Sing a New Song

The following is the introduction to "Singing A New Song: Unlocking the Treasure of the Psalms"
from the World Among Us Press.

"How do you deal with problems that beset you? How do you react when faced with some of the unavoidable trials of life? You may be surprised to discover that even the psalmist, when faced with life's hardships, was tempted to despair. Just imagine the state of his heart when he voiced such thoughts as, 'In vain have I kept my heart clean.' (Psalm 73:13). These are the thoughts of a man worn out by life and wondering why he should keep trying to do good and avoid evil.

Yet, in the midst of his frustration, the psalmist made a decision that changed his heart completely: 'When I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God.' (Psalm 73:16-17). There, in the presence of the Lord, the psalmist bared his heart and sought the healing wisdom that would guide him through the storm. The healing came when he began to see his life through God's eyes.

Only after touching the Lord's presence could he confess, 'When my soul was embittered,....I was stupid and ignorant. I was like a brute beast toward you. Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand'(73:21-23). No longer raging against life's injustices, the psalmist knew that the Lord had never abandoned him: 'For me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.'(Psalm 73:28)

The psalms show us people rejoicing, mourning, asking forgiveness, recalling the past, and imagining the future. They teach us how to love God, how to obey him, and how to be lights to the world.

As you experience the Lord and place all of your concerns and desires before him, may you experience the same freedom and assurance of God's love that the psalmist knew. May we all join him in praying, 'Whom do I have in heaven but you? And having you, I desire nothing on earth' (Psalm 73:25)."

Have Confidence in Others

More graduation sentiments. "Have Confidence in Others" was written by Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick:

"Among all the words of congratulations that my classmates and I received in the numerous graduations of our lives, we were often told to have confidence in ourselves, to make a difference, to change the world and to be successful. That is always good advice, I guess, but as I look back at it, it usually left out something very important.

I wish we had been told that we must learn to work with other people and to have confidence in them as well.

There seems to be a tendency in graduation speakers--and I am guilty here as well-- to concentrate on the individual graduate and his or her role in the world rather than to acknowledge that the vast majority of us are not called to be Lone Rangers but members of a team, a group, a family that can take the contributions of each one of us, be they remarkable or ordinary, and make them something special by joining them with those with those of others.

I wish more graduation speakers would talk to that essential key of our society. This can be a scary world and a lonely one if we are sent into it alone. It is good to be reminded that there is a great multitude of folks out there who are willing to lend a hand, to give a word of comfort, to show us how.

Of course, the new graduate should not go out into the world thinking that everyone is going to be a partner. A quick reality check reminds us that there are good people and some not so good out there. But in life we also meet many people who are ready to work with us to help us do the really great things most of us can never do alone, even to start changing the world and making it better. And for believers, most of all, there is a God who loves us and whose grace will truly help us to do things we could never dream of doing by ourselves."

Love the Questions

In the May 7th issue of 'America Magazine', there is an article about 'Advice for College Grads'. Different individuals shared their advice. Therese J. Borchard wrote that one of her professors encouraged her to stretch her mind and remember that there is 'no black and white on this side of death--there's not even a Crayola box of primary colors.'

She said that after she graduated from school she was "tossed into a messy world-- a boss who hated my guts, a dad who died and two lawsuits filed against me and my sisters by fellow family members. I had many more questions than answers. And I began to understand what my professor was trying to teach me. In times like those I take consolation in the words of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke:

'Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.'

And I remember that the mess isn't all bad."


As a frequent "Question Asker", I appreciated Borchard's article. I rather like 'living the questions'. And its really nice when I see how we indeed, gradually, start quitely 'living our way into the answer.'