Rembrandt - The Return of the Prodigal Son

In my last blog/podcast I wrote/spoke of the Church's inspired vision for the renewal of sacred music, and described four distinct dimensions of this renewal: reconnecting with our roots, cultivating new repertoire that is worthy of our great traditions, developing the vital skills necessary for singing the Liturgy, and doing all of this through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In all of these things, the point is not for us to create a new tradition, but rather to receive, cultivate and develop the living holy tradition which has been initiated by Christ and handed down throughout the centuries.

But it is not enough to see our final destination with clarity. We also need to know how to get there from our present location. And given our present general state of affairs regarding the Liturgy and its music, one might be tempted to say that the way from here to there can no longer be found. To this I would respond that while the way is by no means easy, it is indeed possible – through the grace of God and to the extent of our faithful cooperation. This cooperation, which I am calling here the “Art of Renewal”, has many aspects to it, of which I'll be speaking in further depth and detail over the coming weeks and months. But for the moment, I'd like to try to identify the most essential aspects of this art, from the vantage point of both clergy and lay people. Is there a concrete set of keys, accessible to all, which we can apply so as to open the doors of the renewal of sacred music?

Yes, there is indeed such a set of keys! As mentioned above, they do not offer a quick fix to our difficulties, as no worthy project in this world can be completed without fidelity, hard work, and much patient endurance. But these keys do have an amazing power, over time, to unlock a deep and enduring return to integrity in the sacred music of our parishes and communities. I am going to first list them briefly, and then take this and my next two blogs/podcasts to explain them in more detail.

Here are the three keys. Each person who is reading this blog, or listening to this podcast, has the capacity to use them:

Our own ongoing personal conversion in all dimensions of our lives, but particularly in the aspects of prayer, wisdom, and faithful living. Two other important words that describe this conversion are repentance and metanoia. I spoke about this in my last blog/podcast as the crowning attribute of sacred song, which it is indeed. But from the perspective of our work towards renewal, it also needs to be our starting point.
The diligent pursuit of wisdom regarding sacred music, based upon the study of Church teaching and tradition, an ongoing reflection upon their principles, and the development of prudence in applying these principles to real-life situations.
The faithful application of the above, each person within the sphere of his or her own authority and responsibility. In fact, we will see how this applies not only to Bishops, Priests, and Church musicians, but also to all of the rest of the faithful. Each one of us has a significant role to play, however small or large, in this art of renewal.

So now let's look at each one in further detail. Today I plan to cover the first key in depth, and then over the next two weeks I will return to look more closely at the second and third ones.

The first essential key, again, is our own ongoing personal conversion to ever-deeper love of God and neighbor, in all aspects of our lives but particularly in the dimensions of prayer, wisdom, and faithful living. This conversion, a.k.a. repentance, implies our going beyond the mere fulfillment of obligations, to an overflowing gift of our self to God and others. It's only possible through fervent charity; a love that springs not from the strength of our own enthusiasm, but rather from divine grace. It is a deep movement of our heart and mind which is distinct though related to the emotions which may or may not accompany it at any given moment. It might be helpful to look a bit more closely at the three essential dimensions mentioned above:

Prayer: going beyond perfunctory prayers, to seeking friendship and union with God. Through the Sacramental life, personal and family prayer, the Divine Office, Eucharistic adoration, praying for one another, the communion of the saints, the Rosary, lectio divina, meditation, the spiritual disciplines, etc. Even when in spite of our searching, we cannot find what we would consider to be reverent and edifying liturgical worship, we all have access to the secret room to which Christ calls us, a room which is filled with the treasure of God's tender loving presence.
Wisdom: normally beginning with the healthy cultivation of human knowledge and skills, through the habits of reading, writing, listening, reflection, discussion, etc. If our formation has been weak in these areas, do we work at strengthening it according to our capacities? In regard to the Faith, and life's important questions, are we fully engaged with our mind as well as with our heart? Beyond these efforts, do we humbly seek the “wisdom from above”, the gift of the Holy Spirit, in our daily lives? The St. James the Apostle says of this wisdom that it is “first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.” (James 3:17.)
Faithful living: in accordance with divine law, not only in the fundamental sense of keeping the ten commandments, and cultivating all the natural virtues, but also in discovering and participating in the beauty of the Beatitudes; learning from Christ, “gentle and humble of heart”, to love one another as he has loved us. Discovering and becoming faithful stewards of our particular natural and spiritual gifts. Discovering our vocation and pursuing it with great love and fidelity. Keeping our priorities straight, in loving God, our families, and our neighbor, and in diligently accomplishing the work with which we have been entrusted.

Now why should I go into detail about such matters which might seem far removed from the subject of sacred music? Well, it's because without this foundation of our own personal transformation, anything else we set out to accomplish will be on shifting sand. And it's very easy for all of us to avoid this challenge of conversion by diverting our energies to subordinate goals, even in the realm of religion and sacred music. But however challenging this path of repentance and transformation may be, it is essentially simple and altogether accessible for each of us. It's about being fully alive in our heart, mind, and soul. It's not a question of quickly arriving at the heights of sanctity, wisdom, and fidelity, but rather in always having our eyes on the goal: as we start again each day, as we pick ourselves up when we fall, and as we discover the grace of God in the midst of our own weaknesses, wounds, and failures.

So that is our first key. It opens the first door to renewal in all aspects of our lives, and of the life of the Church. Please join me next week as we examine the second of the three essential keys to this art of the renewal of sacred music!

The Art of Renewal - Part I