The liturgy is the fundamental Christian source of practice that provides us the opportunity to show reverence for God, and the desire to love and worship God for His sacrifice. The result of the liturgical action, which is not substituted by popular piety, is the work and effort of the person who feels the necessity to do what is right for God’s sacrifice. For this reason during Advent, the Church has popular devotions and extra-liturgical forms of spiritual exercises such as the Rosary, the crib, the Advent wreath, Marian devotions, the Christmas novena, and Advent processions; this is to represent the journey to Bethlehem of Mary and Joseph searching a place in which the Savior could be born. During these pious and enriching traditions, from the Medieval Ages to modern times, music, specifically Gregorian chant, has played a significant role in these forms of practice.
Fr. Joseph Gelineau writes in his book Voices and Instruments in Christian Worship, “Popular piety is not far from the liturgy. The use of singing in the spread of the gospel is an unbroken tradition of the Church’s missionary and catechetical apostolate.” He also explains in agreement with the Fathers of the Church how chants are useful in the life of a Christian community, and that it is a source of evangelization to make Christ known and to make his “Good News” known to others. Also according to Fr. Gelineau, this is why there are practical and corresponding chants that allow us to function as a collective prayer of supplication and processional singing in times of penance and preparation. The priest and musician Fr. Gelineau gives the example of the Litanies of the Saints: the Kyrie Eleison, with a series of invocations to the Saints, with the response Ora pro nobis, penitential petitions Liberanos, Domine, intercessions for the Church Te rogamus, audi nos, the Agnus Dei, and the Psalms.
In this period of preparation, the celebrant, musicians, and the assembly must take into consideration the path of conversion, penance, and hope, the prophets’ message of salvation, and the struggles and difficulties faced by Joseph and Mary to bring the Lord into our world. The music, even if not performed in the liturgy, must express moderation. This is well stated in the document Sing to the Lord, number 114, of the Conference of Bishops of the United States, “There must be musical moderation during the liturgical time of Advent […] avoiding any anticipation of the full joy of the birth of the Lord.”
Gregorian chant expresses this sentiment and the IDEA of God the Father’s plan because it is clothed with penetrating words and beautiful modest melodies, ones that soften our hearts. This is why we know and hold close to our hearts these Latin chants during Advent: the Pater Noster, Alma Redemptoris Mater, and the Ave Maria, which are commonly sung at the novenas of the Immaculate Conception and of Christmas. Furthermore, antiphons like the O Antiphons or “major antiphons” are sung at the Vespers from December 17 to the 23, and in some countries and occasions during the Christmas novena.
For all intents and purposes, popular piety and Gregorian chant are closely connected to the liturgy during Advent, as it is to other liturgical seasons, and it impacts our souls. The Vatican’s Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy explains this connection in Chapter 4, number 97, “Popular piety is particularly sensitive to Advent, especially when seen as the memory of the preparation for the coming of the Messiah […] Various expressions of popular piety connected to Advent have emerged throughout the centuries. These have sustained the faith of the people, and from one generation to the next, they have conserved many valuable aspects of the liturgical season of Advent.”
Thankfully, Gregorian chant is one of the greatest expressions held for generations! Therefore, let us chant Alma Redemptoris and meditate upon Mary’s fiat as we also wait and long for the birth of Christ our Savior with hope, joy, peace, and love.