New Liturgical Catechesis Series Launched on YouTube!
Hopefully you’ve been following our YouTube channel (@ServiamScores) for a while now, but in case you haven’t been, this summer saw the launch of a new series of catechetical talks about liturgy / music in the liturgy. Talks are posted in full, along with shorter clips which are great for sharing on social media. If you would be so kind, please share some of these clips/videos! Below are all the full videos so you can make sure you have not missed any:
To start with, James discusses the fact that the church still envisions Gregorian chant as a part of the new rite of Mass. Some people simple don’t believe this is true, but it is! The Graduale Romanum (‘74) and (and by extension, the Gregorian Missal which comprises extracts needed for Sundays and solemnities) proves it! In this video James through the Missal’s instructions for the Entrance Chant. It turns out, rubrics are very interesting!
Speaking of rubrics, there’s no better way to familiarize yourself with them than to own a copy of the Altar Missal (and therefore the “GIRM”). Priests: please buy copies for your musicians and go over it with them!
Even if you’re not ready for the full latin propers, you should still be thinking about how you can incorporate Antiphons in the Mass (even in the vernacular).
So let’s say you’re convinced that antiphons are important. Now what? Consider adding communion antiphons; they are low hanging fruit!
Next we featured an interview between James (ServiamScores) & the inimitable Patrick McGuire, where they discuss their backgrounds, how they got to where they are, and some of the things that they are striving for liturgically.
Next up is an introduction video to Fr. Weber’s The Proper of the Mass for Sundays and Solemnities, which is an EXCELLENT resource for vernacular propers. If your parish wants to dip its toes into the water of propers, this is our #1 recommended resource.
Now we come to a talk that every layman should hear. This video is pure encouragement for those who feel timid about singing at Mass. Please consider sharing with your parishes!
“Even if you croak like a frog, then croak for Jesus!”
Now we’ve all heard the phrase, “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi” (“The law of prayer is the law of belief” or more simply, “what/how you pray determines what/how you believe.”)
James proposes a new maxim for liturgical ministers: “Lex CANTANDI, lex credendi”, that is, “What you SING influences what you believe”. It’s time we get serious about the words we ask our congregations to sing!
Now we pass to “Latria” — that is, the sacred worship that we reserve to God alone. It’s important to understand exactly what the Mass is, and how its “otherness” makes greater demands on us as musicians and congregants. We need to hold a higher standard, and when a music minister denies someone’s request, there is usually a very good reason for it. Music in the Mass is not a free-for-all!
Next we talk about the encyclical Divini Cultus and how Pope Pius XII asks pastors and musicians to teach the people about “liturgical music”. Are you teaching your people about good music and liturgy? Most parishes desperately need catechesis about how to do Mass well. What’s more, we need to dwell on the very concept of “liturgical music”! Why? Because Pius clearly demonstrates that there is music that is fit for liturgy, but there is also music that is not.
Next up we have another “church chat” between two church musicians: James & Nicholas Liese of Sleepy Eye, MN. They discuss liturgy writ large, and James shares some of his pet peeves 😅 and Nicholas gets a high five for chanting the propers!
Next we pivot to St. Pius X’s warning about “profanity” in the Mass (that is—worldly things). The standards for Mass are much higher than many people believe, and Pius X has some stern warnings for those who do not approach Mass with the necessary reverence!
Finally, we end with a talk about “Sacred Silence” in the Mass. It turns out: the altar Missal mentions silence or “sacred silence” on at least 52 separate pages(!)—sometimes more than once, too. There is lots of room for discretion and application, but what is not up for debate is the fact that the church envisions sacred silence as part of the experience of Mass.
There will be yet more to come, although the pace of release will slow down with the start of school and choir season. We still hope that these talks have been helpful in the meantime, and if you appreciate any of them, please share them on social media! You can also look up the extracted clips which address specific things and share those as well. Every little bit helps!
