A bit of practice, and a lot of Grace, makes perfect.
I have been part of the choir of a small parish for a few months now.
I am not a very experienced performer, but the church was struggling to attract volunteers to the choir, and they were tired of having to run pre-recorded music for all the hymns in the Church and during the Holy Mass.
And so, despite my own trepidation and concerns with the quality of my ability I decided that I would simply give it my best shot.
I am certainly not the most accomplished singer in the world, but I am also certainly someone who is able to give it a good shot and try my best when I approach a task. For me, singing hymns is the best way to pray. I always feel that I am closest to God and can speak to Him most freely when I am able to sing a hymn. And it was for these two reasons that I decided to participate in this activity because I felt that there were possibly others like me who would benefit from having a choir in the Church and being able to participate in the music in the Church.
The main problem was of course my lack of experience. And then of course there was also the problem of nerves and learning the parts of the Mass and the music and everything else required of me to complete the experiences.
And so, I began. And there were many many mistakes. I forgot parts of the music. I confused myself on the hymns. I sounded terrible at times. But I kept returning – week after week. And each time I returned I tried again and did a little better – or a little worse – and eventually I could sort of figure out roughly how I should be able to participate in the Mass in a manner that would serve in a half-decent manner.
And I have been thinking about that because it seems that I my participation in that choir at Mass is pretty much the same as my participation in every part of my spiritual life…
Just as I am often wrong and mistaken and often make mistakes when I try to apply myself to the various requirements of my faith. And, just as my constant return to the practice and my constant revisiting of the issue means that I slowly get better at doing this thing, so too, is there constant improvement – through Grace – when I practice my faith.
And I have been thinking about that today. For it seems that as with everything – a bit of practice, and a lot of Grace, makes perfect. And that is a pretty good aim for me to have when I go about my business and try to please my God… Practice to perfection… A pretty good aim indeed…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
Comments