The following comes from a Dec. 15 story on Aleteia.com by Jeff Ostrowski, new choir director of the FSSP parish in Los Angeles.
Some people, when attending a concert, wait until the following morning — when newspaper reviews of the concert appear — to decide whether or not they enjoyed the concert. A similar phenomenon exists with regard to hymns. Some people require the “dates” (i.e. when a composer lived) to decide whether they like a given hymn.
I argue the inherent qualities of the hymn are what should matter. Some are determined to sing “modern” hymns … no matter what.
While most Catholic hymns do not contain formal heresy, a surprising number of lyrics push the envelope. Consider a famous verse by Marty Haugen (a non-Catholic):
Not in the dark of buildings confining, / Not in some heaven, light-years away,
But here in this place, the new light is shining, / Now is the Kingdom, now is the day.
This song has been included in major Catholic hymnals for decades. If you don’t believe me, here’s proof from the Worship Hymnal (GIA Publications).
Leaving aside the issue of heresy, I find the poetic quality of much modern Catholic hymnody deplorable. It often sounds like the poet used a rhyming dictionary to “force” each verse, with predictable rhymes similar to this children’s video.
Can the term predictable be defined? It’s not easy, but when I open up my copy of GIA’s Worship Hymnal I find verses like:
You are called to set the table, / Blessing bread as Jesus bless’d,
Then to come with thirst and hunger, / Needing care like all the rest. (source)
The melodies, too, are frequently predictable. When I open up GIA’s Gather Hymnal, I find a Pentecost song which sounds like this. (I have no idea whether the accompaniment by Marty Haugen referenced at the bottom improves this song.) Indeed, my major criticism of today’s Responsorial Psalms is their predictability. Just yesterday, I heard one sounding like this. How different are such concoctions from Gregorian chant, whose melodies sound mysterious and fresh, even in a simple mode 7 psalm tone.
I’m not trying to pick on GIA’s Worship Hymnal — I could easily have chosen any of the “big” Catholic publications — but this hymnal just happens to be sitting on my desk. Consider number 737 in GIA’s Worship (here’s proof):
If life is like a wedding feast / And we are cast as guests,
Then it is limiting to list / The ones we like the most
Is this drivel why we got rid of the ancient, furiously powerful, dignified Gregorian melodies? To replace them with goofy, weak, poorly-constructed poetry? Were the Mass Propers, which mostly came from Scripture, so terrible by comparison? Is it because none of the Mass Propers warned against “limiting” — but, rather, spoke of sin, judgment, and eternity? Progressive liturgists extol “inculturation, creativity, diversity, and local control” — but when we see what it actually looks like, who could defend it?
This does not even touch the issue of accuracy in translating ancient texts. Consider the translation chosen by Father Anthony Ruff in his recent GIA publication Cantica Novum:
Original Latin: Bone pastor, panis vere, Jesu, nostri miserere. | Ruff/Canticum Novum: Noble Shepherd, bread nutritious, Jesus, hear our cry for mercy. |
Others can argue about whether “vere” means nutritious, but here’s my question: Doesn’t singing the word “nutritious” sound weird during the public worship of Almighty God? Or am I crazy? Consider one final example from GIA Worship Hymnal (here’s proof):
And yet, God has supplied / Enough goods to divide
If we turn from our fear, hate, and greed.
We can answer a prayer / With our love, grace, and care,
And through us God can meet ev’ry need.
Leave aside the issue of singing songs about “our” grace: Such poetry strikes me as goofy and effeminate. Moreover, I’ve not even broached the topic of approval (required by the GIRM) for hymns replacing Mass Propers. For example, over the last four decades, every Catholic hymnal has placed on its first page this notice: PUBLISHED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BISHOP’S COMMITTEE ON THE LITURGY. But practically no one realized that this approval had absolutely nothing to do with approving any hymns contained in the book.
I sound like a “negative Nancy,” and you probably want me to explain how to fix the problem. I would suggest the following:
It is not impossible to find good poets in today’s world. Our own Veronica Brandt recently posted this hymn text by Father Dominic Popplewell, a young priest of the Fraternity of St. Peter. Written in honor of Mary MacKillop (Australia’s first canonized saint), his poem contains some excellent verses which avoid sounding “forced” like the ones we mentioned above. Our job is to locate more fine poets like Father Popplewell.
Thanks to recent publications — the Jogues Missal, Simple English Propers, Lalemant Propers, and so forth — parishes need not be held hostage by books lacking Propers. However, as these parishes begin to implement Propers, they should continue to use fine hymnody, and a number of adequate hymnals have become available.
