'He's got the whole world in his hands' sung after communion

[Dirt]

“Pride of place” not “use to the exclusion of all others”.

If we only had Gregorian Chants, we would similarly be surrendering a number of great old hymns - For all the Saints, O God our Help in Ages Past, Holy God we Praise thy Name, Crown Him with Many Crowns, etc.

Would you find that desirable?

No. But answer me this; When was the last time you heard Gregorian Chant at your Parish?

I will answer for mine now…Never.

 

[Dorothy]

I prefer no music at all and so I attend a mass that starts at 6:30 AM and contains no music. The church we go to has other masses later in the day that have hymns but I like the 6:30 AM one.

For the same reason I like the weekday Masses. There is no music, hymns, or people talking to distract from silent prayer before and during Mass!

 

[mburn16]

Well I don’t currently have a parish at the moment - I’m searching for a new one.

But at my church back home, we often included, at least, the kyrie.

 

[vera_dicere]

I don’t know why our society is so uncomfortable with silence!

I find the song kind of chidlish, mostly because it was something we sung at primary school. I don’t think its an appropriate song for a Mass, maybe a children’s Mass, but defintely not directly eitherside of communion.

Perhaps you could volunteer your services, since peopel these days don’t like it when you out and out question their choices, especially in religious matters, no matter how distasteful.

 

[journey00]

I think it’d be great if we sang We Are One Body every time. It doesn’t get much more appropriate than that.

No, I would not be happy if my parish began singing “He’s Got the Whole World…” & clapping their hands…

 

[mburn16]

I don’t know why our society is so uncomfortable with silence!

I don’t think its a matter of being “uncomfortable”, I think its a matter of not preferring it.

To exclude the collective praise and worship of God that IS hymn singing would be, in my opinion, a great loss.

 

[corsair]

With 2000 years of chant and Sacred Polyphony to draw upon and your parish comes up with “He’s got the whole world”?

So if chant has “pride of place”? How come I rarely hear it?

 

[LegoGE1947]

With 2000 years of chant and Sacred Polyphony to draw upon and your parish comes up with “He’s got the whole world”?

So if chant has “pride of place”? How come I rarely hear it?

The same reason that the radio business has almost 100 years of songs and programs to draw on and they come up with only music that goes back as far as the 1960s.

 

[LegoGE1947]

FYI -

“He’s got the whole world in his hands” is not “70s music”…its an American spiritual that was first published in the late 1920s.

Though not my personal taste (I prefer more traditional hymns), I’d like to hear, specifically, what rules “he’s got the whole world in his hands” violates. Its not dance music. It doesn’t require the use of modern instruments unsuitable to worship, or anything of the nature.

As I said, I prefer more traditional hymns…so in some sense, I wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the specific hymn in question being played. HOWEVER, I’m leery of siding with some who hold that same viewpoint, because, give them too much room, and we’ll have nothing but unaccompanied Gregorian chants with no congregational participation whatsoever.

Music at mass is a wonderful thing.

He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands was a popular song in the late 1950s. It was sung by some British guy with a voice that sounded like he was a boy. Lorrie London or something like that.

 

[KnightIHSV]

Sacrosanctum Concilium; Chapter 7

“114. The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs, as laid down in Art. 28 and 30.”

"115. Great importance is to be attached to the teaching and practice of music in seminaries, in the novitiates and houses of study of religious of both sexes, and also in other Catholic institutions and schools. To impart this instruction, teachers are to be carefully trained and put in charge of the teaching of sacred music.

It is desirable also to found higher institutes of sacred music whenever this can be done.

Composers and singers, especially boys, must also be given a genuine liturgical training."

“116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given **pride of place **in liturgical services.”

Please read the entire document if you have yet to do so.
Link:
vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-concilium_en.html

I have a hard time rectifying our “Glory and Praise” Hymn Book with the wishes of the Council Fathers.

Pax Christi

Sorry but why must music and choirs have some sort of protected status?

Surely the Church’s biggest concern is evangelisation, not propagating music that repels as many people as it attracts.

