Here’s an idea. I would really like to see a new document come out from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. In it the document would call for guitar and percussion instruments to be given high esteem. Liturgical dance would also be called out to be given pride of place. While we are at it we could also have experimentation with the liturgy to be also given pride of place. The document could then go on to list songs by Marty Haugen and David Haas and similar contemporary composers in other countries to be given high esteem.
Now you might wonder if I have flipped my lid, but the actuality is that words just don’t mean what we think they mean. For example Vatican II called for the pipe organ to be given high esteem and for Gregorian Chant to be given pride of place. After reflecting on this I realized that pride of place and high esteem means to virtually eliminate it from the liturgy. Or at least that seems to be the result of the interpretation of these documents. If only we could make impoverished elements of the modern liturgy the pride of place and high esteem that they gave the pipe organ and Gregorian Chant.
Today the New Liturgical Movement posted an excellent interview with Fr. Weber by Zenit concerning Gregorian Chant.
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Before all else, worship is about me and how it’s important to recognize the diversity of our community and talk about inclusivity always.
Oops! I was accidentally reading from the St.Itsalaboutus Parish… It really reads: Before all else, worship is about God. Yes, yes, and yes.
Today I attended two Masses. One was my regular parish, which celebrates the Gregorian Rite. The other was a NO Mass. I joined the choir at my regular parish for the specific purpose of learning Latin.
I really resonated with this:
It’s encouraging to know that many people who are discovering chant for the first time are so strongly attracted by its beauty and solemnity that they want to become a part of its revival.
Gregorian Chant makes me try harder, which may rub some Catholics the wrong way, but truly – don’t we live in a dumbed-down culture as it is? Shouldn’t we aspire to something higher than tired praise songs from the seventies?
Gregorian Chant lifts my soul to God in a way that surprises even me. Comparing this to the NO Mass with the loud trumpet today was a stark contrast between true worship and…well, noise.
I also loved the Green Bay Packers illustration. Anything of creative value simply takes work. It’s the difference between looking at mediocre painting vs. a Caravaggio.
Thank you, Jeff, for posting this.
So if we are supposed to get rid of Pride, then the Pride of Place for chant would be…?
Extra-ordinary means just that, it doesn’t mean “totally common.” BUT, if we look at the Church in America we see that extra-ordinary ministers are everywhere, Communion in the hand is the only form allowed in many places.
This is a good thing! The extra-ordinary form of the mass should soon be a staple of daily life for many American Catholics. Right? Right?