There was a time when voices rose to the heavens with gladness. There was a time when voices sang with ease and enthusiasm. There was a time when the beauty of singing was an integral part of the celebration of the Mass. The significance of the Mass is that it is not a performance. Admittedly, there are times in any service where we listen to the choirs; other times when we are enjoined to participate fully. The importance of music within the Mass is beautifully and fully addressed in the following quote:
"It is good to pray aloud in a spoken voice. To lift that prayer into song shifts it to yet another dimension of communication. We open our mouths and breath drops in, filling our body cavities with air. We simply channel that air into a vowel sound and song begins. However, when we think of that air analogously as the breath of life, the Holy Spirit, we reach another level of understanding, As the breath of life gives birth to wonderful sounds within the assembly, our voices are uniting in prayer to the Father, with Christ in the unity of the the Holy Spirit....Singing is considered to be the most noble form...because it is an exercise of the whole body which engages the pneuma and gives life to the song that is sung to the Author of Life Himself, who gives the breath of life in the first place. It is for this reason that the human voice is upheld and guarded as the primary instrument of the liturgical assembly." |
SAcra LiturgiaStay connected with our liturgical comitee and grow in understanding of our Catholic faith and tradition. ArchivesCategories |