This article first appeared in Our Sunday Visitor magazine. Subscribe to receive the monthly magazine here.
When the opening hymn rings out at Mass, it is not uncommon in parishes today to see many in the congregation stand, hymnals in hand, yet remain tight-lipped, their voices silent. Of course, this isn’t true of everyone. Every parish has its familiar figures: the one who sings as if it were an audition, the one who races ahead of the tempo or the one who holds notes just a bit too long. Congregational singing certainly is not perfect, but there is a beauty in these imperfections, and even more so, it is something the Church values greatly.
The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy emphasizes the importance of sacred music, so much so that it states: “Bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs” (No. 114). In other words, the Church understands that singing is not something accidental to the liturgy but is a necessary component of what it means to worship. St. Paul encourages this, urging us to “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts” (Eph 5:19-20).
Nonetheless, what I often hear from self-deprecating parishioners is, “Father, you don’t want me to sing!” Now, the Church always seeks to balance competency with confidence. Someone might want to be a lector, but she could struggle as an orator, just as a nervous singer might fear his voice would only distract from the beauty of the liturgy. Herein lies the beauty of congregational singing and the wisdom of basic hymnody. As the General Instruction of the Roman Missal reminds us, sacred music fosters unity above all else. If you are a hesitant singer, what you should seek to modulate is not your effort, but perhaps only your volume. Be prudent in the confidence with which you join a song, yet join in nonetheless. Your voice, even offered in quiet humility, lifts up the prayer of the Church.
