How refreshing to come across a musical director who isn't so full of themself that they think the Mass is about them instead of what it is.
There is something to be said though about raising a song to the Lord from a heart that feels moved to do so out of an abundance of love.
Communion isn't arm pumping, small talk, and songs to make us feel better about ourselves. The Eucharist iself puts us in Communion with God and all the Catholics in the world. The handholding and the handshake are just our own affectations. And lets face it, those affectations are bleedovers from protestant influences introduced into the Church. It's amazing how almost complete the influence is.
It's all about the Mass and the Eucharist, not the size of your grin.
LOL Oh yes, that mean old prot St. Pius XTH, following in the footsteps of the even meaner prots Augustine and St. Paul :)
How refreshing to come across a musical director who isn't so full of themself that they think the Mass is about them instead of what it is.
Since I guess you were directing that comment at me, my heartfelt thanks. Obviously I am in favor of music at Holy Mass - of the most noble chracter, with plainchant as the preferred ideal.
I certainly agree that we praise God in song, and that our hearts and minds are lifted to god, and edified in song - or in listening to the performance of sacred music by a choir.
But the spiritual reality which I touched upon - which some hear seem to be tone deaf about.....is that God speaks to us in SILENCE. That is when there is real communication.
I have long suspected that - the blather of wannabe liturgists to the contrary - the reasons many pastors feel the overwhelming compursion to have nothing but constant music & singing - even at daily masses.....so that there are no more "low masses".....is that they are afraid of the silence. Afraid to let God speak in and through silence.
The pastor who has at least one Sunday mass in silence, and daily masses also as low masses without music is wise. There are souls who want and need this.
The soul learns in silence. The souls gains much in the wisom of the Holy Spirit in silence. It is for that reason that monastaries are knwn for period of silence - so that God can speak to the hearts of those who ae within its walls.
The observations which you have made are very good and valid ones. And I am sure you may understand what I am driving at.
But I am sure some twit is going to come back at me and post all manner of blather about "how good it is to sing", having (again) missed my point.