Tidbits from the Workshop

Here’s a taste of some of the points made in the “Mystical Body, Mystical Voice” workshop. These points are from Session I: The Word Made Flesh:

The Mass is Essentially Sacramental

In other words, external and perceptible signs and symbols in the Mass make present some internal and otherwise undetectable realities. This is why we take a sacramental approach to the liturgy: the words themselves are sacramental.

What is a sacrament? “An outward sign, instituted by Christ, to give grace.” The words of the liturgy carry a reality: Christ. In him and in his Mystical Body, the restored dialogue of love resonates in the world today. The ultimate reality of the Mass is Jesus himself. Jesus is not only the Son of the Father, but is his Word.

The words of the liturgy are sacramental signs of the Word. To speak, hear, sing, and pray the words of the Mass is to encounter the Word, Jesus Christ.

In his book, The Spirit of the Liturgy, Romano Guardini notes that:

The liturgy wishes to teach, but not by means of an artificial system of aim-conscious educational influences; it simply creates an entire spiritual world in which the soul can live according to the requirements of its nature. The difference resembles that which exists between a gymnasium, in which every detail of apparatus and every exercise aims at a calculated effect, and the open woods and fields. In the first everything is consciously directed towards discipline and development, in the second life is lived with Nature, and internal growth takes placed in her. The liturgy creates a universe brimming with fruitful spiritual life, and allows the soul to wander about in it at will and to develop itself there. (p 66)

The liturgy has much to teach us about Jesus, and the words that we use in the liturgy are very important in conveying the “hidden” meaning of the Mass. Sacramental language comes to “say” this reality not by virtue of committee decisions, but from the sources of creation, human culture, the Old Covenant, the Person and work of Christ, and Heaven.

The Church has developed a liturgical language able to “sacramentalize” and make present the Word. 

There is much to be said on this topic! If you are interested in learning more, ask your pastor to schedule a “Mystical Body, Mystical Voice” workshop for your parish. Contact Stephanie Swee at 541-550-0832, or email her at swee0574@gmail.com.

Mystical Body, Mystical Voice in Bend = Success!

What does the opening scene of the movie The Voyage of the Dawntreader have to do with the new translation (3rd edition) of the Roman Missal? A group of parishioners from the Bend area can probably explain it after their participation in a workshop sponsored by the Society of St. Gregory the Great on Friday and Saturday, November 11-12.

The workshop concerned the changes in the Mass that will be evident starting the first Sunday of Advent when the third edition of the Roman Missal is formally and officially put into use. Pastors of many parishes in the Diocese of Baker have begun to use at least some of the revised responses of the people. Changes in the priest’s prayers won’t be heard till November 27.

The USCCB has said:

The entire Church in the United States has been blessed with this opportunity to deepen its understanding of the Sacred Liturgy, and to appreciate its meaning and importance in our lives…Musicians and parishioners alike should soon be learning the various new and revised musical settings of the Order of Mass.

People will be paying more attention to the Mass because of the changes – that’s what gives us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the liturgy. There’s something to talk about: why have these changes been made?  But if we simply take a utilitarian, mechanical attitude toward it, we’ll just say, “Let’s just learn the new words and get on with it.”

There’s much more to it than that!  And that’s what this workshop is about.

This workshop is based on a program is called Mystical Body, Mystical Voice, which was created by a priest and a layman with extensive education in the liturgy; it’s produced by the Liturgical Institute. Based on sacramental theology and the liturgical rites of the Church, it’s not just a mechanical instruction in what’s changing and how we “do” it; it’s also about understanding the beauty of what the new translation has to offer. It’s about enriching our knowledge of and participation in the Mass. And we’re talking about participation in a deeper sense than simply being a part of the choir, or serving as a lay minister, or usher, etc.

The facilitator for the presentation was Dr. Judith (Jay) Boyd, who also serves as vice-president of the Society of St. Gregory the Great. The workshop included both video segments of dynamic speakers addressing the issues, as well as comments by Dr. Boyd, and discussion amongst the attendees. Participants were reminded of the rich Catholic heritage that lies beneath the surface of the Liturgy, building on 2000 years of Christianity as well as several thousand years more of our roots in Judaism. The Mass is more than it appears on the surface, and participants were led into a renewal of their understanding of the liturgy's spiritual depths and its true meaning.

Another important focus of the workshop in Bend – as well as the one given recently in The Dalles - was the value and beauty of a "sung" Mass. The new edition of the Missal contains more music than previous editions, and the USCCB is encouraging priests and the faithful to reclaim some of the lost traditions of the Church by singing the Mass from start to finish. Participants at the Bend workshop practiced singing the responses, and saw the way the simply chant melodies draw one into the liturgical celebration and move one’s heart and mind toward God.

So, what does The Voyage of the Dawntreader have to do with all of this? It's worth your time to attend a workshop and find out! To schedule one in your parish, contact Stephanie Swee at 541-550-0832, or email her at swee0574@gmail.com.

Why I Love the Liturgy

Here are some quotes which sum up the reasons why I love the liturgy…as well as telling us what the liturgy should be (all emphases added).

From The Spirit of the Liturgy by Romano Guardini:

P. 66: “The liturgy wishes to teach, but not by means of an artificial system of aim-conscious educational influences; it simply creates an entire spiritual world in which the soul can live according to the requirements of its nature. The difference resembles that which exists between a gymnasium, in which every detail of apparatus and every exercise aims at a calculated effect, and the open woods and fields. In the first everything is consciously directed towards discipline and development, in the second life is lived with Nature, and internal growth takes placed in her. The liturgy creates a universe brimming with fruitful spiritual life, and allows the soul to wander about in it at will and to develop itself there.”

p. 67 [commenting on Proverbs 8:30-31]  It is the delight of the Eternal Father that Wisdom (the Son, the perfect Fullness of Truth) should pour out Its eternal essence before Him in all Its ineffable splendor, without any ‘purpose’ – for what purpose should It have? – but full of decisive meaning, in pure and vocal happiness; the Son ‘plays’ before the Father.

