He who sings prays twice

[Intrigued_Latin]

Dear friends,

I thought I’d share this with you.

I’ll admit that my daily prayer has been somewhat of a challenge for me in that I seem to lose concentration and don’t feel that I am praying with all my heart.

It was not until a few weeks ago that I was given a Gregorian Chant CD with translated lyrics.

I have since memorized many of the chants in Latin and I now truly feel in my heart as I sing and pray simultaneously.

WOW… what a completely different feeling !!! Whether I sing along with the CD or on my own I am truly moved, sometimes even to tears.

The great Father of the Church St. Augustine tells us that when one sings one prays twice.

Brad

 

[edward_george]

I guess I don’t pray twice at Mass then…we have the Journeysongs and Gather Hymnals which are full of Marty Haugen’s greatest hits…and I don’t sing in the key of dolphin…when I get home I crank up the Ukrainian Great Litany or *Tantum Ergo *or Salve Regina. Now that I can sing along to!

-ACEGC

 

[milimac]

Intrigued Latin:

It was not until a few weeks ago that I was given a Gregorian Chant CD with translated lyrics.

Well, let us in on the secret! What’s the name of the CD?

 

[Intrigued_Latin]

It’s called " the most beautiful Gregorian Chant" by the Knights of the new millenium.

 

[Eileen_T]

We sing Gregorian Chant at Mass and I often find myself singing it during the week as I am working or driving, especially the Gloria and the Sanctus. I sing them to my baby grandson as well.

 

[Flopfoot]

Only religious song I seem to sing just at random is ‘Amazing Grace’. It’s strange, normally I would not like a song so simple (I usually listen to progressive rock). Maybe I just like the lyrics and the feeling in the song. I even started to ‘invent’ a harmony line for it the other day.

I hope this is a Catholic song!!! Can anyone clarify for me?

 

[Al_Masetti]

… and then there was that book … “Why Catholics Don’t Sing” …

 

[puzzleannie]

I feel the same about singing the LOTH, I have chant CDs for offices of the major feasts. My prayer has really taken off since I started chanting, singing, or at least reciting out loud. but I would like your opinion on using more modern psalm settings. I grew up with the Gelineau (sp.) psalms, but also some of the bilingual psalm settings. I realize they are not valid substitutes during Mass for the responsorial psalm but given that psalms are hymns, meant to be sung, is it okay to sing a psalm setting during one’s own LOTH, as long as the words and meaning have not been changed?

I am mindful that even when we pray LOTH alone we are united with the whole church, so we don’t change the psalms and canticles w/o good reason, but given the variation and latitude that is allowed in religious orders etc., is this okay?

 

[maryj]

edward_george:

I guess I don’t pray twice at Mass then…we have the Journeysongs and Gather Hymnals which are full of Marty Haugen’s greatest hits…and I don’t sing in the key of dolphin…when I get home I crank up the Ukrainian Great Litany or *Tantum Ergo *or Salve Regina. Now that I can sing along to!

-ACEGC

I’m fairly certain that is one of the funniest things I have ever heard… and by the way I know exactly what you mean!!!

 

[LindaS]

Hi, Flopfoot,
“Amazing Grace” can really stick in your brain, can’t it! No, it’s not Catholic. It was written by a man whose name escapes me right now. He had been captain of a slave ship at one time. Later, he found God, (or God found him!) and he wrote “Amazing Grace.”

Peace,
Linda