LAMENTATIONS OF AN INNOCENT NIGERIAN PRISONER By: Onyeulo Noel Ogadimma

(Poem written for the inauguration of MERCY FOR PRISONERS APOSTOLATE a.k.a THE MERCIFIERS)

How many tribulations and hardship must I endure,
Before you plead my cause for a fair trial?
How many evidence must proof my innocence,
Before you give me justice?

How many years must I exceed my bail agreement,
Before you give me freedom?
How much malnourished must I look,
Before you give me food?

How many sickness and infections must I suffer,
Before you give me medication?
How much naked must I appear,
Before you give me clothing?

How many ears must you have,
Before you hear my cry?
How many eyes must you have,
Before you see my tears?

But, I know my Redeemer liveth,
I know he is not far from me,
I know one day he will come,
And you shall know my Redeemer liveth!

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Email: noeldominor@gmail.com

THINKING AND THANKING THURSDAY By: Noel Ogadimma Onyeulo

(Poem Dedicated to the Citizens of United States of America on the Celebration of their National Thanksgiving Day)

Beat the drum!
Blow the Trumpet!
It’s a Thursday for thinking beings
Who think before eating and are thankful after eating.

But, who made the Turkey?
You are silent?
Speak that I may hear!
Yes, it’s the Lord.

So, eat the Turkey
But, don’t eat the thanks!
Think before eating the Turkey
But, don’t eat the turkey before thinking!

When you eat the Turkey says the Lord
You shall jubilate over the task of unity
You shall think and thank God this Thursday
For in God we Trust!      
         
Address: Bigard Memorial Seminary, Enugu Nigeria.
Email Address: noeldominor@gmail.com
Phone no. +2347032786152             

DO STORIES MATTER? By: Onyeulo Noel Ogadimma (Theology Student of Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu Nigeria)

The great Indian Jesuit priest and Story writer, Anthony de Mello once said that the shortest distance between truth and a human being is a story. Stories guide human beings in their search for truth and meaning of life.  We should be concerned about the stories we digest because they form part of how we relate with events, peoples and places. Stories are like imaginative vehicles through which we travel to places either factual or fictional. Stories create most times a definitive picture of our believe system; whatever we know about an event, people and places are most often an aftermath of stories we have heard about them. With stories we can wound or heal and we can also create a true or false image of people, place or event. The African writer and story teller, Chimamanda Adichie in one of her stories titled “The Danger of a Single story” quoted the Palestinian poet Mourid Barghouti who writes that “if you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story…” Using a story, you can make a definite picture of peoples, events and places.

However, stories matter! So, to get at true picture of reality we need what the African Star Novelist Chinua Achebe called “Balance of stories”. Not just a “balance of stories” but “a dialogical balance of stories”. A “dialogical balance of stories” is an assessment of all the basic components of a story including its negative and positive occurrences. The basic components of a story include; who told the story? How the story is told? When a story is told? And how many stories are told? All these components provide a kind of dialogical balance to reality and are dependent on one another to proof the veracity of a story. For reality is composed of two opposites (Light and Darkness, White and Black, Rich and Poor etc); so we need a “dialogical balance of stories” to mediate between these opposites in order to give balance to our logic and judgment. With story, one can unlock the door to reality but cannot do that with a single story. It is dangerous to base ones judgment or logic on a single story because they are incomplete and inequitable. According to Adichie, a single story portrays a people as one thing over and over again and has the capacity of making a definite story and picture of another person. For her, the danger of a single story is not only that they are untrue but they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story. The consequence of a single story is that it robs people of their dignity and makes our recognition of equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes on how we are different rather than how we are similar. For instance, oftentimes some black people have been afraid of talking to or relating with White people either on face to face encounter or social media for fear of racism ranging from the single story told years ago that all whites are racist. But today, some of us are proud to say from “balance of stories” that the greatest unconditional love and favor we have received in life is courtesy of our white friends. They deserve my praise! Also in Nigeria, one of the present social and political unrest in the country is traceable to the danger of a single story; where the Igbo man is only told the negative stories of the Hausa Man and the Hausa Man have also come to believe on a single story of the Igbos as his major enemy to rival with. Hence, Nigeria needs a “dialogical balance of stories” to define her future and challenges despite her cultural diversity.

