I’ve always liked the oft-repeated quote attributed to St. Augustine, “He who sings, prays twice.” I recently learned that it is even referenced in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1156, after this Scripture passage:
Address…one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart. – Ephesians 5:19
Do you feel more emotion when you sing? When you really abandon yourself to a song? I know I do. And I’m not a good singer. But something happens when I lift my voice and allow it to float in a melody. I’m momentarily transported, in a sense.
When I explained to my daughter that the word ‘Psalms’ meant ‘songs’ and that these Scriptures were at one time all memorized and sung, something in her awakened. She began to compose her own melodies to the verses. She often makes up tunes as she reads along. I can’t help but think God must be pleased. After all, it is written:
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises. – Psalm 98:4
When I have a chance to sing praises to Him, I do. Admittedly it’s usually in the company of others who aren’t really listening to me (at church), or more often, during the week when I’m alone (though my daughter likes to hear me sing, and God bless her for that!).
I sing because it does my heart and my soul good. Songs directed to the Lord tranform mundane moments into holy ones. Why that is – I don’t know. It’s a mystery. But one I know I can trust it one hundred percent.
Here’s a song I sing often. The words are simple to learn. Perhaps you’ll find it to be a tune you can carry as well.
