All Are Welcome

[Cat]

I have no idea what the previous poster’s theological problems with the song are, but here are mine, FWIW:

Overall: The song is about us. We’re going to do this and that, and it doesn’t say that we’re given the ability to do it by God, or that we’re doing it for God, or that God is really all that involved in the process, except in the second half of verse 2. The rest all seems to be about how great (in earthly, humanitarian terms) we either are or are going to be.

we have not built the Church, God did.

Love can dwell anywhere. We don’t have an exclusive on it.

This isn’t a theological problem, but it’s a bit twee, and children may know how to forgive, but generally I haven’t seen a huge ability to tell people about how.

The Love of Christ is for more than just ending divisions, but this is OK, except it’s the first mention of God in the song.

This is true, and probably the best line in the song.

It’s possible that this is just meaningless, but if it’s not, it is certainly very ambiguous. To be fair, I think the problem is just that the author was paying more attention to rhythm and rhyme than content at this point. However, it could reasonably be interpreted to mean that people were having a new (i.e. different from what God has revealed) idea of what God’s reign entails.

It’s going so well (except for the thing about us building the house) until we get to “where peace and justice meet.” If we mean God’s justice, that seems inappropriate, since the Eucharist is an act of God’s mercy. None of us deserves to receive Christ in the Eucharist, and it’s not God’s justice that allows us to receive Him. It’s God’s mercy. If it’s human justice, how is that even relevant here? I thought we were talking about the Eucharist?

This may be the part people have the most problem with. First, there should really be a comma after Christ. (Sorry, I’m a grammar weenie.) Without the comma, it sounds like we are saying, “as we share (in Christ) the feast that frees us” With the comma, we are saying “As we share in Christ, Who is the feast that frees us,” which is lots better.

But the real problem is that it sounds like we are saying all are welcome to share the Eucharist. It’s not exactly saying that really, but in practice it sounds like it is.

Verse 4 is pretty good all through.

Verse 5 is pretty terrible stylistically all through. The main theological problem with it is that it sounds like all of the “visions” of anyone in the Church are true, and within Christ. It’s just not true. I certainly wouldn’t want all of my own “visions” to be heard, loved, treasured, taught, and claimed. It gives the idea that all things are true, which is simply not true. For example, I think that there are Catholics who have the “vision” that you have to be an actual member of the Church to get to Heaven. This is contrary to what the Church teaches (CCC #1260). Should I love, treasure, teach, and claim that vision? Of course not. All people are made in the image and likeness of God, and should be treasured. That does not mean that all of their ideas should be treasured.

Anyway, it’s not my least-favorite hymn, especially if you don’t get to verse 5, but there are issues with it. I don’t know that I personally would call them “obvious theological problems,” but there are issues that should perhaps be taken into account when deciding how frequently to sing the hymn.

Ideally, a Catholic composer would compose a different hymn that was just as welcoming while being more about God, unambiguous theologically, and better poetry. Personally, I don’t have the skills. It’s always easier to be a critic than an artist.

–Jen

P.S. To the poster’s original question, we don’t use it in my current parish, but we did in my previous one.

I respect your opinions.

We must be careful not to sit back and wait for God do all the welcoming and building. He works through His people. On this earth, we are His arms, legs, mouth, eyes, etc. That’s what this hymn is talking about when it says, “Let us build the house.” Yes, God builds the Church, but He uses us to do the work. It as always been this way. Yes, you are right, God built His Church, but He used people to do the work.

“Let us build a house where Love can dwell.” This statement does NOT claim exclusivity of love. You are reading something into the hymn that it doesn’t say.

You say that the line about “daring to seek to dream God’s reign anew” is ambiguous. I say that this is poetry, and it is intended to mean something different to everyone who sings it, depending on their background. To me as a former Protestant, this line is very special because it is TRUE. I spent the first 47 years of my life learning a version of God’s reign taught by my Protestant teachers and preachers, and I thought it was wonderful. Then I became Catholic, and I am learning and marveling over an entirely different version of God’s reign, and it is grand and sweeping and amazing.

I don’t believe we’ve every sung any verses other than the first 2 verses, so I can honestly not recall any of that troublesome “fifth verse.” I looked it up online, and I don’t see this verse in the Marty Haugen version. So I’m not really sure what it is.

As for the comma, often in musical lyrics, commas indicate places where breaths should be taken. In that particular line of the song, the composer doesn’t want the people taking a breath, but singing one line in all one breath.

