Well, the plunge has been agreed upon earlier than I expected! We had been planning on having the congregation chant the single verse introit and the communion antiphon at the daily Masses when the new school session begins. However, we've scrapped that idea and moved the schedule up a bit...to THIS WEEKEND.....
In place of the Introit at the weekend Masses, we'll be singing the hymns from the Introit Hymns collection, published by WLM. Although there are a few hymns wherein the texts are not very elegant, for the most part, everything is singable, and makes sense verbally. There are a few tunes that we will probably bypass, as well.
We are going to have the congregation chant the communion antiphon to Tone VIII, which is the most familiar one in this parish. (Years and years ago, I heard an entire parish sing the liturgy (Introit, Gloria, Psalm, Alleluia, Memorial) to Tone VIII!
So here's how things will be around here at CTK in CC TX.
Organ, Prelude on Kingsfold - Proulx, I think, is the composer....
Introit Hymn, The Lord is the Strength of His People - St. Denio
Gloria, Mass XVIII
Psalm, Tone II
Alleluia, A. Gregory Murray, SJ (vs. Tone VIII)
Offertory, I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say - Kingsfold
Sanctus/Memorial/Agnus Dei - Mass XVIII
Communion Antiphon - Tone VIII
Marian Antiphon - Salve Regina, Mode V
Recessional, I Sing the Mighty Power of God - Ellacombe
Organ, Festive Trumpet Tune - David German
We still have a huge problem with the loud, falling kneelers immediately after the Sanctus. Our priests continue with the Eucharistic Prayer immediately upon the conclusion of the Sanctus, and several sentences are lost mid-air, due to the noisiness. So this week, I decided to make an attempt to rectify the situation. Here's the blurb printed in the music bulletin:
Regarding the kneelers: as yo know, we are supposed to kneel immediately after singing the Sanctus. The priest begins the prayer immediately. Unfortunately, it is difficult to kneel so quickly. It is suggested that the kneelers be quietly put down during the time of the collection. It's just a suggestion, but it might be worth trying.
In the order of Mass, under the line "Presentation of the Gifts", I inserted: (This is a good time to lower the kneelers). Time will tell if this works.
Progress often happens at a snail's pace. With the constant ringing of cell phones one weekend (four times at ONE Mass), I decided to be assertive --- no, make that agressive!!!!! My announcement (a rare thing): I know that most of us have cell phones, and I'd like to encourage everyone to take your phones out, and turn them off, or at least to the silent mode. It really gets very embarrassing when the phone rings during Mass, and it's not God calling!. Believe it or not, there were a large number of chuckles. Yet not one single cell-phone went off at that particular Mass. At one of the other Masses, I heard a very, very quiet ring....and saw a few people turn around. The intrusion into the Sacred by the mundane, profane & secular, is still difficult to deal with. Have you all noticed the sense of "self-importance" that is displayed in public when a person's cell phone rings?
The facial expressions, the vocalisations, etc....although eyes may roll, the person truly gets a blast out of feeling so needed. 'Tis a shame, because for our self worth, we need only Jesus, and he comes to us, hidden, yet manifest, body and blood, soul and divinity, under the form of a piece of bread.
May God bless all of you this coming weekend.
And may the snark in all of us crying out, aloud: SHUT THAT BLANKETY BLANK STUPID IDIOTIC CELL PHONE OFF OR GET THE HECK OUT OF THIS SPACE UNTIL YOU CAN SET YOUR PRIORITIES.
There now. Doesn't that feel better....... (Excedrin Headache #57)
SteveO
3 comments:
Good luck w/the chanting.
As for slow change, well, people still don't know to stand then say "May the Lord accept the sacrifice". In some parishes they sit & say it, like the old way, in other parishes they say it while standing. It's very annoying to me. I can imagine how annoying it is to a priest try to conform to liturgical rules.
Ps, I leave my cell in the car and I always give my dh "the look" if he brings his phone in. :)
A suggestion for the "kneeler" problem. Depending on how loud the Sanctus is, people can put them down then as well, if they "complain" about having to stand while they are down. When I am not serving, that is what I do, and it tends to work.
On the subject of cell phones, a priest that I knew was tempted to ban cell phones from his church one day after the same persons phone went off 3 times in the middle of his homily, and she made no attempt to silence it at all, and was thinking about "telling her to answer it, since whatever it was was obviously more important than the Mass."
Not one phone rang again for about 4 months, at any of the Masses.
re: cell phones. Some of us don't feel the vibration. I am the organist, and leave mine next to the keycheek. I used to always leave it on b/c my parents were ill and it had a special ringtone (which can be lowered). Some people need to be in constant communication in case of emergency. Then, there are those who just don't care.
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