On Liturgical Music
Posted by: tony on 11/21/2005 10:32 PM
Updated by: tony on 11/21/2005 10:34 PM
|
Expires: 12/21/2005 12:00 AM
|
 Zenit.org reports Cardinal Arinze's pronouncement with regard to liturgical music:
"I will not now pronounce and say never guitar; that would be rather severe," Cardinal Arinze added. "But much of guitar music may not be suitable at all for the Mass. Yet, it is possible to think of some guitar music that would be suitable, not as the ordinary one we get every time, [but with] the visit of a special group, etc."
"The judgment would be left to the bishops of the area. It is wiser that way," he pointed out. "Also, because there are other instruments in many countries which are not used in Italy or in Ireland, for instance.
"People don't come to Mass in order to be entertained. They come to Mass to adore God, to thank him, to ask pardon for sins, and to ask for other things that they need."
I love organ music, especially pipe organ music. I love chant and polyphony, and I wish we had people in our parish able to sing those forms of music.
However, our pastor chose not to renew our Director of Music's contract after 28 years (15 of those, I sang with her). I was used to a rich and varied music ministry from one of the most talented organists I've had the pleasure of working with.
But for a month, we had no music. Our pastor would lead the opening and closing hymns a-capella. Then a brave young man of about 15 volunteered to play piano for those hymns. We went for a few more weeks singing with him. Then God saw fit to send us a telented guitar player and his wife (who is a lovely singer). He and his wife worship at another parish, but are volunteering to play at our parish and coordinate the music ministry until a new Music Director can be hired.
We have slowly been atracting singers again, and last week, the man and his wife, our young piano player, another talented guitarist, myself and another young girl who's volunteered sang at 9:30 mass.
We did a 4 part rendition of "I am the Bread of Life" by Sr. Toolan with 5 singers that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. One of our guitarists said: "That was the Holy Spirit" and I believe him.
This is not entertainment, it is ministry. And in some parishes they don't have an organ. And if they have one, they don't have the talent to play it properly.
I have become much more tolerant of different styles of music when the Holy Spirit is bringing the people to us to play. Everyone comments how wonderful it is to have music again.
Psalm 150:1 Praise the LORD. [a]
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power;
praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,
praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,
praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD.
Badda boom, badda BANG, Amen :)
(H/T to Anthony at Jumping Without a Chute for the link)
|
