psalm 149 - sing a new song - 23rd week tuesday 2016

Today we continue to reflect on the responsorial psalms of the mass.  Today we focus on psalm 149.  Today we are exhorted to sing a new song to the Lord.  Why should we sing a new song?  Because in Jesus, the Lord God continues to do new things in our midst and new things deserve new songs.  In Jesus, God continues to seek and find the lost, in Jesus, God continues to redeem those who see themselves worthless, in Jesus, God continues to forgive, in Jesus, God continues to feed the hungry, to heal the sick to free those bound by chains.  In Jesus, God continues to make new things in our lives, in our midst, in our families, in our parish.  This will not just be another day – in Jesus, God will create something new that is why we need to sing new songs.

The same psalm exhorts us that in singing new songs of praise to God we should do so with timbrel and harp.  “Let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.”  St. Augustine explains this saying.  “we praise the Lord not just with the voice, but also with our works. When we take up the timbrel and the harp, the hands have to be in accord with the voice. The same goes for you. When you sing the Alleluia, you must give bread to the poor, when you sing the Alleluia you must give clothes to the naked, when you sing the Alleluia you must give shelter to the homeless.”  The hands have to be in accord with the voice.

In the gospel the Lord calls us in the same way that he called his disciples to heal and drive out evil, to be his hands and his feet, to show his love and mercy to the people we meet.  So today is not just another day.  This is a new day needing a new song.