St. Augustine coined the phrase, “He who sings, prays twice.” The hymns are expressions of praise, our needs and our beliefs. We sing them to show our deep joy at being engaged at the liturgy where the passion, death and resurrection of Christ is re-presented. After a hymn is announced, it is disheartening to witness people not even picking up the hymnal. Some complain that the hymns are new to us. Others might not like the given melody. A number will give the qualification that they do not have a good voice. These are only a few of the objections raised when we are asked to sing a hymn. The lyrics of hymns are prayers, often fitting in with the season or feast of the Church’s year. If you really cannot sing, then read the lyrics quietly as others sing. Lyrics are usually full of profound truths, expertly expressed— especially when the texts are taken from the Psalms or other Scriptures. Lyrics are our prayers to follow, even when the singing part is difficult. Hymns are prayers expressing our relationship with God. Again, it is disheartening to see people leave church early in the midst of our conversation with the Lord. Such is expressed in the hymns and lyrics that are said or sung at the conclusion of the Mass. Sing! Do the best you can. The Scriptures say “make a joyful noise unto the Lord.” Each of us is at least capable of that.
Filed under: Awalt Papers |
Blogger Priest 
Dear Fr Joe,
In St Augustine’s day it was, at least, proper singing of proper hymns, not some quasi popular music with inane lyrics and over enthusiastic and dreadfully earnest performers wanting to be seen and heard at any cost.
The sung litergy, with simple yet profound plain chant was, without doubt, the song of angels and most excellent to God’s ears, (which, by the way, are enormous and function superbly and certainly do not need amplifiers to enable Him to hear the unholy din). So St Augustine and his definition of prayer can not be applied to what passes for sung litergy today and can only function to confirm man’s imperfection.
I am forced to take part in this terrible corruption of the Highest Sacrament since changing churches, and I recognise hardly a single so called hymn in the new book. Most are fairly harmless but banal, some are downright terrible products of an hysterical nun, and as for “Amazing grace”……..well!
When I can listen to and be part of such as “Faith of Our Fathers, and the Tantum Ergo of Benediction in the Old Rite etc, I will only then agree with you that singing can be twice the prayer of prayer alone.
With love, Paul