Well, aside from my usual failed attempt at fasting, and becoming a holier person in general, I have been waiting for this moment - as an opportunity to introduce more profound, introspective and meditative music at Mass: Gregorian chant!
Now, I know what the scholars say. "Don't introduce chant during Lent, for you run the risk of people inadvertently connecting chant to this 'penitential,' 'sad' season and thus ruining the prospect of it ever being thought of as 'beautiful,' or 'uplifting.'"
I wholeheartedly agree. But desperate situations call for desperate measures. And I have tried, to no avail, to introduce it at other (cheerier! yay, happy, yay!) times of the year. Although I received some positive feedback - I also received an equal amount of negative. My emotional life became a rollercoaster ride of complacent acceptance of H/H-type music to fervent martyrdom for the cause of better music. Honestly, during the weeks of complacently - I was generally a happier person! Not because I was being fed spiritually or musically, but because I just "accepted my fate," and turned the other cheek.
But two weeks ago, the coaster again took a sharp turn. We were blessed enough to have a Benedictine monk come speak at the parish on "Benedictine prayer and spirituality." He did none other than lead us in a chanted Vespers! It was breathtakingly beautiful. And afterwards, when hoards of people came out of the woodwork to talk to me and demand, "why don't we sing chant like that?" I was THRILLED! (Aside from also being slightly annoyed that duh, I have been TRYING for months, and that these same people will probably ask for Eagle's Wings at their near-future funerals.) THIS seemed like the answer to prayer I had been waiting for. So I resolved right then and there, that when Lent began, things around this place were going to CHANGE. Enter: Giddy anticipation!
However, as we all know: reality defers dreams. My visions of flowing introits, communion psalms and a feeble attempt to improve evening prayer have been brought to an abrupt halt. In a string of e-mails the past week and a half, I have had to come to terms with the fact that people who don't like something sure are vocal around here. Although I have received an equal if not greater amount of positive feedback, those people are generally the ones who come talk to you after Mass, or approach you in the hall and offer a verbal affirmation. The heated "activist" types are more apt to troll from behind a screen. And so...in an effort to laugh off the recent ridiculousness...a few quotes from this "educated" lot:
"music at St. _______ has become far too traditional in style - not the music I grew up knowing at St. ______ Parish while I was in grade school there. Yes, I am one of "those people" who love the music of MJ, MH, and DH [sic] (I can just see you shuddering - sorry!)"
"A well-rounded variety of spiritual/liturgical experiences make for a strong faith"
"I remember seeing in the bulletin at St. (traditional parish down the road) a few weeks back a memo saying that for their weekly evening prayer during lent, they would be having...benediction. And I literally remember thinking to myself..."Oh, that traditionalistic St. (traditional parish down) Pastor - I am so happy to be at progressive St. ____where we will have a contemporary evening prayer service."
"I am just concerned with a change like this that uproots our own "mini-tradition" at St. _____ in favor of being more 'liturgically traditional'"
and the kicker, from today:
"the prayerful dance is a beautiful experience that is not common enough in the Catholic church"
*Sigh.*
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