Thanks for clearing that up.
Perhaps you could talk to your priest about the problems (or the bishop if needed)?
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Perhaps you could talk to your priest about the problems (or the bishop if needed)?
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
Obviously he must keep going to mass. What doesn’t need to continue is bad and distracting liturgical music. So the advice to just sit silently and offer it up is not going to change anything. An effective approach to change thing is to charitably ask the pastor if they could at least offer more sacred music for certain masses during the day or at least alternate the drum and guitar band with an organ every other weekend. And again, bring up the pope’s call to a return to more Sacred Music for the Sacrifice of the Mass. I think if enough people speak up saying the music is distracting, the parish may indeed adopt better music, and relegate the drum and guitar stars to playing at the parish picnic.
J
JamesCaruso
Guest
I like your fire. I don’t think it is lacking in humility to want your church to comply with the guidance provided by the Church. Many of us are going through this in various ways whose origin is distortion of Vatican II. Reforms are coming, but slowly. The extraordinary form of the Mass (Latin Rite) has been encouraged by the Pope and permission is no longer needed of the Bishop. My own church is now singing the English propers (Gregorian chant) at Sunday Mass, and we will have Vespers at least twice this Lent. Fifteen years ago I had gotten to the point that I could no longer stand the liberality of my geographical parish and decided to switch to another nearby parish. Your sufferings are not uncommon.
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mburn16
Guest
I think things are considerably less clear-cut than what many people think. Just because something isn’t done well (or, perhaps more appropriately, done to the taste of a particular group of people), doesn’t mean it can’t be done well.
Lets get out of the theoretical for a moment and into something more concrete. How about some thoughts on these?
youtube.com/watch?v=16cXnYPcC9Y
youtube.com/watch?v=cnS2Lff3Ub4
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JamesCaruso
Guest
I agree, but in the event they disregard your concerns, and in the event even the Bishop fails to act, the advice to sit silently may be all that is left. The way it has been described sounds like more than a parish problem; the OP says that there are no churches anywhere near that are different. This problem could well go all the way to the Diocesan level. But I agree we should relate our concerns to church leaders.
I never said that one needs to sit quietly and do nothing. Just because I spoke about a spiritual practice, it does not mean that I don’t support trying to change things. He should try to changes things if possible.
That is why I spoke about spiritual practices.
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JamesCaruso
Guest
Sound appropriate for a prayer meeting. I wouldn’t want either at the holy sacrifice of the Mass and I don’t think this is what the Vatican II guidelines was aiming for. Maybe someone who is expert in liturgy and sacred song could weigh in.
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
In that case then the next step might be to organize a group of people in that parish who also hate the music to form a choir. I think that if enough people from the congregation got together to tell the priest that the music and the drums and the performances in front of the congregation are distracting, he will have no choice but to address the issue…
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
Nice music. But this is no different than what we hear on stage in the park or some other non-Mass setting. That’s the point—the Mass is not a concert in the park. For one, this musician would definitely have to sit in the back loft singing his song, as he would be too much of a distraction, even for himself, who would be in front of the congregation performing his song…
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
you mean with headphones?
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Bill_Martin
Guest
After Hurricane Sandy, we had Mass in the dark and all the music was a capella. It was by far the most beautiful Mass I have ever been to. I understand where you’re coming from. I don’t have any solutions (other than pray for a hurricane), but I also don’t like some of the music being done at Masses today.
Yes, preferably the ear bud kind since those are less noticeable (only during the Communion songs while others are lining up and partaking).
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mburn16
Guest
Here’s the issue I have:
Listen to either of the Guitar links that I posted. Now, listen to this:
youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=HXwpNBlpJsE&feature=endscreen
…and imagine a choir (and possibly the congregation) singing along.
I don’t see that one is any more or less distracting than the other.
Listen to either of the Guitar links that I posted. Now, listen to this:
youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=HXwpNBlpJsE&feature=endscreen
…and imagine a choir (and possibly the congregation) singing along.
I don’t see that one is any more or less distracting than the other.
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JamesCaruso
Guest
This is a possibility, but two things come to mine. First, the church is not a democracy. You don’t go to the priest in numbers because he would not listen to one person. That’s okay for dealing with government officials, but I don’t think it’s appropriate in the church. Second, I was in a church where the vast majority of the people were of a very liberal mindset. You could not get together a meaningful group if you wanted to. Depending on the particular circumstances, one might go to the Diocesan level or above-- Cardinal Dolan? – but even then, these can be delicate matters, and I wouldn’t expect swift and dramatic action even if you found a sympathetic ear.
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
For one, the organ is probably in the back loft of the church. There’s something about seeing people playing a drum set and playing guitars at mass that turns the front of the church into a spectacle. The worst I’ve seen is a Spanish mass with a fellow pounding on a guitar and singing with a loud and non-sonorous voice to a mariachi tune smack in front of the congregation for the communion song.
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opus101
Guest
You’re distracting everyone from the main issue here. Start a new thread about your comparisons.
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Gabriel_Serafin
Guest
well, not sure of this would be good. For one, the music at mass is supposed to be live, not a recording. Might as well just put in some earplugs,Yes, preferably the ear bud kind since those are less noticeable (only during the Communion songs while others are lining up and partaking).
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JamesCaruso
Guest
Are you commenting on the skill of the particular organist or on the use of organ altogether? I see a world of difference between the two forms as applied to the Mass. The organ can achieve a solemnity and worshipful attitude that other instruments have a more difficult time achieving. That is why Vatican II specifically mentions it above all other instruments, but it does not exclude other instruments. Why kick against the goads?
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TigerKitty
Guest
How horrible!!! Yes, they are talented musicians, but I just want to cry for the lack of reverence to the Most Holy Eucharist, which should always be THE SOLE focus of the Mass.
Warning: The rest of this is an emotional venting on the subject. I try to “be humble” and overlook the nonsense of contemporary music in our churches today, but every now and then my anger and frustration just boils over. The youtube video did it for me.
I cannot take it. To me, it is sacralige (sp?). It is not fair that someone should have this nonsense forced down their ears at Mass. If I wanted to go to a blues concert (and I LOVE blues, bluegrass, jazz, Hornsby, the Dead, Blues Traveler, etc.), I would go to a CONCERT. When I go to Mass, I go to respectfully worship my Lord, my King. Sorry, but I am so incensed about this, as I have to “suffer” through this type of musical insult every Sunday at our local church. I don’t think that telling people who object to “guitar/drum set” music to “humble” themselves is correct. Have we become so “PC” that we cannot even speak out against something which detracts from the liturgy?
I have offered time and time again to offer my services at the beautiful organ at this new church, and no one takes me up on it. Our current organist (when the organist is there, and not the folk group), is a pianist who thinks the organ is also a member of the percussion family. I dare not say any more…he keeps time by stomping out the beat on the pedals.
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