Sing Praise to God

What a beautiful psalm to pray and sing during this week following our celebration of the Resurrection! It’s just one more reminder that we need to give praise and thanks to God at all times and also that we are to tell others about how good God has been to us.

When I was in Haiti, there was an old woman – almost ninety – who live alone without running water, or electricity. She spent her days lying on a mat and was totally dependent on her neighbors for food and personal care. During a home visit by the priest in the community, she was asked how she spent her day. She answered that she remembered and she prayed. She was waiting patiently for God to bring her to join her family that had gone before her. Both her faith and the love shown her by her neighbors were witnesses of God’s presence in that community.

As I read this psalm today, I could hear the melody in my head of these words as I sing them in church. After all, the psalms are songs and meant to be sung! Think about it! Doesn’t music have an effect on us? I once had a friend who found it difficult to pray. She said that she just could never find the right words to express how she felt. Then she went on a weekend retreat. What she discovered on that retreat was that her music was her prayer! Perhaps we have trouble finding the words to express our feelings also. If we do, then we should look to the psalms and sing them.

Give thanks to our Lord, for he is good, his mercy is everlasting!

Thank you, dear God for inspiring David and all the other psalmists for giving us the words that give voice to our prayers and praise. Amen.