A good psalm for the New Year

Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song,

his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker,
let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands,
to wreak vengeance on the nations
and chastisement on the peoples,
to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron,
to execute on them the judgment written!
This is glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the LORD! (Ps 149:1–9).

The joyful warrior trusting not in the weapons of this world–money, pleasure, power, and honor–but in the Spirit and the Word, is just what we need.  And it’s just what good Pope Francis and many other saints show us.

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. (Re 12:7–11).

Go get ’em troops!