Mary, Did you know? Part two

[Semiyah]

I read the previous ‘Mary, did u know?’ thread and was really interested in the discussions about the song being used in mass. I want to have this in my song list for parish events so I was curious. I heard Hayley Westenra’s version of it and absolutely loved it.

The theological side is okay with me now cause I found a good catholic explanation in this page below and the explanation is consistent with the responses of some of the posters as well.

bustedhalo.com/questionbox/is-the-song-%E2%80%9Cmary-did-you-know%E2%80%9D-against-the-teaching-of-the-catholic-church

despite that, I think it’s better if the song is not sung in mass. I don’t think it was composed for liturgical use so it won’t really suit the eucharist. Its safer to keep it out of masses because the appeal it tends to generate aren’t exactly positive.

However…maybe it can be performed in other settings like christmas parish events and such if performed differently??

If you’re a catholic and it’s your first time listening to the song, it sounds disrespectful to Mary. Initially, that’s how it was with me. However, thinking more deepy, I think depends on how the singer interprets the song and how the audience sees the singer’s interpretation.

As a catholic singer, I can approach the song in a different way. I can sing this song as a daughter who is genuinely curious about what Holy mother knew, asking her in reverence and admiration. It’s like being in dialogue with Mama Mary as a little girl and sincerely asking her what she knew at the time and what her thoughts were. Its similar to a situation when adults tell children stories from their own experience and when children are really into the stories and get excited, they ask bunch of questions and stuff.

From my own experience and observing other singers, how the singer interprets the song and how the audience sees the interpretation creates the song’s meaning. Its like speaking, you can say the same words but you can say it in different ways e.g being sarcastic.

I don’t know if other singers approach the song like I do (as explained above).

If I sing it, my phrasing and syllable stresses would be different to how it’s normally sung probably (not to the point that it’s unrecognizable).

I haven’t performed the song using my interpretation (above ^) yet so I don’t know if I can pull it off positively.

What do you guys think?

 

[Allegra]

My opinion, the song is inappropriate for Mass. Other than that, it’s fine.

 

[tabycat]

Mass, no; other wise, ok.

 

[Desert_Catholli]

“Mary didja know?” is not a prayer. If it sounds disrespectful to most Catholics it is because it is disrespectful. It was written by a Protestant evangelical for the ex-Catholics in his congregation to correct our “erroneous” beliefs about Mary’s Queenship, her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, etc. The Ave Maria addresses Mary as she is addressed in scripture, “full of grace”, “Blessed are you among women” . Catholics pray to “Immaculate Mary,” we hail her as “Queen of Heaven” “Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council we have been asked to read and reflect on the Council’s documents. Asked by a Catechumen, “What do Catholics believe about Mary,” a RICA teacher in the 80"s responded, “Ma-a-ary, She is just one of the disciples.” The Catechumen replied, “Look, I used to be a deacon in the Presbyterian Church. I know the Catholic Church does not believe the same things about Mary as Protestants do.” One of the ill effects of Vatican II was the watering down and even obliteration of Catholic dogma in the spirit of ecumenicalism. Protestants are not so stupid as to concede to singing Catholic songs in their services. If you are curious about Mary’s thoughts go to Scripture, our own Tradition, the lives of the saints, the many good shows on EWTN.

 

[TrueLight]

It was written by a Protestant evangelical for the ex-Catholics in his congregation to correct our “erroneous” beliefs about Mary’s Queenship, her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, etc.

Do you have a reference for this? Thanks.

 

[CB_Catholic]

“Mary didja know?” is not a prayer. If it sounds disrespectful to most Catholics it is because it is disrespectful. It was written by a Protestant evangelical for the ex-Catholics in his congregation to correct our “erroneous” beliefs about Mary’s Queenship, her Immaculate Conception, her perpetual virginity, etc. The Ave Maria addresses Mary as she is addressed in scripture, “full of grace”, “Blessed are you among women” . Catholics pray to “Immaculate Mary,” we hail her as “Queen of Heaven” “Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son, Spouse of the Holy Spirit.” As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Vatican Council we have been asked to read and reflect on the Council’s documents. Asked by a Catechumen, “What do Catholics believe about Mary,” a RICA teacher in the 80"s responded, “Ma-a-ary, She is just one of the disciples.” The Catechumen replied, “Look, I used to be a deacon in the Presbyterian Church. I know the Catholic Church does not believe the same things about Mary as Protestants do.” One of the ill effects of Vatican II was the watering down and even obliteration of Catholic dogma in the spirit of ecumenicalism. Protestants are not so stupid as to concede to singing Catholic songs in their services. If you are curious about Mary’s thoughts go to Scripture, our own Tradition, the lives of the saints, the many good shows on EWTN.

Please tell us how you obtained this information about the origins of the song. Please give us a source.

Otherwise, this is gossip.

 

[fastenatingguy]

Got this from Mark Lowry’s website. He is the songwriter. Consider the source. But he is a graduate of Liberty University and apparently a Baptist (?).

In 1984, Mark wrote the lyric to a song that would establish his status as a songwriter forever. When his church asked him to write a Christmas play, he wrote down a series of questions that he would like to ask Jesus’ mother, Mary. These questions were used as a ‘filler’ between the scenes of the play. Six years later, after two other writers had already tried, Buddy Greene wrote music to Mark’s lyric and Mary, Did You Know? was born. This beautiful song, which has become a modern Christmas standard, has been recorded by more than thirty different artists including Michael English, Kathy Mattea, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna Judd, Billy Dean, Natalie Cole, Donnie Osmond and Clay Aiken.

 

[cesmit2]

After more thought and discernment about this song I agree that it is heretical altogether and Catholics should not sing it or otherwise entertain the song in any form, period. It was written by a protestant and he clearly misses the scriptural references about the Angel Gabriel telling Mary about her baby boy as well as many others. It doesn’t matter how an artist approaches the song - the lyrics are what they are - disrespectful to Mary the Mother of God and to Mother Church.

 

[TimothyH]

The song is not OK. The theology is all wrong.

Mary may not have known the particular details but she knew that her son was the messiah, God incarnate, that he came to be the salvation of the world, that he would die and that he would rise from the dead to save mankind from itself.

Anyone who studies the Old Testament, as Mary did, knows that Mary knew.

-Tim-