Psalm Reflection: The Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle C

“I will sing of your salvation.” - Psalm 71

Saint Augustine said: “He who sings prays twice.”

You may not be a singer. In fact, you may have a voice that frightens (or attracts) wild animals and so you never sing. Hang in there, this is for you, too.

The reason Saint Augustine said this is because singing is a way in which our interior life is expressed in an external way. Our bodies are lifted up to participate in the prayer of our souls, so that we can worship God with all that we are. The safe security of our quiet prayer is expressed in a clear and bold way that we cannot hide behind. 

This can apply to many other things besides singing, but it all comes down to one question: How is your inner life of prayer and faith being lived out in a visible way?

This is not so that we can put on a perfect persona and show others how holy we think we are (Matthew 6:5). It is because following Jesus Christ involves our entire being. To evangelize others, our faith needs to be visible. The visible witness of our lives alone can be enough the provoke questions and inspire faith in others.

This was true especially of Saint Paul. After his conversion, he completely changed his life and the visible witness of his conversion amazed those he encountered:

He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. All who heard him were astounded and said, “Is not this the man who in Jerusalem ravaged those who call upon this name, and came here expressly to take them back in chains to the chief priests? - Acts 9:19b-21

In what ways can you begin to live your faith and worship the Lord more visibly? It might be scary, but it bring us to maturity in faith because we are no longer to hide. It inspires up to take deeper ownership of our faith. It will also provoke responses from others. Yes, some people may choose to judge us or respond negatively, but some will respond with faith or curiosity. It does not matter what the world thinks of us, we do not sing for them. We sing, pray, worship and believe in Jesus because of the salvation He won for us. 

When you read historical accounts of people being liberated—whether from oppression, slavery, concentration camps, internment camps, etc.—those who are freed often break out in song. The interior joy of freedom is so great that it cannot help but overflow into and out of our bodies. We have been given the highest form of freedom imaginable, freedom from sin and death, which we did not deserve and we cannot earn or repay. We can only joyfully receive it as a gift, and live a life of constant thanksgiving and praise to God for it. If we recognize the gravity of that gift, we will never be able to keep it in: it will always burst out of us and overflow in some visible way.

So, if you have a “bad” voice, God is the one who gave it to you, so give it back to Him (and let Him deal with it)! Sing, share, proclaim, create, serve, tell your story; whatever you do, do it because you have been set free.

I am praying for you, please pray for me, and I will see you in the Eucharist.

Matt