In fine, we need a kind of “dialogical balance of stories” to regain a paradise in our relationship with people and quest for reality. I wish to conclude with an excerpt from Adichie’s story- “The Danger of a Single Story” which reads; “Stories matter. Many stories matter. Stories have been used to dispossess and to malign people. It can also be used to empower and to humanize. Stories can break the dignity of a people but stories can also repair that broken dignity… when we reject and realize that there is never a single story about any place {people and event}, we regain a kind of paradise”.      

A THEOLOGICAL HERMENEUTICS OF “OUT-CRY” BY ONYEULO NOEL OGADIMMA ( A theology Student of Bigard Memorial Seminary Enugu Nigeria) (Open for constructive criticisms)

OVERTURE

The term “out-cry” is an important theme in biblical salvation theology. It culminates in the Exodus story of the Old Testament which connects Israel to its historical identity and origin. “Out-cry” is very significant especially when it comes from an oppressed people. To understand the importance of “Out-Cry” in Israel’s salvation history, one must first and foremost understand the Exodus story and its theology as it relates to the people of Israel, the chosen people of God. As a reality, “Out-Cry” of an oppressed people is significant to the Name of God who is Omni-Presence and Omniscience. Thus, he who is “Omni-presence- I AM, I AM” (Exodus 3:14) of the Old Testament is still the “Emmanuel- God is with us” of the New Testament. God is always present in the live of his people especially the oppressed, marginalized, orphans and those who have no one to care for them. This implies that whenever God will always manifests his power in the history of His people especially against oppressive system that caused His people to “Cry-Out”. God hears the “Out-Cry” of his people as it reveals His true name and identity as being in the history of his people.

THE EXODUS STORY

The Exodus story is the heart of Jewish religion and all who follow the Jewish religion. Whatever Israel came to know of God and their history is embelished in the encounter with God and Moses in Egypt. Thus, the Exodus story is a story of Israel’s salvation, liberation and redemption. It is the story that made Israel a people; their very first experience of God as a liberator and savior. It connects Israel to its historical past as slaves in Egypt; slaves of Pharaoh. As slaves, Israel has no identity, no origin, no history and no name. Israel did not know anything about God, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses questioning of God to tell him who he was or who is sending him shows a glimpse of the fact that Israel has lost the history of who they were. This is typical of a slave in the ancient times. In the ancient times, slaves were led through a process of memory lose to become completely the property of their master. Slaves have no name as they bear the name of their master. They bear marks, seal or wear an object of the master to show they are a property of the master. With this indelible mark, a slave cannot escape from the master and that is why he is a slave forever. Israel was slave of Pharaoh in Egypt. In fact Israel belongs to Pharaoh who was a great master and was also worshipped as a god. Pharaoh as a god in Egypt determined whether Israel will live or not. The story of Exodus began when a Pharaoh who did not know Joseph came to power. He became threatened by the geometrical increase of the population of the Israelites. The Egyptians became afraid that one day these people (Israel) will team up with invaders and fight them. This fear has an antecedent ranging to the historical story of the “Hyksos” (who were labourers) from Palestine who came into Egypt and after a long number of years, they entered the government and through that form, overtook the government of Egypt and ruled for more than 300years). The Egyptians did not want history to repeat itself and so they undertook a certain measures to checkmate its growing population. The measures include; killing of male children and hard labour. These made Israel to “Cry-out” and God heard their cry and send Moses to rescue them.

HE IS TRUE TO HIS NAME!

One thing significant about “Out-cry” is that it addressed God by His proper name and calls on him to look with pity on His people in difficutly and irregular situations. For His love endures forever and He is true to His name! On hearing the “out-cry” of the Israelites, God revealed himself to Moses as an Omni-present God, “I AM, I AM” (Exodus 3:14). Before giving Moses his mission of liberating his people, he took Moses down the memory lane of the Patriarchs of Israel; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. This he did in order to reinstate Israel’s identity and origin as his people following the promise he made to Abraham and his descendants forever. He gave them a land and made them his people. He made Moses perform so many signs and wonders before Pharaoh just to claim ownership of his people. With these, they no longer belong to the might of Pharaoh as slaves but freemen in God who is mightier than Pharaoh. The theological import of “Out-Cry” culminates in Exodus 3:7 when God says “I have heard the out-cry of my people”. This shows that God is concerned with the situation of human beings. He is the God against every oppressive system.