 

[revert_jen]

“Let us build a house where Love can dwell.” This statement does NOT claim exclusivity of love. You are reading something into the hymn that it doesn’t say.

Well it certainly implies that there are places that Love cannot dwell. I believe that is theologically unsound.

I don’t believe we’ve every sung any verses other than the first 2 verses, so I can honestly not recall any of that troublesome “fifth verse.” I looked it up online, and I don’t see this verse in the Marty Haugen version. So I’m not really sure what it is.

Well, the hymnal at my current parish doesn’t have it, so I’m looking at some 6-year-old thing from OCP. Maybe they have removed the fifth verse since then. But it was by Haugen just like the other verses. If goes like this:

Let us build a house where all are named,
Their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed
As words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
Prayers of faith and songs of grace,
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter…

As for the comma, often in musical lyrics, commas indicate places where breaths should be taken. In that particular line of the song, the composer doesn’t want the people taking a breath, but singing one line in all one breath.

In general, in my experience, that is not the case in a multi-verse song if the comma only appears in one verse. And a little lift there wouldn’t hurt, anyway. It would underscore the correct theology, which (according to various surveys) many Catholics do not understand properly these days.

–Jen

 

[Cat]

Well it certainly implies that there are places that Love cannot dwell. I believe that is theologically unsound.

Well, the hymnal at my current parish doesn’t have it, so I’m looking at some 6-year-old thing from OCP. Maybe they have removed the fifth verse since then. But it was by Haugen just like the other verses. If goes like this:

Let us build a house where all are named,
Their songs and visions heard
And loved and treasured, taught and claimed
As words within the Word.
Built of tears and cries and laughter,
Prayers of faith and songs of grace,
Let this house proclaim from floor to rafter…

In general, in my experience, that is not the case in a multi-verse song if the comma only appears in one verse. And a little lift there wouldn’t hurt, anyway. It would underscore the correct theology, which (according to various surveys) many Catholics do not understand properly these days.

–Jen

Again, I respect your opinions.

And again, I must take issue with your interpretation of the line “Let us build a house where Love can dwell.”

I honestly think you are seeing something that isn’t there. If I decide that my home will be “loving,” I am not implying that YOUR home is “un-loving.” I am merely making a decision about what I want MY home to be.

Also, think–have you ALWAYS found your parish/church to be “full of love?” Many MANY Christians (Protestant and Catholic) have left churches never to return because of a lack of love from supposed Christians. So it makes sense to try to build a parish “where Love dwells.”

Finally, I think that the word “Love” not only refers to a loving atmosphere where charitable acts by believers are the norm, but I think it also refers to God, Who is Love. Of course we want to build a church/“house” where God can dwell.

I agree with you that the comma would make the theology clearer. But I don’t think it’s that unclear.

Once again, I’ll say that we have to realize that most of the hymns are written in poetic language and it’s not appropriate to try to use poetry to teach theology. It’s meant to appeal to the heart, not the brain. We shouldn’t overthink poetry. Earlier, I used the example of “the fog comes in on little cat feet.” This poem is not saying, “Fog is a cat.”

Not all poetry is appealing to all people, so it’s OK not to like a hymn. But IMO, it’s not OK to try to convince people that the hymn is “bad” by claiming that the poetry is “questionable theology.” That’s a misuse of the pretty poetry in the hymn.

 

[ProVobis]

Also, think–have you ALWAYS found your parish/church to be “full of love?” Many MANY Christians (Protestant and Catholic) have left churches never to return because of a lack of love from supposed Christians.

In the early 60’s there was talk about the Church being more welcoming. It seems like Mass attendance has been dropping since. Maybe some just don’t want to be told what to do and what to sing? It still should be about worshipping God first, otherwise it becomes a self-serving argument. If I want neighborly love, I’ll go down to the senior center.

 

[Cat]

In the early 60’s there was talk about the Church being more welcoming. It seems like Mass attendance has been dropping since. Maybe some just don’t want to be told what to do and what to sing? It still should be about worshipping God first, otherwise it becomes a self-serving argument. If I want neighborly love, I’ll go down to the senior center.

Am I understanding you correctly? It sounds to me like you are saying no one should select hymns for the Mass, or for that matter, plan any liturgy for the Mass, since people “just don’t want to be told what to do and what to sing.”

This sounds like the Quaker meetings, which are unplanned and silent. That would allow you to just sit there (or stand, or kneel, or whatever) and just “worship God.”

