GIVE IT UP FOR THE CHOIR!

GIVE IT UP FOR THE CHOIR!

Fr. Valencheck

10 May 2007

One more rant about the mass that I attended in Chicago and then I will move on.

I promise.

I think.

At the end of the train wreck the celebrant blessed us and the deacon gave the injunction, “Go in love to love and serve the Lord and one another!” to which the people responded, “Thanks be to God!” Fearing that was not enough, the celebrant added, “Have a nice day!” The hymn was announced and we sang. At the end of the song, which along with every other song we sang could be found under the subject heading, “I, Me,” everyone broke out into applause.It seems that we have become an applauding Church. I find this disturbing. Once again the question must be asked, “Why are we here?”

When I was younger (and even more idealistic) and directing the choir, Fr. Ozemik whom I looked up to (I took my confirmation name in part after him) acting very out of character asked the congregation at the end of mass, “Didn’t the choir do a fine job? Let’s give them a round of applause.” Not usually one to counter elders I none-the-less marched in to the sacristy and said rather sternly, “Don’t you ever do that to me again. This is my ministry and unless you are going to clap for the servers and the women who ironed the linens, and the men who volunteered to fix the pews, and Mrs. C who mended your vestment, and the ushers, readers, EMEs, and everyone else who had a role in this mass including the congregation don’t you ever do that again!”

Surprisingly he took it very well. More amusedly I think than anything else. But we never clapped again and once or twice he suggested to people that if they liked the music they should go tell the choir.

I spoke about this to a seminarian yesterday at lunch. He was equally as irritated. “We used to do that at my (Catholic) high school," he said, “We were told not to clap during the mass anymore so we took up a bunch of time afterwards to acknowledge everyone after mass and clap for them. ‘And now for the choir . . .and now for the EMHC . . .’ I don’t know why we didn’t clap for the congregation that did a great job praying or for Jesus Christ who was kind enough to show up.”

Now, I am not a complete prude. There are times that I clap in church. When I was in Zimbabwe a traditional way to great another person was to bow slightly while making a kind of clapping motion with you hands. This they did when Christ became present on the altar, greeting his as a person (is that cool or what?) No problem there.

If the pope comes to visit? No problem. Rite of acceptance? No problem. Sign of special welcome or accomplishment of great significance? No problem. Fulfilling your (in many cases paid) ministry? Problem.

1. This is your gift to the community and to God.

2. You are not giving more, your giving your part (which just happens to be at the liturgy.)

3. It promotes the erroneous idea that those who participate in extra ministries at the mass are some how more fully engaged than “the guy in the pew.” This is already a horribly ingrained idea in the Church as innumerable mass planning meetings are designed around “how to get more people involved.” Rather we should be educating our people that they are already involved in the most important way that they can be. Gads is this important. (Full – Active – Conscious.)

Ah well.

However, if you ever hear me preach and you are inclined to clap, go ahead.

Yes, I am kidding.