“OUT-CRY AND THE REST OF US”

From the above, we have seen that God is always involved in the history of humanity no matter the situation. He is ever-present among us espeially in difficult time. So, whenever we find ourselves in any oppressive system, let us not loose sight of the presence of God. Let us not lose patience of God’s ever abiding presence in any oppressive situation and turn to serve the god of our oppressors. He is God of the oppressed and always true to His name in an oppressive system. He will vindicate the just when the time comes! We ought always to pray and keep watch so that we don’t sing God’s song on alien soil by being on the side of our oppressor. Fear God, fear judgment!

Pope Francis departs on Apostolic visit to Egypt

Pope Francis has departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport on an Apostolic visit to Egypt. He is due to arrive in Cairo at 2pm this afternoon. Whilst there the Pope will meet with the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Pope Tawadros II, as well as with Sheik Ahmed el-Tayeb, Grand Imam of Egypt’s al-Azhar university. The Holy Father will be in Egypt for just 24 hours on a visit that will include the solemn celebration of Mass on Saturday morning. Vatican Radio’s Stefano Leszczynski is in Cairo covering the Pope’s visit and spoke to us about expectations and the tight security for this trip.

Between the Sheep and the Shepherd: the Philosophy of “Uro Nkita na Ibe ya” (A Philosophical Parable) By: Noel Ogadimma Onyeulo

Once upon a time in a community called Umuenyi. There exists a Great and astute Shepherd called Omeni. He majored in Sheep-rearing. He was known as the Great Shepherd of Umuenyi due to his outstanding and caring manner of rearing his flock of Sheep. Omeni was a goodman and he works hard. He tends his Sheep so affectionately that he devotes greater time studying and responding appropriately to their different modes of reaction at given times.  So tenderly did he love his Sheep which made the people almost accuse him of being an “animal lover”. If anyone demands an explanation for this, the reason is so simple. Not that Omeni valued his Sheep more than human beings but he cultured a balanced virtue by which he operates so as to offend neither his Sheep nor any human being. For such a balanced virtue he cultured both towards his Sheep and human beings, the villagers fondly call him “Ochendu” (One who Guides Life). Loved by all for his tenderness towards others especially those in need, Omeni is a handsome man whose countenance beams with smiles. So innocent shines his face with body physique so commanding like that of the biblical Sampson. His body hairs rolls and shines like that of the Biblical David, the Man after God’s own heart. Possessing charming physical characteristics with honor so legendary, his eyebrows and eye pupils were so charming that every young girl within his age bracket easily develop affection for him. Children sings his praises whenever and wherever he goes with his flock of Sheep and young men and maiden desperately ask for his friendship at all cost. It reached to a point that Omeni’s simplicity and humility became the point of reference by which parents used when admonishing their children. Omeni’s sheep were so tamed that they know when their Lord and Master arrives home. Wherever he leads them they go! They understand whatever sign he commands. The Shepherd-Sheep relationship rearing between Omeni and his Sheep is a relationship of love. Unlike other Shepherds whose Sheep walk with them with rope tied on their necks, Omeni, the great Shepherd of Umuenyi rears his Sheep only with his staff, in knowledge of other positive and practical moral tactics that could be described as anything else except malice. Yet Omeni’s Sheep responds most fervently and promising than any other Sheep own by any other Shepherd around Umuenyi. Hence, Omeni’s Shepherd tactics ranks the best in Umuenyi community because of the high level of comportment exhibited by his Sheep.   
When Omeni, the Great Shepherd of Umuenyi was asked to explain the secrets of his success, he said that the reason is not far-fetched. According to him, his insight about the tactics of Shepherding comes from the times he has observed dogs playing. He maintained that while playing, the dogs seemed like biting each other but a close look at that shows that they only accompany each other to enjoy the fun. They bite each other and fall to each other and most times surrender themselves or other parts of their body to each other in confidence that the other cannot hurt. In Igbo parlance, it is called “Uro Nkita na Ibe ya”; dog-play in English. He observed that the Philosophy he gained from that is: dogs enjoy such fun irrespective of age and might. For him, the mother dog and her children can indulge in dog-play without the mother picking offence on why the children gave her a bite or wants to play with her mother or the might claiming dominance of the show. Each whether might or weak fell at each other and can surrender any part of her body in confidence for the play. The might gains or loses nothing by engaging with the weak in such a play except for helping each other enjoy the fun. Omeni expressed that he enjoyed and learnt from the show that we need each other irrespective of our differences in other to enjoy the fun of the world. He stressed that human beings whether might or weak must both leave the stage of life one day. “Of what profit would it be for one who must definitely leave the stage of life to spend his or her life claiming to be mightier than the other?” he asked. “As a Shepherd”, he continued, “I think of how to increase my flock of Sheep instead of losing them for losing them tells a lot about my Shepherding tactics and that means a great loss for me”. “Thus, instead of losing my Sheep, I think more of how to increase my flock and to achieve this I imbibed the play-dog relationship, “Uro Nkita na Ibe ya”. This philosophy also helped me not to claim mightier than anybody rather to help people around me enjoy the fun of this world.      

