Church Music

Tonight I went to the Easter Vigil Mass with my grandpa. We had always enjoyed the evening Mass together, but recently we've started going to the morning one at 10:30, and the more I go to that one, the more I realize what it is that frustrates me about the evening one. The parts of Mass that are done through song are all composed at the evening Mass by Billy Archuleta, and they just don't sound right to me. Not that I'm any kind of musical anything, but the tempo is just off, and no matter what the liturgical season he always chooses these old Spanish songs that are so dreary, no matter what the subject matter. Easter is supposed to be a joyous season, but the songs tonight still sounded like a funeral, which made me so very frustrated. I think I'm going to start going to the 10:30 Mass permanently, even if it means losing a day of sleeping until noon.

As I said before, not that I have any skill whatsoever at music, but as far as church and worship of any kind, music has always moved me and been incredibly powerful for me. I love singing in church, even though I'm not a great singer, and some of my favorite hymns can actually bring me to tears if I'm in the right mood. Even in Japan when I was lonely or homesick I would pull out my hymnbook and sing myself to sleep. One of the best parts of every winter retreat at school with our Catholic community was the evening when we'd pull out the hymnbooks and just sing whatever songs anyone liked together. And at our school Masses my friend Beth was the cantor and she has the absolute most beautiful voice I've ever heard. I used to love to sit next to hear just to be able to hear her. My friends Philip and Lena also sing beautifully, and our community as a whole up at school is really into singing, guys and girls alike. Here at home so few guys seem willing to sing, but I give major props to the guys at school who aren't shy about it or anything. Hearing all of our voices raised together in song is something really special for me.