I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of rushing water or a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne, before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the earth.
My mother and dad loved to sing and they taught their ten children to sing. We sang in the car, especially, and sometimes to finish the dishes without further quarreling. I especially remember my Dad's beautiful voice, a trait several of us inherited. Of Mom's singing, I remember she had a dreadful stroke four years before she died. She couldn't track the day of the week or the time of year. But when the cantor in church said, "We're going to learn a new song today." she picked it up and sang with the rest of us.
I feel sad when I see the number of Catholics who are not free to sing. I can only suppose they were deprived of that freedom at some point, a privilege they should enjoy. Not everyone has a wonderful voice but anyone with a voice can sing with the congregation. There is irony in people who insist they are free but do not enjoy the liberty of singing.
Singing is what humans do, especially while they work, travel and relax. It eases the burden of labor, shortens the walk, and comforts the soul. Unfortunately, with the Industrial Revolution, the overseers punished their workers for singing. It didn't seem productive; the energy and attention, they believed, should be focused on production. They didn't care about the workers; they only wanted the work. And the thunderous roar of machinery overwhelmed their song and silenced their ears. After several centuries, many people regard singing as alien, something for specialists who dwell somewhere far away. They might never encounter singing if they don't attend church. Often, when I conduct a funeral, I notice the only singers are the one's who also know the Mass responses. They enjoy a freedom not given to their fellow mourners.
In today's reading from Revelation the Seer doesn't know at first what he is hearing. It sounds like rushing water or a loud peal of thunder. He is unfamiliar with what free people do. But as the sound nears he recognizes "They were singing what seemed to be a new hymn before the throne...."
"No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the earth." Their song marked the freedom of the children of God, a privilege which is not shared by everyone.
Let us sing....
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.