Leading Worship: Creating a Set List

For worship leaders, selecting songs and song order for a time of praise and worship is vital. It gives life and direction to the time of praise and worship. Unfortunately, many times it’s thrown together, and we plan by saying: “this song is my jam” or “they know these ones” and done. If this is the case, there’s more at stake than we realize because praise and worship provides a space for encounter with God and a deepening of that relationship. It’s an opportunity with eternal consequences for conversion and evangelization, to draw us closer to God. While there’s nothing wrong with simply picking a few songs and playing through them, something powerful happens when you approach the time of praise and worship as a cohesive journey of prayer. It’s easy to just focus on picking songs and the dynamics of the songs within themselves, but there are two additional areas to think through: the direction of lyrics and the space between songs - the transitions.

Direction of Lyrics

Before selecting songs, look at where you begin and where you want to go. Are people entering the time of praise and worship just walking in from their everyday lives? Or is the time of praise and worship following an inspirational message? Are you ending with sending people out encouraged or are you ending with quiet prayer or adoration? These answers should dictate not only the energy and tempo of the music, but the lyrics as well.

In the video below, Jeremy Riddle gives four different types of songs, in order that you’d select them according to the content of their lyrics:

1. Songs of Invitation

   • Examples: We Have Come, O Come to the Altar (slower tempo, but lyrics fit this category)

2. Songs of Declaration

   • Examples: This Is Amazing Grace, The Lion and the Lamb, Good, Good Father

3. Songs of Response

   • Examples: Great Are You, Lord, Build My Life, Lord, I Need You

4. Songs for Encounter

   • Examples: Reckless Love, Tremble

Praise and worship is a deepening of relationship, and true relationship develops in a progression. Conversations themselves have a progression, when talking with a friend you typically don’t start by sharing your deepest thoughts, you wait until the conversation progresses naturally. The lyrics and music of the songs we choose should reflect this progression of intimacy, because ultimately we’re inviting those we lead into a deeper relationship with God. 

Of course, there are different ways of adapting the song progression above to fit the context of the time of praise and worship, for example if you’re only leading 2 songs, you can’t hit every song category. You might even be asked to play one song, and you’d need to use that song to create the progression of prayer. There are other models and descriptions that fit this as well. One of them is called the Temple Model, which you can read about in this blog on LifeTeen.com. The concept is that your music should progress from the “Outer Courts” of the Temple into the “Holy of Holies”, the place for encounter and union with God’s presence. Another term used for this place of encounter during praise and worship is “entering the throne room of God.” With all of these concepts, keep in mind that a set list is an art, and sometimes great art can emerge if rules are broken with intentionality.

At the very least, make sure that the songs you’re singing towards the end of the time of praise and worship have lyrics directed to God (for example, “God, you…”). These are your Songs of Response or Songs for Encounter. Avoid songs that “sing to one another” (like O Come to the Altar) at the end of your time of praise and worship. The lyrics should be directed to God because singing to God Himself, as opposed to about God, places us in communication directly with God and his presence. Communicating directly with someone is essential to relationship. You can never truly know someone without speaking with them. If we desire to move from knowing about God to knowing God Himself, we need to sing lyrics that are directed to Him.

Working with the Spirit

Most importantly, it’s critical to allow everything we do to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, especially selecting songs. God has a plan, if we listen, then he will speak through the time of praise and worship to each person in a way greater than we’ll know.

Many times, there’s a tension between spending hours planning and being inspired in the moment. If we spend hours planning, are we trying to constrict and out-plan the Holy Spirit? If we prefer to wait until Holy Spirit inspires us, are we going to miss out on planning the perfect set list, and in the mean time stress out our other musicians by not having a plan? First of all, it’s important to remember that God works through order. All of God’s creation was formed with process and order, so should our set lists. But sometimes, God changes our plan at the last minute. If we’re the type of personality that prefers order and God calls us to change our plans in the moment, we need to remember that it doesn’t mean that the Spirit wasn’t inspiring the previous plan. When our plans change, it’s all a part of the journey God desires for us. Be open to the Spirit changing a song or transition in the moment, something powerful and anointed may happen if so. In all that we do, we pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our thoughts, so that He will anoint our planning and leading to stir God’s presence in the hearts of those we lead, leading all of us closer to Him.

