Beautiful Music Conveys Hope and Faith

by Fr. John Li, priest from a northern diocese in China

Praise Him with the trumpet, praise Him with the harp, Praise Him with tambourine and dance, Praise Him with strings and flutes, Praise Him with loud cymbals, Praise Him with clanging cymbals. (Psalm 150:3–5)

This is a moving passage in the Old Testament, which conveys the story of praising God. People have been singing God’s praises with music for centuries. The sacred music of the Catholic Church comes from the faith life of God's people, and its Biblical purpose is to praise the God of Israel. In ancient times, the Jews praised God through music in their prayers; today, sacred music also helps God's people to pray.

A musician said, "It is not easy to give an accurate definition of sacred music, because the definition or concept of an era often generalizes. The definition of Gregorian sacred music does not conform to the definition of sacred music in other musical forms, and the application and creation of modern sacred music are different from the type of Gregorian sacred music." Therefore, the form of sacred music will be diverse because it is not an end but a tool or method. Through sacred music, people's souls are moved, the faith of believers is more lively, and they can actively enter into prayer and talk with the Lord.

After the Second Vatican Council, the Church encouraged the celebration of Mass in different languages; the mother tongue of people in modern sacred music encourages believers to participate more actively in the liturgy. The Council pointed out, "Popular religious songs should also be promoted so that in the zealous good works, even in the liturgical behavior, according to the principles and laws of the liturgy, the singing of believers can be heard." I think modern sacred music holds such a possibility. Contemporary sacred music is a modern believer’s voice expressing a long-cherished wish to praise God in the form of music.

When observing the current situation of Catholic sacred music in the Chinese language, we can see that Catholic classical sacred music—for example, Gregorian Chant—is gradually losing status among faithful Catholics, especially the young. There are many factors at work. In contrast, modern music has developed greatly in recent years.

At the same time, in the Chinese Catholic Church, some young believers have begun to use their musical talents to create some sacred music of their own. They integrate their faith and life experiences into music and express their faith-feelings in the form of modern sacred music. Against this background, some friends and I have formed a music group called Grace Song.

First, the purpose and original intention of our group was to spread God's grace through beautiful music; to pass on God's hope and healing power to people. Thus, we call our group "Grace Song." Secondly, our group is composed of believers from different faith traditions. We all have our own lives and work, so we can only come together during our rest time. Some people have the grace of creating melodies, some are good at writing lyrics, some are singers, and some are responsible for singing, recording and video creation. We dedicate what we have received from God to fulfill our mission. Among our works, there is a song that was recorded by a group of nuns who quietly dedicate their lives to God and faith. The lyrics are about the dedication, tranquillity, simplicity and holiness of these nuns.

Another song describes those who work hard for God's cause. After hearing this song, a priest said, "This is what God has done in my life, and this is also the story of my following Jesus." Another song tells the story of those who lost their way on the road of life and returned. "Standing alone at the intersection of home, with wrinkles on their faces, worried, as if chained, crying in sorrow", but they "walk all the way to the Lord, because the Lord is their way home, God stretches out his hands, opens his arms, and waits for a long time." Our group is not mainly about composing traditional sacred music. We prefer to use modern sacred music to tell the story of modern people and God.

When Pope Francis was in office, his thoughts and actions pointed out a path for us, that is, the path of encounter with culture. Francis said, "There is always a movement in the encounter. If we all stand still, we will never meet." In fact, modern sacred music is revealing such an encounter, allowing God and modern people to meet, allowing sacred music to meet modern art, allowing people to meet each other in art, and allowing oneself to meet oneself in music. Regarding sacred music, Pope Francis said: "Sacred music builds bridges and brings people closer to the supernatural." He added: "Not only sacred music, but also music in general can build bridges to bring people, including those who are alienated, closer to each other; music has no barriers of nationality, race and skin color, but allows everyone to enter a noble language and always brings different people and groups into harmony. Sacred music can also eliminate the distance between us and those alienated brothers and sisters."

A musician once applied the word "embrace" to the relationship between traditional sacred music and modern music. He said: "When the two embrace, I believe that it will expand the vision of the Church and sing God's 'new song' that transcends time and space and is close to the present in every place, era and situation." Yes, let traditional sacred music embrace modern music. In addition, God can also embrace modern people through modern sacred music, and people can embrace their own hearts.

Below, I want to share a composition of ours. This song is called The Way Home. It is a song that awakens the soul. The Way Home is a heartfelt Catholic hymn that echoes the soul’s longing for love and the call to return. More than just a melody, it is a spiritual journey back to the One who has never stopped waiting. No matter how far you’ve wandered or how many times you’ve fallen, God’s arms remain open—His love unchanged. Let The Way Home lead you back to peace, hope, and the quiet joy of being found again (lyrics below).

归途（Title） The Way Home（Title）

（Verse 1）

我孤独站在归途的路口 - I stand alone at the crossroads on the way home,

脸上苍桑映出岁月的愁 - My face is full of wrinkles reflecting the sorrow of the years,

一路跌撞心中虑忧 - I stumble along the way and worry in my heart,

仿佛桎梏中可怜泪流。As if I am in shackles and crying pitifully.

（Verse 2）

我静静伫立在归途路口 - I stand quietly at the crossroads on the way home,

耶稣温柔话语唤我停留 - Jesus’ gentle words call me to stay,

回首过往人生茫茫 - Looking back at the vastness of my past life,

我灵哼唱主爱恩曲不休. My soul hums the song of the Lord's love and grace.

（Bridge）

从无走到有，从迷茫到清醒 - From nothing to something, from confusion to sobriety,

从罪走到圣，从死亡到生命。From sin to holiness, from death to life.

（Chorus）

啊，一路向主走，因为他是我的归途 - Ah, walk all the way to the Lord, because He is my way home,

他伸手，张开怀抱等我已久。He stretches out his hand and opens his arms to wait with me for a long time.

啊，一路向主走，因为他是我的归途 - Ah, walk all the way to the Lord, because He is my home,

漂泊的心，在他怀中涂抹喜乐的油。My wandering heart is anointed with the oil of joy in His arms.

Click to Download Sheet Music

Fr. John Li is a priest from a northern diocese in China. To respect confidentiality, names have been changed in this blog.

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