Back from the 'Mountain'; a Reflection

Hello, everyone. I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. I wanted to share my experience of seven days of
'musical heaven,' sacred music Colloquium XX, I attended last week. It was held in Duquesne Univ. in PA. There were about 250 people (including many young people) there. Everyday we sang (prayed), learned and discussed sacred music and Liturgy that our Church and Pope wish us to have in our local parishes. We had a beautiful Mass everyday with many priests who also came to learn more about sacred Liturgy that is authentic to the Church's teachings and tradition. The Masses were incredibly beautiful (I guess this sort of things you cannot describe with words). We had both Novus Ordo (new form of the Mass) and Traditional Mass, and both of them were so reverant and sacred with music that is the integral part of the Mass, that you cannot see much boundaries between the two forms.
Was Vatican II a rupture or a continuation of the Tradition into our time? Is 'active participation' truly meant for the congregation doing so many things and singing everything during Mass? or doing our roles by uniting ourselves with the priest and offer to Christ? Do we truly understand the teaching of
'lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi?' The way we worship (pray) leads to the way we believe, and it leads to the way we live. As a musician, I can say that since we know that singing well is praying twice, therefore the way we sing in Mass will lead to the way we believe and lead to the way we live. I learned and was confirmed to believe
'sing like a Catholic, believe like a Catholic and live like a Catholic.

"The Church's faith precedes the faith of the believers who is invited to adhere to it. When the Church celebrates the sacraments, she confesses the faith recieved from the apostles." (CCC1124)
Somehow music in Mass became a loophole after Vatican II. Music in Mass cannot be decided by the tastes of any individuals. There are norms and rubrics of the Church for sacred music and sacred instruments for Mass. Somehow they have been forgotten by many Catholcs. I believe the Church's own music is going to be restored in the Catholic Litrugy in near future. I was very surprised to see more and more young people at the Colloquium every year. There's a hope in our future.

Here's a link to recordings to the Colloquium.
http://music.dierschow.com/2010Colloquium/

I strongly recommand Fr. Kirby's talks. (scroll down, almost to the bottom, to the breakout sessions ) There were only 3 presentations, and all of us who were there knew that the talk should have been for 5 days and all day. After listening to his talk at the Colloquium, I felt like I was struck by a thunder. He is so much in love with Christ, and his love for Church, Liturgy and chants are not seperable.

Enjoy! (I'll be making CDs of his talks. If anybody want them for your prists, let me know.)

"The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given first place in liturgical services." (Section 116, the Second Vatican Council, in its Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy)

This is what the Church says (has been said). How many parishes do you know that follow her instruction as above ?

Mia
(Save the Liturgy, Save the world)