Church of the Apostles

O Sing to the Lord a New Song: A Homily from Father David at St. Scholastica Monastery

“And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7).

As I read the Gospel for today the opening words of Psalm 96, “O sing to the Lord a new song” came to my mind because what Jesus was asking the apostles to do when He sent them out two by two, was to sing to the people the new song of God’s redemptive Love. The apostles were to “sing the new song” of God’s Love as they left behind the money bags of persuasion, the food of pride and the extra coins of a dependence upon material things, in exchange for a total dependence upon the power of God’s Love to move the hearts of the people to whom they ministered.

They were to “sing the new song” of God’s love as they clothed themselves with nothing more than the power of God as they cast out the demons of hostility toward one another and clothed the people with hospitality, and they were to “sing the new song” of shaking the dust of doubt and unbelief from the hearts of those to whom they preached the good news of God’s spiritual reign that was open to everyone.

Finally, the apostles were sent forth to “sing the new song” of God’s redemptive love by anointing and curing the sick, and by helping others to die with dignity. Today you are called to open wide your hearts and be God’s new apostles going forth to “sing the new song” of God’s redemptive Love to the people whose paths you cross today.

That apostleship will not be easy because many will want to sing the song of the status quo that is familiar and comfortable … others will want to sing the song of holding on to the dust and cobwebs of doubt and confusion because that too, is familiar; while others will say they are too busy to learn the melody of such a new and difficult song.

Instead let us “sing the new song” of charity, faith, hope and forgiveness as we give ourselves to God’s ministry of love for humanity.

(Father David is the Chaplain at St. Scholastica Monastery in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where our own Benedictine Oblates as Apostles find their home.)

Faithfully,

Father Rob +