Lesson 3
Praising God
We share our thoughts and feelings with one another in many ways. Sometimes we use our voices and sometimes we use our actions.
How can we share our thoughts and feelings with God? We can pray to God and we can do that in many ways. One of the ways we can pray is by singing. During Mass, we sing hymns or psalms. Hymns are songs that we sing to God. In the Mass, there is the Entrance Hymn, the Offertory Hymn, the Communion Hymn and the Closing Hymn. Psalms are songs of prayer that are found in the Bible. These songs give praise to God, thank God or ask God for help.
One of the books in the Old Testament is the Book of Psalms. There are a total of 150 psalms in this book.
Psalm 148 is an example of a psalm that praises God for creating everything that is good. When we praise God, we express how wonderful God is and how much we admire Him.
Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels; give praise, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all shining stars.
Praise him, highest heavens, you waters above the heavens.
Let them all praise the LORD’s name; for he commanded and they were created,
Assigned them their station forever, set an order that will never change.
Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all the deeps of the sea;
Lightning and hail, snow and thick clouds, storm wind that fulfills his command;
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
Animals wild and tame, creatures that crawl and birds that fly;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all who govern on earth;
Young men and women too, old and young alike.
Let them all praise the LORD’s name, for his name alone is exalted,
His majesty above earth and heaven. He has lifted high the horn of his people;
to the praise of all his faithful, the Israelites, the people near to him.
Questions:
- What are Psalms?
- Which book in the bible can we find the psalms?
- How many psalms are there?
- True or False: Psalm 148 is a psalm of praise to God.
- What are four kinds of hymns that are used in the Mass?