Help me plan songs for Mass!

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Hi,
I am planning a Mass for the Catholic student ministry at my school. It is not a Catholic school and there will likely be several non-Catholics attending (but not receiving, we will announce that at the group meeting.) I want to keep the hymns traditional, but they need to be in English (except possibly for the Communion hymn, which I have my heart set on Tantum Ergo for). So I am looking for hymns that are solidly Catholic but won’t completely scare off any Protestants who come.
Thanks!
 
‘There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy’
‘In Christ There is No East or West’
‘Love Divine , All Loves Excelling’
‘Holy, Holy, Holy’
‘Here I am, Lord’
‘The Church’s One Foundation’
‘On Eagle’s Wings’
‘You Are Mine’
‘O God, Our Help in Ages Past’
‘Joyful, Joyful’
‘Lord of All Hopefulness’
‘Be Thou My Vision’
‘I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light’
‘Eternal Father, Strong to Save’
‘Holy God, We Praise Thy Name’
‘Prayer of St. Francis’
‘Sent Forth by God’s Blessing’
‘The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve’’
‘One Bread, One Body’
‘I am the Bread of Life’
‘Of the Father’s Love Begotten’

Lent:
‘Led by the Spirit’
‘From the Depths We Cry to Thee’
‘Tis Good , Lord, to be Here’
‘Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days’
‘Forty Days and Forty Nights’

There are many more! You may have to explain no “Alleluias” during Lent, or just don’t use any hymns that include “Alleluia.” I would think most of these should be familiar to many Protestants, if you want them to feel ‘included’, while also found in the Missal.
 
“Holy God, we Praise thy Name”
“For All the Saints”
“Hail Holy Queen”
“Immaculate Mary”
“Ave Maria”
“Te Deum Laudamus”
 
It depends on when this Mass will take place. If it will take place after Ash Wednesday, then, the music needs to be solemn and sober.

This is what I would suggest:

Attende Domine (which can either be, in English, Draw Near Us O Lord, Have Mercy on us O Lord–depending on the publishing house)

Parce Domine (the refrain is in Latin, simple, but, the verses are in English)

The Glory of These 40 Days

Again, We Keep This Solemn Fast

Our Father, We Have Wandered

O Sun of Justice (Jesus Dulcis Memoria is the melody)

Stabat Mater (At the Cross, Her Station Keeping)

I would not necessarily use Tatum Ergo for Communion because it is primarily for Benediction and Exposition. However, I would use Ave Verum or Panis Angelicus instead.
 
If during Lent, you may want to check with the priest. Ours is keeping music to a minimum, and encouraging more silence.
 
Here is what Paschale Solemnitatis notes:
  1. “In Lent, the altar should not be decorated with flowers, and musical instruments may be played only to give necessary support to the singing.” [20] This is in order that the penitential character of the season be preserved.
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Thus, it is not necessarily the singing that should be suppressed, but, the use of musical instruments, as noted in this document and in Musicam Sacram. The organ should be used only to sustain the singing, not for solos.
 
Question for benedictgal,

The references that you have posted; are they to do with the Novus Ordo?

Thanks
 
corsair said:
Question for benedictgal,

The references that you have posted; are they to do with the Novus Ordo?

Thanks
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It was written back in 1988. However, from what I understand, this is from the Instruction on Sacred Music promulgated by the former Sacred Congregation for Rites:
  1. Accordingly, the playing of the organ, and all other instruments is forbidden for liturgical functions, except Benediction, during the following times:
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a) Advent, from first Vespers of the first Sunday of Advent until None of the Vigil of Christmas;
b) Lent and Passiontide, from Matins of Ash Wednesday until the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo in the Solemn Mass of the Easter Vigil;
c) the September Ember days if the ferial Mass and Office are celebrated;
d) in all Offices and Masses of the Dead.
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  1. Only the organ may be used on the Sundays of Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima, and on the ferial days following these Sundays.
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  1. However, during the seasons, and days just mentioned, the following exceptions to the rule may be made:
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a) the organ may be played, and other instruments used on holy days of obligation, and holidays (except Sundays), on the feasts of the principal local patron saint, the titular day, and the dedication anniversary of the local church, the titular or founder’s day of a religious congregation, and on the occasion of some extraordinary solemnity;
b) the organ only (including the harmonium or reed organ) may be used on the third Sunday of Advent, and the fourth Sunday of Lent, on Thursday of Holy Week during the Mass of Chrism, and during the solemn evening Mass of the Last Supper from the beginning to the end of the hymn Gloria in excelsis Deo;
c) the organ only may be used at Mass, and Vespers for the sole purpose of supporting the singing.
Local Ordinaries may determine more precisely the application of these prohibitions, and permissions according to the approved local or regional customs.
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I am not sure if the prohibition of the organ would fall under Pope Benedict’s MP using the 1962 Missal, since the instruction that I quoted is from 1958. I do not have a 1962 Missal so I could not tell you what the rubric there is concerning the organ.
 
Thanks! The Mass is at the beginning of this week before Lent starts. I think I am going to use Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Jesus My Lord, My God, My All, Shepherd Me, O God, and I really do want to use Tantum Ergo…would it be wholy inappropriate to do so? I won’t use it if it would be really improper, but if it would be ok I’d like to use it.

We don’t have an organ, I am going to have to buy them off itunes and use my iHome.
 
jrs88 said:
Thanks! The Mass is at the beginning of this week before Lent starts. I think I am going to use Holy God We Praise Thy Name, Jesus My Lord, My God, My All, Shepherd Me, O God, and I really do want to use Tantum Ergo…would it be wholy inappropriate to do so? I won’t use it if it would be really improper, but if it would be ok I’d like to use it.

