“Is it not true that prohibiting or suspecting the extraordinary form can only be inspired by the demon who desires our suffocation and spiritual death?” —The Vatican’s chief liturgist from 2014-2021; interview with Edw. Pentin (23-Sep-2019)
If the Church were to reclaim the proper role and function of its very own music, it would go a long to way to repossessing the deeply influential significance of the liturgy in our everyday lives. In turn, this would powerfully foster evangelization.
Mass cannot, nor should not compete on a level of entertainment. “Such attractiveness fades quickly.” It is in our very human nature, the need to worship God. Our brains are wired for contemplation. It is within our very soul to connect with the divine.
Pope Francis has called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace this coming Saturday, September 7, 2013.
The Psalms of David often reveal both the ugliness of humanity and his unwavering faith in God. In his prayer, he calls for the defeat – the blood of his enemies. His words are startlingly human.
Several FREE downloads of sacred music for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Great congregational singing points to great work being done by music directors and pastors all over the country. Know that your influence and reach may be much farther than you will ever dream or know.
When I spoke to Fr. Pierre Paul about the wholesale abandonment of Gregorian Chant, he said something I’ll never forget – not just the words, but how he said it, with resolute irrefutability: “It belongs to the people.”
One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I ever had was the Requiem Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the 2012 Sacred Music Colloquium in Salt Lake City. Many of the liturgies at the Colloquia have shaken me to the core; I have been overwhelmed with an unspeakable sense of awe, mystery, and joy.
What I will remember most is that I knelt side by side with my daughter during the consecration. I will remember reciting the Creed in my fidgety three-year-old son’s ear as I held him.
Chant does certain things exceedingly well that modern culture eschews. It stops time. It simultaneously quiets the soul and directs our attention to God . . . these things are abhorred by modern culture.
True freedom does not rise from the capacity to fulfill all desires. Freedom is captivity, followed by battle, followed by faith, followed by wisdom and compassion as seen through the eyes of love. Of this struggle, true liberation is born.
In President Kennedy’s inaugural address, he said,“…the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.”
I have not even begun to speak of music at liturgy, music worthy of praising the God who loves us to the point of death on a cross. Where will this understanding lead us in our sacred music? Interesting things happen in our lives when we worship God.
The St. Paul Choir School is now looking for talented third grade boys to apply and audition for entry in September of 2013. Director, John Robinson states,“The daily round of sung liturgy provides the perfect training ground for young singers.”
“A real tradition is not the relic of a past that is irretrievably gone; it is a living force that animates and informs the present” –Igor Stravinsky
