Music Liturgy

Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord, cry out to the rock of our salvation. Let us greet him with a song of praise, joyfully sing out our psalms. Psalm 95

The New Man sings a New Song. Singing is an expression of joy, and if we consider the matter, an expression of love. St. Augustine

As a manifestation of the human spirit, music performs a function which is noble, unique, and irreplaceable. When it is truly beautiful and inspired, it speaks to us more than all the other arts of goodness, virtue, peace, of matters holy and divine. Not for nothing has it always been, and will it always be, an essential part of the liturgy. Pope John Paul II

At St. John Bosco, we are mindful of the important role that music plays in enabling the active participation of the faithful in celebrating the Sacred Mysteries contained in The Mass. Hymns, responsorial psalms, and segments of the liturgy are sung whenever possible. Special attention is given to making the songs relevant to the day. We concur fully with the recent thoughts of our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI: “As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration. Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons.”

We also strive to achieve a balance between maintaining the traditional heritage of beautiful music written through the Church’s history, and the discovery of fresh, inspired creations also worthy of inclusion. As the psalmist exhorted in Psalm 98, ” O Sing unto the Lord a New Song, for He has done marvelous things!”

The Music Liturgy is lead by Melanie Delancey Griffy.  (music@sjbwoodstock.org)