The following came from Guillaume T.
[We usually redact names for anonymity’s sake.]
FOUND YOUR recent article “Alphabetizing Hymn Titles Inside Hymnals” to be a riveting read. Still, I feel compelled to comment on what you said about omitting verses from a hymn at Mass. Omitting a hymn verse is sometimes necessary but care should be taken. For example, if a verse ends on a question mark, it might make sense to sing the verse that follows. Some hymnals (like the EPISCOPAL HYMNAL of 1982) insert asterisks next to verses that one could omit if needed. I do think clergy should look at the hymn texts as possible sources of inspiration for themselves and for the congregation, and make a judgment call about which verses, if any, to omit. Alphabetical order of hymnals does not make sense as this young lady says in the video. Hymns are better arranged by season or theme. It makes it easier for the music director to browse and consider hymns that may not have been sung before but relate to the same theme.
Jeff Ostrowski provided the following response.
[He currently serves as president of Corpus Christi Watershed.]
Thank you for letting me know where you stand on this issue. May I be permitted to add just one more thought? When it comes to the sacred Catholic liturgy, I feel there are certain traditions which will seem peculiar to those ‘looking in’ from the outside. For example, all throughout the sacred liturgy, bits and pieces from the PSALTER are inserted. Prior to the breviary reforms of the 1950s—except for a ‘high’ or ‘double’ feast—only the first word of the antiphon was sung the first time around (which I find quite a beautiful tradition). As you probably know, a brief excerpt from the PSALTER is always included as part of the Introit, although sometimes it’s difficult to understand why unless one takes time to examine the entire psalm. Psalm 44 (Eructávit cor meum verbum bonum) is often used during the sacred liturgy, yet—in spite of what some claim—it can be difficult to understand who is addressing whom, or what that should mean for a Christian in the year 2026. Speaking of Psalm 44, some versions say “for he is thy Lord and God” in verse 12 while other versions say something quite different.
The early Christians had every verse of the PSALTER committed to memory. They knew and prayed every last bit by heart. We see this with many of the offertories (especially the ancient verses) which ‘intertwine’ or ‘interlace’ beginnings of certain verses with others’ endings in a magnificent way. At the end of the day, it is not for us to criticize. If we hear a random verse from the PSALTER at Mass (e.g. Sehon, Amoria’s king, and Og, the king of Basan, and all the kings of Chanaan), we ought to try to learn more. Therefore, the treatment of ‘incomplete’ psalms might be applied mutatis mutandis to the idea of omitting hymn verses. In other words, it is up to listeners to “do some homework” if they’re puzzled by a statement which occurs during the sacred liturgy. (This is not to imply that we should go out of our way to make things more confusing.)
