Alleluia

USCCB Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter on May 6, 2023

Reading 1 Acts 13:44-52

Responsorial Psalm Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

Alleluia Jn 8:31b-32

Gospel Jn 14:7-14

Alleluia in Latin. This means give praise to God/Praise the LORD/Praise YHWH

Alleluia (from Hebrew הללויה‎ (hal’luyáh) ‘praise Yah’) is a Latin phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God.

We all see alleluia (interj.) late 14c., from Latin alleluja,

from Greek allelouia,

from Hebrew hallelu-yah (HalleluYAH).

Etymology demonstrates also halleluiah, 1530s, from Late Latin hallelujah, alleluia, from Greek allelouia, from Hebrew hallalu-yah “praise ye Jehovah,” from hallalu, plural imperative of hallel “to praise” also “song of praise,” from hillel “he praised,” of imitative origin, with primary sense being “to trill.” Second element is yah, shortened form of Yahweh (YHWH), name of God. Earlier English form alleluia (12c.) is from Old French alleluie.

I learn basic Hebrew verb halal and the Greek verb aineo in the Septuagint LXX demonstrates elaborately “to praise”. Here is Alleluia

Today I enjoyed reading meditating Alleluia on Catholic Bible with CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

2589 Certain constant characteristics appear throughout the Psalms: simplicity and spontaneity of prayer; the desire for God himself through and with all that is good in his creation; the distraught situation of the believer who, in his preferential love for the Lord, is exposed to a host of enemies and temptations, but who waits upon what the faithful God will do, in the certitude of his love and in submission to his will. The prayer of the psalms is always sustained by praise; that is why the title of this collection as handed down to us is so fitting: “The Praises.” Collected for the assembly’s worship, the Psalter both sounds the call to prayer and sings the response to that call: Hallelu-Yah! (“Alleluia”), “Praise the Lord!” 

What is more pleasing than a psalm? David expresses it well:

“Praise the Lord, for a psalm is good: let there be praise of our God with gladness and grace!”

Yes, a psalm is a blessing on the lips of the people, praise of God, the assembly’s homage, a general acclamation, a word that speaks for all, the voice of the Church, a confession of faith in song.40

40 St. Ambrose, In psalmum 1 enarratio, 1,9:PL 14,924; LH, Saturday, wk 10, OR.