America the Beautiful - at Mass today?

[iamrefreshed]

Having served our counrty in the military, I found the respect given to our country appropriate for this time of year.

Too many forget that. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them getting a reminder during mass.

“My country tis of thee sweet land of liberty of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died…”

Sorry, I’m a prejudiced veteran.

 

[movingmom]

That’s funny about the California Parish - yes, we have sang some rather odd songs.

We did sing America the Beautiful during the recessional and I thought it was lovely - there are some military families in our church and I thought it was a nice tribute.

 

[StevenFrancis]

Having served our counrty in the military, I found the respect given to our country appropriate for this time of year.

Too many forget that. I don’t think there is anything wrong with them getting a reminder during mass.

“My country tis of thee sweet land of liberty of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died…”

Sorry, I’m a prejudiced veteran.

I thank you for your service, sir, (as an American). I am also a Veteran. 3 years in the Army during Viet Nam. 5 years in the Coast Guard, and over 25 years, (so far) as a Federal civil servant. My whole working life has been in service of my country. Having said, and done all that, I still found it odd to mix a patriotic song into the Mass setting. So I guess I disagree with you, as a Catholic. (I think) I can’t explain it, I guess, but it felt very strange and out of place to me. My wife as well. At Mass, we are one with all Catholic Christians. The full body of Christ. Everywhere. In every land.

If it turns out to be liturgically correct, and people do this in all countries, (with their own songs, of course), I guess I’m on board, but it just seem a little off for some reason. I’m sure I’ll get over it.

Yours in Christ

 

[Dranu]

Considering it is not worship of the state, but honor, there seems nothing wrong with it. Especially since God is placed far superior than the state in the songs ‘God Bless America’, and ‘America the Beautiful’. If anything they are like prayers for the nation. It might be kind of weird every single mass, but 4th of July weekend? Doesn’t seem like a big deal. If we have prayer requests, why not a few for the nation.

1 Peter:
*16 Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. 17 Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king. *

I certainly think some of the things the nation upholds (abortion) are wrong, but I think Peter also thought killing people for not worshiping the emperor wasn’t right either.

well…
‘America! America! God mend thine ev’ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.’

 

[chicago]

I hope that everyone realizes that there are even specific prayers for one’s nation prescribed by the Church for certain occasions and feasts. Some of them will be employed on the actual 4th of July in the U.S.

I have to wonder how some feel about names of those who died in battle for their country being inscibed in monuments which are part of or near the Church buildings of numerous parishes.

 

[ablaifall]

Singing is praying twice. No reason we can’t sing for God’s blessing our nation.

 

[lak611]

God has blessed me with a mother and father, even though I also have a the holy Mother Church and God the Father. My homeland is heaven, but on this Earth

And these words describe what you have just said.

O Beautiful for patriot dream
that sees beyond the years.
Thine alabaster cities gleam,
Undimmed by human tears.

 

[lak611]

We sang Battle Hymn of the Republic as our recessional hymn yesterday.

We studied the Battle Hymn of the Republic in my parish’s Bible study class when we were studying the book of Revelation.

 

[lak611]

My Country tis of Thee, while it sounds like a reverent title, reveres the country’s fathers, not God.

Actually the song is about God.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.

God is the Author of liberty. We are singing to God (who is “Thee”, not the father’s of our country). “Thy might” is God’s might, not the government’s might.

 

[Glennon_P]

It’s God Save the Queen, for goodness sake, that’s what! On the occasion that we commemorate our declaration of independance from England?

But ahh…what better way to thumb our noses at the Crown than by appropriating one of their melodies and writing new, decidedly anti-Crown lyrics?

Slight tangent: The melody that we use for “The Star-Spangled Banner”, is, if I am not mistaken, originally an English drinking song.

Addressing the original post: As a recessional hymn, absolutely no problem with the use of selected patriotic hymns. It’s actually a nice way of linking the sacred and the secular.

 

[OutinChgoburbs]

What about You’re A Grand Old Flag? (Complete with liturgical dancers running down the aisle waving it proudly).

Tap-dancing liturgical dancers with sparklers, like the show they used to have at American Girl? One young liturgical dancer, waving the flag? Red, white and blue vestments that shimmer and make Father look a lot like old Elivs? Fife and drum corps piping the reader up with the Lectionary?

