Recently in Liturgy Category

NOTE: The term "crappy church music" is apparently sweeping the Catholic blogosphere. I'm at least the third person to use it. Sorry for my lack of originality, it's just so darn true, people!

I was talking on the phone with my sister in Minneapolis today. She moved there recently and has been dabbling in different Catholic churches in the area. She likes St Olaf's. She tried another parish but found said she didn't like it because the liturgy was "too contemporary."

So just now I come across this story from the UK Telegraph which reported on Tuesday that Pope Benedict XVI has "demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs."

It is possible to modernise holy music. But it should not happen outside the traditional path of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphonic choral music.

That's right, B16! Throw down!

The other day I was at a men's church organization meeting and I heard this one guy say that at the parish in his previous place of residence, there are "these old ladies who still keep their heads covered because they're orthodox and haven't accepted Vatican II."

I've learned to keep my mouth shut when people utter such malarkey. Still, I feel the need for my own sake to address the veritable Christmas list of myths and misconceptions contained in that statement.

First, just because someone wears a headdress doesn't make them orthodox. It might make them traditionalist in terms of liturgical dress, but that's not the same as orthodoxy. The term "orthodox" merely means that a person accepts and believes the teaching of the Church. It's possible to do that with or without headdresses, since Vatican II neither prohibits nor requires them.

A person is not orthodox if they haven't accepted the teachings of Vatican II. On the contrary, accepting the teachings of Vatican II is very important to maintain orthodoxy since Vatican II didn't change the traditional teachings of the Church. All it did was reaffirm long-standing teachings and adapt the appearance of the Church to meet the needs of the modern world. It didn't make orthodoxy a red herring.

I'm not a big fan of headdresses, but I respect the women who wear them because I know that they're doing so out of a continued reverence for the sacred mysteries. That's a reverence that many faithful in the Church would do well to adopt today even if they don't do it by covering their heads. And when people dismiss such practices saying that the women who do so are "orthodox," and "haven't accepted Vatican II," it kinda bothers me, not gonna lie.

At St. Meinrd's Archabbey, they celebrate the Easter Vigil a little different than most of us are used to. I modified the following on a July 2005 post I made to Random Musings, my personal website.

The Vigil begins in the normal way shortly after nightfall. The Service of Light with the fire is as normal. The clergy with the people return to the church as normal except the lights remain off. The readings of the Old Testament are read, again as normal. After the 7th Old Testament reading, the vigil "ends". In a setting, like a retreat or an abbey, the people can return to their rooms or further explore what is available at the abbey. A few remain in the chapel (rotating?) to privately pray for the expected return of the Lord or chant psalms, etc while keeping watch. In one possible example, each of the 150 psalms would be read/sung/chanted over the course of a few hours.

After some time has passed, bells are rung (as to call the people to prayer). After the people have returned, someone approches the celebrant and says/sings something to the effect "Father- I have good news. Some of the women have been to the tomb and it is open. He is not there. Jesus Christ is risen!" In response, the priest intones the Gloria: "Glory to God in the highest!" The Gloria continues like normal as all the lights are raised and the candles are lit.

The Vigil Mass continues and concludes as normal.

I do not know if the current rubrics foresaw such an innovation; the Sacramentary is clear that the Vigil should not begin until after dark and should end before the first light of day.

Again, this is not suggested for virtually any situation; however, in limited circumstances, it could be a really beautiful liturgical event.

Building on that idea, I think it could be interesting to have a Triduum retreat. Retreantants would gather at their local church for Holy Thursday's Mass of the Lord's Supper with the entire community. After Mass, they meet together and begin the retreat. On Friday, they celebrate the Lord's Passion. On Saturday night, they celebrate the Easter Vigil. If their location and circumstances permit, the "extended" vigil above could be used.

In liturgy, the Church, as one body, prays in one voice to God. This is the greatest role of the Church in my opinion. The Catechism speaks of the primacy of the conscience and while the Church has a very large role in helping us develop our conscience, it is only that: a helping role. Private and public devotions– rosaries, chaplets, scapulars, praise and worship, etc&emdash; are confirmed and promoted by the Chruch in many cases.

The Liturgy, however, is something maintained by the Church. Its growth and evolution is molded by the Church. It is uniform throughout the world; even when rites, languages or motions differ, the Liturgy is still uniform through the action of the minister of God acting on behalf of God. It is the Church's duty and obligation to perserve the Liturgy.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, speaking before his election, said "The real 'action' in the liturgy in which we are all supposed to participate is the action of God himself. This is what is new and distinctive about the Christian liturgy: God himself acts and does what is essential."