Homily for Tuesday
31st Week of Ordinary
Time
Nov. 5, 2024
Phil 2: 5-11
Christian Brothers, St.
Joseph’s Residence, N.R.
Salesian sisters singing at Mass of Religious Profession
St. Anthony's Church, Hawthorne, N.J., Aug. 5, 2022
About 2 weeks ago, the bishop of Jefferson
City got some attention by publishing a list
of hymns and individual composers not to be used in the diocese. The hymns were deemed deficient doctrinally,
e.g., in Eucharistic theology or ecclesiology, and the composers are accused of
offenses against human dignity. The
bishop was actually the 1st to implement guidelines
from the USCCB’s doctrine committee published 4 years ago.
Why?
Because music is an effective teaching tool. Consider the place of patriotic hymns,
campaign songs, and folk music in stirring national, political, or social
movements. Sacred music also teaches and
moves, as Protestants like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley knew very well, not
to mention St. Ambrose and St. Thomas.
Consider hymns like “Faith of Our Fathers,” “Amazing Grace,” “Silent
Night,” “Here I Am, Lord,” and even “This Little Light of Mine.”
Writing to his disciples at Philippi, Paul
turns to what scholars think was an early liturgical hymn celebrating Christ’s
exaltation and pointing to reasons for his glorification: sharing the human experience of suffering and
death in humble, faithful obedience to God his Father.
That hymn, Paul says, shows us how to act as
disciples, what kind of attitude must motivate us: be humble like Jesus, be obedient like Jesus,
and you’ll be exalted like Jesus.
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