FEW MONTHS AGO, my family was traveling on a vacation, so we found a local Catholic parish to attend Mass. I have seen many strange things happen within the Mass from time to time, but this particular day might “take the cake” (pun intended…). After the reception of Holy Communion, and prior to the Prayer after Communion, the priest stood behind the altar and asked if anyone had a birthday approaching. A few people raised their hands and then the priest led everyone in a jovial singing of “happy birthday.” Upon hearing this, my kids immediately glanced at me with horrified looks on their faces.
Inward expression?
And so it is with many parishes that the music at the liturgy can often be an inward expression – rather than an outward offering of prayer toward heavenly things. Many Catholics today still experience liturgical music as something performed within the Mass, rather than something that serves the liturgy.
In many parishes, the music becomes an expression of personal taste, musical creativity, emotional expression, or cultural preference. The result is a musical palette that shapes the liturgy rather than a liturgy that shapes the music. But the Church has consistently taught the opposite.
In his illuminating document, Tra le Sollecitudini, Pope Pius X writes, “Sacred music, being an integral part of the solemn liturgy, participates in its general scope… but its purpose is to add greater efficacy to the text… music is merely a part of the liturgy and its humble handmaid.” (TLS 23)
Music is not an autonomous ornamentation. It is not the master of the liturgy. Authentic sacred music serves the Mass and the liturgical action.
What “Humble Handmaid” means
This phrase from Pius X is theologically rich and relevant for Catholic musicians of all times and places.
The music for Mass serves a greater reality. It does not draw attention to itself and it primarily exists for the sake of the Master.
Sacred music serves the Mass (not the other way around!). It supports the liturgical texts and enhances prayer rather than replacing it. The music of the Mass should illuminate the text and support the ritual; leading the faithful toward contemplation and inward conversion.
Objective vs. subjective music planning
When planning liturgical music, it can be tempting for music directors to ask themselves these questions:
• What songs do people like?
• What songs feel meaningful to me or to our parish community?
• What music fits the mood?
But liturgical planning is much more objective. Instead, the faithful music director should ask:
• What text does the Mass prescribe today?
• What musical form best serves the liturgy?
• What does the Church’s documents recommend?
(If you have never read the documents that inform these questions, please consider reading Sacrosanctum Concilium, Musicam Sacram, The General Instruction of the Roman Missal.)
What is the role of the Music Director?
The music director’s vocation is not primarily artistic but liturgical. This can sometimes be a tough thing for musicians, who spend countless years shaping and perfecting their musical craft. Nonetheless, the parish musician is a servant of the liturgy. He is a steward of the Church’s musical tradition and guardian of sacred prayer.
The task of the music director is to provide the music that the Church is asking for; to form choirs and congregations; to avoid turning the Mass into a concert, a performance, or a birthday celebration. This mission requires humility, obedience of liturgical norms, and the love of the Church’s musical heritage.
The result is a weight lifted from the shoulders of the music director and the parish musicians. Instead of inventing something new each week and catering to the subjective tastes of the congregation, the music becomes something rooted in the Church’s patrimony that is directed toward God. The Mass music is then a participation in the unbroken prayer of the Church that subsists through the centuries. Only then can sacred music fulfill its true mission: not to draw attention to itself, but to lead souls to God.
🎶 Happy liturgical planning to you! (and many more…)
