All Day

All Day
Hillsong United

I don't care what they say about me
It's alright, alright
I don't care they think about me
It's alright, they'll get it one day

I love you, I'll follow you
You are my, my life
I will read my bible and pray
I will follow you all day

I don't care what it costs anymore
'Cos you gave it all and I'm following you
I don't care what it takes anymore
No matter what happens I'm going your way

I love you, I'll follow you
You are my, my life
I will read my bible and pray
I will follow you all day

All Day
All Day now
All Day

I don't care what they say about me
It's alright, alright
I don't care they think about me
It's alright, they'll get it one day

I love you, I'll follow you
You are my, my life
I will read my bible and pray
I will follow you all day

All Day
All Day now
All Day

Anyone around can see
just how good you've been to me
For all my friends that don't know you
I pray that you would save them too

All Day
All Day now
All Day

I have to admit, when I first heard this song at a Pentecostal church here in Oakville, I thought it was the most repetitive thing I'd ever heard in my life! And Pentecostals love to accuse Catholics of vain repetition! However, I heard it on the actual cd by Hillsong United, and I liked it better, mainly because, while it was still repetitive (and a little banal), it was somewhat less so, and had a pretty cool bass line.

But it has grown on me, a little. Enough that I can base a talk on it. It does have a good message, even if it is, as I said, rather banal.

The song encourages us to have the courage to proclaim our faith in our world today, no matter what anyone thinks; no matter what it costs. We live in an age where pluralism is good, tolerance has replaced the "golden rule", and absolutes are viewed as narrow-mindedness and backward thinking. Those who believe in, and hold to those absolutes are often ridiculed or branded as fanatical or fundamentalists, or worse. Our Pope, in speaking out against the "Dictatorship of Relativism", has been labelled as a backwards-thinking archaism, who wants to return the world to the Dark Ages, or he has been libelled as a Nazi-sympathiser and a hater of almost everyone. Why? Because he has dared to speak the truth, and not water it down.

But we cannot water down the truth, because it is the Truth that sets us free! We have to fight for the truth, so that others can be set free, as well!

So what weapons do we have? The song, in typical Protestant fashion, gives the bare-bones answer: Bible and Prayer. And they're not wrong, only limited. As Catholics, we rely on the inspired Word of God, the Bible and the Apostolic Tradition handed down unchanged, though developed, since the beginning of Christianity. It is His Word which keeps us stable during the storms of uncertainty and relativism, and cuts through the lies and deceptions of the world. It is the Sword of the Spirit.

Further, we have prayer. In particular, we have that prayer that the saints, and particularly Pope John-Paul II, referred to as our most powerful weapon: the Rosary. Through it, we meditate on Christ's life, and are led closer to Him by His Mother, Mary. Through it, we receive an abundance of grace. Through it, we bind our hearts to God and walk on. Through it, we meditate on the Word of God, and understand its application to our own lives, so that we can live it out effectively in the world.

And so we will read God's Word, and pray the Rosary, daily. Maybe not for long stretches at first--but more and more. It takes discipline, but it is the lazy who will be caught off guard. With so many things competing for our time and attention, we desperately need to take that time and focus on Christ, His Mother, and His Church. Then we won't be intimidated by the world. We won't be ashamed of the Gospel. Then anyone around truly will see how good He has been to us, and they may become more devoted to Him, as we share His word with them.

God bless.