A Refl ec tio n o n th e M usic of the Ma ss Ar ticle by Br. Angelu s Atk i son
C a nt ate D o m i no c antic um n o v um; c ant ate D omin o, omn i s ter ra . Sing a ne w song to th e L ord ; sing to the L ord all the e ar th . - Psalm 95:1 Q uid enim hab e t c a ntic um n o v um, n i si amorem n o v um? C a nt are am anti s e st . Vox huiu s c antor i s , f er vor e st san c ti amor i s . For wh a t do e s thi s n e w song hold , e xcept a n e w lov e? T h e o n e wh o l ov e s sing s . T h e v oice of thi s sing er i s the w ar mth of holy l ov e .
I
- S t . Augus tin e, Serm on 336, on the Dedic ation of a C hur c h -
magine it is your loved one’s birthday and all your friends and family have gathered to celebrate the life of this beloved person. At the height of the festivity the lights are dimmed, a hush falls on ever ybody, and a cake bright with flaming candles is brought for ward. What happens next? It is , of course, a silly question, because we do not have to think about what happens next : we sing. Imagine how odd it would be if we stood around and spoke, in a casual monotone, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you,” etc. It would be equally ridiculous if we solemnly chanted something unrelated, like the newspaper headline: “The Dow Jones is 33,876.97, +586.89, up 1.76%. Amen.” (At least it was at the time of writing this article, but the world’s fortunes are constantly shifting so by now these numbers are irrelevant to both the birthday party and the investor). This example can help us understand what St. Augustine is speaking about. We sing because our love for the beloved moves us to sing; and what we sing are words given to make present this reality. If this is true of something so simple as a birthday party (though by “simple” I do not mean “trivial”- because something deeply profound occurs when we sing Happy Birthday. When we sing , we are essentially expressing , I am happy that you are.), how much more must this be true of the most holy Liturgy of the Mass , the canticum novum, the new song revealed and sung by Christ and his Church to God our Father? 22
Kansas Monks
It can be fruitful to consider the Mass in this way : as a song of love. Or, more accurately, as a participation in the love song of the Holy Trinity. In the liturgy, as members of Christ’s Body, we are drawn up into the eternal song of the heavenly liturgy of Christ’s total offering of himself to the Father and the constant reception of the Father’s unfailing love in the Holy Spirit. In this case the love that moves us to sing is absolutely unique. It is the love that exists before time began, the love that brought the whole cosmos into
Communio is a Gegorian Chant video series dedicated to the Communion Antiphons of the Mass. In each video the monastic schola shares the chant followed by a reflection on the melody and text and their relation to one another. You can stream Communio on our Youtube Channel: Youtube.com/kansasmonks