Build a Great Repertoire and Don't Fight Liturgical Style Wars

Forming a Musical Repertoire for Mass

Musical style for Mass always seems to be a tension in our parishes and dioceses. Many Catholics come to Mass with an expectation of a particular style, disappointed if their expectations are not met. Some even avoid certain Masses or churches based on their musical preferences. While there's nothing wrong with having a musical preference, it's a problem when the preference becomes a distraction from fully entering into Mass. Of course I understand being upset at liturgical abuse or terrible quality of music, but we should not let preferences get in the way of God and His graces from the Mass. 

Music ministers have the ability to teach their congregation to pray the Mass by the way they select, arrange, and play/sing for the Mass. Music should be selected with two areas of focus: 1) What will lead the congregation in prayer now? and 2) What will form the congregation for the future? A well-crafted music repertoire with a balance of both can teach a congregation to be free of the "style wars" and instead help them focus on uniting their hearts with God at Mass. Then music will be able to function as it should, with its purpose being "the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful." (SC 112)

Before diving in, I should point out this blog focuses on the Propers of the Mass (Entrance, Communion, etc.), which is music that isn't even the most important for the Mass. For more on that, read my blog on What Should We Sing at Mass?

Don't Worry About What Has Always Been Done

The first step is to set aside what we've always done.  If we only play what we've always played, our liturgies will always sound like the year we decided to play what we've always played. We see this in many (if not most) churches around the US. Some churches sound like 1950, some sound like 1980, some even sound like 2010. Until music ministers courageously try something they haven't tried, they will remain frozen.  What's wrong with this? Pope Benedict says in "A New Song for the Lord" that it limits our ability to encounter Christ Himself, who is "yesterday, today, and forever".

The first encounter with Jesus Christ occurs in the present...but to ensure that I get close to the whole Christ and not just a piece of him perceived by chance, I must heed the Christ of yesterday as he reveals himself in the sources, especially in Scripture. If, in the process, I listen to him carefully and do not excise essential parts of his appearance because of a dogmatically asserted worldview, I see him open to the future and I see him coming from eternity, which embraces the past, the present, and the future, all at once.

We need this approach to our music and the Liturgy.  Through the liturgy, Christ meets us in our present time and lifts us into His time, which is the past, present, future, and all of eternity.  If our liturgies sound like a certain time period, we should ask ourselves if we're limiting our encounter with Christ to Christ-existing-in-a-certain-time-period.  When I was a university campus minister, I saw students come to our campus ministry expecting whatever "style" of liturgy they grew up with, whether it was contemporary music, "Breaking Bread"/"Gather", or hymns. When that expectation wasn't met, many looked elsewhere for the "Christ they knew", whether it was another church, denomination, or something other than religion. Music in the liturgy has a role in forming our image and relationship with Jesus Christ. 

Build a Strong Foundation

The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. - SC 112

The next step in our liturgies is to create a foundation of Catholic music that is prayed all over the world. Why? The word "Catholic" means "universal", so we need cornerstone pieces of music that are truly universal, meaning they stand the test of time and change in culture. There is something so powerful when people gather from all over the world and are able to sing and pray together in a common language. I experienced this in Rome being able to sing the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin, and many experience this at events like World Youth Day. Every generation has their own music, but our gift to the next generation is maintaining this foundation. We should learn how to pray this music.

The antiphons are texts, usually scripture, that are prescribed in the Roman Missal for the entrance, offertory, and communion processions. They are optional, but they provide foundational texts for us to center our hearts in prayer for each liturgy. Find ways to chant or sing the antiphons, since they are texts the Church has given that will continue to stand the test of time. The Lumen Christi Simple Gradual is a simple way to pray these texts.

