In this Random Nun Clip, a listener's church music strikes a sour note and he can't focus on the Mass. Hear the full Ask Sister episode AS210 at aNunsLife.org.
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L: Sister Joan Williams is Vicaress of the Grand Rapids Dominicans. She grew up in Detroit with 12 siblings. She has ministered as a music teacher and coordinator of religious education. For many years, she also served in Honduras among people in situations of great poverty.
R: Sister Orlanda Leyba was born and raised in New Mexico. She is a retired formal education teacher and principal who now tutors adult women in the Literacy Center in Detroit, provides retreat days for Catholic school staff, and ministers at the Detroit Soup Kitchen among people who are homeless.
SISTER MAXINE: I am Sister Maxine and with me today are my guests who are Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Welcome, Sister Joan Williams.
SISTER JOAN: Thank you. It’s a pleasure to be here.
SISTER MAXINE: And Sister Orlanda Leyba.
SISTER ORLANDA: Good morning.
SISTER MAXINE: Our first question comes in from Tom in West Virginia. Tom says: “For years I didn’t go to church. Then all of a sudden, I got this weird urge to go, so I did. Things are okay. Well, except for the music. I am going along at Mass, feeling like good things are happening in me, but then the music brings me down. I appreciate that the musicians are trying hard, but it still sounds like bad lounge music at the casino. It’s so bad--I’m not a musician, but if I was I’d volunteer. Is there anything I could do about this?” Well Tom, thank you so much for your question. I am happy to hear that your return to church is very life-giving. It sounds like it might be sort of a recent return. It sounds so far that things are going pretty well except for the music. So sisters, when we think about Tom’s situation here, I hear in his question two main issues--one main issue really. The liturgy, and then the role of music in that liturgy. What do you do if things are going along well as Tom is, and you encounter a problem with how something is at the church? Let’s talk a little bit about liturgy and what should Tom be thinking of in terms of liturgy to help him. What’s the purpose of liturgy?
SISTER JOAN: Liturgy is the prayer of the people. Liturgy should be an expression of life of people. With regard to music, music plays an integral part. It always has. With our Dominican Sisters particularly, liturgy has been an extremely important part of our lives and music as well.
SISTER MAXINE: The music isn’t just an add-on to the liturgy?
SISTER JOAN: Music is not an add-on. The music can either make or break a liturgy, as can a homily or participation by the people or lack of. It is an integral part. Tom, I would suggest that maybe you have a conversation with other members of the assembly. See where they are at. Have a conversation with the choir because you do want to be spiritually enriched through the music. If it’s an irritant, you’re going to be agitated all during the liturgy. That is a distraction from the Word that’s being proclaimed, the homily that’s being preached, the people around you. It’s important that you move ahead.
SISTER MAXINE: You mentioned a distraction. In that distraction, it might be also an invitation where Tom, as you were saying, could go talk to the choir. This might be an invitation to be more deeply involved in church. Sister Orlanda, have you ever had an experience where—I mean,I remember an experience of being at a polka Mass but it was such a novelty, hearing polka music playing at Mass. It was a novelty. I remember saying, “Oh my gosh, I have never seen this before.” (laughter) I have to say it was its own kind of thing, its own kind of spectacle. Have you ever been at a situation at Mass where something rather unusual or distracting occurred?
SISTER ORLANDA: Yes, I have but right now I can’t think of a particular situation. But when I do hear something in another language or even a different kind of music that I am not used to, it’s a learning situation for me. This is not something that I ordinarily hear or listen to, so I use it as a learning situation. I pay attention to the composer, the gift of that person. Music is such a conundrum in that there are so many varieties of ways to express music. There’s hip hop, there’s jazz, there’s hard rock and there’s country music. Tom, when you went to this church--I am thinking that it was one particular church--obviously you probably had no idea of the type of music that you would be hearing. When you walked into this worship space, this is the music that was being provided for you. So I think we need to ask God, what is this leading me to? What is the message here? I am uncomfortable but do I find anything worthwhile in this music? Obviously, you did not. What else can you find in your search for God?
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This transcript has been lightly edited for readability.
