Preventing Prayer

A question that should always be asked about our participation in the Mass is "did I pray?" In other words, did you just attend, do your stuff, and then leave? Or did you actually pray? It is easy to recite the words without praying (demons do it all the time when they try to tempt us away from holiness). There are places in the Mass and the Daily Office that have options and a few choices. The celebrant can choose certain things in those instances (whether we should have choices is another question for another post).

Those "choices" that are made in a Mass or Daily Office will either help or hinder people's ability to participate in the prayers. Some would say (and I have heard it often) that hymns help them to worship. I am not going to say they are wrong, but I do want to ask a question: do the hymns actually help someone to worship, or are they just "liked" and so the individual believes that his enjoyment means he is worshiping better? It is an important distinction. I know far too many people who are more concerned about what hymns are sung in Mass than about whether the Sacrament is properly consecrated!

I once attended an Evensong that was very elaborate, and I must say that the cantors did a wonderful job. They sang well, and clearly were talented. As I spoke with a few people afterwards, some said to me that they felt that the singing was beautiful but that it hindered them from praying. If we are just "enjoying" the music (even if we are singing along) but are more focused on the music than on our own prayers, then we have allowed something to keep us from proper worship.

Any music, singing or chanting is supposed to be a help to prayer, and not a distraction from it. If any aspect of our worship of God has become so detailed and elaborate that it prevents the majority of people from praying (even if they "enjoy" that aspect) then it becomes similar to the money changers in the temple whom Jesus drove out with a whip. Remember, He did say: "my Father's house is supposed to be a house of prayer".