And honestly, you really don’t want any manifestation of “neighborly love” in your parish before, during, or after the Mass? I can’t buy that, and I think most people would agree with me that a parish with no neighborly love is a sad parish and not what God intends for His children. The New Testament is full of admonitions for believers to “love one another” and to demonstrate that love with practical actions. In fact, the Bible says that Christians will be recognized by their love for one another. Yes, that doesn’t necessarily mean in a Mass, but what BETTER time and place to love one another, while Jesus our Savior and Lord is truly Present?!

Holy Mother Church gives the option for hymns in the Mass. That’s really all there is to it. You can’t argue with Holy Mother Church.

As for the reason that Mass attendance is dropping–you can’t blame that on hymns and brotherly love. Attendance in EVERYTHING is dropping–clubs, scouting, lodges, choirs, schools, organized sports, fitness centers, families, marriages–everything that requires a commitment. People in the U.S. are unwilling to commit to anything these days other than watching TV and movies, recreational shopping, eating a lot, and drinking a lot (soft and hard drinks). Check around your workplace, and you will discover that the majority of Millenials and Gen X’rs go straight home after work and spend their entire evening watching TV and eating. Most of them have no commitments to any organization or activity, and they express amazement when older folks like me describe our evening schedules packed with social, church, community, volunteer, and family activities that don’t involve a television or a trip to a bar. So sad.

 

[bardegaulois]

Am I understanding you correctly? It sounds to me like you are saying no one should select hymns for the Mass, or for that matter, plan any liturgy for the Mass, since people “just don’t want to be told what to do and what to sing.”

This sounds like the Quaker meetings, which are unplanned and silent. That would allow you to just sit there (or stand, or kneel, or whatever) and just “worship God.”

And honestly, you really don’t want any manifestation of “neighborly love” in your parish before, during, or after the Mass? I can’t buy that, and I think most people would agree with me that a parish with no neighborly love is a sad parish and not what God intends for His children. The New Testament is full of admonitions for believers to “love one another” and to demonstrate that love with practical actions. In fact, the Bible says that Christians will be recognized by their love for one another. Yes, that doesn’t necessarily mean in a Mass, but what BETTER time and place to love one another, while Jesus our Savior and Lord is truly Present?!

Holy Mother Church gives the option for hymns in the Mass. That’s really all there is to it. You can’t argue with Holy Mother Church.

As for the reason that Mass attendance is dropping–you can’t blame that on hymns and brotherly love. Attendance in EVERYTHING is dropping–clubs, scouting, lodges, choirs, schools, organized sports, fitness centers, families, marriages–everything that requires a commitment. People in the U.S. are unwilling to commit to anything these days other than watching TV and movies, recreational shopping, eating a lot, and drinking a lot (soft and hard drinks). Check around your workplace, and you will discover that the majority of Millenials and Gen X’rs go straight home after work and spend their entire evening watching TV and eating. Most of them have no commitments to any organization or activity, and they express amazement when older folks like me describe our evening schedules packed with social, church, community, volunteer, and family activities that don’t involve a television or a trip to a bar. So sad.

I think this merits a reply.

First, do I just want to kneel in prayer throughout Mass, without singing, without doing much of anything? The answer is a resounding YES! Often with a busy schedule, my daily Mass is the only half-hour or so that I might have to do that, and gives me the strength to get through all the socializations necessary to get through my daily work and whatever other mortifications I may undergo throughout the day. Yes, I may have my silence at home, but if I can be silent in the presence of the Eucharistic Christ, offering him my soul and all the sufferings and troubles that I’ve lately endured in union with the offering of His most sacred and precious Body and Blood to the Father, all the better. Thus, the most welcoming places are those where I might be let alone to pray and to meditate in the presence of God, and not to allow me that, often under the guise of being “welcoming,” is profoundly unwelcoming.

Mass is not for me a social event, and Our Lord certainly did not institute Holy Mass so that people might gather in order to talk about how their gardens are growing. You may do a great act of love and service for your fellows at Holy Mass by praying for them and for their intentions, but when Our Lord is truly present on the altar, He deserves all our reverence and adoration, whether you happen to alone or within a crowd. Not to offer that is, to my mind, somewhat disrespectful.

Moreover, being 34, I would fit into Generation X, and I would like to say emphatically that I do not spend my evenings watching television and eating. In fact, I do not even own a television; everything on it is garbage anyway. That time is for prayer, meditation, reading, and writing. There have always been many who are more introverted and non-joiners, who need a little time to recover from all the interactions of the day. Don’t assume that merely because people aren’t social butterflies, they’re not doing anything of value.