We don’t have an organ, I am going to have to buy them off itunes and use my iHome.
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You might have to go acapella instead. The use of electronic devices (recorded music like an Ipod) is not allowed. The music has to be played by a human being using an instrument.

You could use Tatum Ergo as the Communion meditation. I would shy away from Shepherd Me, O God. Why not use Alleluia, Sing to Jesus for Communion? It is chock full of Eucharistic references and, since we will not hear the Alleluia after Wednesday, it’s a great time to get all of the hymns with the word into the mix. You could start with All Creatures of Our God and King and end with Alleluia Song of Gladness. With the traditional hymns, you get simpler music that everyone can sing.
 
benedictgal said:
You might have to go acapella instead. The use of electronic devices (recorded music like an Ipod) is not allowed. The music has to be played by a human being using an instrument.

You could use Tatum Ergo as the Communion meditation. I would shy away from Shepherd Me, O God. Why not use Alleluia, Sing to Jesus for Communion? It is chock full of Eucharistic references and, since we will not hear the Alleluia after Wednesday, it’s a great time to get all of the hymns with the word into the mix. You could start with All Creatures of Our God and King and end with Alleluia Song of Gladness. With the traditional hymns, you get simpler music that everyone can sing.
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Ahh… ok, I didn’t know that. I think we are just not going to have music, maybe one song (Probably " Holy God We Praise Thy Name"). There is no piano or organ in the room it will be in, and I do not want guitars played. The priest who will be offering the Mass is the one at my church, and this morning he said it might be best if we just keep it simple this time and don’t have hymns, and next time we will. I might make copies of one hymn but I’m not sure. But if it is not allowed then I will not do the iPod ( I can definitely see how that would be a good rule).
 
jrs88 said:
Hi,
I am planning a Mass for the Catholic student ministry at my school. It is not a Catholic school and there will likely be several non-Catholics attending (but not receiving, we will announce that at the group meeting.) I want to keep the hymns traditional, but they need to be in English (except possibly for the Communion hymn, which I have my heart set on Tantum Ergo for). So I am looking for hymns that are solidly Catholic but won’t completely scare off any Protestants who come.
Thanks!
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Take a look at this page: English Hymns in the Commons. It has PDFs of hymns you can download and use in your student ministry. They are all either solidly Catholic or at least appropriate for Catholic use. Most of them are in the public domain and they are all free for printing, distributing, publishing and recording.

For ideas on how to plan for a Mass take a look at this page from CanticaNova publications: Liturgical Planning Year C
 
Some good acapella choices might be ‘Of the Father’s Love Begotten’, ‘All Creatures of Our God and King’(as has already been suggested), ‘What Wondrous Love is This’, or ‘Christians, Let Us Love One Another.’
 
If this Mass should take place after or on Ash Wednesday, we have to remember not to sing “Alleluia.” So, “All Creatures Of Our God And King” would not be a good option since it has the “Alleluias” in it.

For Lent:

Again We Keep This Solemn Fast
The Glory Of These Forty Days
Lord, Who Throughout These Forty Days
Forty Days And Forty Nights
Softly And Tenderly Jesus Is Calling
Hosea

In General:
What Is This Place
All People That On Earth Do Dwell
O Sacrament Most Holy
Gift Of Finest Wheat
I Received The Living God
Lord, Who At Thy First Eucharist
Shepherd Of Souls
See Us, Lord, About Your Altar
Panis Angelicus
The Spirit Sends Us Forth
Lord, You Give The Great Commission
The Servant Song
Fill My Cup, Lord
Gather And Remember
Church Of God, Elect And Glorious
The Church’s One Foundation
How Great Thou Art
I Sing The Mighty Power Of God
For The Fruits Of This Creation
There’s A Wideness In God’s Mercy
What Wondrous Love Is This
Christians, Let Us Love One Another
Love Divine, All Love’s Excelling
God Is Love
O God, Our Help In Ages Past
A Mighty Fortress
How Can I Keep From Singing
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus
There Is A Balm In Gilead
Prayer Of Saint Francis
Holy Wisdom, Lamp Of Learning
Renew Us
Praise To The Lord
We Walk By Faith
I Want To Walk As A Child Of The Light
O God Beyond All Praising
O Bless The Lord, My Soul
From All That Dwell Below The Skies
Come, Christians Join To Sing
Praise, My Soul, The King Of Heaven
Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow
Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
They’ll Know We Are Christians
In Christ There Is No East Or West
God Of Day And God Of Darkness
Lord, Whose Love In Humble Service
All Praise And Glad Thanksgiving
O God, Almighty Father
On This Day, The First Of Days
All Hail, Adored Trinity
Lift High The Cross
Take Up Your Cross
How Firm A Foundation
Rejoice, The Lord Is King
To Jesus Christ, Our Sovereign King
All Hail The Power Of Jesus’ Name
Hail, Redeemer, King Divine
The King Of Kings, Christ Jesus Reigns
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Alleluia! Sing to Jesus
 
Tepeyac said:
Take a look at this page: English Hymns in the Commons. It has PDFs of hymns you can download and use in your student ministry. They are all either solidly Catholic or at least appropriate for Catholic use. Most of them are in the public domain and they are all free for printing, distributing, publishing and recording.

For ideas on how to plan for a Mass take a look at this page from CanticaNova publications: Liturgical Planning Year C
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Thanks for that site!! We didn’t use music in the Mass we had yesterday, but this will be very useful in the future. Thanks everybody for your help too!
 
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