The Most Important Instrument in Our Church

As Music Director for Saint Joseph’s, I often get comments about how wonderful the music is here. We are blessed with a “singing Pastor” and a wide range of talented musicians, many of them professional musicians in their own right. We have an excellent new sound system, a nice Steinway piano and a great sounding electronic Allen organ. Yet with all this musical “horsepower” the most important instrument that we have here is you! Don’t laugh… you’re probably thinking: “I can’t sing! Why would he say that?” Because it’s true!

 

The latest document from the US Conference of Bishops on liturgical music is Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship. Published in 2007 and available on the Internet, this readable document is a short overview of the role of music in our liturgies. It lists the human voice as THE most important instrument. While many other instruments are important to good music in liturgy, your VOICE is at the top of the list.

 

The document also notes: “God has bestowed upon his people the gift of song. God dwells within each human person, in the place where music takes its source. Indeed, God, the giver of song, is present whenever his people sing his praises.” Perhaps we Catholics with pre-Vatican II memories still think it’s ok to just sit quietly and let the priest and the choir do the work. Yet, another important Church document (Constitution on Sacred Liturgy) states, our “full and active participation …is the aim to be considered before all else” as we celebrate the Mass together.

 

Whether you believe you have a great voice or not, God wants to hear it and so do we. That’s why I and the other music leaders work so hard to encourage your participation in song. In an average Mass we sing twelve songs, almost 50% of the length of the Mass. If we all sing together, our praise will be more perfect, our worship more full and active; our Spirit more contagious and our community even more attractive to newcomers. 

 

I look forward to singing with you!

 

 

In Christ,

Tom O’Brien

Music Director and Pastoral Associate