Transcript The Choice is Yours

Some Principles
 1. It’s not about entertainment.
 Liturgy is worship of God
 The glorification of God
 And the sanctification of humans.
 Participation is the gift of oneself.
 If you come to get something, you will go away
impoverished.
 If you come to give yourself, you will go away rich.
 2. Catholic music is primarily the rite sung.
 And when we do sing hymns, they are chosen to fit the
rite.
 Readings
 Seasons of the liturgical year
 The Paschal Mystery
 Sunday, and in a more particular way, through the year
 What do we mean by “the rite sung?”
 The ritual itself.
 The parts of the Mass.





Kyrie
Gloria (Creed)
Sanctus
Lamb of God
Etc.
 So, the rite sung involves “chant.”
 Here are some examples from the new Missal:
 Contemporary composers also offer melodies for
these parts of the Mass.
 The diocese can pick one that every parish will learn.
 But the chant melodies from the Missal can be a
standard both for the parish and the diocese.
 3. Hymns are chosen to fit the liturgy, not for their
likeability.
 Remember, this is not entertainment but
prayer/worship.
 Music should be the best poetic expression
available.
 Avoid the trite, the small
 Pick music that can be appreciated for a lifetime.
 They don’t have to understand it all the first time.
 Let the mystery unfold over time.
 Concentrate on texts.
 Choose poetic texts that have depth of meaning that
can be discovered after repeated experiences.
 Choose texts that express the height and depth of they
mystery.
 Liturgy is not necessarily an emotional moment, or a
pretty moment.
 The story of salvation in the Bible is not all positive.
 Jesus suffered, and Christians are invited to a sharing in
his suffering/death.
 A repertory of music that includes only brightness and
peace is out of touch – at least part of the time.
 E.g., music in a minor key is appropriate at time, like
Lent.
 Choose hymns to fit the Mass;
 i.e., to fit the readings
 or the season
 or the function of the hymn:
 entrance
 communion
 recessional
 Catholic liturgy is highly processional. Certain music
works for processions better than other choices.
 We are rediscovering the Entrance Psalms, Offertory
Psalms, and Communion Psalms.
 Learn to mix this up a bit, so that in the future, you will
sometimes have an Entrance Psalm instead of an
Entrance Hymn.
 Some work has been published already. “Psallite,”
from Liturgical Press, is an example.
 Psalms sung antiphonally, like the familiar
Responsorial Psalm, function well as an
accompaniment to procession.
 This can work well for Communion because most of
the assembly is on the move during that rite.
 This practice can also help to revive the intensely
Scriptural quality of the Mass.
 Don’t feel limited to “bread” hymns for Communion.
 Any Paschal Mystery text can be appropriate.
 Offertory is a time that does not require the
assembly to be singing.
 Therefore, it is a good time for a choir piece.
 We need to be stretching our choirs, if we have them.
 When choosing music, try to give time and attention
to the Scriptures and the other texts from the
Missal.
 However, relying on music services, such as those
offered by OCP, is not a bad place to begin.
 Another helpful resource is Liturgy Planner Journal.
 Liturgy House Publications
 www.TheLiturgyPlanner.org
 It offers suggestions from
 Numerous publishers.
 If you take their suggestions, picking one of the
hymns you know, you can’t go wrong.
 Just be willing to put in the effort to grow over time.
Allow yourselves to be challenged/transformed.