Amazing Beauty
For centuries, Catholics and Protestants have stolen each other’s music. This, they did because on both sides, the right and the wrong one, they thought important to glorify God in any way they could. If, therefore, a moving melody was written by a Protestant, no matter how wrong he motives, tough luck: the beautiful creation would be recruited from the right side, to more fittingly give glory to God.
This is why we, as Catholics, should appropriate all the musical beauty that Protestant minds have created, so that their God-given talent is brought to full fruition.
I have made, in a recent post, the example of Amazing Grace, a truly amazing tune. If you apply to his words the Catholic concept of Grace, instead of the Protestant one, I think t works fine. But if not – or in any case in which this is not the case – by all means, the words should be changed to bring them in line, whilst preserving the musical beauty of the relevant musical piece.
All beauty comes from God. It is fine to direct all beauty to the glory of God.
I say, let’s steal all that is worth stealing! Let us haveb Bach and Buxtehude resound in our Sung Tridentine Masses! Let us have beautiful Anglican and Protestant hymns resound in our Novus Ordo masses, for as long as we have to cope with Novus Ordo Masses! Let us snatch beauty from the wrong hands and put it, as it is God’s grace, to its proper use!
I honestly don’t care what the guy thought who composed the music. God works in mysterious ways. But beauty is beauty. Let us not waste it.
Again, this is no novelty. This isn’t yours truly trying to be original. This has been done for Centuries.
By Catholics, I add, way more faithful than I will ever be.
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Posted on August 6, 2021, in Traditional Catholicism. Bookmark the permalink. 10 Comments.
Mundabor's Blog 
I don’t get what’s heretical about ‘Amazing Grace’. Mortal sin cuts us off from sanctifying grace. Repentance restores us to it. John Newton doesn’t say he did anything to earn God’s grace but that God pursued him until he surrendered – “I once was lost, but now am found . . .”. God is the lover; humans the beloved. It’s similar in sentiment to the ‘Hound of Heaven’. Btw – “that saved a wretch like me” is an apt description for someone in a state of mortal sin. That Mr. Newton was a captain of a slave ship admittedly adds a certain panache to the line.
For Catholics, Grace is something we *collaborate with* (which is also a grace). God saves us, but he wants our effort in that, he wants us to work with Him. For Protestants, Grace is a force that simply falls on you, like a vase would. Still, the song says “Grace”, so we can perfectly well think of the grace we know is the true one.
One of my favorite hymns is “A Mighty Fortress is our God”, and it will always be one of my favorites. I believe the lyrics are also compatible with Catholicism but frankly I’m not certain. We all tend to love music we were exposed to in childhood or at a point where our faith was being ignited. This is one reason I can’t find it to mock hymns like “On Eagles Wings” (I know, I know) because to some people, this hymn has deep meaning. Perhaps it was someone’s beloved mother who is no longer with us, imagine hearing it is a trashy hymn and people hate it. That would be pointlessly hurtful. And I remember being moved by Eagles Wings at one point, maybe I still would, because music is like that.
When I was little, the Lutheran’s gave us Davey and Goliath, and that hymn is burned into my sub-conscience and when I hear the hymn, it’s like I’m five again. I still feel very grateful for Davey and Goliath, and recommend it highly to any parents of young children. The episodes are free on the horrible You Tube.
I think the author if “a mighty fortress is our God” is, actually, Luther. Still: beautiful tune, that I love too (you hear it in Mendelssohn, too, “Reform” symphony). There’s nothing wrong in changing the lyrics if and when necessary and get that beautiful tune for us!
Sorry, someone’s beloved mother’s favorite hymn….my bad habit of editing after I post goes on.
I personally think that churches should just stick with this one, sounds better:
Beautiful, but besides the point.
We are talking of decent music for the Novus Ordo, which will not disappear tomorrow no matter what we wish.
It is a healing balm, beautiful music. I was fortunate to have grown up motherless and poor, with four siblings, but how rich we were in beautiful classical music. It became the soundtrack of our lives.
Heyr himna smiður | Hear, Heavenly Creator(An Icelandic Hymn) English lyrics Listen, smith of the heavens, what the poet asks. May softly come unto me your mercy. So I call on thee, for you have created me. I am thy servant, you are my Lord. God, I call on thee to heal me. Remember me, mild one, Most we need thee. Drive out, O king of suns, generous and great, every human sorrow from the city of the heart. Watch over me, mild one, Most we need thee, truly every moment in the world of men. send us, son of the virgin, good causes, all aid is from thee, in my heart.
The First Art is the most sublime, as it involves mortal flesh and divine soul. The atheist cannot explain this. The evolutionist, for all his many words, is speechless when it comes to The Beauty of God in creation.
I used to give children piano lessons. Their parents do not know classical music. They do not know the great hymns. Pop music is four predictive chords in repetition. I used to be able to show the workings of mathematics and grammar with Bach, now, no more. Nobody wants piano lessons. They want to be blissful and contentedly stupid.
Jewel, that’s a touching post. I made my sons take piano lessons (and listen to one classical CD for every pop CD). Now their little ones recognize all manner of classical music and their fathers insist they learn piano. Those same fathers (my sons) had a rather successful rock band on the West Coast US but they seem to not have forgotten their history. Don’t despair. Some of your former students may remember something you taught them. I hope my little grandchildren will remember too. But at least they have been given a good start, as have your former students. God bless you! That was a lovely piece you posted!
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