A New Thankful Song: Offertory for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

This is an original work that uses elements from the Antiphon Renewal Projects to create a singable hymn that is in harmony with the Mass Propers found in the Roman Missal.

The text comes from a Paraphrase from Ps. 40 by prolific hymnodist Isaac Watts (https://hymnary.org/text/i_waited_pat.... With slight alterations, I was able to fit it into the meter of ENDLESS SONG ("How can I keep from singing?"), a favorite hymn tune among Catholics (which, unlike the familiar Protestant version, is in 4/4 time and much more lively). Interestingly, both hymn text share commonalities (singing the praise of God, hoping in God's deliverance amidst adversity), one could use the original hymn text by Robert Lowry and add the Watts hymn.

The one thing that I love is that in the original offertory, the chorus sings Ps. 40:3 as a refrain: "And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God." This has been preserved by the text from the Watts poetry "Firm on a rock He made me stand/And taught my cheerful tongue/To praise the wonders of His hand/In a new, thankful song."

This is free for all to use through Creative Commons. I ask that credit please be given. Contact me at [email protected] if you would like a copy of the worship aid file. This works with the OCP arrangement of "How Can I Keep From Singing?"