Papal Mass in DC (was it me or was the music crazy?)

[wnt2bHis]

I’m sorry to be coming back for more…

I might argue that 15th century hymns are not representative of our customs and culture. We were not celebrating Mass in a Cathedral in Europe but rather a baseball park in New York!

According to the revelations in Vatican II, the lay people are the Church. In this case the style of music in this case expresses the lives of the people, the Church of the United States.

In my opinion, if you are concerned about the music, you missed the wonderful celebration of communion shared between 50,000 people.

IHS, Respectfully.

 

[Ana]

I didn’t miss the Communion shared between 50,000 people, nor the always beautiful prayers of the liturgy, but I also didn’t miss the HORRIBLY INNAPROPRIATE music. I DID miss on the other hand the time set aside for reverent devotion to Christ in the Eucharist. It was lost among all the clamor, I did a Spiritual Comminion and after attempting to reflect and enjoy the moment, I realised I would have to hit the mute button. Then I decided it wasn’t fair to let all those present suffer alone, so I left the volume on and offered it up.

 

[water]

I guess, it was an attempt to represent multi-cultural America. It sounded crazy though. They should have stuck with traditional Catholic and Latin hymns IMO.

I love it. it’s not crazy to me.

 

[Ana]

To each their own I guess.

I love all kinds of music, but I trust the Holy Church to decide which music is APPROPRIATE for Liturgical worship.

That one gospel song would have been AWESOME on the radio on my way to work, or at a concert … just NOT during The Celebration of the Eucharist.

 

[Brownginger]

I pray that the Holy Father did not approve. I also pray that, if he did not approve, he will publicly let his feelings be known. Sometimes I just cannot bring myself to go to Sunday Mass, because I know that I will be scandalized by the music. If Pope Benedict XVI will only tell the American bishops that this is totally unacceptable and if the media is able to get that message to those who witnessed this blasphemy, perhaps some good will have come from it.

To go from the perfection of the governmental ceremony yesterday to this embarrassing ceremony constructed by liturgists is astonishing. The people at the White House were better able to understand the Holy Father than his own people were. This is a very sad day, brightened only by the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and by the presence of the Holy Father. Actually, that is quite a lot

 

[wnt2bHis]

What if one miserable sinner in the stadium filled with 50,000 people singing was touched by the music so deeply that he/she was converted more deeply to loving and serving our Lord. Would that make the music more tolerable?

 

[peacelight]

But music DOES matter. The fact that people were applauding during communion shows how much music can influence the devotion and reverance of the laity. Music during Communion should encourage a deeper reflection of Christ present, not overshadow and take over, highlighting the musicians. Music … back burner … Christ, front and center.

I agree with you music definitely can influence and it did for me this morning though some of the songs I don’t understand but the spirit of it I can feel few times I shed tears listening to all of the songs.

 

[qubica]

I don’t go by the music. I don’t think God even mind the way it sound, the meaning and the sincerity of the singers that counts and everybody attending as well people that watch from home. Overall to me it is beautiful. We do not want to single out anyone and I am sure God doesn’t want it either. We should not go by how it should sounds to our ear but the message is important …

You have a bit of the truth there, Peacelight, but what we are concerned with is giving only the most excellent to God. This idea of ‘God doesn’t mind our music, how we dress, how we comport ourselves in His house…’ is detrimental to recognizing the true beauty of the Catholic faith. But to be truthful, I am not as worried about God, for He is merciful. I truly AM worried if our celebration of Mass leads people to transcend earthly bounds and lifts them to heaven…or if it just pleases their sense of being ‘entertained’.

Thanks for taking the time to consider this - Dominus vobiscum.

 

[Marauder]

I think many people on here were concentrating on the wrong things during Mass. Instead of watching for what music was sung, whether this or that liturgical abuse was used during the Mass, etc. your mind should have been on worshipping the Lord with the Pope.

Its one thing to be temporarily distracted by a song that you may not like or by a song “YOU” don’t think fits the ideals of Mass, etc. It’s a totally different thing to be sitting “through half of Mass crying.”

All the music that was used at Mass was approved, probably all the way up to the chief liturgist for the Pope. The Pope may have preferred more Latin and more “sacred” songs but the other songs are still allowed. At Mass keep your minds on the worshipping God, not the perceived abuses. If anything major happened let the Pope deal with it, that’s his job.

 

[MrS]

MrS…please illustrate your point so that I may see more clearly then. I’m not clear given the highlighting of a few words in the context of the entire paragraph.

In complete charity.

