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Wednesday, September 29, 2021

CHILDREN'S MASS BUT NOT A CHILDISH MASS

 This past Sunday's family oriented homily and Mass with children as the choir, lectors, greeters and participants:

4 comments:

John Nolan said...

Whoever directed the children's choir needs plaudits - 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring', 'Panis Angelicus' and a decent vernacular Ordinary.

Nor was it a dumbed-down 'children's liturgy' - it was a sung Novus Ordo (which means the priest singing his parts) which followed the rubrics and would put most parish Masses (ostensibly for grown-ups) to shame.

Very well done to all concerned.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Thank you John! I just emailed our choir director with your comment. I know she will appreciate it!

ByzRus said...

Young people singing our best music well should be the goal and, to John's point, it was an achieved goal in this instance.

I've already walked out of an unannounced teen "rock/pop" style mass and went to another as it was just jarring to those wanting a more contemplative experience. It wasn't worth sticking it out just to check a box. What you've accomplished here, as John mentioned, should be the model.

TJM said...

Father McDonald,

I echo John Nolan's sentiments. Children's Masses do not have to serve Pablum, which unfortunately we get at so-called adult liturgies. When I studied Eucharistic theology in college, we had a noted scholar teaching the course and one comment he made was that he thought "Children's Masses" (this was in the early 1970s) were a mistake pedagogically. Of course the Mass on this thread bares no resemblance to those banal celebrations. I am sure he would be very pleased with your approach.