Praying the Psalms with Augustine and Friends

Chapter 8: Psalms 131–150

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Psalm 149 with Augustine – Sing with Your Life My brothers and sisters, my children, holy and heavenly seed, you who have been born again in Christ and have been born from above, listen to me—or rather, listen to God through me: Sing to the LORD a new song (v. 1). “Well, I am singing,” you say. Yes, you are singing; of course you are singing. I can hear you. But do not let your life give evidence against your tongue. Sing with your voices, sing also with your hearts; sing with your mouths, sing also with your conduct. Sing to the LORD a new song. You ask what you should sing about the one you love? For of course you do want to sing about the one you love. You are asking for praises of his to sing. You have been told, Sing to the LORD a new song. You are looking for praise songs, are you? His praise in the assembly of his faithful people (v. 1). The praise of the one to be sung about is the singer himself. Do you want to sing God his praises? Be yourselves what you sing. You are his praise if you lead good lives. His praise, you see, is not to be found . . . in the madness of the pagans, nor in the errors of the heretics, nor in the applause of the theaters. You ask where it is to be found? Look at yourselves, you are it. His praise in the assembly of his faithful people. You ask what to rejoice about when you are singing? Let Israel rejoice in their Maker (v. 2), and all he can find to rejoice about is God.