It's only OK if it is sung ad orientem.

What is "ad orientem"?

Google translates it as "to the east".

Yes, I use Google Translate.

(My resources are somewhat limited.)

Literally translated, it indeed means "to the east."

Liturgically speaking, it is referring to the days when churches were built facing eastward, ie the priest facing the same direction as the people during the Mass, like this.

If it sounds more familiar another way, opponents of this practice would often call it "the priest turning his back on the people".

Yes, but only if the Montreal Canadiens sing Be Not Afraid before their games.

Separation, church and state.

Canada's Queen is to its east :-)

... as for those of you (Noel) who raise concepts peculiar to your own (admirable) polity: Canada is a foreign country; they do things differently there.

The point is that some patriotic songs include prayers to the Lord, which makes them more liturgically suitable or at least not entirely secular. Others are more something to sing outside church, not because they're bad but because they're not about God or the saints or praying.

Now, it would seem that, either for convenience at parish activities or because it includes the prayer, "God keep our land glorious and free" and an eschatological fourth verse that is all prayer, this hymnal was allowed to include "O Canada."

However, the French version is much more overtly a hymn only to Canada, albeit a personified Canada which is some kind of fighting Christian saint.

Anyway, here's the eschatological verse, from Wikipedia, for all us ignorant Americans who have previously been told by Canadians that the Battle Hymn of the Republic and America the Beautiful are weird for having eschatological stuff in 'em:


Ruler supreme, Who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion in Thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in Thee
A lasting, rich reward,
As waiting for the better Day,
We ever stand on guard.

As July 1st is the feast of the Precious Blood in the EF calendar, I programmed Adoro te devote this Sunday as a toast to our heritage.
Not that I ever need an excuse...

Yeah, you got to watch us Americans. We are lusting after your ice.

Instead, we sang "Joseph, Be Our Guide and Pattern":

"Joseph, chosen as our patron
In this country strong and free,
Join with us and sing God's praises
For the gifts of land and sea.
Joseph, just and holy, guide us,
Joseph, walk the way with us."

The tune is somewhat, er, festive. But everyone was in a festive mood, so it worked.

"We ever stand on guard" is presumably against a lot of people. Remember that the Victorian UK and Russia were not exactly best buddies in the Great Game. And France occasionally thought about it. Also, Canada was invaded by American/Irish Fenians a few times, which doesn't usually come up in US history books but was more an issue when the song was written.

And I hope nobody took my previous comments as disrespect for Canada or their anthem, because I think they are both pretty cool. Happy Canada Day!

No, ice is preferred. This is our 5th day of 100+ degree temperatures. I realize we are in the South, but this is too hot even for us.

We are in the heat wave that has been around for about a week. It's moving to the east and should be gone by tomorrow - at least the 100+ degree temperatures. It will be in the mid-nineties for the rest of the week.