Consider how beautiful hymnody can be. For example, in the Campion Missal & Hymnal, we took the poetry of English Martrys — St. Thomas More, St. Philip Howard, etc. — and set it to beautiful melodies. Several of the melodies were commissioned from composer Kevin Allen, 3 and many of the hymn texts are by St. Robert Southwell, a Jesuit martyr whose poetry was admired by William Shakespeare.
I will share with you a few verses from the Campion Hymnal, but it hurts me, because I find them so beautiful. It’s hard to refrain from tears. Here’s an excerpt from Southwell about the Holy Eucharist:
What God, as author, made, He alter may;
No change so hard as making all of nought;
If Adam fashion’d were of slime and clay,
Bread may to Christ’s most sacred flesh be wrought:
He may do this, that made, with mighty hand,
Of water wine, a snake of Moses’ wand.
Notice how, just like Father Popplewell’s hymn, each ending is rhymed (very difficult to accomplish). Consider this excerpt from Southwell’s hymn about the Immaculate Conception:
Four only wights bred without fault are named,
And all the rest conceivèd were in sin;
Without both man and wife was Adam framed.
Of man, but not of wife, did Eve begin;
Wife without touch of man Christ’s mother was,
Of man and wife this babe was bred in grace.
See how glorious Catholic hymnody can be? Are you in tears? You should be!
To see a superb ancient hymn, try this one:
* * Pange Lingua (6th century hymn)
Did you notice it doesn’t rhyme? The ancient Latin poems almost never rhyme. For the record, those pages are excerpted from the Jogues Illuminated Missal, which tried to use fancy letters for all the prayers, signaling to the congregation their depth & dignity.
I have been appointed project leader of a new hymnal. We are planning to do amazing things, but we need your help. Very soon, we’ll be releasing more information. To learn more, click here and scroll down to book #2. Information will be released on Views from the Choir Loft.
To read the original article, click here.
” Reasons for Mass:
Adoration;
Contrition;
Thanksgiving;
and Asking for what we need.” – Cardinal Arinze, Prefect Emeritus of Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
First part of this short video is about Liturgical Dancing, second part of video is about Liturgical Music.
Liturgical Music should not be for entertainment.
Mass should – only have Catholic Music, and it should be only Catholic hymns and nourish our faith. What we sing should manifest what we believe.
It should be theologically deep, liturgically rooted, and musically acceptable.
For those who are attending the EF Mass for the first few times you may want to get a Latin-English Booklet Missal for under $7.
They are also available in Latin-Spanish.
https://www.fraternitypublications.com/labomi.html
The Edmund Campion Missal and Hymnal is moderately priced with good size print. And includes pictures to easily follow the Mass.
https://www.ccwatershed.org/Campion/
For those who are attending the EF / Latin Mass on a regular basis, you might like to try the Daily “Roman Missal 1962” by Baronius Press.
https://www.baroniuspress.com/category.php?wid=59&cid=2
In some OF Mass Hymnals be very careful of a few of the songs by British Bernadette Farrell.
Last year at my Church they sang (honored) Ghandi (who studied and refused the Christian Faith), Communist/Socialist Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King – none of whom have been canonized therefore we do not know if they are Saints or not.
They sang it on All Souls Day during Communion. This was so upsetting, my husband and I talked to the Priest afterwards, and he said he had not paid attention to the words being sung by the Choir.
Further it was in the hymnal as a hymn supposedly approved by ICEL.
(Wish I could remember the exact name of the song.)
Farrell is ecumenical to the point of error / heresy in some (not all) of her songs.
Dorothy Day? Have you read her life? Have you had the opportunity to meet her? I did. I fully expect she will be raised to the high altar of sainthood one day. Our Pope is a socialist and he may be just the one to do the canonization. I can not stand by and hear her life besmirched. Because, as a convert, she lived her faith and carried her cross as we all must. Just saying…+
Dorothy Day was a Communist/Socialist.
She pushed “distributism” only without regard for the additional teachings of the Church for balance. Without any regard for commutative justice.
Yes, she repented for her abortion.
Cardinal Dolan is supporting Day’s canonization and others will not fight the liberals in the Church. At the same time Dolan is holding up the canonization of Archbishop Fulton Sheen by not sending a relic to the Vatican.
Dolan is also trying to take control over “Priests for Life” (which have had clean audits for the last 14 years.
Dolan is also going to be the Grand Pubah (marshall) in the first St Pat’s Parade that allows people to promote a sexual lifestyle (homosexuality).
