Women Eucharistic ministers and mass music
Dear Mr. Slavek (I think that's who's supposed to answer this one),
I have a couple of questions. The first is this: I'm not a sexist guy or anything but I was wondering why it's ok to have female eucharistic ministers. Jesus was a man so the way I see it, only men should give it out (sorry if I'm offending anyone). Sometimes at Mass we'll have only 1 guy (other than the priest) and like 8 women. I don't get it.
For my next question, I was going to ask about music. Sometimes my parents bring us to the teen mass (by the way, I'm 16) and they sing songs that I hear on the christian radio station. Basically, there's no organ and the majority of it, well actually all of it, is drums and guitars. To tell you the truth it drives me nuts. It doesn't seem sacred. Then I start thinking, who defines what sacred music is anyway. And at the end of the world, is Jesus gonna really care what music was played at Mass? I dunno, maybe thas a lil too much deep thinking. I guess what I'm trying to ask is who sets the rules for what music should be played because it doesn't seem like there is any set standard here. I just think the Catholic Church is becoming too much like a protestant denomination or something and is losing it's sense of tradition. I guess I'm just ol fashoined like that. If this all seems confusing, I apologize. I'm mostly just typing whatever is coming into my head. Anyway, thanks for your help and patience. -Matt
QUESTION from Matt on December 21, 2003
ANSWER by Mr. Jacob Slavek on December 24, 2003
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Dear Matt, Sacred Scripture and history are not meant to govern our Liturgy today, although much of the Liturgy is based on it. Liturgical laws are changeable, which is why women can be permitted. However I can't imagine any church that would regularly need ten ministers. Over the past hundred years or so the Church has produced several documents dealing with music. For a basic, straight answer go to Vatican II's document on Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium. Here you will find that secular music is not appropriate for Mass. So what is sacred music? A sort of a follow-up to Vatican II is Musicam Sacram. Here you will find that
The term "sacred music" includes: Gregorian Chant, the several styles of polyphony, both ancient and modern, sacred music for organ and for other permitted instruments, and the sacred i.e., liturgical or religious, music of the people.(4.b.) The last item, by the way, is mostly Latin or vernacular hymns such as Holy God We Praise Thy Name, NOT rock music. The documents also state that the texts for sacred music are to be consistent with Catholic Teaching, also chiefly taken from Scripture and the Liturgy. Regarding the set standard: You are too young to remember when Gregorian Chant was more widely used which has a set "melody" for parts of each celebration of the Mass! There are modern hymnals published for today's Mass for each week, but I rarely see them used. Whether or not Jesus cares what music we have at the end of the world: I really don't know, but I do believe that He is aware of our attitudes at Mass and our respect for Him. Mr. Slavek |