I despise choral music and find antiquated chant dull. Am I a lesser Catholic because I do not like this?

This is as exclusionary as the weirdo guitar hymns that plague the modern parish.

I vote for no music at Mass.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Is the objection to the music because the objector does not agree that his God has the whole world in his hands?

 

[callmeChris]

plain and simple,
I am not for guitars at the mass

to another person who commented, I do not mind having some other hymns (Holy God We Praise Thy Name, For All the Saints, etc) replace Gregorian Chant but I think that the importance and beauty of The Chant should be stressed more.

 

[YoungTradCath]

I sang this.

In second grade Baptist Sunday School. Once we got to sixth grade, we moved on.

 

[I_Thirst]

If only John Cage’s 4’ 33" were in the hymnals.

 

[promethius]

With 2000 years of chant and Sacred Polyphony to draw upon and your parish comes up with “He’s got the whole world”?

So if chant has “pride of place”? How come I rarely hear it?

Just to correct, Gregorian chant was first organized in the 10th century, so there is only 1,100 years of history to draw on in that regard. Polyphony originated right around that time period as well.

Early Christian music probably resembled hebrew hymns from synagogue more closely… which, strangely, would have been more similar to “He’s got the whole world in His hands” than anything Gregorian has to offer.

We give Gregorian pride of place in the Latin rite because it is a traditional form of music that arose within the latin rite… not because it is is especially pleasing to God and not because it dates back to the church fathers in terms of worship. I don’t have a problem with Gregorian chant advocacy, but please at least give a real historical perspective of what it is.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Is the objection to the music because the objector does not agree that his God has the whole world in his hands?

I don’t object to the idea that God has the whole world in his hands. I object to the childishness of the music itself. We could just as well be singing “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so…” While it is true, the song itself is more appropo for children.

 

[SKWill]

If only John Cage’s 4’ 33" were in the hymnals.

 

[I_Thirst]

Just to correct, Gregorian chant was first organized in the 10th century, so there is only 1,100 years of history to draw on in that regard. Polyphony originated right around that time period as well.

But even when it was organized, the melodies were already as old as the hills. It wasn’t as if all the chants were suddenly written in the 10th century.

Still, 1100 years gives us a lot of music to choose from. Why just stick to the 1970s? There are other '70s to draw from.

 

[Newbie2]

How dreadful: that sort of music is completely unsuitable for the liturgy. I love hymns - traditional ones - but not during Communion as it is a terrible distraction. I don’t mind a (ggod) hymn after communion once everyone has received and there has been a good silence.

“Dreadful” is a perfect word to use here.

It’s a great song. For 5 year olds. .

Bah humbug! If the Council of Trent had had there way we’d have no polyphonic music and “He’s got the whole world in his hands” would be about all we were allowed. Considering that your preference in music is appropriate and that there is an issue with other styles of music is arrogance in the extreme. The music isn’t for your benefit. To the best of my knowledge, God has never expressed a preference.

Bah humbug!

The church has rules music and they are there for a reason.

“God has never expressed a preference.” ? My gosh. He put his church here for us. We should obey her.

This is as exclusionary as the weirdo guitar hymns that plague the modern parish.

I vote for no music at Mass.

I sang this.

In second grade Baptist Sunday School. Once we got to sixth grade, we moved on.

 

[TheMc]

Just to correct, Gregorian chant was first organized in the 10th century, so there is only 1,100 years of history to draw on in that regard. Polyphony originated right around that time period as well.

Early Christian music probably resembled hebrew hymns from synagogue more closely… which, strangely, would have been more similar to “He’s got the whole world in His hands” than anything Gregorian has to offer.

We give Gregorian pride of place in the Latin rite because it is a traditional form of music that arose within the latin rite… not because it is is especially pleasing to God and not because it dates back to the church fathers in terms of worship. I don’t have a problem with Gregorian chant advocacy, but please at least give a real historical perspective of what it is.

Actually, forms of it does date back to the church fathers, and to judaism. The jews would frequently chant the psalms, and like many parts of judaism, the christians took it an ran with it. Chant has always been part of the church’s worship and liturgy.