Yes nothing this Pope does would surprise me.
This is what the Church really teaches (not what Day promoted):
CCC: ” 2411 Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights.
Commutative justice obliges strictly; it requires safeguarding property rights, paying debts, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.
Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible.
One distinguishes commutative justice from legal justice which concerns what the citizen owes in fairness to the community,
and from distributive justice which regulates what the community owes its
citizens in proportion to their contributions and needs. “
We should not presume anything. We do not know who is in Heaven, Purgatory or Hell. Jesus will judge.
No individual human being should be (named) sung about at any Mass unless actually canonized.
We go to Mass to praise God, NOT to praise each other.
Remember –
Adoration; Contrition; Thanksgiving; and Asking for what we need.”
Praising each other at Mass is a form of idolatry.
Any song that has “I”, “we”, “us”, “our”, etc., repeated too often it should be reviewed and discerned to make certain it is a song of :
ADORING GOD; PRAISING GOD; or asking for FORGIVENESS for our SINS;
or REQUESTING God to help us with our NEEDS.
We certainly should NOT be singing to each other, or about each other.
Thanks be to God that some Catholics adore the Traditional Latin Mass. Also, Thanks be to God that some Catholics prefer the Ordinary Form. As a cradle Catholic who grew up in the 1950’s and 1960’s , I prefer the Ordinary Form of the Mass. As an Altar Server in my youth, I served at many Tridentine Masses. Some were offered beautifully and some were not. Clearly, our Pope Emeritus directed to keep both forms, the Extraordinary and the Ordinary, available in the Holy Church. Promoting a “negative Nancy” view of one version of the Mass over the other does not promote unity in the Holy and Universal Church. Pax vobiscum!
” Promoting a “negative Nancy” view of one version of the Mass over the other does not promote unity in the Holy and Universal Church. Pax vobiscum! ”
I fully agree with you on this Bob.
Seminaries should teach both Forms of the Mass to best serve all the People of God, based upon their spiritual needs.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, when he was ordinary of Philadelphia, insisted that the seminarians learn both forms of Mass. He also said that there were very few requests for the Latin Mass.
For whatever reason I can’t find anything edifying in any of the music which is used in the masses I have attended in the present form of the mass that is presently offered in the post Vatican II Church, save the consecration itself because I am aware that that is why that Mass is being offered. I am sorry to say that, and I know some priests mean well, but … What I don’t truly understand is, if there is an effort to abide by a faithful translation of the Latin into English, where is it in the music? Even some of the old faithful hymns are missing, and none of the new stuff even remotely bids reverence. I feel starved on purpose, and empty afterward. I can’t abide a mass in it’s present form, I just can’t. The Mass pre-1962 feeds my soul, as nothing else can, even if it seems as though the priest may be rushing. I follow quietly and I am transported. Nothing else gives my soul what it craves, a full to overflowing sense of God Truly Present. Even if there is not one note of music at the Mass, there is enough of God found in the Mass for me. Thanks be to God, He has pity on me and provides for me in the form of an FSSP Personal Parish! I would truly not be so grateful as I am for His Mercy on me!
Maybe your sense of God Truly Present is not about his presence at the altar, but yours? Just a thought.
YFC, if you cared about the presence of God, you would not promote the Mortal Sins of homosexual acts and homosexual marriage.
Do not judge others until you take the LOG out of YOUR own EYE – as Jesus stated – those who do not are hypocrites.
Lk 6:42; and Mt 7:3-5.
Yes, TED, we sing about sodomy every week in Church. Maybe that’s why Life Lady doesn’t like it.
YFC, Based upon your fixation in support of Sodomy and Sodomy Marriage, nothing you do would surprise me YFC, including waving rainbow flags, etc.
GET the LOG out of your OWN EYE before you post about others.
Sacramento and vicinity-I long to return to the Latin choir where I sang in the choir loft with many talented folks who were singing since the year of my birth. Why do choirs have to be so prominently displayed up front in the church? Is there still a church in the Sacramento area singing Latin hymns and employing the choir loft?
St Stephen First Martyr
Many modern Churches do not have a choir loft thanks to the Bishops who were/are in Office at the time of construction.
And many Choir leaders think we should pay attention to them during Mass rather than the Mass itself.
