Washed in the Blood

by Anthony Esolen

We Roman Catholics have at least anecdotal evidence of the existence of Purgatory. It comes when we attend Mass and must listen to the music. What is worse than doggerel? What doggerel leaves on the bottom of your shoe, maybe, because when the slack and slovenly stuff begins, I find myself scraping my feet on the floor and looking furtively roundabout for the exit. I think fire would be much nicer. At least it would burn up the hymnals and reduce them to ash.

"How long, O Lord!" I cry.

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Anthony Esolen is a professor at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in Warner, New Hampshire, and the author of many books, including Real Music: A Guide to the Timeless Hymns of the Church (Tan, with a CD), Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture (Regnery), and The Hundredfold: Songs for the Lord (Ignatius). He has also translated Dante’s Divine Comedy (Random House). He and his wife Debra publish a web magazine, Word and Song (anthonyesolen.substack.com), on poetry, hymnody, language, classic films, and music. He is a senior editor of Touchstone.

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