Singing during Communion
Pope Francis speaks many languages: Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, and Ukrainian among them. But wherever he goes, Francis primarily speaks the language of mercy.
He continually challenges us to broaden our focus, to look beyond ourselves in order to see the plight of those in need. This, ultimately, is the language of community.
Community is also the primary language of the liturgy. As my professor, Monsignor Kevin Irwin would say, “The liturgy is not about the self, it’s about the we. 99% of the pronouns we use in the liturgy are we, our and us.” Despite our American preference for individual freedoms, we are called to participate in the liturgy as a community--one body--united in Christ.
One of the ways we do that is by singing, particularly during communion. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the book which guides us on how to celebrate the liturgy, says this:
While the Priest is receiving the Sacrament, the Communion Chant is begun, its purpose is to express the spiritual union of the communicants by means of the unitiy of their voices, to show gladness of heart, and to bring out more clearly the "communitarian" nature of the procession to receive the Eucharist. The singing is prolonged for as long as the Sacrament is being administered to the faithful. GIRM 86.
For some, singing during communion might be perceived as an intrusion on their private prayer. I have been asked more than once, “Why do we sing during communion? Isn’t that the ‘me and Jesus time?’” The idea of private prayer during the liturgy likely stems from a history of liturgical practices. For centuries, the liturgy was prayed by the priest in Latin, a language people no longer spoke, and in a low voice. So not only could they not understand what the priest was praying, they couldn’t hear what he was saying! And there were periods where lay people were thought unworthy to receive communion. So people prayed their own private prayers, rosaries, and other devotions during Mass.
Things are different now. The Church not only gives us permission to sing during communion, it mandates it. Our own bishops have said that, “Because the Communion chant expresses the unity of those processing and receiving the Holy Sacrament, communal singing is commendable. The singing of the people should be preeminent.”
The Church hopes that the texts we sing and the act of singing itself will unite us, strengthening the sacramental presence of the Eucharist, so that we too can speak the language of mercy in the world.
