Our Mass this weekend, begins with the refrain to the song “Sing a New Song.”
Sing a new song unto the Lord;
let your song be sung from mountains high.
Sing a new song unto the Lord, singing alleluia.
This text is echoed in the end of our first reading from Jeremiah where the Prophet entrusts us to “Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord.”
In today’s Gospel from Matthew, we hear ‘do not be afraid’ three times, or a similar version. The first one is ‘fear no one’ for everything will be revealed. Then ‘do not be afraid’ of someone who can kill you because he cannot kill the soul – but be afraid of the One who can send you to Gehenna! Finally, ‘do not be afraid’ for you are worth many sparrows.
Anyway, at Communion we will be singing the beloved song “Be Not Afraid.” How appropriate and comforting this song is to us during this time of ‘unprecedented’ everything.
We leave church with “Lead Me, Lord” where we can give our fears to our God that He is with us:
Lead me, Lord, lead me, Lord,
by the light of truth to seek and to
find the narrow way.
Be my way, be my truth; be my life,
my Lord, and lead me, Lord, today.