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Views from the Choir Loft

Should Liturgy Be Practical?

Fr. David Friel · January 14, 2018

N THE PRESENT age, the sacred liturgy is often treated as a commodity. It becomes, in this way, a “thing” to be done or handled, regulated or exported. The usual result is that liturgy becomes pedestrian and its enactors become minimalists.

The minimalist approaches the worship of God from the standpoint of what must be done. This approach can be dangerous, as it risks prioritizing what is pragmatic over what is possible. Concomitant with such a shift in emphasis is the swift erosion of the transcendence that, by right, undergirds the liturgy.

Divine worship, however, ought to be regarded as much more than dry goods or raw material. The antidote to liturgical minimalism arises not from pragmatism, but from practicality (understood in a certain sense). Consider the distinction that Chesterton elucidates between what is “practical” and what is “practicable”:

If we mean by what is practical what is most immediately practicable, we mean merely what is easiest. In that sense St. Francis was very impractical, and his ultimate aims were very unworldly. But if we mean by practicality a preference for prompt effort and energy over doubt or delay, he was very practical indeed. (G.K. Chesterton, Saint Francis of Assisi)

There is a great need in our time for the Christian faithful to be “practical” in Chesterton’s second sense. To be practical, in these terms, does not mean to be pragmatic. Modern disciples, rather, must be practical in the sense of believers motivated toward “prompt effort and energy” in place of “doubt or delay.” This type of practicality could be understood as one’s response to that which is necessary. And what could be more necessary than divine worship? The worship of God is, indeed, essential to being Christian. Insofar as God is good and beneficent to man, man has the duty to respond in praise and thanksgiving. This is not merely a right or an opportunity, but truly an obligation.

Practicality in Chesterton’s first sense is inimical to truly Christian worship. The type of worship that starts and ends with the here-and-how is insipid. Liturgy that seeks primarily to be easy or relevant is, in the end, beige and uninspiring. The overall trajectory of church music in recent decades bears witness to this truth. Where liturgical musicians have most sought ease and relevance, the result has been the greatest banality.

Our Holy Father Emeritus once made this observation about liturgical music that favors utility over beauty and sacrality:

A Church which only makes use of utility music has fallen for what is, in fact, useless. . . . For her mission is a far higher one. As the Old Testament speaks of the Temple, the Church is to be the place of glory, and as such, too, the place where mankind’s cry of distress is brought to the ear of God. The Church must not settle down with what is merely comfortable and serviceable at the parish level; she must arouse the voice of the cosmos and, by glorifying the Creator, elicit the glory of the cosmos, itself, making it also glorious, beautiful, habitable, and beloved. (Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, “On the Theological Basis of Church Music,” in The Feast of Faith)

The sacred liturgy is humanity’s corporate response to God and His goodness. What is necessary or appropriate for this activity is not always what is most practicable. The demands of the liturgy, in fact, are quite often very impracticable. It is the generous act of rendering an impracticable gift, however, that is most practically necessary and ultimately pleasing.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Beauty, Beauty in the Catholic Liturgy Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Fr. David Friel

Ordained in 2011, Father Friel is a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and serves as Director of Liturgy at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. —(Read full biography).

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President’s Corner

    Bugnini’s Statement (6 November 1966)
    With each passing day, more is revealed about how the enemies of the liturgy accomplished their goals. For instance, Hannibal Bugnini deeply resented the way Vatican II said Gregorian Chant “must be given first place in liturgical services.” On 6 November 1966, his cadre wrote a letter attempting to justify the elimination of Gregorian Chant with this brazen statement: “What really gives a Mass its tone is not so much the songs as it is the prayers and readings.” Bugnini’s cadre then attacked the very heart of Gregorian Chant (viz. the Proprium Missae), bemoaning how the Proprium Missae “is completely new each Sunday and feast day.” There is much more to be said about this topic. Stay tuned.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Luis Martínez Must Go!
    Sevilla Cathedral (entry dated 13 December 1564): The chapter orders Luis Martínez, a cathedral chaplain, to stay away from the choirbook-stand when the rest of the singers gather around it to sing polyphony—the reason being that “he throws the others out of tune.” [Excerpt from “The Life of Father Francisco Guerrero.”]
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    Urgent! • We Desperately Need Funds!
    A few days ago, the president of Corpus Christi Watershed posted this urgent appeal for funds. Please help us make sure we’re never forced to place our content behind a paywall. We feel it’s crucial that 100% of our content remains free to everyone. We’re a tiny 501(c)3 public charity, entirely dependent upon the generosity of small donors. We have no endowment and no major donors. We run no advertisements and have no savings. We beg you to consider donating $4.00 per month. Thank you!
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“How on earth in the [post-conciliar] liturgy for the dead should there be no more mention of sin and expiation? There’s a complete absence of imploring the Lord’s mercy. […] Although the texts were beautiful they were still lacking in the sense of sin and the sense of mercy. But we need this! And when my final hour comes, ask for mercy for me from the Lord, because I have such need of it!”

— Pope Saint Paul VI (3 June 1971)

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