Friday, July 14 : Saint Augustine

Brethren, let us “sing to the Lord a new song.” (Ps 149:1) To the old man, the old song; to the new man, a new song. The Old Testament is an old song, the New Testament a new song. The first covenant concerns mostly temporal and earthly promises. People who remain attached to the things of the earth still sing an old song. In order to sing the new song, a person must love eternal things. That love is both new and eternal; it is always new, because it never grows old. But if we think about it, this love is very old. How could it be new? My brethren, was eternal life born yesterday? Eternal life is Christ and, as God, he was not born yesterday. For “In the beginning was the Word (…) and the Word was God. He was present to God in the beginning. Through him all things came into being, and apart from him nothing came to be.” (Jn 1:1 f.) If he made what is old, what is he other than eternal, co-eternal with the Father? It is we who, by sin, have fallen into senescence (…). Human beings have become old as a consequence of sin. It is by God’s grace that we are renewed. All who are thus renewed in Christ sing a new song for they are beginning to be established in eternal life.

Roman Extraordinary (Tridentine) Daily Readings – rosary,team