 

[ProVobis]

Am I understanding you correctly? It sounds to me like you are saying no one should select hymns for the Mass, or for that matter, plan any liturgy for the Mass, since people “just don’t want to be told what to do and what to sing.”

Plan any liturgy for the Mass? I didn’t realize it was up to us to do that. We have enough guidance from the Church in that regard, I would think. Would it impose a real hardship to use the Church suggested antiphons, even in the vernacular? And I’m certainly not much of a fan of English in the Mass, but if they went to the trouble of translating those antiphons for us, then shouldn’t we welcome that gesture at least? It does, after all, provide a continuity between our older and newer liturgies.

As for the reason that Mass attendance is dropping–you can’t blame that on hymns and brotherly love. Attendance in EVERYTHING is dropping–clubs, scouting, lodges, choirs, schools, organized sports, fitness centers, families, marriages–everything that requires a commitment.

That part is true. So how, I wonder, did the Latin Mass and other Church traditions last for well over sixteen hundred years?

 

[Cat]

Plan any liturgy for the Mass? I didn’t realize it was up to us to do that. We have enough guidance from the Church in that regard, I would think. Would it impose a real hardship to use the Church suggested antiphons, even in the vernacular? And I’m certainly not much of a fan of English in the Mass, but if they went to the trouble of translating those antiphons for us, then shouldn’t we welcome that gesture at least? It does, after all, provide a continuity between our older and newer liturgies.

That part is true. So how, I wonder, did the Latin Mass and other Church traditions last for well over sixteen hundred years?

Because that was then, and this is now.

God knows what He’s doing, and in His own good time, He brought about the advent of the vernacular Mass as the Ordinary Form.

Of course it wouldn’t “impose a real hardship to use the Church-suggested antiphons.” But it isn’t up to you, it’s up to the priest, the shepherd (pastor) of his parish, and HE alone is given the authority to make the decision about whether to use antiphons or hymns.

ProVobis, what I hear you saying is that our priests are “lacking” in decision-making ability when they make the decision to use hymns. In my opinion, unless our priests are actually committing sin, we need to stop undermining them and support them with our whole hearts, even when they make decisions that don’t appeal to our own personalities. I personally feel that I don’t have the knowledge or pastoral gifts that my priests have, and I wouldn’t be qualified to make the decisions that they have to make.

Why don’t you just find a parish where the priest makes the decision to use antiphons, and settle in and be happy?

 

[Cat]

I think this merits a reply.

First, do I just want to kneel in prayer throughout Mass, without singing, without doing much of anything? The answer is a resounding YES! Often with a busy schedule, my daily Mass is the only half-hour or so that I might have to do that, and gives me the strength to get through all the socializations necessary to get through my daily work and whatever other mortifications I may undergo throughout the day. Yes, I may have my silence at home, but if I can be silent in the presence of the Eucharistic Christ, offering him my soul and all the sufferings and troubles that I’ve lately endured in union with the offering of His most sacred and precious Body and Blood to the Father, all the better. Thus, the most welcoming places are those where I might be let alone to pray and to meditate in the presence of God, and not to allow me that, often under the guise of being “welcoming,” is profoundly unwelcoming.

Mass is not for me a social event, and Our Lord certainly did not institute Holy Mass so that people might gather in order to talk about how their gardens are growing. You may do a great act of love and service for your fellows at Holy Mass by praying for them and for their intentions, but when Our Lord is truly present on the altar, He deserves all our reverence and adoration, whether you happen to alone or within a crowd. Not to offer that is, to my mind, somewhat disrespectful.

Moreover, being 34, I would fit into Generation X, and I would like to say emphatically that I do not spend my evenings watching television and eating. In fact, I do not even own a television; everything on it is garbage anyway. That time is for prayer, meditation, reading, and writing. There have always been many who are more introverted and non-joiners, who need a little time to recover from all the interactions of the day. Don’t assume that merely because people aren’t social butterflies, they’re not doing anything of value.

Are you talking about the Mass or Eucharistic adoration? I am confused by your post.

And are you talking about the actual Mass liturgy, or are you talking about the time before and after the Mass?

I certainly agree with you that during the Mass, we should remain quiet unless we are following the rubrics and singing or making the appropriate verbal responses. But I also think that we need to be forbearing of and charitable to our fellow Christians and make allowances for those who are hard of hearing, lonely, taking care of children or spouses, explaining the Mass to a non-Catholic friend who has come with them, etc.

