Cross Catholic Outreach

Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor

Español
Delivering food, shelter and hope to the poorest of the poor.
  • Donate
  • Our Impact
  • Ways to Give
    • Give by Program
      • Greatest Needs
      • Food
      • Education
      • Water
      • Medical
      • Homes
      • Vulnerable Children
      • Elderly Care
      • Microenterprise
      • Disaster Relief
    • Give by Region
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Caribbean
      • Latin America
      • South America
    • Monthly Giving
    • Greatest Needs
    • Major Gifts
      • Water For Life Kenya
      • Kobonal Mission
      • Transform Santa Rosa
      • Help Children Blossom
    • Planned Giving
    • Foundations and Other Grantmakers
  • Get Involved
    • Box of Joy®
    • Lent
    • Advent
    • Invite a Priest
    • Food Packing Events
    • Clergy & Diocese
    • Mission & Vision Trips
  • Church & School
  • Projects Catalog
    • Programs
      • Greatest Needs
      • Food
      • Education
      • Water
      • Medical
      • Homes
      • Vulnerable Children
      • Elderly Care
      • Microenterprise
      • Disaster Relief
    • Regions
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Caribbean
      • Latin America
      • South America
  • About Us
    • Our Mission
    • Board and Leadership
    • Financials
    • What We Do
      • Food
      • Education
      • Housing
      • Disaster Relief
      • Water
    • Where We Work
      • Ethiopia
      • Guatemala
      • Haiti
      • Honduras
      • Kenya
      • Malawi
      • Mozambique
      • Nicaragua
    • Stories and Updates
    • Careers
    • News Center
    • God in Our Office
    • Contact Us

The Power of Music & Song

April 8, 2010 by Cross Catholic Blog

It’s amazing how often music and song are intertwined with the Christian journey generally and with the work of Cross International Catholic Outreach specifically.   The precedent for this is found in the Bible, of course.  Music and song are described as part of worship in several cases, including most prominently in Revelation:

“Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:  ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’”

Mothers at a health fair in Haiti sing about the proper way to hold and feed a baby.

Most of the psalms of David were also believed to be songs used to praise the Lord.  And do you remember this from the Exodus story:

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: “I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.  The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

In Cross Catholic’s case, music and songs also play an important role.  They have become part of both our overseas mission and our educational efforts in the U.S.

Overseas, songs are sometimes used to help the poor by providing them with a method of learning important nutritional information or about topics related to health care.  Unable to read or write, they can learn easy-to-remember songs.  One of these teaches the warning signs of dehydration.  Another gives the ingredients of a nutritional blend of foods that can help battle malnutrition.

Spiritual songs are also one of the ways our field staff share and celebrate with those who receive our support.  Our meetings with these partners often begin with songs of thanks and praise.

In the U.S., music has an important role too.  It is a wonderful source of inspiration for the faithful.  With this in mind, Cross looks for ways to support those song writers and musicians who use their talents to express Christ’s compassion and his call to serve the poor.  For example, we recently honored “Leeland,” a band that highlighted those themes in their song “Follow You.”  Check out the video below:

As a ministry serving the poor, we were delighted that Follow You included the lyrics:

You lived among the least of these, the weary and the weak.  And it would be a tragedy for me to turn away.  All my needs you have supplied – when I was dead you gave me life. How could I not give it away so freely?  And I’ll follow you into the homes that are broken. Follow you into the world.  Meet the needs for the poor and the needy, God.  Follow you into the World.  Use my hands, use my feet to make your kingdom come through the corners of the earth, until your work is done.

It’s thrilling to hear this challenging message proclaimed so passionately and emotionally!  Frankly, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

Filed Under: health care, music Tagged With: Haiti, Haitian Health Foundation, Harmony of Hearts, health care, Leeland, music, rural health fair

Project Catalog

  • Greatest Needs
  • Food
  • Education
  • Water
  • Medical
  • Housing
  • Orphans and Vulnerable Children
  • Elderly Care
  • Microenterprise
  • Disaster Relief

Project Regions

  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Caribbean
  • Latin America
  • South America

Cross Catholic Outreach
2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 300
PO Box 273908
Boca Raton, Florida 33427-3908
800-914-2420
Cross Catholic Outreach is a 501(c)(3)
EIN 65-1156061

Audited Financial for Fiscal Year 2019

© 2020 Cross Catholic Outreach. All rights reserved.

 
Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Disclosure Statement

Copyright © 2021 · Enterprise Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in