As a starting point for hymns, here's a list of top Catholic hymns. Don't be afraid of chant. The document on liturgy from Vatican II (Sacrosanctum Concilium) states that Gregorian chant should have "pride of place" in our liturgies. Why? Chant is a music style created specifically for the Mass that does not have a time signature or tempo - it is outside of time itself. It focuses on the Word Himself and lifts us into His time, the eternal. Take your time with Latin, and use English translations first to teach how to pray the song. An example of this is my English arrangement of Adoro te Devote on my Arrangements page. After using the English a few times, then start to teach the Latin version. When using Latin, always provide vernacular translations. Never use a hymn just to use a hymn, use it for the prayer it leads. Also remember that singing a song in Latin doesn't make you more holy, only God makes us holy. Use Latin to enable your congregation to join with all of the earth in singing praise to God.

A final note, I have a preference for hymns that are Catholic in origin. If we're going to build a Catholic foundation, why not make sure it's Catholic? Some Protestant hymns we commonly think are Catholic include: Holy Holy Holy, How Great Thou Art, Praise to the Lord the Almighty, Nothing But the Blood, Amazing Grace, etc. There's nothing wrong with these Protestant hymns as long as they're in line with Catholic teaching, but it's important to know where our music comes from and to place a priority on Catholic music for our foundation.

Constantly Renew

Composers, filled with the Christian spirit, should feel that their vocation is to cultivate sacred music and increase its store of treasures. - SC 121

The final step is to continually ask how we can create a better repertoire of music for our Masses. The moment we stop asking the question is the moment our parish becomes frozen in time. What's wrong our current repertoire? Potentially nothing right now, but there are always new liturgical compositions that can spiritually shake us awake and lead us in prayer in new ways. In addition, the pastoral needs of every church change with time, so we need to be constantly adapting our music so it will lead our congregation to unite themselves with Christ. We can't just say, "This is our music. Accept it." That's not a pastoral approach. The word "pastor" means to walk to the lost and lead them to a destination. It requires both actions of reaching out and leading to the goal, which is encountering and growing closer to Christ Himself. We need to create music that our congregation will receive, stir them to prayer, and through it lead them to know and love God more. This is what Sacrosanctum Concilium had in mind:

In certain parts of the world, especially mission lands, there are peoples who have their own musical traditions, and these play a great part in their religious and social life. For this reason due importance is to be attached to their music, and a suitable place is to be given to it, not only in forming their attitude toward religion, but also in adapting worship to their native genius - SC 119

Adapting worship does not mean putting religious lyrics on a secular song. In order for any type of cultural music to be suitable for Mass, it has to become sacred. Sanctification involves the process of purging from worldly elements. So in order to adapt cultural music for the Mass, we have to identify the worldly elements that distract us from prayer and turn the focus on the musicians. The remaining elements we can use for the Mass are those that are beautiful, help us focus on the text, and encourage us to lift up the prayer to God.

Forming a repertoire that balances both the treasury of sacred music and constant renewal is challenging, especially since change is always difficult. As musicians, we need to start thinking about where we envision our parish in 5, 10, even 50 years from now and work toward that with patience and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let's allow the Spirit to renew our hearts and be our strength so we can serve our parishes.

What Apps do I Use?

OnSong: I use this to organize all my music PDFs for Masses, worship nights, etc. This is definitely the easiest way to use iPads for music, since it connects with Dropbox, SongSelect, and Planning Center. If I download a SongSelect chord chart, I can transpose the key easily without having to download a new chart. Even though you have to pay extra for the add on, it's worth it to be able to annotate and draw on the charts.

iMissal: It's nice to have an app that can pull up the readings for the day without needing to wait for it to load or wifi. It's come in handy during Mass when I need the Gospel Acclamation verse.

Ordo: This is the app version of the book made by Paulist Press. It has critical information like should you sing the Gloria, is there a Creed, what other reading options do you have, etc. It's a terrible interface unfortunately, and you have to download a new app every year, and it's very expensive for an app, but I justify buying it since it's equivalent to a book.

Catholic Bible: My favorite Bible app is made by Just1Word, it's good to be able to copy and paste scripture readings as needed.

Planning Center Services: This is an online service for scheduling musicians and distributing rehearsal sheet music and audio files to practice along with. The phone app interface for listening and practicing with music is exceptional. It's a monthly fee for the entire service, so I'd take a look if it's something you can budget. It's saved me about a days work per week. In the future, if we switched to all iPads instead of binders, I would look at their Music Stand addition since it can sync all the music between the iPads. It also has a built in alternative to ProPresenter.

