Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley - doctrinal?

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Dlee

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Sunday at Mass we sang this song and I was uncomfortable with the words.

1 Jesus walked this lonesome valley;
He had to walk it by himself.
Oh, nobody else could walk it for him;
He had to walk it by himself.

2 We must walk this lonesome valley;
We have to walk it by ourselves.
Oh, nobody else can walk it for us;
We have to walk it by ourselves.

3 You must go and stand your trial;
You have to stand it by yourself.
Oh, nobody else can stand it for you;
You have to stand it by yourself.
  1. Wasn’t God with Jesus? 2. Isn’t He also with us during trials? 3. Didn’t Christ stand trial in our place?
This song was so depressing, like we’re out in the world with no hope. Thoughts?
This was the Gather Hymnal.
 
Good explanation. But without that understanding, you’d never know. How many people sing it thinking it means exactly what it says? I stopped singing.
 
Dlee said:
Wasn’t God with Jesus?
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I think it means no other person.
Dlee said:
Isn’t He also with us during trials?
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Yes
Dlee said:
Didn’t Christ stand trial in our place?
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Christ lived a life that we should imitate. We have to be put on trial and be crucified ourselves.

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” - Romans 6:3‭-‬7
 
We’ve sung that song too. I don’t have a problem with it. Among all the human sufferings Jesus suffered, he certainly suffered loneliness, misunderstanding, rejection. The song reminds me that our loneliness, too, is a burden he shares.
 
I understand what you’re saying, but the same could be said of 99.9% of our faith. It is far too rich and beautiful to just simplify into words that are clearly understood at the surface level.
 
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This could be said of so many “hymns” at Mass. Shallow. Misleading. Musically poor quality. It’s really too bad.

I think the problematic aspects of this “hymn” could be fixed easily - - just change “by myself” to “for myself”, or “for himself”.
1 Jesus walked this lonesome valley;
He had to walk it for himself.
Oh, nobody else could walk it for him;
He had to walk it for himself.
 
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Considering that Scripture says angels were ministering to Our Lord, wouldn’t this song directly contradict Scripture?
 
Again, only if you interpret it in a literalistic manner.

If you interpret “by himself” literalistically meaning “with noone or nothing to help” then it’s problematic.

If you interpret “by himself” to mean “by his own will and strength” - which is clearly what is meant - then there’s no issue.

An overly rigid literalistic hermeneutic has led to many an issue where indeed there is no issue.
 
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Well, as I said, “for himself” would get that point across better. Surely the hymn authors know the meaning of basic prepositions?
 
Why does it matter?

Shouldn’t people simply learn to interpret things in the way which the Church teaches us to interpret?

It’s not the hymnographers fault if people apply a faulty hermeneutic to their composition. The prerogative is on individual Catholics to make sure they understand Church teaching about how we are to interpret Sacred texts and hymns.
 
Spyridon said:
Why does it matter?

Shouldn’t people simply learn to interpret things in the way which the Church teaches us to interpret?

It’s not the hymnographers fault if people apply a faulty hermeneutic to their composition. The prerogative is on individual Catholics to make sure they understand Church teaching about how we are to interpret Sacred texts and hymns.
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Oh, I don’t know why, I guess it doesn’t matter what we sing at Mass…😂

I guess it’s not the hymn authors’ fault if they use misleading wording, or Catholic publishers’ fault when they publish and distribute it, etc. etc. etc.
What does it matter what happens at Mass…
 
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Not a hymn. This is what is called a “spiritual”, a folk tune. Not at all appropriate for Mass, it is nice at a performance.
 
Every song (hymn, spiritual, random song) sung at Mass should be theologically sound. Songs are one of the best ways to teach, our brains soak up words when they are set to music (how many of us “sing” the childhood alphabet song or a “Schoolhouse Rock” tune in our heads to this day).

The Protestant side of the world knows this, that is why Sunday School songs are so important. Kids learn passages of Scripture, the books of the Bible in order, much of Christian teaching from Sunday School songs.
 
I agree, but in cases like this where it’s a matter of a preopsition or two, artistic license is somewhat nessecary.
 
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