So Sing

Understanding the importance of liturgical singing

09/03/2024

Lk 4:31-37 Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Roman Catholics have a phobia for singing in church, and I believe that is a great tragedy. In fact, back in 1990 Thomas Day wrote a book on the subject called, “Why Catholic Can’t Sing.” A little evidence for this allegation is that ever since I decided we would no longer have hymns at the 7:30 a.m. Sunday Mass, it has become the most popular weekend Mass in English!

Naturally, not singing makes the Mass shorter so that is a double bonus for the smart shopper looking for quick Sunday Mass. One strategy I use to get Catholics to sing is I sing loudly so I drown out everyone else, so maybe people might sing because no one can hear their voice. Unfortunately that strategy has not been a raging success.

But why is not singing such a tragedy? Firstly, C. S. Lewis said that the two things we will not find in hell are music and silence. The practical upshot of that observation is that if we do not cultivate both singing and silence in the liturgy we may feel quite at home in hell. Put differently, music and silence at Mass is preparing us for what we will find in heaven. The first reason to sing, therefore, is so we will feel at home in heaven.

Secondly, the Scriptures are replete with music and song. An entire Old Testament book is nothing but hymns, namely, the 150 Psalms. And the book of Revelation shows that singing is one of the principal ways the angels and saints worship God in heaven, especially Rv 4, 5, and 19. In other words, the charge that Catholics can’t sing is quite serious. It puts us on a fast track to hell and makes us miss a major message of the Bible.

But there is a third reason why not singing is positively criminal, and that is because spiritual singing drives away the demons. And that makes sense since if music is the matter of heaven and cacophony is the cause of hell, then demons will flee back to hell when confronted with liturgical music. This driving out demons is precisely why King David was renowned for his singing and is often depicted in art holding a harp, the source of his royal authority.

We read in 1 Samuel 16:23 another way David served King Saul (besides dispatching Goliath): “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit came upon Saul, David would take the harp and play, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, for the evil spirit would leave him.” That is, liturgical music is a powerful weapon against evil spirits, like a sling and stone against spiritual giants.

Now, perhaps, we can perceive more profoundly what is happening in the gospel today. Jesus drives out an evil spirit. But notice how the people of Capernaum react. They say: “What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits.” I am convinced that those unclean spirits heard the music and silence of heaven echoing in Jesus’ words, and they fled for their lives back to the pandemonium of hell.

Today we celebrate the feast of Pope St. Gregory the Great. He lived from 540 to 604, and was a saintly pope, a brilliant theologian, and an accomplished administrator. But perhaps his most enduring legacy is the renewal of the liturgy and especially liturgical music, appropriately called “Gregorian chant,” named for him. Because Pope Gregory was so conversant in Scripture and steeped in tradition, he understood the power of liturgical sing – like David and Jesus – and encouraged Catholics to sing in order to tap into that spiritual energy.

Pope Gregory would be appalled there could ever be written a book called “Why Catholics Can’t Sing.” My friends, every time Catholics refuse to sing at Mass we fail to understand the Scriptures, we miss out on the source of spiritual power over evil, and we will feel like strangers in heaven. So, sing, darn it!

Praised be Jesus Christ!