Google Sheets: This is how I plan music for Masses. I create a sheet for every year so I can go back and look at music from years ago. I enjoy being able to share the planning spreadsheet, make comments, and access it from the app.

GuitarToolkit: This app is amazing, since it has a tuner, scales, metronome, and chords. I always use it when I run into a really weird chord, since it gives you many different positions for playing the chord. Also, you can input notes on the fretboard and it'll tell you what chord you're playing.

 Tempo: Great free metronome app. It has a tap tempo (gives what tempo you're tapping) and allows you to store tempos. 

Subdivide: This is only if you're looking for a complex metronome. It's the app version of a Boss "Dr. Beat". I use it a lot since you can blend the different types of subdivisions, as well as a tap tempo.

Garageband: This is great if you want to create rehearsal recordings for your groups on the fly. Typically, if I'm not using my full Pro Tools setup, I'll just use the Voice Memo or Music Memos app on my phone though.

When Do We Sing the Gloria?

The Gloria is a beautiful prayer that we sing towards the beginning of Mass, meant as a way to direct our praises to God in celebration of his coming as man 2000 years ago. We begin with the words of the angels in Luke 2, rejoicing that our Savior is born and has come to redeem us.

"And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.'" - Luke 2:13-14 | NABRE

We don't always sing the Gloria though, such as weekday Masses and especially during penitential liturgical seasons, as well as most weekday Masses. For music ministers, this can become confusing, so when do we sing the Gloria?

Here's the simple answer: 

• Sundays in Easter

• Octave of Easter

• Sundays in Christmas

• Octave of Christmas

• Sundays in Ordinary Time

• Feasts

• Solemnities

• Masses with Baptisms, Confirmations, Weddings (Rite of Marriage), or Holy Orders

I always check the title of the liturgy for the day, and if the title has one of the words above, then you sing the Gloria.  For example, we do not sing the Gloria during Lent or Advent, but if there is a Feast or Solemnity during these seasons (such as the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception), then you sing the Gloria. If there's a wedding during Advent or Lent (many parishes/dioceses do not allow weddings during Lent), you sing the Gloria.  A few unique liturgies are Palm Sunday, when you will not sing the Gloria, but on Holy Thursday, Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper, you’ll sing the Gloria since it is a Solemnity. Today, December 12, is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Key word: "feast".  Sing the Gloria!  You'll notice other unique days throughout the week are called "Memorials", and it can be easy to confuse these with "Feasts" since these "Memorials" are typically used to commemorate certain Saints' feast days. Notice the title of the liturgy is "Memorial" though, and not "Feast", so we do not sing the Gloria on these days.  As you use this rule of thumb, it's important to remember that we celebrate Christmas and Easter for 8 days, so we sing the Gloria throughout the week after Christmas and Easter.

If you want to double check, I recommend picking up a small book called an Ordo, which are published according to each diocese. They indicate a lot of useful information about each liturgy, such as should we pray the Creed, what color vestments should the priests wear, and should we sing the Gloria. Paulist Press also has an app called "Ordo", but you have to be sure to buy a new app every year. Most importantly, memorize the list above and wield it with confidence the next time you prepare music for Mass. 

What Parts Should We Sing at Mass?

How much of the Mass we sing varies drastically from parish to parish, even from Mass to Mass.  We should sing as much as possible, since in singing we unite ourselves to the "primordial song of the liturgy," which is that of Christ's "victory over sin and death". (Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, 7).  We usually do not see the average Mass entirely sung though, because it can be difficult for priests and congregations to know and fully participate in singing everything.  So if we don't sing everything, what should we sing?  In other words, what parts of the Mass have a priority for us to sing over other parts of the Mass? "Instruction on Music in the Sacred Liturgy" (Musicam Sacram, 28) answers this by separating the parts of the Mass into three "degrees."  The first degree contains the most important parts of the Mass to be sung.  If you sing at all, it should be the first degree.  If you sing the parts of the Mass in the third degree, you should be singing the first and second degrees as well.  So what is the most important part of the Mass to sing?