I guess simply put…

The Liturgy should influence the culture, not the other way around.

The Mass we witnessed today is not from any…ANY…of the approved rubrics. It is not from any…ANY…of the the Rites of the Catholic Church.

The Church sets the tone (no pun) for the Mass. Lots do not like it, and would rather have more of a horizontal liturgy. Cardinal Arinze has already decried this and referred to the heresies that are found in the “fruits” of our innovations.

We see that many have different views of which comes first… the local culture or the Church-approved Liturgy.

Maybe when the Apostles branched out across the world, they approached each culture and asked by what method they preferred to worship God:shrug:

 

[wnt2bHis]

Ana- I know sometimes the music hits me differently too depending on my mental state at the moment. Sometimes it’s a suffering screaching sound and other times, it’s as if I’m embraced by Jesus Himself. It’s difficult to watch on television and not WANT to be there celebrating with 50,000 of our Catholic brothers and sisters.

What a wonderful thing to be here today to witness this.

“And He saw that it was good.”

 

[Stylteralmaldo]

…Sometimes I just cannot bring myself to go to Sunday Mass, because I know that I will be scandalized by the music…

I hope this wasn’t a serious comment. Good music or bad, we go for Him first and foremost. I pray you change your mind regarding your decision not to attend Sunday Mass.

 

[frommi]

Perhaps some changes will be made before the Mass at St Patrick’s is held.

Pray for Benedict XVI… pray more for those who have abused the liturgy .

.

There was not a SINGLE abuse at that liturgy…name one

 

[qubica]

I think many people on here were concentrating on the wrong things during Mass. Instead of watching for what music was sung, whether this or that liturgical abuse was used during the Mass, etc. your mind should have been on worshipping the Lord with the Pope.

This is a FORUM for exchanging ideas and thoughts on our Catholic faith. Please don’t be dismissive of our opportunity and responsibility to express our thoughts on the Holy Father’s visit and how it is handled.

Marauder, the issue we’re dealing with has been spoken on my Pope Benedict XVI a number of times and he has requested a return to a more reverential worship. He stated “One song cannot be considered as good as another…”

Pax

 

[peacelight]

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

From our own Church Doctrine:

Recognizing the doctrine of our Church, the celebration was appropriate.Art is subjective. I beg you not to foster a spirit of divisiveness in our Church by labeling leaders as conservative, liberal either. Keep your focus on what is central to all of us…the Eucharist. We are called to love everyone…no matter that tongue they speak or the style glory they sing!

God Bless.

I agree with you. It is still a MASS though the music doesn’t seems right to some of you. DId not bug me none because I know God knows and He knows our intentions.

 

[water]

if one dwells his thoughts into the liturgical abuses on this particular mass of the Holy Pope, he might lose the focus of the whole point of His visit to U.S; he himself could spoil the good spirit of the part of welcoming the Pope to the U.S.

 

[monorail]

I didn’t watch the mass on TV, but I am very curious now – what happened? What kind of music did they play?

 

[Marauder]

This is a FORUM for exchanging ideas and thoughts on our Catholic faith. Please don’t be dismissive of our opportunity and responsibility to express our thoughts on the Holy Father’s visit and how it is handled.

I am not being dismissive of people expressing their thoughts. It is one thing to discuss the appropriateness of the music. It is a totally different thing to be talking about how big a travesty this is and the fact that someone is crying for half the Mass over the choice of music.

At no time did I see anything during the Mass that violated the rubrics or violated any doctrine of the faith. Yes there were things that violated preferences of the Pope and a trend toward which the Pope is trying to draw the music, but none of those songs were prohibitted. I didn’t see the whole Mass because I was at work so I may have missed something, but other then preferences and it might not be the right song at the right time, there were no violations.

During Mass, concentrate on worshipping God, not the style of music.

 

[wnt2bHis]

MrS…According to Church Doctrine (Catechism, Vatican II, Canon Law) The PEOPLE determine the style of worship. The CHURCH determines the guidelines within how the Mass is to be celebrated and entrusts the Bishops to oversee that.

 

[peacelight]

To each their own I guess.

I love all kinds of music, but I trust the Holy Church to decide which music is APPROPRIATE for Liturgical worship.

That one gospel song would have been AWESOME on the radio on my way to work, or at a concert … just NOT during The Celebration of the Eucharist.

I am sorry Ana but you know what divide some of the Protestant Church one reason is because sometime they could not agree with certain thing and sometime the style of the music and we definitely not want divisive in Catholic Church too. I guess every one need to learn from this.