STORY MY MOTHER TOLD ME BY NOEL OGADIMMA ONYEULO

STORY MY MOTHER TOLD ME

BY

NOEL OGADIMMA ONYEULO

This is a story from a time when the gods walked on earth and looked as human as you and I. They meet with people in their language and time and sometimes award reward or punishment to them. 

Once upon a time in Greece there was a certain city whose king was Midas. Incidentally the King Midas who appears in this story is the same Midas who had the touch - he could turn everything to gold.  But actually it ended badly for him because all he touches turn Gold including his food and daughter. That however is another story. This one is called “King Midas has ass’s ears”.  I learnt it at the toutledge of my mother Sabina when I was about 9.

In those days: Pan, the god of shepherds, challenged Apollo, the god of music to a musical contest. Pan insisted his flute of reeds could produce a more beautiful melody than Apollo's silly harp. The two agreed on a contest with judges. One of the judges was King Midas, a mortal chosen by Pan.

After hearing the two melodies, all except one of the judges chose Apollo as the winner. But the one judge who preferred Pan was King Midas because Pan is his friend.

Furious that anyone could prefer a reedy pipe to his musical lyre, Apollo disputed angrily, "I see the problem. It's your ears. They are too small to hear properly. Let me fix that for you."

King Midas felt his ears vibrating and behold his ears sprang out, and out, and turned into the large furry ears of an ass (donkey). King Midas was horrified. He grabbed his ears. "Pan, help me!" he cried. But Pan, with a quick nervous glance at Apollo, turned his back leaving King Midas. You can imagine a King with ears like that of a donkey! How will he feel before his subjects and fellow Kings. What a tragedy! One of the most revered and influential king in the Greek Polis with ears like that of a donkey.

King Midas tried to hide his ears from his subjects by wearing a variety of huge hats, heavy helmets, and bulky scarves. The only person who knew about the ass's ears was the Royal Barber who came every week to trim the King’s hair and keep it neat. King Midas made his barber promise he would never tell a soul.

His barber kept his word. But keeping such a huge secret to himself was driving him crazy. On the third occasion that he cut the King’s hair, there could be no doubt he could not bear the mental truant.  He said to himself: “MIDAS THE KING HAS ASS’S EARS”. Walking home afterwards he was in confusion.  I am the only person who knows the King’s secret he said to himself.  How can I carry this burden?  I must find someone to share it.  But who?  I know so few people; and no-one well enough to tell this dreadful thing. Finally, the barber went up a mountain and almost to the edge of a cliff. He dug a hole in the midst of some reeds. He looked about, to make sure no one was near. Then, he whispered into the hole severally, "King Midas has the ears of an ass. King's aaaass ears! King's aaaass ears!" Having gotten his secret off his chest, he felt much better and relieved like a penitent after a penitential service. He returned home, sure that he had kept his word.

Unfortunately for King Midas, the barber had dug right into a “piece of Echo”. You've heard of Echo, right? Pieces of Echo were scattered all over the mountainous kingdom. In fact, pieces of Echo were scattered all over the world which reverberates.

Although I suppose some people might think it was only the sound of the wind in the reeds, it was really a piece of Echo, whispering over and over, "King's aaaass ears, king's aaaass ears".

Sound travels well in the mountains, even whispers. It was not long before the entire kingdom knew the king's secret. What a world hidden under the sun! And so I asked “What sort of secret could be hidden under the Sun?”   

FATHERHOOD AND ACHEBE’S RESPONSE BY NOEL ONYEULO OGADIMMA

FATHERHOOD AND ACHEBE’S RESPONSE 
By: Noel Onyeulo Ogadimma

The killing of Ikemefuna remains the most scandalous and agonizing episode in Chinua Achebe’s classic- ‘Things Fall Apart’. It is an event too pitiful and outrageous to endure at least by all who value sound conscience and prudent judgment. If not for anything, the circumstances surrounding the event make it even more heinous and invite our moral evaluation more intensely on the concept of fatherhood.

