From the Friars: Angels and Dead Languages

On October 7th Archbishop Henning will come to Holy Rosary Shrine for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We will have a bilingual Mass which will actually be trilingual as we will be singing the Latin Mass parts known as “The Mass of the Angels”. Some will be happy to hear this and others will groan in frustration. I can relate to this negative attitude toward Latin as I felt that way myself for many years. My first thought would be that we should stop trying to go back to pre-Vatican II times and move on. Plus, I did not enjoy listening to music that to me was too somber, archaic and just plain boring.

Slowly but surely as I heard Gregorian chant, and the Mass of the Angels specifically, I began to appreciate its beauty. Also, other important truths became clearer to me as the years have gone by. I had to admit my ignorance of the history and meaning of the Liturgy and of Sacred Music. And reading the teaching of Vatican II on the Sacred Liturgy, (Sacrosanctum Concilium), has especially influenced me to change my perspective about Sacred Music and other matters. I believe here we see what the liturgical reform was meant to be and how the implementation often violated what the Council Fathers actually taught.

No doubt the Holy Spirit was working at the council to prepare the Church for the coming cultural tsunamis such as the sexual revolution. The Novus Ordo Mass, criticized by many, has allowed for a diversity of cultural expression in a world that now exalts the individual to the point of idolatry. But the council also taught: “the use of the Latin language is to be preserved” (SC36) and that Gregorian Chant “should be given pride of place in liturgical services” (SC116).

In a badly divided and fragmented world, Latin gives the many peoples of the world a common language of worship to unite us. It is a consecrated language dedicated specifically for the glory of God. Appreciation of Gregorian Chant shows how music that initially strikes one as boring can become a means of letting go of wanting to be entertained and focus on giving ourselves to God.

Pax.
–Fr. Peter