the new song
"They were singing a new hymn before the throne, in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders. This hymn no one could learn except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been ransomed from the world." —Revelation 14:3
Only those in heaven can sing the new song of the Lamb. Only those baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit can sing the new song (Mt 28:19). They alone sing the new song who are so immersed in the Holy Trinity that they are branded on their foreheads with the names of the Father and the Son (Rv 14:1). Only those begotten and owned by God sing the new song. They "are pure and follow the Lamb wherever He goes" (Rv 14:4).
To sing the new song means to live the new life in Christ, to love Him with all our hearts, and to "bless the Lord at all times" (Ps 34:2). To sing the new song means to be a people of praise because we are a people of love. To love and to praise the Lord means that we have been purified by obedience to the truth (1 Pt 1:22). This means we have been saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8) and have been created "to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance" (Eph 2:10).
Forever sing the new song of salvation and live the new life of love, praise, purification, and obedience. By faith with good works, accept the grace to sing the new song.
Prayer: Father, teach me how to praise You always and forever.
Promise: "This poor widow has put in more than all the rest. They make contributions out of their surplus, but she from her want has given what she could not afford — every penny she had to live on." —Lk 21:3-4
Praise: Father Miguel Pro ministered the sacraments secretly to his people for several years despite a government order forbidding worship. As he faced the firing squad before his martyrdom, he spread his arms in imitation of the crucified Jesus and shouted, 'Viva Cristo Rey!' ('Long live Christ the King!')
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The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert L. Hagedorn, April 4, 1998
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 8, 1998