Christ, you are with us through the Spirit,
yet still hidden from our sight.
Come to us and be revealed through our music today.
May all we do be a sign of your reign to come,
forever and ever.
Amen
Music Ministry Vision Statement
Our vision is to enable the full, conscious, and active participation of the assembly at St. Joseph’s by inspiring those assembled to sing. We hope to achieve this by performing music that connects with the congregation’s hearts, minds and spirits thereby fostering and cultivating each member’s relationship with God. This connection is prayer, and it is where true Christianity begins.
Music Is a Reflection of God’s Beauty
We as musicians see clearly that music was not designed for the glory of humanity, but for the reflective beauty of the glory of God. We desire to be mirrors of God’s glory. Like Mary, we desire to use our voices, hearts, and instruments to lead people closer to God.
Connecting With Style
We realize that effective music ministry needs to spiritually connect with the listeners in order for them to fully participate in singing. We also see that different people connect with different styles of music. Therefore, we are divided into two major stylistic groups: Traditional and Contemporary. Distinguished by song selection and performance style, each of these groups attempts to draw parishioners into song through its distinctive approach.
It All Comes Down to Prayer
We hope to accomplish all of our goals by having a "prayer-first" approach to our ministry. If we are not able to know our music well enough to pray with it, we will be unable to lead the assembly to do the same.
Another church document on music states that the music minister is a disciple first, then a minister. The St. Joseph Music Ministry embraces its calling when approaching every note and every chord, being disciples of Christ first while striving to give breath to the spiritual life within each song.
The fundamental goals of the St. Joseph Music Ministry are taken from the guidance of the Magesterium of the Church. The Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy states:
The Church earnestly desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious and active participation in liturgical celebrations called for by the very nature of the liturgy. ... In the reform and promotion of the liturgy, this full and active participation by all the people is the aim to be considered before all else. (no14)