Seriously, it is one song that is a hymn, written by a woman as she was on a train trip, viewing our vast land through a train window, grateful to God for what she saw.

And while “My Country Tis Of Thee” might be set to “God Save the Queen” the lyrics are definitely not for the British. In the same vein, one could remember that the tune to the National Anthem is set to an old pub tune.

 

[chicago]

Tap-dancing liturgical dancers with sparklers, like the show they used to have at American Girl? One young liturgical dancer, waving the flag? Red, white and blue vestments that shimmer and make Father look a lot like old Elivs? Fife and drum corps piping the reader up with the Lectionary?

And put her on an ELEPHANT!

And while “My Country Tis Of Thee” might be set to “God Save the Queen” the lyrics are definitely not for the British.

But it is not always sung, sometimes just played. I like the tune and words, just not on July 4.

Of course, here in Chicago the Grant Park Symphony’s Independence Even concert is now annually conducted by a man from Scotland. He always notes, however (to save face) that he has Irish blood. Tonight we get to see his Navy Pier bought red white and blue vest yet again!

In the same vein, one could remember that the tune to the National Anthem is set to an old pub tune.

Which makes it quite appropriate for singing before ballgames.

 

[PaulaB52]

We sang it as a recessional, which was odd, since the organist plays just music as a recessional.

At my parent’s parish, they sang Battle Hymn of the Republic. HELLO, we live in the South! I hate singing that song.

 

[lak611]

At my parent’s parish, they sang Battle Hymn of the Republic. HELLO, we live in the South! I hate singing that song.

That is an odd choice where you live. It is as odd as if the organist in my parish was to play “Dixie”.

 

[CarrieH]

Slight tangent: The melody that we use for “The Star-Spangled Banner”, is, if I am not mistaken, originally an English drinking song.

I seem to recall reading, once upon a time, that Martin Luther put sacred words to drinking songs, saying, “Why should the devil get all of the good tunes?”

I don’t care for patriotic songs to be included during the Mass, but if done as a prelude (before the processional) or for the recessional, that’s fine as long as the songs have at least some reference to God. My personal favorite is “God of Our Fathers,” but that’s mainly because I was an organist years ago and enjoyed playing the fanfares on the trumpet stop.

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

(this is an excerpt)

… Is the closing hymn part of the liturgy? We were taught that it was, in RCIA. People aren’t supposed to leave, etc. If it’s not, then I guess that would change things a little. I don’t know. It just seems odd. …

No, it isn’t an official part of the liturgy. Here is a quote from the United States Catholic Bishops site:

"The Recessional Song

1. The recessional song has never been an official part of the rite; hence musicians are free to plan music which provides an appropriate closing to the liturgy. A song is one possible choice. However, if the people have sung a song after communion, it may be advisable to use only an instrumental or choir recessional."
   Here is the link to the document I got it from: usccb.org/liturgy/current/musiccathworship.shtml

Here is a link to a description the different parts of the liturgy from the US Catholic Bishops site:
usccb.org/liturgy/current/chapter2.shtml

 

[lak611]

My personal favorite is “God of Our Fathers,” but that’s mainly because I was an organist years ago and enjoyed playing the fanfares on the trumpet stop.

I like that one too. I was never good enough to be a church organist, but I enjoyed playing the fanfares on the trumpet stop too.

 

[chicago]

My personal favorite is “God of Our Fathers,” but that’s mainly because I was an organist years ago and enjoyed playing the fanfares on the trumpet stop.

Why is it that no one ever seems to want to use that one, however? In fact, many people I know aren’t even familiar with the song. It’s SO much more appropriate than the God Bless America that everyone is always too eager to belt out.

(And while I don’t play the organ, we did have a pretty awesome three part harmony version for it in it grade school glee club, backed by full orchestration, which was killer).

 

[CarrieH]

Why is it that no one ever seems to want to use that one, however? In fact, many people I know aren’t even familiar with the song.

Maybe because of its association with the military? I don’t know. I do know that the range and the tessitura (where most of the notes lie) are on the high side, and “America the Beautiful” is in a more comfortable range and easier to sing…and quite a bit easier to play on the organ or keyboard.

 

[lak611]

I am going to Mass for the Fourth. I will let everyone know the songs that are used for the Mass.