Monsignor Gerry Fitzpatrick explains the relationship between the New Missal and recently-composed music.
Preparing as we are for the New Missal, many of us probably realize that it’s going to be a lot easier to introduce this one, than it was to launch its predecessor, the Missal of Paul 6th.
Of course, its useful to be reminded about the importance of ‘full, conscious and active participation,’ particularly through ‘the Mass parts’ – as we call them – (Kyrie, gloria, psalm, alleluia, sanctus, memorials, Doxology and Amen, and Agnus Dei), but its important to remember that, this time, we are not being asked to start from scratch! We already have a substantial repertoire and are not being asked to forego the fruit of so much work, by so many people, over the last 40 years!
Settings of the new texts will gradually replace the current settings of the previous texts – though many composers have been able to re-write parts of their settings – but it would surely be foolish to lose repertoire, the tools of participation, before we can replace it. Undoubtedly, we have been here before! The language of the liturgy gradually changed in Rome from Greek to Latin in the 3rd and 4th century and we still have traces of the Greek as well as the Latin, which people have been happy to continue to sing ever since!
Many priests and musicians, bishops, cantors and congregations take delight in the repertoire of psalms, in a variety of styles, which we are able to use now to respond to the word of God, to express our faith, our hopes, our humanity, in the range of situations which are part of our lives and the lives of others.
These words of Psalm 18, seem so appropriate for the feasts of Apostles – including that of our own St Andrew, patron of Scotland, but they also can help us to voice our sense of the teaching of the apostles reaching throughout the world, bringing good news.
Listen now to words we use from Psalm 17 which can help us in our prayers to express our trust in God’s love for us.
Then, the acclamations with which we stand and sing to welcome the Gospel at mass have also already enriched us immeasurably -
‘Christ was humbler yet, even to accepting death . . .
or
I am the light of the world, says the Lord. . . anyone who follows me will have the light of life.
For many, the Missal of Paul 6th has been a source of much spiritual nourishment, even of great beauty and it has enabled us to express our faith for some 40 years – after all, “What you pray is what you believe.” – Using these texts in prayer, surely we will become at ease with them, and will enjoy their many biblical allusions – ‘from the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of the Lord. ’