The First Degree: The Order of the Mass

The following belong to the first degree:

(a) In the entrance rites: the greeting of the priest together with the reply of the people; the prayer.

(b) In the Liturgy of the Word: the acclamations at the Gospel.

(c) In the Eucharistic Liturgy: the prayer over the offerings; the preface with its dialogue and the Sanctus; the final doxology of the Canon, the Lord's prayer with its introduction and embolism; the Pax Domini; the prayer after the Communion; the formulas of dismissal.

This is called the Order of the Mass, which consist of dialogues between the priest and the congregation. The first example given above is the simplest, which we know as, "The Lord be with you." "And with your spirit."  These chants can be found in the Roman Missal and on the ICEL website, and if your congregation isn't used to singing them, it's something that can be addressed with your pastor, since the priest/deacon leads these chants during the Mass.

Why are they so important?  Love needs to be expressed.  On a human level, love is communicated through our bodies and our voices.  It's difficult to maintain a relationship when love is not communicated.  When we participate in the dialogues at Mass, we enter into unity with the Church, who communicates with the priest standing in persona Christi (in the person of Christ).  The purpose of the Mass is for us to enter into Christ's work of redemption through the Cross and Resurrection, and the dialogues communicate our desire to enter into this relationship.  A great example of this is the Preface Dialogue:

The Second Degree: The Ordinary of the Mass

The following belong to the second degree:

(a) the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei;

(b) the Creed;

(c) the prayer of the faithful.

These texts are called the Ordinary of the Mass, since we use them every Mass (depending on the liturgical season, such as the Gloria).  What is most surprising on first glance is the Creed.  It is very rare to find a parish who sings the Creed, and although it might be difficult and take a long time to teach and master a sung arrangement of the Creed, it should be in the long term vision for music directors to introduce it in a pastoral manner.

The Third Degree: The Propers of the Mass

The following belong to the third degree:

(a) the songs at the Entrance and Communion processions;

(b) the songs after the Lesson or Epistle;

(c) the Alleluia before the Gospel;

(d) the song at the Offertory;

(e) the readings of Sacred Scripture, unless it seems more suitable to proclaim them without singing.

As you can see, musicians preparing for the Liturgy typically spend the most time and energy on what's actually the least important to sing, which are called the Propers of the Mass.  Many times this leads us to only singing the parts of the Mass that are in the third degree.  If we understand the purpose of singing the Mass, and what parts of the Mass are most important, we can see how this demonstrates a disordered view of the Mass.

Musicians should still put in the time and energy in leading music that is excellent, beautiful, and most of all prayerful for the Entrance, Offertory, Communion, etc., but we should also be sure to sing the dialogues (Order of the Mass) and the Ordinary.  The more we can sing at Mass, the more we can express the nature of the Mass, where Christ calls us to enter into the song of His sacrifice to the Father, in anticipation of full communion with God in heaven.

For more on what we sing for Entrance, Offertory, and Communion, check out my post on Singing the Antiphons.

For further reading, check out Bishop Olmsted's article on "Singing the Mass"

Where Has Advent Gone?

It seems as though Advent has just flown by, doesn't it? Even more so, because everywhere we look, there are Christmas ads and Christmas sales. Radio stations are playing Christmas music, every store has Chriatmas decorations, and our email inboxes are loaded with Christmas promotions. In addition, I've noticed this is beginning earlier and earlier every year. This year was the first time that stores were open for Black Friday on Thanksgiving. Now don't get me wrong, I believe in a free country where we can shop whenever we'd like, and if you went shopping on Black Friday to take advantage of some great deals, I commend your thriftiness. We have to be aware though, of what our culture is trying to do. Our culture right now has a desire to take advantage of our material desires and need for instant gratification for the sake of our money. The best way for them to do so is to lure us away from our families and our faith in order to distract us. Some of you might think this is a little too intense, but take a look at Black Friday this year, with many people leaving a day of spending time with their family to buy gifts for themselves. It's as if Christmas has been replaced with Black Friday. It's as if the desire for instant gratification, for Christmas to "be now", to "get things now," has replaced the season of waiting. Where has Advent gone? Once again, I'm not saying there's anything wrong with shopping on Black Friday for some great deals, or listening to Christmas music before Christmas, but we need to be aware of the danger. Our culture has created a "secular Christmas," which has nothing to do with the birth of our Savior. It is completely focused on taking advantage of consumerism. It's important to be aware that we don't let the "secular Christmas" distract us from the "real Christmas," from Christ Himself. The only way we can keep our gaze fixed on our Savior, who is coming, is through the foundation of prayer. As we approach Christmas, let's increase our prayer more and more. So much of our life is lived within the tension of Advent, knowing that our Savior came 2000 years ago, but knowing He will come again. This tension is lived out in our hearts as well. For many of use, we've come to believe in Jesus, yet we can still grow to know and love Him more. We need to continually ask our Lord to "Come!" and the best way is through prayer and the Sacraments. We join with the cry of Israel, who struggled with the temptations of many different idols, to free us from the chains of material desires so we can live in the freedom of life with our Savior, Jesus Himself.

