I heard it again last night – the most deceptive and
misleading song I’ve ever heard sung during a Lenten Mass. Here are some of the
lyrics: “You gotta walk that lonesome valley. You gotta walk it by yourself.”
And the words get worse: “You must go and stand your
trials. You have to stand it by yourself.”
Aaarghh! I wanted
to leap to my feet in the sanctuary and cry out – “NO! NO! NO! Is anyone listening to those words? What does
walking lonesome valleys alone have to do with the Real Presence of Jesus in
the Eucharist on the altar right in front of us? What does standing our trials
by ourselves have to do with the unalterable promise of Christ who tells us – “I
will never leave you. I will never forsake you”?
No wonder so many of my fellow Catholics walk through
life with their jaw dragging on the ground. Do we call Jesus our ‘Emmanuel’
without remembering the name means, “God WITH us?
What do those loathsome lyrics have to do with God’s
promise in the Shepherd Psalm? Remember
the words: “Even thought I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (OH!
Talk about a lonesome valley!) – “Even though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, YOU ARE WITH ME!”
Oh, my fellow Catholic, please don’t let those specious, deceptive
lyrics sink into your spirit. It should be stunning to us that we would sing
such joy-destroying lyrics when the Mass unveils to us the eternally present
Christ.
Jesus is ALWAYS with us. Every moment, every nano-second
of our lives. In our cars, in our homes, while we shop, while we sleep, while
we eat – every moment Emmanuel is with us. Always. Even to the end of time.
And there is yet more to His magnificent, wondrous and
glorious promises: We never, never, never stand our trials alone. Oh! Where
does that contemptible idea come from!
God’s unshakeable and unchangeable promise through the
Scriptures and the historic teaching of the Church assures us of His
ever-presence with us. Please! Never accept lying lyrics written by those who
are so sadly ignorant of our God and Savior.
2 comments:
Yes, these are loathsome lyrics. More than that, the music itself appeals, along with the lyrics, to the emotions, not the intellect and will from which true love of God and man originates. It is self-centered and sappy, playing to sentiment. Most of the music used for Mass these days is an abomination of feel-good garbage, not true worship of God, and thus it saps the soul. Do we go to Mass to feel good, or do we go to love the Lord our God with our whole soul, mind, and strength regardless of how we feel?
VERY well said. Oh, may God give us millions of Catholics and Protestants who want more than 'feel good' -- and much more worship and good theology.
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