St. Augustine has the last words for reflection in the liturgical year which ends tonight at sundown. In today’s Office of Readings, he concludes his discourse with the words, “Sing and walk.”
We sing alleluia (praise God) in this life with a certain amount of anxiety so as to be able to sing alleluia one day in heaven with complete security and peace.
As Augustine said, “O happy is the alleluia sung in heaven! O alleluia of peace and security! There no one will be an enemy, there we will never lose any friend. There the praises of God will resound. Certainly, they resound here on earth too. Here though with anxiousness, while up there in tranquility. Here we sing as dying ones, there as immortals. Here in hope, there in reality. Here as exiles and pilgrims, there in our homeland. Here we sing not so much to enjoy repose, as much as to relieve ourselves from fatigue. We sing as travelers. We sing but we walk. Sing to relieve the bitterness of the march. Sing and walk…… If you are moving it is a sign that you are walking, but you must walk in goodness, you must advance in the correct faith, you must progress in holiness. Sing and walk.” –St. Augustine, Discourses, Disc. 256
Augustine was always big on singing. He reminds us to always sing in our lives. The contrast he makes between the singing we do here in our earthly life and the unending singing we will do in heaven is for me a good thing on which to reflect the last few hours of this Church year. God never promises an easy walk; rather he more or less tells us it will be difficult, even bitter and painful. But we sing his praises anyway for we have the gift of faith which helps us make sense of it all and gives meaning and hope to each and every day.
Sing alleluia all you who read this blog. Sing alleluia in hope and anticipation of the glorious rendition the choirs of saints and angels give this song each moment in heaven.
We too are members of the company of hosts who awaits us eagerly, as does our Mother Mary and the Triune God.
