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[matty_z]

I met Matt Maher today.

Comments

[christine_920]

Awesome!

I had a conversation with someone today about what music is appropriate for the Mass. It made me wish that Monsignor Swetland were still here to help her take in information from both Fr. Tom and Heath and sort through the different perspectives. It's an issue I haven't fully sorted through myself yet.

[matty_z]

It's a particularly difficult issue because part of it is how one communes most effectively with God, and attempting not to assume that all people do so. It's really easy to find justification for any statement of the form "They'll learn to love it, just as I have," whether that refers to chant or Matt Maher. (And I do mean that...you can cherry-pick paragraphs from any number of liturgical documents of importance ranging from local bishops' statements to the Second Vatican Council.) I'm increasingly convinced that what music is appropriate at Mass is jointly a pastoral issue (relative to a particular parish) with respect for the tradition of the liturgy. When it becomes primarily a pastoral issue or primarily about respect for tradition, people turn the Mass into what they want it to be, rather than what God wants it to be

[wmelephant]

I agree. I seem to have had several conversations with people lately on this, and I'm still trying to put things coherently into words. One thing I do know is that when liturgy is done for show, it is empty... regardless of what music is chosen.

And btw, I think it is very cool that you got to meet Matt Maher. :)

[gaudium_et_spes]

Rumor has it the USCCB is working on a new music letter. Should be interesting.