as the priest processes through the church, waiting patiently
for their turn to receive a sprinkle, and imitate his reverent pause to bow when
the schola invokes the Holy Trinity. It is through this thousand year old ritual
that children come to understand the importance of their own baptism.

Most importantly, the Asperges gives us all a sense of our total unworthiness before
Almighty God, thanksgiving for the saving waters of our baptism, and our need of
forgiveness for our sins.

These physical, tangible rituals of Catholicism can make Protestants, often
accustomed to a more cerebral and abstract worship, somewhat uncomfortable. But
Holy Mother Church recognizes that we are beings of both body and soul. In our
proud modern age, performing these rituals with piety and humility can sometimes
teach us more truth than the most eloquent sermon.

<iframe class="ytembed" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WDaB4LcPGg0" title="Asperges Me I - Gregorian Chant" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>