I think that some leeway must be made for the time before and after Mass. I agree that it is more charitable to folks like yourself to be as quiet as possible, and to chatter with friends outside of the nave. But again, we must be forbearing and charitable to those who, for some reason, have a need to make some kind of noise before or after the Mass.

It is possible to cultivate a quiet “inner spirit” so that we can pray, meditate, and adore the Lord Jesus in the midst of utter cacophony. St. Maximillian Kolbe did, as did other saints who were in the most wretched situations.

If you are speaking of complete silence during the Mass itself, the rubrics of the OF Mass do not call for silence throughout. The readings, prayers, homily, and hymns (if used) will be “noisy.” I hope you are not referring to the prescribed “noise” of the readings, prayers, homily, and hymns (if used) when you say that you want “silence in the Presence of the Eucharist Christ.”

Of course Mass is not a “social time,” but it IS a time of corporate worship; i.e., worship with others. Mass is not “me and Jesus.” It’s "Jesus and you and me and everyone else in attendance, including all those who don’t have a clue, who don’t really believe, who are mad at God and just attending out of obligation, who are sleepy, who are aching with loneliness and can’t help trying to chat with a fellow human being, who are nursing babies and caring for wiggly toddlers, for sullen teenagers with heads buried in a hoodie, for inquirers who are investigating the Catholic Church…yes, it’s a real hodge-podge of humanity. But that’s Holy Mother Church. We’re all in it together. God did not intend for us to live the Christian life alone.

 

[ProVobis]

ProVobis, what I hear you saying is that our priests are “lacking” in decision-making ability when they make the decision to use hymns.

I find it’s probably more of a parish thing than a priest’s thing. I’ve attended Mass at more than several parishes over the last 30 years or so with different priests at each parish (except the EF one). It seems in most cases, the visiting or one of the resident priests just goes with what the parish normally does. Maybe in your case, it’s different?

 

[bardegaulois]

Are you talking about the Mass or Eucharistic adoration? I am confused by your post.

And are you talking about the actual Mass liturgy, or are you talking about the time before and after the Mass?

I certainly agree with you that during the Mass, we should remain quiet unless we are following the rubrics and singing or making the appropriate verbal responses. But I also think that we need to be forbearing of and charitable to our fellow Christians and make allowances for those who are hard of hearing, lonely, taking care of children or spouses, explaining the Mass to a non-Catholic friend who has come with them, etc.

I think that some leeway must be made for the time before and after Mass. I agree that it is more charitable to folks like yourself to be as quiet as possible, and to chatter with friends outside of the nave. But again, we must be forbearing and charitable to those who, for some reason, have a need to make some kind of noise before or after the Mass.

It is possible to cultivate a quiet “inner spirit” so that we can pray, meditate, and adore the Lord Jesus in the midst of utter cacophony. St. Maximillian Kolbe did, as did other saints who were in the most wretched situations.

If you are speaking of complete silence during the Mass itself, the rubrics of the OF Mass do not call for silence throughout. The readings, prayers, homily, and hymns (if used) will be “noisy.” I hope you are not referring to the prescribed “noise” of the readings, prayers, homily, and hymns (if used) when you say that you want “silence in the Presence of the Eucharist Christ.”

Of course Mass is not a “social time,” but it IS a time of corporate worship; i.e., worship with others. Mass is not “me and Jesus.” It’s "Jesus and you and me and everyone else in attendance, including all those who don’t have a clue, who don’t really believe, who are mad at God and just attending out of obligation, who are sleepy, who are aching with loneliness and can’t help trying to chat with a fellow human being, who are nursing babies and caring for wiggly toddlers, for sullen teenagers with heads buried in a hoodie, for inquirers who are investigating the Catholic Church…yes, it’s a real hodge-podge of humanity. But that’s Holy Mother Church. We’re all in it together. God did not intend for us to live the Christian life alone.

Cat, I am talking about Mass. In the interests of full disclosure, I should note that I drive a long distance to hear a TLM (Solemn Mass or Missa Cantata) on Sundays. My daily Mass is “low-Mass-Novus-Ordo,” as most daily Masses are–no singing, no homily. Until I discovered the TLM, I heard the earliest Sunday Mass possible, which had the rather low qualities of a daily Mass. Indeed, I often despaired, when I was forced to hear the later Mass, that it seems people show more decorum at a theatre or at a concert hall than they would at a Church, and I found it very difficult to make an effective meditation before Mass (as is my custom) or thanksgiving afterwards because of that.

