WYD Adoration: Musical Misstep

It’s all the rage: Matt Maher’s performance during Adoration at WYD. Sigh. Listen at your own risk - especially when you consider that this was sung at Adoration! The fact that he sang on his knees still does not make this sacred music, nor does the fact that Mr. Maher is Catholic give the music a Catholic identity.

Somehow I fail to see how the words of Maher’s song in any way approach the depth of the hymns Verbum supernum prodiens (from whence we get O Salutaris Hostia) or Pange lingua (from whence we get Tantum ergo):

Lord, I come, I confess

Bowing here I find my rest

Without You I fall apart

You're the One that guides my heart

Chorus

Lord, I need You, Oh, I need You

Every hour I need You

My one defense, my righteousness

Oh God, how I need You

Verse 2

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more

Where grace is found is where You are

And where You are, Lord, I am free

Holiness is Christ in me

Bridge

Teach my song to rise to You

When temptation comes my way

And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You

Jesus, You're my hope and stay.

There’s a lot of emotionalism present in both the words and the music of Maher’s song. And, in typically Protestant manner, it's egocentric: it's all about Jesus-n'-me. None of that messy Church stuff (very weak on an ecclesiological perspective), ergo unsuitable for liturgical worship.

It also fails to meet Pope St. Pius X's criteria for "sacred music".

Compare Maher's song to O Salutaris Hostia

O saving Victim, opening wide 

The gate of heaven to all us below:
Our foes press on from every side;
Thine aid supply, Thy strength bestow.

To Thy great Name be endless praise,
Immortal Godhead, One in Three!
O grant us endless length of days
With Thee in our true country.
Amen.

Here's O Salutaris sung in a different melody; this fellow is also on his knees!




Here’s Pange Lingua in English:

Of the glorious Body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
And the Blood, all price excelling,
Which the world's eternal King,
In a noble womb once dwelling
Shed for the world's ransoming.

Given for us, descending,
Of a Virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered he the Gospel seed,
Till his sojourn drew to ending,
Which he closed in wondrous deed.

At the last great Supper lying
Circled by his brethren's band,
Meekly with the law complying,
First he finished its command
Then, immortal Food supplying,
Gave himself with his own hand.

Word made Flesh, by word he maketh
Very bread his Flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ's Blood partaketh:
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.

Therefore we, before him bending,
This great Sacrament revere;
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing
To the Father and the Son;
Honour, might, and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Ever too his love confessing,
Who, from both, with both is one.
Amen.

There is true Catholic identity evident in those "old-fashioned" Latin hymns. There is reverence and awe. There is a turning toward the Lord, as opposed to the focus on “me”, and how “I feel” about Jesus, who is my buddy.

Why do we seem to find it necessary to dumb down the faith for our youth? Why do we try to “compete” with the Protestants by simply using Protestant music and theology? There is so much more to our Catholic faith!

We are letting down the youth of our Church by this approach, and we are failing to evangelize the culture. Rather, the (Protestant) culture has evangelized us.