Burying the alleluia is a spiritual practice that dates back to the Middle Ages. It's a simple act of worship. Or non-worship, I suppose.
Typically, during Lent, the church would not sing hymns that included the word alleluia. The translation of the word is "Praise the Lord." As such, to sing or repeat it is an act of praise, worship and even joy. Lent is a more penitential season. And, when we bury the alleluia, we expect to revive it at the Easter celebration. So, some consider the practice a form of fasting.
If your hallelujah is a praise sentence, entombing it can help shape your prayers and worship experiences. But the word also serves as a command. Not just a declaration, it's asking or directing someone else to do something. In this case to praise the Lord.
In the Old Testament, hallelujah shows up mainly in the psalms. That makes sense because the psalms are worship. In the New Testament, the word shows up several times in Revelation 19. That makes sense, too, because Revelation isn't a scary, end-of-the-world thriller. It's a book of praise for people of God.
By the time we get to Revelation 19, Babylon has fallen. Those who "committed adultery" with her now weep. But God's people see God's victory. Therefore, their call is to hallelujah: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord because "the Lord God the Almighty reigns" (19:6). So many people of God had endured with faith the persecution brought about by Babylon. Their faithfulness is their "righteous deeds" (19:8. Now, they can rejoice.
Their call is ours as well. There's no burying praise. Babylon is more than an ancient city. It's a spirit that, though defeated, still creeps. So, we know the pain and reality of this world and its systems. Today, Christians around the world still face persecution. We don't rejoice because of how bad things are. We rejoice because of how good God is. Though we may suffer today, our faith draws us to praise the Lord because, as Revelation reminds us, God already has the victory.
Stay blessed...john | 
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