The topic is one only: the sung Mass. We began with the collects and moved to prefaces, and today we cover the readings, which, as a layman, I’m particularly interested in, and then move to the Canon and through the end. In each session, faculty members William Mahrt and Scott Turkington teach the principles and then there is practice, and also breakout sessions, divided between beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
One point that strikes me first is how music so easily integrates the three forms covered here: ordinary form in English, ordinary form in Latin, and extraordinary form. There are very few musical differences between them in terms of what the celebrant sings.
The average age of the priest here is very young. Many are associate pastors who expect to become pastors soon, or pastors in their first year. So many are facing similar problems at their parish.
A modal description is as follows.
MORE here in which Jeffrey very ably and accurately describes the typical musical/liturgical situation at most parishes and the points out how the priest’s decision to sing the Mass might produce fruit in surprising ways that are organic, not hurtful to those invested in old systems and faithful to the liturgical mind of the Church.
Speaking of busy priests, Fr. Martin Fox has posted the text of a talk he gave to a group of Cursillo leaders on what’s going on in the Church these days. It’s a very good talk, reminding the listeners that “Church” means much more than what’s going on in our own parish. He covers a lot of issues, and offers a really good, simple, clear explanation of the role of music in the Mass:
In the century or so leading up to Vatican II, it was becoming routine to use hymns, in the vernacular, at Mass, instead of some of the sung prayers called for at Mass—which were in Latin.
You see, when you have Mass, in Latin, English or whatever, many people don’t realize that the music for Mass is not something “added” by the musician, chosen by a liturgy committee.
Rather, the Mass itself—I mean, the Missal, the book of all the prayers and readings to be used—already gives us the text of the music to use!
Not many people know that—I bet not many here, knew that.
But what happens at most Masses is that we don’t use all that music; instead, we use hymns, such as “All Creatures of our God and King” or “On Eagles Wings” or what have you. This trend, however, did not begin with Vatican II—as I say, it goes back about a century before.
Are you curious why? Of course you are!
The reason is that the music that was being substituted for is Gregorian chant, in Latin. Why it happened we could talk about, but that’s more than we have time for. It started in Germany and happened in a lot of the Church—including in this country! It had become widespread into the 1800s, and various folks tried to respond to this.
This is when the “Liturgical Movement” got started, in the mid-1800s! This led to Pope Pius X calling for a restoration of Gregorian chant in 1903! And this “new” movement in the liturgy continued to work itself out, playing a major role in the work of the Second Vatican Council!
My point is, right or wrong, the goal of all this wasn’t to be rid of all that musty old chant, but to restore it! That is surprising, if you view the Council from too narrow a point of view. When you view the Council, instead, from the larger “zoom out,” then what the Council said takes on a very different meaning: In Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, the Council Fathers called for Gregorian chant to be given “pride of place” (Paragraph 112).
What’s funny is that if you go to a parish, and they sing the opening Introit, in Latin chant, they are fulfilling Vatican II; but if you go to a parish—most parishes in this country—and you hear, “Glory and Praise to our God,” they are actually being “pre-Vatican II”!
Finally, following the thread and speaking of parishes, here’s a story about a layman’s decades-long work in fostering a parish in India:
When Lingareddy Johannes Reddy came here as a teenager 63 years ago, the nearest Catholics were kilometers away.
Now, Mariapuram and five other villages served by Hyderabad archdiocese’s Uminthal parish have more than 1,200 Catholics.
Archbishop Marampudi Joji of Hyderabad credits the 77-year-old Catholic layman for sowing and nurturing the Catholic faith almost on his own in an area of about 500 square kilometers.
The parish is based about 100 kilometers southwest of Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh state, 1,500 kilometers south of New Delhi.
Archbishop Joji met Reddy during a recent pastoral visit and called him “a great builder of people.” Reddy has single-handedly carried forward the faith for more than half a century in that backward area, the prelate told UCA News.
Father Bandanadam Marianna agrees. The priest, who is principal of a school in neighboring Pargi parish, told UCA News Reddy led a handful of people that played “a great role in motivating and preparing many people for baptism.”
Via Intentional Disciples.
A long post, but it’s a big Church, the Body of Christ, with many parts, all necessary…..
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