Yes, there is a multitude at Mass. And yes, we are all joined at worship. But it’s very difficult for someone to stand in awe and repentance at the foot of the Cross while others are singing rather cheerful songs about how wonderful they are, with the priest’s blessing, even if tacitly. The crowd and what it is doing sets the mood. You bring up the example of St.Maximilian Kolbe, but forget the fact that religious are formed to that inner worshipful silence in any situation. Most of us did not have formators and find ourselves either going along with the herd or somewhat vexed by their actions when we find them cognitively dissonant. And yes, I find the self-referentiality of much of contemporary Catholic practice somewhat dissonant from the faith that I study in great detail.

I would have no objection if these practices were to continue for pastoral reasons, although I should rather they be the exception and not the rule. But something we must understand going forward is that it is the more solemn and silent communities, generally of traditional inclination, that are growing and gaining converts, and we would do well to ask ourselves why this is. (And no, it’s not because my TLM community has a potluck after Mass on Sunday; I don’t know of any OF group that does such a thing.)

 

[bardegaulois]

I find it’s probably more of a parish thing than a priest’s thing. I’ve attended Mass at more than several parishes over the last 30 years or so with different priests at each parish (except the EF one). It seems in most cases, the visiting or one of the resident priests just goes with what the parish normally does. Maybe in your case, it’s different?

From what I’ve found, ProVobis, most priests tend not to take too much of an interest in liturgy beyond what they’ve learned in seminary. Thus, in musical matters, they tend to accede to the parish music director. As you probably know, music directors are heavily marketed to by such groups as OCP and GIA. Very few of them being professionally trained musicians, they then accede to these publishers and buy their materials. With the lack of alternate voices (who, when they do emerge, are all too often shunned because it’s within our nature to defend the familiar), it’s turned into a self-perpetuating situation.

 

[glendab]

Yes we do. I kinda like the tune, but not all the words. It is an easy tune to carry and I need a bucket for most of them. I’ve actually been paid for NOT singing!

Glenda

 

[Cat]

I find it’s probably more of a parish thing than a priest’s thing. I’ve attended Mass at more than several parishes over the last 30 years or so with different priests at each parish (except the EF one). It seems in most cases, the visiting or one of the resident priests just goes with what the parish normally does. Maybe in your case, it’s different?

In our diocese, it’s the priests who make the decisions about music. Just yesterday, I played for a funeral, and the cantor and I checked with the priest first to make sure that everything was proper. This is my usual practice in any parish that I play in–the priest is in charge.

In our parish, the antiphons are used during the weekday Masses, and on Sundays, the priests will often, but not always, recite them. Those who are following in a missallette will recite the antiphon along with the priest.

However, as you know, many people do not make use of the missallette or receive one in the mail, so they stand there mute. And I suspect that’s why many priests choose not to use the antiphons. The OF Mass is designed to maximize congregational participation, not just inner participation, but OUTER participation–actually reading or reciting the responses, singing the hymns, making the gestures (Sign of the Cross, Crossing our heads, lips and hearts before the Gospel, etc.)

The hymns are usually announced in some way, either on a signboard at the front of the church, through a digital display (our parish music minister uses this), or by the cantor announcing the hymns out loud. Of course many people still choose to stand there without even opening the hymnal–IMO, this is actually a failure to follow the rubrics of the OF Mass, which call for congregational singing of the hymns, not just the choir or the cantor.

But people at least have the OPTION of opening the hymnal and joining in.

But with the antiphons, these are not announced, and many people don’t know about them or where to find them in the missallette, and many people choose to not even bother to open the missallette because they believe that they should LISTEN to the Scripture readings rather than read along with the cantor.

So most people don’t recite the antiphons, and since they are so short, many people don’t even hear or understand them if they don’t look them up and recite them.

So I’m guessing that most priests decide that two verses of a hymn are more likely to get someone in the state of mind to worship the Lord and participate in the Prayer of the Mass than just a short one-sentence antiphon that goes by as fast as a sneeze.

As for chanting the antiphons–yes, that’s an option, too. But I suspect that just as many people give their reason for not singing the hymns as, “I have a terrible singing voice,” I’m sure many priests feel the same way. Although many people on CAF make the glib claim that “chanting is easy!”, it really isn’t, and especially in the morning, it’s difficult for a man, especially an older man, to produce a lovely ringing tone on a chant instead of a croak and a wheeze.

ProVobis, what I’m basically saying here is that the priests know what they’re doing, and we need to respect that and support their choice, not mutter against it.