We recall in Chapter 2 of that memorable novel “Things Fall Apart”, how Achebe told us that when the wife of Ogbuefi Udo has been killed in a war between Umuofia and Mbaino, the people of Mbaino offered a fifteen years old lad and young virgin as compensation to Umuofia people. They were brought to Umofia by Okonkwo whom Achebe described as “the proud and imperial emissary of war”. The virgin was the replacement of the dead wife of Ogbuefi Udo and the young lad was the sacrifice for the murder. Okonkwo was given the responsibility to look after the young lad named Ikemefuna. He took care of him just like his own son. Until the killing, Ikemefuna believed Okonkwo as his biological father and calls him- Father.

Achebe plotted the story in tragedy when he began by telling us in chapter 7 of the novel, that “For three years Ikemefuna lived in Okonkwo’s household and the elders of Umofia seemed to have forgotten about him”. By this, he situated a kind of paternal affinity rearing almost perfectly between Okonkwo and Ikemuefuna. In this same chapter, Achebe also narrated the intimacy between Okonkwo’s son, Nwoye and Ikemuefuna saying “Okonkwo was inwardly pleased at his son’s development, and he knew it was due to Ikemefuna”. But Okonkwo knew Ikemefuna was a sacrifice because the tradition of the society was blood for blood oriented and everybody knows that. So, when Ogbuefi Ezudu an elder of moral repute in Umuofia who understands its values and traditions and the habits of the gods came with the news of the sacrifice of Ikemefuna he warns Okonkwo twice saying: "That boy calls you father. Do not bear a hand in his death." Achebe stated that “Okonkwo was surprised, and was about to say some things when the old man continued: "Yes, Umuofia has decided to kill him. The Oracle of the Hills and Caves has pronounced it. They will take him there. But I want [you] to have nothing to do with it. He calls you father". Tragically, Okonkwo did not give it a second thought. He accompanied Ikemefuna till the killing took place. At the scene of the killing, Achebe presented that “as the man who has cleared his throat drew up and raised his matchet, Okonkwo looked away. He heard the blow. The pot fell and broke in the sand. He heard Ikemefuna cried ‘My father they have killed me!’ as he ran towards him. Dazed with fear, Okonkwo drew his matchet and cut him down. He was afraid of being thought weak”. However, the deed has been done! Okonkwo has participated in the ceremony for sacrificing Ikemefuna after being strongly warned by the gods. He delivered the death blow that surrendered Ikemefuna into the cold hands of death because he is "afraid of being thought weak”. At a deep emotional level, Okonkwo killed a boy who "could hardly imagine that Okonkwo was not his real father". Okonkwo has not only outwardly ignored his people and their traditions, but he has also disregarded his inner feelings of love and protectiveness over a boy he reared as his own son. The murder scene marks the beginning of Okonkwo’s decline and a turning point in the novel because Okonkwo, the Hero has offended the gods of the land. He is now moving from Hero to Zero. No wonder some scholars represent Okonkwo as “The tragic Hero”.

The effects and nuances surrounding the murder of Ikemefuna could easily be examined over a careful insight into the novel. However, one can also observe Achebe’s feeling when he commented in Chapter 2, that the fate of Ikemefuna is a "sad story" that is "still told in Umuofia unto this day." This observation suggests that the decision to kill Ikemefuna was not a customary one but a decision too exceptional to be justified. However, the murder scene develops a compassion for that young boy because even before dying, Ikemefuna thinks of Okonkwo as his "real father" and of what he wants to tell his mother, especially about Okonkwo. At the murder scene also, Achebe told us that, when one of the elders gave Ikemefuna a matchet blow, he quickly ran to Okonkwo shouting “My father, they have killed me”, yet that did not spurned Okonkwo into remembering neither the warning from the gods nor the fact that a voice intimate and familial to him is dying in pains, yet he Okonkwo out of pride and “afraid of being thought weak” gave the last blow that killed Ikemefuna. A question arose here: Why is Okonkwo afraid of being thought weak? The answer not being far-fetched is given by Achebe in Chapter 2 of that Novel when he describes Okonkwo as “the proud and imperial emissary of war”. By this, he points out the place of pride in Okonkwo’s personality. Hence, Okonkwo harbors a vice that could make him kill in other to protect his ego. Succinctly, that vice is pride! We can see from his actions that pride made him daft even when Ikemefuna ran to him for protection.