As a suggestion for prayer, I encourage you to check out the "O Antiphons," which are the Antiphons used at Vespers the seven days leading up to Christmas. They've been prayed by our Church since the 8th century, and they are actually the basis for the verses of the Advent hymn "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." For this reason, and also that the refrain echoes the entrance antiphon of the Third Sunday of Advent with "Rejoice!", I encourage music ministers to save "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" for the Third and Fourth Sundays of Advent (and have been taught to do so by the Dominicans). When we think of Christmas, we have a strong sense of musical tradition, but I think we've lost this musical tradition for Advent, which is another reason for a loss of an overall sense of Advent. The antiphons during this time are a beautiful way to open our hearts to our Savior, as are hymns like Conditor Alme Siderum (Creator of the Stars of Night), which I've included below. Come, Lord Jesus!

Entrance Antiphon for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (Rorate Caeli) http://youtu.be/tiVRmF7sQjU

"You Are the Light" by Josh Blakesley http://youtu.be/w9fNDuUD1ik

And finally, closing out with the Marian hymn for Advent and Christmas: Alma Redemptoris Mater http://youtu.be/iq5CKlOyeMk

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the Journey of Life

The past six months have brought many new steps in the journey of my life, including a new job, a new city, and a pilgrimage to Israel. The past two years I have been very blessed to serve in campus ministry at the Newman Center at the University of Arizona (go Wildcats!). I believe that campus ministry is one of the most critical mission fields, since it seeks to reach out to students and help them grow deeper in their faith during a time that they are bombarded by many voices trying to pull them astray, so I'll always have a passion for campus ministry, and I ask for you to keep all campus ministries in your prayers. I grew tremendously during this time, so my thanks goes out to the Dominican community and the students, in allowing God's love to pour through their love. I have since accepted a position as the Music Coordinator at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa, AZ. Music ministry has always been my primary passion, so I am very excited to be able to focus on serving the Church through music, I hope that God will use my service in this role to lead others closer to Him.

In May, I was blessed with the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land with my girlfriend, Paige Dowler, and her family. We went with a pilgrimage group that was led by one of the Franciscans in Israel. I want to preface everything I say about the pilgrimage by saying that simply visiting the Holy Land doesn't make you any more holy, and never visiting the Holy Land doesn't prevent you from a special holiness. There are have been many Saints who never had the opportunity for a Holy Land pilgrimage. What a Holy Land pilgrimage allows though, is the opportunity to bring the Word of God more alive in our hearts in being able to visit the places that the events in scripture took place. This opens up a specific and vivid way that God can speak to us and draw us closer to Him.

One of the most powerful places for me was the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. It was moving to visit the location where the angel Gabriel visited Mary to bring her the news of God's plan for salvation, and where Mary's "yes" allowed God to become man to save all of humankind. Where Mary, the New Eve, out of her own free will, surrendered her own will in uniting it to God's plan to bring the Word of God to become flesh. During my time of prayer in this Basilica, I felt Jesus move in my heart a sense of joy in welcoming me to the actual place he grew up. There's a certain depth to a friendship when you welcome a friend into the house you grew up in, not that it's necessary for a friendship, but it becomes much easier to reach that depth. This is what I experienced, moving me to then reflect on the areas of my life that I've surrendered to my relationship with Jesus and what areas I can still unite to God's will. More than anything though, that joy and excitement from God in my heart stuck with me.

