The Mass does not belong to us, but to God.   
                                                         ~ Benedict XVI

  During any celebration of the Holy Mass, three realities are essentially taking place all at the same time. We are celebrating and making present what has already happened, what has been accomplished in Christ’s saving death and resurrection. Secondly, we are already looking forward to that which is yet to come, Christ’s return in glory at the end of time to judge the living and the dead. And while these two realities are being celebrated, we are simultaneously participating in the heavenly liturgy which goes on continuously in the sight of almighty God.

  It is principally Christ who acts in the sacred liturgy. We are only his instruments. Every Mass is an act of Christ and of the whole church. It is not ours. It belongs to Christ and the universal church. Jesus Christ determines the meaning and purpose of what we celebrate in the sacred liturgy, we do not. So every Mass celebrates and makes present that which has already been accomplished in Christ’s life-giving death and glorious resurrection. At every Mass, we are in the upper room, we are at the foot of the cross, we are at the empty tomb, as these events come to  us sacramentally and mystically across time and space. But in the sacred liturgy, we also mystically anticipate that which is yet to come. We look forward with joyful hope to the coming of Christ in and of itself.

  Everything we do in the celebration of the Mass must draw out and reflect the essential meaning and purpose of the sacred liturgy itself. Everything in the liturgy which touches us on the level of the senses must express the inner meaning of the holy mysteries we celebrate. Everything we see, hear, and even smell should draw us deeper into the profound mystery of God’s love and mercy shown to us in his Son, Jesus Christ. That is why everything in the sacred liturgy must be as beautiful as we can make it, drawing upon the gifts of the people of God, especially artists in the area of the sacred arts including, of course, sacred music. The architecture of the church building, the visual art and iconography adorning the temple, the decoration of the sanctuary, the vestments worn by the sacred ministers, the sacred vessels and other things used in the sacred liturgy, and the music which accompanies the liturgical action must all be beautiful, reflecting  the infinite beauty and goodness of God, to whom our divine worship is directed. But all of these things must not become ends in themselves—beauty for the sake of beauty—but must be seen as means to an end, drawing us in and making us profoundly aware of the awesome mystery we are celebrating. They must express and show forth the meaning of the Mass itself, for the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful.

      Music that is used in the celebration of the sacred liturgy must also contribute to the fuller expression of the mystery being celebrated.                                              

      We must “sing the Mass,” not “sing songs at Mass.” This is at the heart of what must be recovered as it concerns music for the sacred liturgy.  (from the address by His Excellency Archbishop Alexander King Sample, Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, delivered at the  CMAA colloquium, Salt Lake City, Utah, June 19, 2013)

      What is sacred music? The three essential qualities of sacred music are sacredness, beauty (artistic quality), and universality.

      Next month, we will examine these three qualities in more detail.