Music is a fundamental part of spiritual life.
From King David, who invited us to come before God with songs of praise, to the harmonious choirs that fill Catholic churches today, singing is a profound way of connecting with the Divine. “When we sing, we experience God’s presence in a new way,” as Pope St. John Paul II beautifully articulated.
In the sacred space of Mass, music transcends mere performance. Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical ‘Musicae sacrae disciplina,’ describes this evolution from the simple yet perfect Gregorian chants to the elaborate compositions that grace our liturgies today. He says that music, when it adorns and amplifies our voices, elevates our worship, drawing us closer to the sublime beauty of the Most Blessed Trinity.
The Second Vatican Council followed this, noting that “liturgical worship is given a more noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in song.”
While the exact phrasing, “He who sings prays twice,” is not found in Augustine’s texts, the the quote is traditionally said to come from his teachings on love and worship. Augustine indeed recognized the profound connection between singing and a heightened form of prayer, noting that “he who sings praise, not only praises, but also loves Him whom he is singing about/to/for.”
So, when we lift our voices in song, we’re not just following a ritual or performing a tradition. We’re engaging in an act of love, a deeper form of prayer. As we harmonize our voices in our churches and our homes, let us embrace the profound truth that in our singing, we’re praying twice!
Photo credit: Luis Fraga / Shutterstock.com
