Letter on liturgy and music

This charitable and wonderful letter was written by the Bishop of Marquette and recommended to me by the Bishop of Lincoln.

Here's just a few excerpts, but click HERE to read the entire article.

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He begins by thanking those who have served the Church with their musical gifts over the years:

"Indeed, many have made it their life’s work to provide music for the
Sacred Liturgy. The Church, including both clergy and laity, is grateful beyond
words for their dedication and service. It must also be said that the principles
and practical applications which follow will come as a real change in focus and
direction for many of these same dedicated musicians...Although much of
what follows may contravene the formation that many have experienced over
recent years, this is in no way to be interpreted as a criticism of those dedicated
Church musicians who have offered their service with a generous heart and with
good will."

Then, he quotes Vatican II documents and other Church documents to lay out the vision for Sacred Music.

"We must come to see that, since sacred music is integral to the
Mass, the role of sacred music is to help us sing and pray the texts of the Mass
itself, not just ornament it. "


"Church teaching emphasizes that the music proper to the Sacred Liturgy
possesses three qualities: sanctity, beauty, and universality. Only music which
possesses all three of these qualities is worthy of the Mass.

Sacred music should consequently possess, in the highest degree, the
qualities proper to the liturgy, and in particular sanctity and goodness of
form, which will spontaneously produce the final quality of universality." (Pius X, Tra le sollecitudini I:2)

"One often gets the impression that, as long as the written text of the music or
song speaks about God, then it qualifies as “sacred music.” Given what has
been articulated here, this is clearly not the case. As an example, the Gloria of
the Mass set to a Polka beat or in the style of rock music is not sacred music.
Why not? Because such styles of music, as delightful as they might be for the
dance hall or a concert, do not possess all three of the intrinsic qualities of
sanctity, artistic goodness (beauty) and universality proper to sacred music."

--
That's just the beginning of this detailed, 20-page document!

 

Thankfulness

How about a little note of gratitude from time to time to get this blog going?

Today, I'm thankful for a warm, safe, and dry home. For good food and hot coffee. For a cuddly toddler. For beautiful music on the radio (ReneeFleming station on Pandora--inspired by her performance of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl). For a pile of good books: Ordeal By Innocence by Agatha Christie, Mothering Your Nursing Toddler by Norma Jane Bumgarner, and Natural Baby and Childcare by Dr. Lauren Feder. 

What are you thankful for today? What books are waiting for you to read them?

Video from Media Vita

young people believe in life-long love

A video that shows that young people still believe in life-long love!

http://loveishere.com/videos/joyandsacrifice.html

Since it's for a contest, once you view it, "like" it to vote for it.

Personality

I have always felt that just as each person has a unique and individual personality, so too does each married couple and family.

A personality means that a person will react a certain way to events in their life, they will choose certain people to be close to or associated with, they will be drawn to practice a certain kind of spirituality and prayer, and they will choose activities and a lifestyle based on their personality.

A couple's or family's "personality" means that one family may choose to be very active in their church or school, another family may devote time more to sports, and another family may choose to live a quiet life at home, avoiding lots of extracurricular activities. Some families choose to homeschool by "unschooling," and some choose to have a tight schedule and curriculum to follow.

While each couple and family need to discern what their unique "personality" is, it is important to also remember that what is right for you and your family may not be right for the Jones family or the Smith family or the...

That's right, don't give into peer pressure at any age or stage!

Happy New Year

We are already well into 2011--especially since the Liturgical New Year began weeks ago with the first Sunday of Advent!

I always try to start the (calendar) New Year right by praying the Preparation for Total Consecration by St. Louis Marie de Montfort. It begins on December 31 and ends on the Feast of the Presentation on February 2nd. What better way to give the year to the Lord than by consecrating oneself to Him through weeks of prayerful preparation and a devotion to His Blessed Mother.

Publication

Today, I opened my mailbox to find the latest issue of "Sacred Music." Months ago, I had sent in my abstract, and the editor said that he was interested in the entire thesis for publication. After sending my thesis, however, I did not hear any confirmation, so I was uncertain if my thesis had actually made it into the journal.

...But there in the index, third from the top, was "A Blessing in Disguise" with my name next to it.

It is a thrill to see my hard work in print and know that it is being read.

Perhaps there'll be more to come now that I know I can do it!