Can you imagine the apostles in the book of Acts having this discussion?
because I sure can't....
http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/ind...ge=0&Itemid=48
{snipped excerpts} read the whole thing at above link:
All style and no substance.
http://insidecatholic.com/Joomla/ind...ge=0&Itemid=48
{snipped excerpts} read the whole thing at above link:
Quote:
| Boredom during the liturgy
is something all Catholics have felt from time to time, and it's never justifiable. No matter how mundane the architecture, how dull the homily,
or how bad the music, what's taking place on the altar is a miraculous sacrifice that gives us the
grace for salvation. That reality should be enough to keep our attention.
. |
Quote:
| Keyboard music is common during this time, but imagine something different: simple Latin chant, sung calmly, without affectation, with silence between verses. The simple sounds inspire prayer. A common objection is that people can't understand the words. Yet this isn't the time for pedagogy. It is a time for reflection, to begin to hear the voice of angels who speak in an unfamiliar tongue. The meaning is conveyed in the line of notes. The holy sounds remind people entering the church that they're in a holy place. |
Quote:
| Processional music can also employ the choir alone, a stately piece of polyphony that lets people put down their hymnbooks and watch as the celebrant and altar servers walk forward carrying the crucifix. People should not be so busy with their hands and eyes that they don't notice this beautiful sight. |
Quote:
| The "Mystery of Faith" was never separate from the Consecration in the "old" Mass, so there is no authentic precedent to light our way. What can be done, however, is to reduce the "Mystery of Faith" to a single, unrepeated line without accompaniment. For that matter, the Amen need not be "great" but rather just two notes. |
Quote:
| Let's be frank: This part of the liturgy, once very formal and reserved to the deacons and subdeacons, can be disconcerting. The minutes after the consecration just seem like a bad time to be required to greet people with a friendly hello or a kiss. The choir can do something about this. Don't let the Sign of Peace go on and on. Just begin the "Lamb of God" right away. Most people will be grateful. |
Quote:
| There are other methods for enhancing the sense of solemnity, which really means creating sights and sounds that remind people they're in church. The choir can be in an inauspicious place. Carpet can be pulled up to eliminate the deadness in a room that compels the use of microphones. Traditional polyphony is a great way to add texture to a liturgy dominated by chant. Starting a children's choir is an investment in the future generation of singers and can dispel the impression that Latin is anachronistic or unsingable. Tacky banners can be taken down and replaced with beautiful art and statues from Christian history. |
All style and no substance.
Quote:
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. |
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