Towards the end of the pilgrimage, we had the opportunity to have Mass in the Tomb of Jesus in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Once again, God spoke in a unique way, in particular during communion. During most of the Mass, since the altar is within the inmost part of the tomb, we could not see the presider. To distribute communion, he had to come out of the inner tomb to the area we were standing, and in that moment, I was struck with the mystery of the Eucharist. Even though Jesus told his disciples that he was going to die, His disciples never completely understood why until after the resurrection. It was through the lens of the resurrection that they finally understood the cross. Through the lens of the cross and resurrection, they finally understood the Last Supper, what he meant by "This is my body...do this in memory of me." (Lk 22:19). The disciples then went forward in faith and spread the love of God and the message of the Gospel with the Eucharist as their source. In this moment, of seeing the Eucharist, our Lord Jesus himself, really, truly, and fully present as much as he was the day he walked out of that tomb 2000 years ago, struck my heart profoundly. Even more powerful, is the realization that during every Mass, that moment of Jesus's death and resurrection 2000 years ago enters back into time, and we witness that very moment. This Mass was an encounter with the place and time of our redemption. The glory of God left me in awe of the profound truth of our Catholic faith and opened my heart to the realization that he desires for us to passionately share the incredible gift of the Eucharist, the love of God that pours from the death and resurrection of our Lord present in the Mass.

This time of pilgrimage and change has guided me to reflect on my entire life, in particular an experience that radically changed my life exactly 20 years ago. My dad became sick with an unusual environmental sickness, and the rest of my family and I also contracted new symptoms like allergies and asthma. We realized that this was most likely due to carbon monoxide poisoning, and the only solution for us was to move from our comfortable Denver suburban home away from everything and into the mountains. This confusion at the time drew my entire family closer to God, turning our lukewarm faith into complete reliance on God. The interesting part is that this all happened during World Youth Day '93, when Pope John Paul II (soon to be canonized), along with half-a-million pilgrims from all over the world visited Denver. Since then, numerous ministries and movements of the Church have grown out of Denver, representing fruits of the Holy Spirit during this time. I remember being frustrated that I couldn't go to World Youth Day to see the Pope, and instead had to pack my belongings into boxes. What I realize now is that God was moving us, not only physically but within our hearts, to prepare my family to follow Him. (Check the ministries my sister and brother-in-law, Cristina and Cristóbal Almanza, serve in: Heroic Media and Austin Catholic New Media)

Twenty years later, I realize that life itself is a pilgrimage. We are, after all, called the "pilgrim Church" during our life here on Earth. Sometimes it takes us 20 years and a trip overseas to understand an illness. But sometimes, it only takes an open heart to the voice of God, to trust that we are following Him with our whole heart and that He's guiding us in this journey of life.

The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus, and in which by the grace of God we acquire holiness, will receive its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when will come the time of the renewal of all things (Acts 3:21). At that time, together with the human race, the universe itself, which is so closely related to man and which attains its destiny through him, will be perfectly reestablished in Christ (cf. Eph. 1:10; Col. 1:20; 2 Pet. 3:10-13).

Christ lifted up from the earth, has drawn all men to himself (cf. Jn. 12:32). Rising from the dead (cf. Rom. 6:9) he sent his life-giving Spirit upon his disciples and through him set up his Body which is the Church as the universal sacrament of salvation. Sitting at the right hand of the Father he is continually active in the world in order to lead men to the Church and, through it, join them more closely to himself; and, by nourishing them with his own Body and Blood, make them partakers of his glorious life. The promised and hoped for restoration, therefore, has already begun in Christ. It is carried forward in the sending of the Holy Spirit and through him continues in the Church in which, through our faith, we learn the meaning of our earthly life, while we bring to term, with hope of future good, the task allotted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation (cf. Phil. 2:12).

