Memorial of Saint Barnabas, Apostle

The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song. With trumpets and the sound of the horn sing joyfully before the King, the LORD.

In the end God will be victorious. Good will overcome evil. Holiness will defeat sin. Life will destroy death. And knowing these things should give us a lot to sing about. We should sing a song of thanksgiving to our Heavenly Father for all the amazing graces He has given us. We should sing God’s praises to the mountains and seas. We should march throughout the world as saints, proclaiming God’s Mercy and the promise of Heaven. We should sing joyfully to the world and bear the Good News with all our thoughts, words, and works.

How can we join our voices to those of the heavenly choir? What can we do to bring the music of mercy and love into our world? What joyful notes are we being called to sing for God and His children?

O Lord, we sing your praises on the harps of our hearts.

Amen.

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church

Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.

There are many ways we can sing God's praises. We can do so through prayerful thoughts and calm meditation. We can do so through contemplation of the Life of Christ and the Mysteries of our faith. We can do so through proclaiming the Good News. We can do so by speaking kindly to others or offering them words of encouragement in difficult times. We can do so through acts of charity poured out for God's children. We can do so through acts of forgiveness and mercy. Every good fruit we bear in this world is a song sung in praise of God and all He has done for us.

How can we sing God's praises through our thoughts? What about our words? What good works can we do to express our joy in being the children of God?

O Lord, we desire to sing your praises in everything we think, say, and do.

Amen.

The Fifth Day in the Octave of Christmas

Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice! Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

We have much to be glad and rejoice about in our lives. As such, our thoughts, words, and works should sing to the Lord and bless His name. After all, it is because of God that we have the time, talents, and treasures present in our lives. We would be nothing and have nothing, if it wasn’t for the generosity of our Heavenly Father, who gave us not only His Beloved Son as a sacrifice for our sins, but His Holy Spirit as a guide to holiness.

Are we glad for all we have? Do we rejoice in God’s Goodness and Graces? How can we make our lives sing God’s praises?

O Lord, we bless your name and sing with joy to you.

Amen.