     “Such is the life of the highest beings, the angels, who, without a purpose and as the Spirit stirs them, move before God, and are a mystic diversion and a living song before Him.”

From The Spirit of the Liturgy by Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI):

p. 18: “Ultimately, it is the very life of man, man himself as living righteously, that is the true worship of God, but life only becomes real life when it receives its form from looking toward God. Cult exists in order to communicate this vision and to give life in such a way that glory is given to God.”

p. 21: “Worship, that is, the right kind of cult, of relationship with God, is essential for the right kind of human existence in the world. It is so precisely because it reaches beyond everyday life. Worship gives us a share in heaven’s mode of existence, in the world of God, and allows light to fall from that divine world into ours…”

p. 22: “But real liturgy implies that God responds and reveals how we can worship him. In any form, liturgy includes some kind of ‘institution’. It cannot spring from imagination, our own creativity – then it would remain just a cry in the dark or mere self-affirmation. Liturgy implies a real relationship with Another, who reveals himself to us and gives our existence a new direction.”

p. 22: [He comments on the story of the golden calf to make the point that] “…the liturgy is not a matter of ‘what you please’.” [When “creativity” happens, people are worshiping an image.] “The people cannot cope with the invisible, remote, and mysterious God. They want to bring him down into their own world, into what they can see and understand. Worship is no longer going up to God, but drawing God down into one’s own world…Worship becomes a feast that the community gives itself, a festival of self-affirmation. Instead of being worship of God, it becomes a circle closed in on itself: eating, drinking, and making merry. The dance around the golden calf is an image of this self-seeking worship.”

p. 60: “Past, present, and future interpenetrate and touch upon eternity.”

"Smoking" Section!

I found this on The Chant Cafe, but it is originally from this website, along with the commentary below the photo. Imagine being able to advertise your own parish this way!

Where we participate in corporate worship and the experience that we find there has a major effect on our experience of the Christian life with God and shapes our theology and spirituality.

Liturgy "By the Book"

Many people in many parishes seem to be under the impression that what goes on at Mass is determined by the Liturgy Committee. Not so! With the new translation of the Roman Missal coming into use on the first Sunday of Advent, the fact that there really is a "right way to do it" may get a little more exposure.

Here are a few important points about the liturgy:

1. The Catholic Church is not a democracy. There are instructions, mandates, and guidelines that we either must or should follow with regard to the liturgy.

2. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) tells us how to “do” the Mass. It is an instruction, not a suggestion!

3. There are specific guidelines for the music in the Liturgy. We should not look at it as what “we” want for “our parish”, but rather, what the Church has in mind for liturgical music. This applies also to the furnishings and decoration of the church and sanctuary; the GIRM contains a chapter on this.

4. There have been several instructions on music in the liturgy issued from the Vatican. Many of the mandates contained in them have gone by the wayside in the US. This does not excuse us from knowing what we are supposed to do. We can read them for ourselves.

5. Canon law supports the right and the duty of Catholics to request and to be granted an authentic liturgy. We should ask that things be done properly, and we should make known to the proper authorities when things are not done properly. So if a person or group asks for a liturgy that follows the rubrics, their request has canonical authority behind it. Asking for things that are not provided for in the GIRM or other documents, or which are prohibited, carry no weight at all and amount to an attempt to hijack the liturgy for one’s own purposes.

6. Latin is the official language of the Church. Vatican II documents on the liturgy and music stated explicitly that the people should be able “to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them” (Sacrosanctum Concilium 54, #1 – Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). The "Ordinary" includes the Gloria, Kyrie, Sanctus (Holy holy), and Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). We should all know those, in Latin!

7. As adults in the Church, we should all be actively seeking to grow in our faith. We cannot effectively pass on the faith to our children if we don’t know any more than they do. When we bring the liturgy down to the level of the children, we are not doing them any favors. They will come to see "church" as something "for little kids".

8. The music and the furnishings and décor of any Catholic church – the environment in which we celebrate Mass – should suggest and be conducive to awe and reverence. It's not about creating a "friendly" or "comfortable" atmosphere; our churches should reflect the fact that they are sanctuaries of God - the King of the Universe!

9. Maybe all of this, or most of it, or some of it, is new to you. If you did not know about these things before this, now I have given you the information, even if past, current, or future pastors did not or do not. What you do with it is up to you, but we are all held accountable by God to know these things. You can read the General Instruction of the Roman Missal here.

The treasury of our Catholic heritage is rich. It's time to rediscover it!

Choice of Liturgical Music

Here's what I should have heard for the "opening hymn" (the introit) at Mass last Sunday:

Here's what I heard instead:



The musicians are really much better than they sound on the video, but still...the music is simply not good music. And bad music sung well is still bad music. In addition, the text of the song the choir chose to sing does not at all resemble the text of the official antiphon the Church designates as the choice for the Mass of the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time. The song was chosen because it was about eating, and the readings were about eating, so that must make it a good choice...right? Wrong!

We must learn to think with the mind of the Church, instead of picking and choosing according to our own desires and preferences. There are still options, but they are more limited than OCP and other "liturgical" publications would have us believe.