HIDDEN TREASURE - Part 3
by Paul Jernberg
In the first two installments of this three-part series, we have explored the historical reality of our Catholic sacred music traditions, and why they have been described as a “treasure of inestimable value” by the Second Vatican Council. Now we must look more deeply at what we are called to do with this treasure, in the midst of the challenges and opportunities we face in the Roman Catholic Church today.
In my last article I spoke of the Church's call for the preservation, cultivation, and holy development of our great sacred music patrimony. But given the present state of Catholic liturgical music as it has been handed down to most of us in the West, such tasks might seem far beyond our imagination let alone our ability to accomplish them. For while a great deal of good will, creativity, organization, and prayer – all good things in themselves – have been put into our present standard practices for liturgical music, as a general rule this development has been pursued in a way that has been disconnected from our patrimony, and from the call of Vatican II to an inspired growth which is in organic continuity with this heritage.
Some might well ask: “Is it really worth the great effort needed to swim against the strong tide of current practice, to pursue such a goal that seems now to be unrealistic on any kind of broad level, and which seems to have drawn so little awareness or support from many of the Church's clergy?” The answer to this question lies in the call of Christ to each one of us, according to our gifts, the scope of our authority, and our circumstances to be “wise and faithful stewards.” One of the marks of a living fish – as G.K. Chesterton so aptly pointed out - is its ability to swim against the current. And one of the marks of a living Catholic Christian - or for that matter any person of integrity – is his or her ability to faithfully follow their well-formed conscience in the midst of opposition and misunderstanding from others. All of us are called to such vitality, integrity, and holiness. And what might seem at first to be an impossible task, can become a joyful adventure through the assistance of the Holy Spirit and the blessed fellowship we share with others who have also embarked on the same quest.
So how are we to be “wise” stewards of the treasure of our sacred music heritage? In order to reach its full stature, such wisdom must spring from a sound human, religious, and spiritual formation which is oriented toward truth, goodness, and beauty, and which through Christ is infused with a fervent love of God and neighbor. But as such dimensions have been increasingly marginalized in our culture, many of us will often need to confront our own shortcomings in regard to such a formation. This must not lead us to discouragement, but rather to a humble acknowledgment of our limitations and needs, and a renewed commitment to ongoing conversion, learning, and growth through the grace of God.
Also in this regard, we must understand that liturgical music can be a “treasure” for us only to the extent to which it is practiced and cultivated at the service of love – that love which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit - which transforms our natural inclinations, so that we can earnestly desire the temporal and eternal welfare of each person we encounter in this life. Such a fire of love enables us to put everything in perspective, realizing that we are not called merely to please those in a select group, or to pursue “music for music's sake”, but rather through our music to reach out (in a holy, beautiful, and unifying way) to all people so as to draw them to reconciliation and peace with God in Christ.
With a commitment to these principles as a firm foundation, and in a spirit of watchful prayer, we are ready to consider three preliminary steps for all who would aspire to be faithful stewards of our living tradition of Catholic sacred music:
Discovery – Before one can share a treasure, one needs to discover it and be convinced of its value for oneself and for others. This is especially true of music, which by its nature must flow from a genuine love within a person's heart. The best way to discover our living sacred music heritage is to find places – such as in a parish or a religious community - where it is sung with skill, spiritual depth, and joy, and to participate in such Liturgies in person over a period of time. But as it might be difficult for many of us to find such places, this can often necessitate an ongoing process which can include aspects such as the practice of individual and small group singing (of the Divine Office, for instance), attending workshops, and listening to recordings. One can find many fine recordings online of beautiful sacred music from our Roman Rite as well as from the other Rites of the Church. A good starting point for these can be the websites of Magnificat Institute, magnificatinstitute.org and pauljernberg.com, which provide many links to such music: see here and scroll down for examples of traditional chant and polyphony from East and West, see here for examples of newer music (drawn mostly from my own compositions,) and see here for a filmed sung Liturgy in which new and old elements are integrated in a unified whole.
Study – Once one has discovered that this tradition is indeed a treasure worthy of our responsible stewardship, it is also important to study the Church's teaching documents on this music and its use in our Liturgies, while also seeking to understand the historical context and underlying principles of each of them. Three such documents which are essential reading for church musicians are: Tra le sollicitudine, the 1903 Motu proprio of Pope Pius X on Sacred Music; Chapter 6 on “Sacred Music” from Sacrosanctum Concilium (the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy), promulgated by the Second Vatican Council in 1963; and Musicam Sacram (Instruction on Sacred Music), a post-Conciliar document issued in 1967. A list of further reading materials can be found on our website here, and my blog and podcast dealing with this subject, Singing in Harmony with Heaven, can be found here.
Discernment – In conjunction with the above two steps, each of us needs to discern our own particular role(s) in the stewardship of the Catholic living tradition of sacred music. Here are six such roles, each of which is vitally important to the accomplishment of our mission:
Support – pastoral, moral, spiritual, administrative, media/journalistic, financial, etc.
Singing – as cantors, choir members, and/or congregants.
Musical direction – choir directors and parish music directors.
Accompanists – organists and other instrumentalists.
Music educators – who can competently teach the art and science of music and singing, including those dimensions which are particular to our Catholic sacred music traditions.
Composers – who while being deeply rooted in our traditions bring forth new inspired liturgical music which resonates with the “common man” in a holy and beautiful way, to the glory to God.
Much more can be said about this great treasure, and about our wise and faithful stewardship of it. For those of you who would like to continue the conversation, I invite you to contact us at the Magnificat Institute of Sacred Music, whose mission is the renewal of sacred liturgical music in the Catholic Church. Your thoughtful questions and input will be much appreciated!
In conclusion, let's all pray and work together for a new “renaissance” of sacred music in the Church today, full of life, love, creativity, integrity, and hope: a renewal that is deeply rooted in the rich soil of our great tradition, so that we might be worthy participants in and contributors to this tradition, bringing forth abundant fruit in the Church and the world of which we are called to be the light.
Paul Jernberg
October 28, 2021
Saints Simon and Jude