So Fr. Aidan, a Vincentian priest from the nearby seminary, celebrated the 8:45 Mass this morning for the Solemnity of the Epiphany. He used the Roman Canon (which pleased me) but he also chanted the Collect, the Super Oblata, and the Post Communionem. However, the congregation was apparently shocked out of their minds. The "Amen" response the first two times was horrendous! (How hard is it to chant "A-men"? It's just one note!) The third time, we did better (because Fr. Aidan lowered the key).
Speaking with him after Mass, he said he decided not to chant the dialogue at the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist ("The Lord be with you", "And also with you", etc.) because he feared we would not know the tune to respond with. How sad it is that most of my parish doesn't know this primary form of actual participation! Missalettes and hymnals should include more standard music for the Order of Mass. You usually only see tunes for the Kyrie and the Gloria and other parts that people "expect" to be sung, rather than for the whole Ordinary of Mass.
1 comment:
Well, my priest practically got his head bit off for saying the Hail Mary at mass! The pastoral administrator was so miffed he took it to the Bishop, who thankfully set him straight. Now we say the Hail Mary at every Sunday mass. It is absolutely amazing to me that the changes over the last generation have apparently come to be so sacrosanct that any deviation or return to a more traditional stance is enough to cause an uproar.
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