Already the final age of the world is with us (cf. 1 Cor. 10:11) and the renewal of the world is irrevocably under way- it is even now anticipated in a certain real way, for the Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect. However, until there be realized new heavens and a new earth in which justice dwells (cf. 2 Pet. 3:13) the pilgrim Church, in its sacraments and institutions, which belong to this present age, carries the mark of this world which will pass, and she herself takes her place among the creatures which groan and travail yet and await the revelation of the sons of God (cf. Rom. 8: 19-22)....

For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity--all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ (cf. Heb. 3:6)--we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church and will share in a foretaste of the liturgy of perfect glory.[25] At the hour when Christ will appear, when the glorious resurrection of the dead will occur, the glory of God will light up the heavenly city, and the Lamb will be its lamp (cf. Rev 21:24). Then the whole Church of the saints in the supreme happiness of charity will adore God and "the Lamb who was slain" (Rev 5:12), proclaiming with one voice: "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever' (Rev 5:13-14).

- Lumen Gentium, "The Pilgrim Church"

Ultimately then, what is the meaning of life? To love and grow closer to Love Himself. Let us continue on this pilgrimage of life and seek to love God and one another, longing for the day we are fully united with Him in Heaven.

Music and Liturgy

"[Good music] make[s] the liturgical prayers of the Christian community more alive and fervent so that everyone can praise and beseech the Triune God more powerfully, more intently and more effectively.” - Pope Pius XII, Musicae Sacrae Disciplina (On Sacred Music) (1955)

First of all, on behalf of Catholic liturgical musicians, I want to apologize. A lot of us don't know what we're doing sometimes. And that's probably why you either don't like certain types of music for Mass, especially contemporary worship, or you don't understand the importance of certain songs throughout the Liturgy... and you think that the cross-clap is a healthy spiritual practice. Both point back to one thing - lack of training and/or care towards liturgical music.

Lately, I've encountered a lot of people in discussing music for Mass, especially with the new Roman Missal translation. I've encountered many people throughout my life that think that you can just pick whatever music you want for any point in the Mass, for example, "Why can't we just play this other song in place of singing the Psalm?" Some people like this free-wheeling attitude, because it's "fresh" and "exciting." Others have criticized the use of certain types of very appropriate, liturgical, prayerful, Catholic music because it "isn't the way liturgical music should be." They think that it should only be one type of music, whether that be Gregorian chant or organ-led hymnody, because it's the way music for liturgy has always been.

What is common from both sides of criticism is a misunderstanding of the music's function in the Liturgy. If we're walking out of Mass on Sunday criticizing the music, we're missing the point. The music's role is to serve the Liturgy. It's not for entertainment or to make us feel good, and it's not to make us feel more holy than we are. It's to guide our hearts into prayer with God. That's all any music for the Mass, whether Gregorian chant or contemporary worship, should do. As a side note, I won't take away from the fact that our Church teaches that Gregorian chant is "specially suited for the Roman Liturgy." (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 116) Why though? Because it easily lifts the heart into prayer with God, regardless of who is "leading worship" or what songs are selected for the Liturgy. I'll admit, there are many who misuse their role in music ministry by turning it into a stage. Let's pray for those who do. It's been a problem throughout the Church's history. Let's remember though, that the Liturgy at one point didn't have guitars, pianos, organs, even Gregorian chant. What the Liturgy had though, was the Eucharist, and everything should point to that Sacrament. The next time we go to Mass, let's allow whatever music is played to guide our hearts into prayer.

"Our participation in the Liturgy is challenging. Sometimes, our voices do not correspond to the convictions of our hearts. At other times, we are distracted or preoccupied by the cares of the world. But Christ always invites us to enter into song, to rise above our own preoccupations, and to give our entire selves to the hymn of his Paschal Sacrifice for the honor and glory of the Most Blessed Trinity." - Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship, 14

For those who select music for Mass, let's dive even deeper into what the Church teaches about music and the Liturgy. Let's read documents the Church has published, like "Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship" and "Sacrosanctum Concilium (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)," and also read books like "The Spirit of the Liturgy" by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. In later blogs I will dive into the music specific to each part of the Liturgy. Our effort as Liturgical musicians will transform the way that our communities will be able to receive God in the Word and how much they allow the Eucharist to transform their lives.

Links to Documents: Sacrosanctum Concilium Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship