![]() (Cardinal Francis Arinze) Gregorian chant can be described as a “prayer of song.” In the words of Saint Augustine, To sing is to pray twice, meaning that it is the singing itself that becomes the prayer. It shows joy, sorrow, repentance, petition, hope, praise or thanksgiving….It makes the psalms come alive. Gregorian chant is marked by a moving meditative cadence. Its contemplative beauty deepens the meaning and mystery of the word. While Gregorian chant is the sung prayer of the Church, and that of our monastery, it can also be a profound source and medium of personal prayer. The chanting of the Office continues to sustain the whole Church around the world. Each day monasteries throughout the world rise to sing their canticum novum (new song) of praise. ![]() The Divine Office, Saint Benedict wrote, was the monk’s main “Work of God” ( Opus Dei), and for over a thousand years the sound of chant has echoed down Benedictine cloisters. Gregorian chant has also long been the classic medium for monastic prayer. Chant is dynamic in its purpose, employed by the Church to express her liturgy in all its richness - her seasons, her solemnities, and all her saints. The poetry of the chant texts conveys the richness of the inexhaustible mysteries of Christ's birth, passion, death and glorious resurrection. Although chant can certainly be enjoyed as a beautiful genre of music, for us it is more than this. Blessed John Paul II emphasized its importance as the clearest musical expression of sacred music in the service of God. It is the official music of the Catholic Church’s liturgy. Gregorian chant can also be defined as "sung prayer”. It is sometimes referred to as plainsong, because it predates the use of harmony or polyphony. The simple, pure lines of Gregorian chant go back to the origins of the first Christian communities and the earliest recorded Western music. We invite you to come and experience for yourself the contemplative, timeless beauty of Gregorian chant. It is the sacred music of the Church, expressing the words of Scripture in Latin, the ancient language of the Church. Gregorian chant is contemplative music that touches the soul and raises the heart to God.
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