In the New Testament, the prayers of lamentation are greatly diminished, but the rich patrimony of prayers of praise is continued and even heightened in the early Church. The New Testament is filled with beautiful prayers of praise to God. Many of these prayers continue to inspire and shape the spiritual life of the Church today.
In many respects, the prayers of praise in the New Testament find their foundation and impetus from the psalms of the Old Testament. The earliest Christians prayed the psalms in the mystery of Jesus Christ and their own prayers of praise were understandably and rightly structured by the psalms.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains: “‘[Address] one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart.’ Like the inspired writers of the New Testament, the first Christian communities read the Book of Psalms in a new way, singing in it the mystery of Christ.”
In the singing of the psalms, the souls of the early believers were led to deeper and more profound prayers of praise. In opening their hearts, the Holy Spirit lifted up the prayers of the first Christians and brought about a new expression and treasury of praise to God.
The mighty events throughout salvation history are the basis of the praise of God’s people. They saw the deeds and words of God in their midst and so exclaimed their praise to him. As the Exodus, the Passover, the reign of King David, the restoration after the Babylonian Captivity, and other events have served as the cause of the praise by God’s people, no other event comes close to the singular and saving event of Jesus Christ.
The event of Jesus Christ, especially his Paschal Mystery, namely, his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, are the particular and culminating reality that ushers forth prayers of praise by God’s people. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the New Testament is power packed with hymns and songs of praise to God for his mighty and wonderful work in Jesus Christ.
The Catechism explains: “In the newness of the Spirit, they also composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheard – of event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father.”
In this way, the collection of the prayers of praise in the New Testament is the fulfillment and completion of the Old Testament.
The Catechism teaches: “Doxology, the praise of God, arises from this ‘marvelous work’ of the whole economy of salvation.”
The entirety of salvation history is contained and expressed in doxology, in praise. The people of God witnessed what God was doing and they praised him. They rejoiced in his presence and power. They acclaimed his goodness and grace.
The praise of God’s people also directed their hearts and attention to the things to come. As redemption was begun by Jesus Christ, so God’s people await the consummation of all things in him.
The Catechism observes: “The Revelation of ‘what must soon take place,’ the Apocalypse, is borne along by the songs of the heavenly liturgy but also by the intercession of the “witnesses” (martyrs).”
The praise of God’s people reaches new and glorious heights in the sacrifice and prayers of those who laid down their lives in witness to God.
The Catechism explores this aspect of the spiritual tradition and teaches: “The prophets and the saints, all those who were slain on earth for their witness to Jesus, the vast throng of those who, having come through the great tribulation, have gone before us into the Kingdom, all sing the praise and glory of him who sits on the throne, and of the Lamb.”
The praise of God’s people on earth is closely connected to the tender and powerful prayers of these witnesses. The Catechism tells us: “In communion with them, the Church on earth also sings these songs with faith in the midst of trial.”
In the various prayers of God’s people, especially their prayers of praise, their life with God is strengthened and graces of perseverance are given.
A greater union with God is found through prayer. In time, prayer and faith become interchangeable in the soul that seeks God.
The Catechism stresses this point when it teaches: “By means of petition and intercession, faith hopes against all hope and gives thanks to the ‘Father of lights,’ from whom ‘every perfect gift’ comes down. Thus faith is pure praise.”
