A Roman Catholic Document: Music In Catholic Worship Part I

In 1972, a committee appointed by the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions examined post-Vatican II documents on worship and music and issued the following document, Music in Catholic Worship, a revision of the earlier document The Place of Music in Eucharistic Celebrations. This document includes a thorough discussion of theological issues related to liturgical music, along with guidelines for planning music for worship, especially for services that include the Eucharist. The Theology of Celebration 1. We are Christians because through the Christian community we have met Jesus Christ, heard his word in invitation, and responded to him in faith. We gather at Mass that we may hear and express our faith again in this assembly and, by expressing it, renew and deepen it. 2. We do not come to meet Christ in worship as if he were absent from the rest of our lives. We come together to deepen our awareness of, and commitment to, the action of his Spirit in the whole of our lives …