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In the Church today, it seems that many are focused on the smaller parts of Mass. Is the music good? Did I learn something from the homily today? Were the children at the back of church actually quiet?
I would love to say that I am never that way. It’s simply not true. Too many times I find myself being critical of specific parts of Mass, instead of looking at the big picture of what Mass is actually supposed to be. A celebration of the Eucharist.
It is a shame that I do this, and yet it’s mostly because I fail to recognize and live out my true role as a Church minister of music.
What is the real role, you ask? And why hasn’t anyone told me yet?
Excellent question, and one I am delighted to answer for you.
A Higher Calling Than a Musician’s Role
For many years as a cantor and choir member in the Church, my impression was that my music skills and how I delivered them were my number one job, and the most important job I would have in my specific musician role.
I was wrong.
It took a long time before I realized what a music minister should truly be focusing on. I am going to use some references from Sing to the Lord, Music in Divine Worship by USCCB.
I think we can all agree that bishops, priest, and deacons hold a special role in helping with the communion of the Church. But read this:
“At the same time, lay ecclesial ministers are members of the lay faithful, ‘sharing in the common priesthood of all the baptized’ and ‘called to discipleship'” Sing to the Lord, pg 14.
Okay, what? That was as clear as mud, wasn’t it? Let me rephrase that for you.
As the ordained have a role to minister to the people of Christ, the music ministers also have that role. A role that supersedes providing music for the Church.
Did you know that?
An Exciting Role
Personally, I think it is exciting and incredible to have the same duties as someone (like the ordained) who does, in my opinion, humble, beautiful, servant work.
However, even if they are ordained, they are also humans who make mistakes. Yet they are called to be a disciple of Christ first. Just as we are.
Let’s relate it in this way. I love these beautiful phrases from Sing to the Lord especially:
“Liturgical musicians are first of all disciples, and only then are they ministers…They are ministers who share the faith, serve the community, and express the love of God and neighbor through music.” Sing to the Lord, pg 15.
Such a great reminder of why we are who we are in our musician role. Something I think people overlook often.
Read those phrases again, would you? When you think about it, it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?
Christ’s purpose for all of us in life is to become holy saints of God. And while many saints may have had a special inclination to music and used their talents accordingly, I am sure that it was never their number one focus.
Their number one focus was to serve God and the people first.
Share the Faith
Part of our role is to share the faith. To me, that means we are called to evangelize, and not just with music.
I do believe that music can touch and evangelize all kinds of people, but some people don’t speak the language of liturgical music. How are we supposed to share the faith then?
Last week, I listened to a timely airing of Cresta in the Afternoon show on EWTN Radio. Pat O’Meara spoke about the co-responsibility of the laity in a time such as this, when tragedy threatens to tear the Church apart.
It hit me so profoundly and was so applicable to our current situation in the Church that it literally inspired me to write this article. (Go here to Listen to the Show!)
I encourage you to take a listen; you won’t be disappointed.
Additionally, we are fortunate to live in a time like this. With the New Evangelization as a forefront, the amount of resources that we Catholic Christians have to spread the Gospel to others is unreal.
Catholic Answers, professors like Edward Sri, evangelists and authors like Chris Stefanick and Matthew Kelly. Our world is full of influencers and modern-day saints for us to learn from.
The key is to passing the news of Christ to others. That a huge part of our role as a laity.
Serve the Community
This can be as simple as getting involved in other parish ministries.
Perhaps you enjoy serving the hungry at the local food kitchen. Maybe your type of service involves visiting and ministering to prisoners, to addicts, to the mentally ill, to the disabled. Your calling may be to serve the sick and the infirmed.
There are so many ways in which ministers can be involved in serving the community, through the Church or just in your own neighborhood.
We are called to be a light to all people. Find your ministry niche and go from there. Ask your priest or local charities for help and ideas if you are stuck on what to do.
Express Love Through Music
We have an awesome opportunity as music ministers to express love and joy and peace through song. The way we express the love of God and neighbor can be in many ways.
People in your parish most likely look at your role as a musician and see a talent that they themselves do not possess. They look up to you as a person who is using his or her extraordinary gifts for a vital role in the part of the Mass.
So, in addition to using your laity as a person who loves and serves the community, love and serve through your music. If you are the type of person that sings just to sing, you might need to rethink your perspective.
Sometimes I fall into that trap of “just sing, just get it over with and then we can go away from Mass and do something else.” It’s not that I don’t enjoy singing or that I don’t have the talent.
So what happens? I fail to connect to the real reason for being a music minister in the first place.
The music doesn’t always come alive to me, and I don’t always sing it with the passion and fervor I could.
But doing our best every time we step up to the ambo to sing the Psalm, every time we join the choir in song, every time we proclaim the Holy, Holy and the Great Amen: that can make a difference. To somebody.
Isn’t that ministering to the congregation? Do we all need to reevaluate and ask ourselves why we do what we do? Why does music ministry mean so much to us?
Relay that through your song. God sees your heart, no matter how you perform that particular day.
The Ultimate Role as Musicians
When we as musicians focus on the tiny details and nitpick until our brains are swirling with musical criticisms, we miss the entire purpose of the Mass. The entire reason we are ministers, to begin with.
We must remember and embrace that our true role as a music minister is first a layperson and a spiritual role model. Only then can we claim the role of a musician.
I hope that we can all shift our focus to what matters the most in our roles as organists, cantors, directors, choir members, and instrumentalists.
May our true mission be to spread the Gospel and be a communal font of love for all who encounter us.
St. Cecelia, pray for us.
You might also enjoy reading the following articles:
7 Things All Cantors Need During Mass
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Fyi having an aversion to music means hating it. I don’t think that what you meant to say.
Yes, you’re right! Thanks for the catch. I think I was thinking of another “a” word. I changed it to inclination, sorry for the mixup.