Most importantly, the story of Ikemefuna and Okonkwo is plotted to instruct us that the concept of fatherhood rests upon all who have responsibility of care over others. For Ikemefuna rests under Okonkwo’s custody and calls him father, suggests that Achebe wants to underscore the providence behind the responsibility of care over others. For Ikemefuna rests under Okonkwo's custody and calls him father suggests that Achebe wants to underscore the providence behind the responsibility of care over others as that which has less to do with biological affinity. Following Achebe, we can infer that the responsibility of care over others has as its most dangerous threats; pride and the fear of not being thought weak: for these ruined Okonkwo’s inner feeling of love and protectiveness. Thus, with the absence of that inner feeling of love and protectiveness, impunity takes over. Put it this way, Okonkwo’s majesty ended in a tragedy due to pride and fear of not being thought weak. Finally, Achebe chooses to warn the human family of these threats because they remain the most dangerous threats capable of blocking the sense organs and shattering the might of princes just as in Okonkwo's case. Thus, with the presence of these two threats Okonkwo remains a tragic hero.

TOWARDS PRESERVING THE MUSICAL TRADITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH By: Noel Ogadimma Onyeulo

TOWARDS PRESERVING THE MUSICAL TRADITION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

By: Noel Ogadimma Onyeulo

 

The Constitution of the Second Vatican Council on Sacred Liturgy states that “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy” (Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 112). The Church has encouraged singing at liturgical celebrations throughout her history, providing wonderful examples of melodic comment to the sacred texts in accordance with the creativity of every culture, (each according to its own rites of both West and East) as a continuation of the ancient biblical tradition to which the Lord himself and the Apostles abided (cf. Mt 26: 30; Eph 5: 19; Col 3: 16). Music is a treasure that enlivens the body and edifies the soul. It is an expression of joy.  In Music we express the inexpressible; that which we cannot express merely by speaking, we express it in songs. In Music, it is the soul speaking. Little wonder why the Novelist Williams Shakespeare calls music “the food of the soul”. Explaining this fact, St. Pope John Paul II maintained that as a treasure of inestimable value, Sacred Music consolidates its role both as a means of lifting up the spirit to God and as a precious aid for the faithful in their "active participation in the most holy mysteries and in the public and solemn prayer of the Church (St. Pope John Paul II, The Fitting Role of Sacred Music in the Holy Liturgy, Homily at St Peter's on 22 November, the Memorial of St Cecilia, in the year 2003). Like St. Augustine the Pontiff, John Paul II continued that “he who sings well prays twice”. He observed that Sacred Music constitutes the prayer life of the Church and should be cherished and preserved as such.

Liturgical services are not private functions, but are celebrations of the Church, which is the "sacrament of unity," namely, the holy people united and ordered under their priests and bishops. Thus, Sacred Music does not dominate, it serves. Servers, lectors, commentators, and members of the choir also exercise a genuine liturgical function. They ought, therefore, to discharge their offices with the sincere piety and decorum demanded by so exalted a ministry and rightly expected of them by God's people. In Colossians 3:16, St. Paul exhorts the faithful assembled in expectation of their Lord's return to sing together.  He says, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.., singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

At this juncture, for the sake of clarity, we will be pleased to introduce the question to which this paper is trying to address and that is: Whose duty is it to preserve the musical tradition of the Church? The Second Vatican Council Constitution on Sacred Liturgy answers by saying that it is a collaborative effort of both the Clergy and Laity to preserve the musical tradition of the Church. Hence the Council states: “The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs”. In this way, we can say that the task of preserving musical tradition in the Church can be achieved through the unanimous agreement of pastors of souls, musicians and faithful. When the Liturgical Musicians work together with their Pastor of Souls and their Pastor of Souls gives them the utmost attention needed it will be possible to achieve what the Constitution on Sacred Music describes as the true "purpose of sacred music", that is, "the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful" (Second Vatican Council, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium, no. 120). In summary, we are trying to say that the task of preserving musical tradition has a lot to do with the worshiping community comprising of the priest and all the Faithful. Hence, they must be deeply imbued with the spirit of the liturgy, each in his own measure, and they must perform their functions in a correct and orderly manner. The faithful must know that bad music distracts the serenity of liturgical worship and this must concern the priest who is the leader of the praying community. Most importantly, priests should be interested in Sacred Music because the nature of the Music sung during a liturgical celebration arouses a kind of feeling that makes him (the Priest) communicates most effectively with the divine. Thus, when the priest communicates most effectively with the Divine, we can be proud to say that "We have a Worthy celebration".