Deacon Brigid Waszczak

It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.

For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
How great are your works, Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!  —Psalm 92: 1-5

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Christmas season lingers within us even after the feast day festivities wind down. Memories of meaningful moments of connection continue to play in our heads and hearts, many of which involve music, that ubiquitous ingredient of Christmas.

Today’s psalm lifts the importance of music as an essential element of praise and prayer and brings back recollections of my many Christmases spent attending multiple church services and harmonizing to sacred songs. Music was the lyrical background throughout the season in our house—my mother was a church musician/choir director.

St Augustine is credited with saying that “To sing is to pray twice.”

While some demur that they cannot sing, I suggest lyrics I taught to my catechism classes: “Everybody has a song; everybody can sing. There’s a song in your heart—even rusty bells ring.”

God hears through autotune—correcting pitch and wavering melody while enjoying your tuneful praise. So, sing! Play an instrument even if you lack proficiency, stumble through the chords, and hit a few wrong notes. “It is good to praise the Lord and make music.”

Have you ever been so exuberantly grateful for answered prayers that you leap and shout? Or so deeply disconsolate that praying was an effort? I have. At those times, either listening to or making music wordlessly expresses to God prayers I cannot craft. The physical sensation of singing and auditory (heart) response of listening allow me to work through my feelings and send my inarticulate praise and petition to God.

Prayer takes many forms. Music puts melody to prayer.

—Deacon Brigid