The main problem at Vatican II, was to dump the traditional Catholic Church, and try to re-create it in a modern and “neo-Protestant,” “ecumenical” mold. The Church was now to be highly egalitarian, highly (falsely) “equalized,” with the untrained Catholic layman having as much “equality” as the trained clergy! The traditional “Chain of Command,” with the Pope at the top– was abandoned, the Roman hierarchy was unwanted, the traditional leadership by “authority” and “obedience,” were totally discarded! The Pastor was no longer in charge of his parish, as he is trained to be! Instead– leadership of the parish was now to be “equalized,” with laymen leading as much as possible! Secularism and humanism became a strong focus, and worldly life– not Eternal Life! Altogether– the Church totally lost her PROFESSIONALISM, in every way possible, and her trustworthiness and believability! Many religious orders were destroyed, Catholic schools, universities, seminaries, charities, and hospitals all were destroyed, and this all began— when the old Latin Mass was destroyed!
I will continue, adding to my post above. When the old Latin Mass was destroyed, right after Vatican II– over 200,000 clergy (priests and bishops) resigned, all over the world! And millions of nuns and priests also left their religious vows, for worldly life. As for Church music? Disaster struck! How could we possibly retrofit the Church’s outstanding, vast heritage of Sacred Music — into the Vatican II Mass? So many Churchmen no longer wanted it at all; they greatly PERSECUTED us! (I am a trained Church musician, myself.) To just see our formerly- excellent Church, with high standards of excellence in everything, simply fall completely to the secular, vulgar streets of the “uneducated, irreligious, modern layman,” — with no standards at all– was a HORROR!! Is a poor, musically-untalented and uneducated, and theologically- untrained council of laymen,– now going to be Director of Sacred Music, for the Catholic Church?? Do they now have the authority, to examine and approve, everything we do? HOPELESS!!
Here is my final addition, to my two above posts. In the pre-Vatican II Church, it was at times difficult, because the Church had many problems, with cruelty, and abuses of power. (What a shame!) In professional Church liturgical music, standards were excellent, and we also had a strict list of “do’s” and “don’ts.” And every little thing, was WATCHED LIKE A HAWK!! Beautiful works by non-Catholic composers, may not be allowed, even if theologically correct– unless one was able to get rare permission, from the priests in charge. The Church’s Liturgical Year, was completely fixed, with few changes of the Roman Missal. Planning for liturgical music was a routine thing, as it had been done, for centuries! And Gregorian Chant was the ancient, timeless backbone, of the entire Roman Catholic liturgical life! Singing (not speaking), by the clergy, from ancient times, was considered the ideal way, to pray to God! (Speaking was considered too vulgar!) Well, it is wonderful, to see excellent, well-trained, devoted Catholic musicians, like young Mr. Ostrowski! I’d love to sing in his Choir!
I would like to just say one more thing. I do not think it is possible, to effectively carry out Christ’s holy mission for the salvation of souls, unless we have a very strong Church, very clear in her beliefs, teachings, and practices, very exact in her worship of God, and everyone happy to obey, for love of Christ! Obedience does not have to be cruel! But the worldwide Roman Catholic Church– desperately needs: MATURITY! OBEDIENCE! DISCIPLINE!! Just like a football team, in which you obey the Coach, or a medical issue, in which you must follow the professional Doctor’s orders! Without maturity and discipline, and obedience to God— the Christian cannot succeed!! A good, professional Catholic Music Director, who truly loves and obeys God, and sets a wonderful example for his Choir, brings a tremendous gift, to the Church! The true Catholic Choir must beautifully and correctly carry out its liturgical duties, for the glory of God!
All women (and girls) who would like a Mantilla can find them reasonably priced on the EWTN online catalogue.
https://www.ewtnreligiouscatalogue.com/shop.axd/Search?keywords=mantilla&sort_by=price_asc
A Mantilla can be worn at both the OF and EF Masses.
If going to an EF Mass where your Sunday best – office business attire so that you do not stick out. (No shorts, no t-shirts, nothing immodest.) Men wear a shirt with a collar and no advertising or printed words, dress slacks, dress shoes, etc. many wear sport coats and ties.
Women no shorts, not short skirts or other immodest dress. No sleeveless tops.
Most wear a Mantilla, but this is not a requirement.
– – – – – –
Remember that if you are going to an EF (Latin Mass) for the first time, that the Priest is required to say Mass according to the 1962 Missal. This means that you will receive Holy Communion kneeling and on the tongue only,
At the OF (Ordinary Form / Novus Ordo) Mass the Priest is required to adhere to GIRM (General Instruction of the Roman Missal).
GIRM is very clear that each person makes their own decision on whether to receive Holy Communion kneeling or standing and on the tongue or in the hand – this is a requirement from the Vatican.
Psalm 95:6
” O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker !”