The Importance of Singing the Mass

The last time a priest chanted the Gospel during Mass in my church, a fellow Catholic asked me, "Why can't he just read it like usual?"

The sad fact is most of us don't know that the Mass, especially on Sundays and Feast days, are supposed to be sung. The sung Mass (Missa in Cantu) remains the normative form in the Roman Rite – but regrettably, it is not the norm in most parishes.

A liturgical service takes on a nobler aspect when the rites are celebrated with singing,
- Constitution on Sacred Liturgy (1964).

For the celebration of the Eucharist with the people, especially on Sundays and feast days, a form of sung Mass (Missa in cantu) is to be preferred as much as possible, even several times on the same day.
- Musicam Sacram, 1967. 

The Christian faithful who gather together as one to await the Lord’s coming are instructed by the Apostle Paul to sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16).Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy (cf. Acts 2:46). Thus St. Augustine says rightly, “Singing is for one who loves.”[48] There is also the ancient proverb: “One who sings well prays twice.”
-GIRM #39

Josquin Desprez - Pater Noster, Ave Maria

Is this Hymn Liturgically Correct?

Here's a question Catholics serving in the choir always ask, including myself.

In the following article the writer talks about how some hymns are bad poetically and theologically: why they are bad food for the congregation...

Bad Poetry, Bad Theology: The Curse of Bad Liturgical Music (Part Two) by Anthony Esolen

Why Is Gregorian Chant the Standard?

• Free rhythm Chant has no fixed meter, so the music can bend to the words of Scripture as it is written, leaving the meaning fully, literally, intact. In this way, Gregorian chant bypasses the narcissistic pitfalls of modern hymns because the music itself obeys the words of Scripture.
• One line of music A single bending line is how a text set to music is most clearly understood by the human ear. Gregorian chant is straightforward and simple in texture. Essentially ornamented spoken prayer, it does not need harmony from a choir or organ accompaniment.
• Variety of form Perhaps the most-cited objection to Gregorian chant is its assumed difficulty. In fact, there exists an amazingly large repertoire of chant, much of it accessible to non-musicians.  
• Timeless beauty Gregorian chant is not bound to any time and place, so it can serve as a unifying form of sung prayer. In one musical style we are offered a bridge among all peoples and generations of the Latin rite. It remains faithful to the original intent of both Jewish and Christian chant, which is to adorn liturgical readings with a beauty and dignity befitting the word of God.

— Mary Ann Carr Wilson

Why Hymns Are at the Bottom of the List

Even under the current General Instruction of the Roman Missal, hymns are listed only as substitutions for the chant Propers in the Roman graduale; indeed, using a hymn for the Entrance, Offertory, and Communion is the fourth option. Why?

Basically, there is an incompatibility between the form of Scripture and the form of hymns. Hymns and songs are metrical and symmetrical; they have a regular rhythm and lines of the same length. Scripture is not usually metrical and symmetrical. That means that Scripture has to be edited, interpreted, or rephrased to fit into verses with a set number of measures. Doing so without changing the meaning of Scripture requires a composer who is both a poetic genius and well-formed biblical scholar.
— Mary Ann Carr Wilson 

The singing at this time is done either alternately by the choir and the people or in a similar way by the cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the dioceses of the United States of America there are four options for the Entrance Chant:

(1) the antiphon from The Roman Missal or the Psalm from the Roman Gradual as set to music there or in another musical setting;

(2) the seasonal antiphon and Psalm of the Simple Gradual;

(3) a song from another collection of psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the diocesan Bishop, including psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms;

(4) a suitable liturgical song similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the diocesan Bishop.[55]

If there is no singing at the entrance, the antiphon in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a lector; otherwise, it is recited by the priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation (cf. no. 31).

- GIRM #48

Chinese Characters Reveal Gospel

I am in awe of what these chinese characters mean. All those years of 'shen zi' (writing practice of Chinese characters) since Standard 1 yet I didn't know I have been exposed to the Good News of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ even since then.

This video explains about how the Chinese characters depict the story of creation - Adam and Eve, the temptation of satan, the Flood, the Tower of Babel... and the one that touched me most was the prophesying of Jesus' death on the cross. I am truly amazed by God...

'Yi' = Righteouness

For example, this word here means 'righteousness' in Chinese. The top half of the character is 'yang' which means 'lamb'. Meanwhile, the bottom half of the character is 'wo' which means 'I'. As Christians, we believe that Jesus, the Lamb, was sacrificed for us - Jesus was 'the Lamb who take away the sins of the world' (John 1:29) and this word tells us just that!

In fact, the character 'wo' ('I') is made up of two other characters, namely 'hand' and 'spear'. So we can see that this character in a whole, depicts the Lamb that was speared by hand.

Now everytime I use the word 'wo', I will be reminded of how I contributed to my Saviour's death on the cross. What a painful word!

Yet, we rejoice for the salvation that is installed for us.

The Gloria: bursting into praise for God's mercy

The sun rises over the Sea of Galilee. The Gloria was 
first used in the Liturgy of the Hours during the 
morning prayer as a hymn of praise. CNS photo

A look at changes in the Gloria in the new missal

THE GLORIA was first used in the Liturgy of the Hours during the morning prayer as a hymn of praise for the glory and peace given through Christ’s resurrection (symbolised by the rising sun in the morning).

It began to be used at Mass in the early sixth century and has always marked more festive occasions in the Church.

The Gloria fittingly follows the penitential rite, allowing God’s people to burst into praise for the mercy received in response to our admission of sinfulness. It is a poetic text of numerous scriptural quotes.

The opening lines come from Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom His favour rests.”

In the new translation, the Gloria slightly alters this biblical phrase to say “peace to people of good will”.

Nolstalgic for an Unknown Past

This is wonderful testimony by Revd. Fr. Christopher Smith on his journey to discovering the Catholic Church and God's calling for him: Why am I So 'Into' The Extraordinary Form?