Tuesday, November 30, 2004
The Mass Under a Microscope: Silence
Jazz great Miles Davis understood as much as anyone the value of silence in music. We could use more like him in liturgy.
"The Liturgy of the Word is to be celebrated in such a way as to promote meditation, and so any sort of haste that hinders recollection must clearly be avoided. During the Liturgy of the Word, it is also appropriate to include brief periods of silence, accommodated to the gathered assembly, in which, at the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the word of God may be grasped by the heart and a response through prayer may be prepared. It may be appropriate to observe such periods of silence, for example, before the Liturgy of the Word itself begins, after the first and second reading, and lastly at the conclusion of the homily."
My criticism of the last sentence is this: each element of the Liturgy of the Word is deserving of a cultivated silence as an interstitial. I'd prefer silence-first reading-silence-psalm-silence-second reading-silence-gospel acclamation-gospel-silence-homily-silence, appropriate to the formation of the worshipping community, of course.
A side-note about Music in Catholic Worship and Liturgical Music Today, documents produced under the auspices of the USCCB in 1972 and 1982. They were composed with the approval of the US bishops and their wisdom (or lack thereof) is due to the hands-on experience of their contributors -- liturgists in the trenches immediately after Vatican II. They have the authority of experience: flawed at times, occasionally insightful, often a bit controversial or opinionated. Lacking direction from bishops and parish pastors, they were all the documents many parish liturgy people had. Were they elevated to an undeserved level of curia-like authority? I couldn't say that. As I became more involved in liturgy in the early 80's and better-read on the whole spectrum of liturgical history and Roman documents, I found what I believed were flaws in MCW and LMT. Edward Foley's overview in the LTP compilation is fazirly accurate, I'd say. My own article on them was published several years ago in Ministry & Liturgy. I think people hang on the words of their gurus. At times, the newest favorite on the CTA, EWTN, FDLC, or Medjugorje circuit is likened to the source for the Word of God. Personally, I tend to be an iconoclast when it comes to heroes. But I think MCW and LMT fall somewhere in between the demonic and iconic extremes.
