Singing the Responses

[Augustine]

Today we went to another parish and all of the responses by the faithful were sung, even the Our Father. The problem I see with this is that I either sing, actually lip sync, or pray, I either try to guess the melody or try to mean the words, I cannot do both.

The choir sang beautifully, but was perhaps too numerous, as nobody, else sang, i.e., nobody else responded their part of the Mass. Well, nobody is an exaggeration, yet the ominous choir was deafening.

I can’t sing and you don’t want me to try. But even if I could, I think that, particularly when we visit a parish, instead of praying twice, we don’t pray at all when attempting to sing.

Am I the only one to be peeved by this?

 

[netmilsmom]

Augustine:

Today we went to another parish and all of the responses by the faithful were sung, even the Our Father. The problem I see with this is that I either sing, actually lip sync, or pray, I either try to guess the melody or try to mean the words, I cannot do both.

The choir sang beautifully, but was perhaps too numerous, as nobody, else sang, i.e., nobody else responded their part of the Mass. Well, nobody is an exaggeration, yet the ominous choir was deafening.

I can’t sing and you don’t want me to try. But even if I could, I think that, particularly when we visit a parish, instead of praying twice, we don’t pray at all when attempting to sing.

Am I the only one to be peeved by this?

I would suggest you say the responses in your head is you can’t sing them.
I’ve been there, and that’s what I did.

 

[Joysong]

Hi Augustine,

From your readings, you no doubt know that man has a three-fold mental makeup: memory, understanding, and will. St. Teresa used to say that her understanding was often troubled with all kinds of peripheral nonsense and it bothered her greatly because she wanted all of her faculties to be occupied in prayer.

That is sometimes impossible, as you have just described. Yet as long as the will has the intention of praying, it is pleasing to God. Have you not experienced this while praying the rosary sometimes? It doesn’t mean we have to go back and start over because of distractions. Our understanding may wander all over the place, unintentionally, but the will is praying very well.

The “understanding” is often void when we pray words in latin, too, for we will not truly know every word’s meaning verbatim, yet our will is praying. That may be the reason many prefer to pray in their own language, so that both faculties of the mind can be occupied in God’s praise.

Bottom line, if you don’t feel your understanding is attentive while you try to sing, be comforted that your will is definitely at prayer.

Carole