Music has always been a fundamental part of spiritual life, a tradition stretching back through the millennia. From King David, who invited us to come before God with songs of praise, to the harmonious choirs that fill Catholic churches today, singing forms a vital thread in the fabric of our worship.
It’s more than a tradition; it’s 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 highlights 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 emphasized this, noting that “liturgical worship is given a more noble form when the divine offices are celebrated solemnly in song.” Indeed, when our prayers soar on the wings of music, our worship becomes a more joyful echo of the heavenly choirs.
It’s within this rich Catholic tradition that we find a gem attributed to Saint Augustine, a saying that encapsulates the essence of sacred music.
While the exact phrasing, “He who sings prays twice,” may not be found in Augustine’s texts, the spirit of the quote aligns perfectly with 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 that resonates with the very essence of worship.
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!
Saint Augustine may not have said it in those exact words, but the sentiment rings true: in every note of genuine praise, our prayer ascends on the melody, reaching the heavens as a resounding affirmation of our faith.
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