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The Armchair Liturgist

On his site, Mike Roesch asks a number of questions pertaining to the liturgy, some pertaining to music. Here’s an attempt to answer with primary sources.

[MR] My home parish has a Lenten “tradition” (we’ve only been doing it for about 5 or 6 years) of omitting the recessional hymn (or song, as the case usually would be) during Lent. The intention is that people will stay a little longer in silent prayer (which, of course, nobody does, but rather they start chattering and filing out as soon as the priest enters the Sacristy directly from the altar). Anyone else have this experience or know where it comes from?

According to the the USCCB’s GIRM bulletin insert, there is no explicit mention of a recessional hymn or a closing song. Article 73 of the USCCB’s 1978 document Music in Catholic Worship states:

The recessional song has never been an official part of the rite; hence musicians are free to plan music which provides an appropriate closing to the liturgy. A song is one possible choice. However, if the people have sung a song after communion, it may be advisable to use only an instrumental or choir recessional.

The intention in omitting the recessional song during Lent is that people will remain in silent prayer. If the people won’t cooperate, then it is up to whoever is in charge to determine a solution that would encourage people to cooperate.

This year, our campus parish uses a soft instrumental piece to accompany the exit of the priest. It seems to work well enough (i.e., people tend not to leave until the procession has at least passed by their row).

[MR] I’ve spoken with my youth minister about it, saying that it would make a lot more sense to omit the Communion song, since it can be distracting from prayer after receiving Christ, which she said might be a good idea and that I should consider joining the liturgy committee (that’d work really well; five 50-year-old status quo-ites and me).

Articles 60 and 62 of MCW state:

60. The two processional chants—the entrance song and the communion song—are very important for a sense of community. Proper antiphons are given to be used with appropriate psalm verses. These may be replaced by the chants of the Simple Gradual, by other psalms and antiphons or by other fitting songs.

62. The communion song should foster a sense of unity. It should be simple and not demand great effort. It gives expression to the joy of unity in the body of Christ and the fulfillment of the mystery being celebrated. Most benediction hymns, by reason of their concentration on adoration rather than on communion, are not acceptable. In general, during the most important season of the Church year, Easter, Lent, Christmas and Advent, it is preferable that most of the songs used at the communion be seasonal in nature. During the remainder of the Church year, however, topical songs may be used during the communion procession, provided these texts do not conflict with the paschal character of every Sunday.

The instruction is not reiterated, however, by the USCCB’s bulletin insert.

I think that the choice of music at the communion procession is critical. Haugen’s “O Taste and See” done with piano and bongos is (to me at least) more aesthetically distracting than the Ubi Caritas chant (either in Latin or English).

[MR] We also (or at least used to) cover the holy water fonts throughout Lent. This one I totally don’t understand. What’s the symbolism supposed to be? We’re not supposed to bless ourselves during Lent? No sacramentals during Lent? (”We’re really supposed to be suffering during this time of year: NO GRACE FOR YOU!!! This year it’s holy water, next year it’s the Eucharist.”) We’re supposed to forget our baptismal promises during Lent?

I don’t understand it either. I’d chalk it up to “creativity”.

Would anyone else like to give more definitive information about these matters?

Posted 03.31.2003
by Aristotle Esguerra
5 comments.
Filed under: 1970 Missal; GIRM; Liturgical Music in Practice.

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5 Comments

Check out the Church’s official songbook for Mass, the Graduale Romanum. There is no such thing as a “recessional;” nor is there even any such thing (in most cases) of a “hymn” during Mass. (The Church’s official hymnal, the Liber Hymnarius, is for use with the Liturgy of the Hours.) I suppose all of us are too young to remember when vernacular hymns were first permitted at Mass. They were inserted where they would cause the least disruption; e.g., after Mass. You (yes, you!) are quite welcome to schedule a Rosary, a prayer to Saint Michael, the Angelus, (the remainder of) Vespers, Benediction, whatever — dancing and fainting in the pews — AFTER Mass. How anyone got the idea that we had to have “kick-’em-out” music is beyond me … from Protestants who actually stay and sing entire good vernacular hymns? from television series theme songs?

By the way, our parish only has a song — generally the Marian antiphon of the season — (and organ postlude) after Mass during Lent on Laetare Sunday. Also, by the way, it is quiet after Mass. And before. And silent for three minutes after Communion and for one minute during each elevation. And, well, you get the picture: it is a cultivated habit.

MCW, by the way, is not a definitive document. It contradicts, for example, Musicam Sacram. Again, please check your Graduale (Graduale Romanum, Graduale Triplex, or Graduale Simplex) for the official texts and melodies. No guessing!

There is no holy water in the fonts on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. You must remember that the Paschal candle is dipped in the water to bless it at the Easter Vigil. The water is used to fill any fonts by Easter Sunday Mass. So the parish mentioned is simply extending the absence of holy water. That said, it seems ridiculous to extend the Triduum over the whole of Lent; we do not even extend Passiontide over the whole of Lent! Also, I agree the parish may be denying the use of an important to its members (and guests) who are trying to take Lent seriously and find graces there.

Daniel Muller, Organist
Blessed Sacrament Church, Dallas


Daniel Muller
04.01.2003 @ 7:14 pm #

Corrigendum:

last sentence: … an important _sacramental_ to its members …


Daniel Muller
04.01.2003 @ 7:17 pm #

Whoops! I looked at earlier postings and saw that some of my comments about the Graduale have already been covered. To make up for this, I would like to post an official response about holy water and Lent. I think that maybe the date should be 2003, but this is as posted at adoremus.org:

Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Piazza Pio XII, 10
00120 Vatican City

Prot. N. 569/00/L

March 14, 2000

Dear Father:

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The “fast” and “abstinence” which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
[signed]
Mons. Mario Marini
Undersecretary


Daniel Muller
04.02.2003 @ 1:20 pm #

Daniel: Thanks for the official clarification from Msgr. Martini.

Here are some links to search results on this site that refer to the following:

[ICEL translated "cantus" as "chant" in the new GIRM! Deo gratias!]


Aristotle A. Esguerra
04.02.2003 @ 2:31 pm #

Thanks a lot. I actually think our new priest stopped emptying out the holy water, but I’m not sure since I’m not at home during Lent.


Mike Roesch
04.02.2003 @ 5:10 pm #

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