Spiritual Essay #111

bro. Fred's Reflections #111

Beautiful Music
by Fred Schaeffer, SFO (© 2006)

Music is in the beholder's ear. What may be beautiful music for me, could be downright ugly for someone who abhors classical music. Music and song helps calm us and prepare us for liturgy, prayer and reflection. But again, if you're in love with heavy metal, church music might sound odd to you. In the days of Saint Gregory, Gregorian Chant was "in." Later there were the classics, and particularly relevant to church music were composers such as Buxtehude, Vivaldi, Mozart, Beethoven and Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach composed principally for the organ, an instrument still widely used in churches, except that with the cost of church organs many churches defer to electronic keyboards which imitate organ and other instruments rather well.

Ah, the good old days! A couple of years ago, when I still lived in Petersham, Massachusetts with the monks, we went to daily Mass at a Benedictine Abbey up the road. What a joy that was. Benedictines (OSB) are known for their liturgies. Liturgy is their charism and that are particularly good at it. Holy Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours were celebrations of sound, specifically Gregorian Chant sung to perfection. If there's anything I miss about Petersham it's the beautiful music I was privileged to hear every day.

At my current parish church in Vero Beach, Florida, I participate in two choirs as a tenor. I sing at funerals with the Resurrection Choir, and on Sunday mornings, with our main choir. Contemporary Catholic Church music may contain some Gregorian Chant but for the most part, we sing compositions from 20th-21st century composers, such as, Marty Haugen, David Haas, Bob Hurd, etc. These are beautiful also, particularly if sung in four voice harmony (Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass or Baritone).

St. Augustine told the world that "Singing [music] is praying twice!" Do not laugh, but I sing a lot, even at home by myself. When I pray the Liturgy of the Hours (as a Secular Franciscan we have a duty to pray this or a similar daily "office"), I may sing the Gospel canticle or a psalm or two. Perhaps it is fortunate I live alone so that I am not disturbing anyone, but I know a happily married couple who sing these prayers together. To me, there is something Godly about music, particularly prayerful and calm music. The music of the angels. I hope very much that when we get to heaven we will find beautiful music. I suspect that when we are in Heaven totally involved in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we will not worry about what it sounds like but we will be so overcome with love that it sounds like heavenly music. We'll be praising God continually and since there will be no more pain and suffering it will be just great. When people tell you about their conception of heaven, I think there's going to be disappointment. But only for a second. When we see what Heaven is really like, we'll love it. But first we have to get there, and in this day and age one really wonders how on earth anyone will ever get to Heaven. Please pray for each other, that we'll make it. We know God loves us dearly, but we have to love Him back. When we don't pray and when we sin, we don't love Him. And when we know better, and still sin, we don't love Him enough. (That's more or less what Saint Bonaventure, the great Franciscan theologian, told the world in his writings).

Music is a way to calm oneself. When you're in church, listen to the words of the music, and 'pray them in your heart.' Then think of the great musical heritage that came about in the world because of the Catholic Church. It was only through the Church that the Ave Maria, the Hail Mary, in Latin, came about as a musical piece, and the composition you hear most often was composed jointly by Bach and by Gounod. Other parts of Liturgy came about in the same way. It is a blessing and, for me at least, it is pure joy to listen to choirs sing, to music on CD's and to my own feeble attempt on my Yamaha keyboard. Music definitely brings me closer to God!

Peace and all Good!

Uploaded September 27, 2002