Putting effort into our worship is clearly important. God deserves the best we can give, so it’s hard to argue with that. That’s not to say that we should be afraid that what we have to offer isn’t good enough. He knows our weaknesses and limitations. The standard of “effort” for God is not some arbitrary benchmark or standard-ized test. His standard, in all things, is love. A beautiful liturgy performed by hypocrites means very little to God in comparison to a messy one performed by saints.
At the same time, if a person claims they are trying hard but they refuse to improve, we can be sure their effort is not as sincere as they say. As with many things in the Church, we find there is a tension between different principles and that we have to keep that tension. In this case, it is the tension between subjective effort and objective quality. God wants subjective effort be-cause that shows love. But, objective quality points us in the right direction so that we are genuinely improving in our efforts to love God.
And that’s what brings us to the Mass. I say we should put effort into worshiping God — using his “love language” of liturgy — but the next question is this: what does good “worship” look like? We agree that we should do our best, so how can we gauge the objective quality of worship in order to know where to improve? Well, we start by asking the one who set the standard, God. God has called us to worship him especially in the Eucharist: “Do this in memory of me” (Lk 22:19). He also entrusted to the Church the authority to guard and hand on this ritual we call the Mass: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:19).
Throughout the centuries, the Church has used this authority to refine and develop the liturgy to be the authentic worship of God. Because she has a perspective that spans 1000s of years, the Church’s vision of things is not always obvious to us. It often takes an act of trust and some time for us to see the wisdom in doing some-thing that seems complicated or odd to our modern sensibilities. Still, because we trust the teaching of Jesus, we trust the teachings of the Church he established.
The Second Vatican Council, drawing on our tradition, has quite a few things to teach us about the liturgy. Here are a few snippets: The Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian Life (Lumen Gentium, 11). The laity should have “fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 14). As was discussed in the Homily, This means mental and spiritual activity: paying attention to what is happening, praying in the silences, and responding at the proper times.
We’re also taught that “liturgical worship is given a more noble form when it is celebrated in song” and that “a form of sung Mass is to be preferred as much as possible… especially on Sundays and feast days” (Musicam Sacram, 5 & 27). The Missal (priest’s book for Mass) says “The Christian faithful… are instructed… to sing together psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (cf. Col 3:16). Singing is the sign of the heart’s joy (cf. Acts 2:46). Thus Saint Augustine says rightly, ‘Singing is for one who loves.’ There is also the ancient proverb: ‘One who sings well prays twice.’” Music, as a part of worship, should come from the effort of living human beings there to worship God. This is why the Bishops tell us that “recorded music… should not be used within the liturgy” (Sing to the Lord, 93).
That’s why we no longer use recorded music at Mass. It’s also why we’re working to develop a music program that is appropriate, uplifting, and able to be sung by most people. Yes, it will mean a little discomfort and a little more effort at first, but with time it be-comes more familiar and easier. Done well and with love, it will make our worship even more genuine
– In Christ,
Fr. Albert