Tag: Psalms
Psalm 146(145): Praise the Lord, O my soul!
Commentary: 1. Psalm 146[145] that we have just heard is an “alleluia”, the first of five which complete the entire collection in the Psalter. The Jewish liturgical tradition formerly used this hymn as a morning song of praise; it culminates in the proclamation of God’s sovereignty over human history. Indeed, the Psalm ends with the… Read More ›
Psalm 100(99): In prayer we abandon ourselves to God’s embrace
1. In the spirit of joy and celebration that continues in this last week of the Christmas season, we want to resume our meditation on the Liturgy of Lauds. Today we reflect on Psalm 99[100], just proclaimed, which is a joyful invitation to praise the Lord, the shepherd of his people. Seven imperatives are scattered… Read More ›
Psalm 145(144) 13- 21: “The Lord is faithful in all his words’
Commentary: 1. Following the liturgy that divides it into two parts, let us return to , a wonderful hymn in honour of the Lord, a loving King who is attentive to his creatures. Let us now meditate upon the second part of the Psalm: they are verses 14 to 21, which take up the fundamental… Read More ›
Psalm 145(144) 1-13: I will give you glory
Commentary: 1. We have just prayed Psalm 145[144], a joyful song of praise to the Lord who is exalted as a tender and loving King, concerned for all his creatures. The liturgy presents this hymn to us in two separate parts that also correspond to the two poetical and spiritual movements of the Psalm itself…. Read More ›
Psalm 67(66): “the earth has yielded its fruit” (v. 7)
1. “The earth has yielded its fruit”, exclaims Psalm 67[66], one of the texts inserted into the Liturgy of Vespers that we have just proclaimed. The sentence calls to mind a hymn of thanksgiving to the Creator for the gifts of the earth, a sign of divine blessing. This natural element, however, is closely interwoven… Read More ›
The Spirit prays through us in the Psalms
1. Before beginning the commentary on the individual Psalms and Songs of Praise, let us complete today the introductory reflection which we began in the last catechesis. We will do so by starting with one aspect that is prized by our spiritual tradition: in singing the Psalms, the Christian feels a sort of harmony between… Read More ›
Psalm 100(99): Let the world praise faithful God
1. The tradition of Israel gave the title “Psalm for the todáh” to the hymn of praise we just heard, that is thanksgiving in liturgical chant. That is why it is appropriately intoned in the morning Lauds. We can identify three noteworthy elements in the four verses of the joyful hymn, that make its use… Read More ›
Psalter is ideal source of Christian prayer
1. In the Apostolic Letter Novo millennio ineunte I expressed the hope that the Church would become more and more distinguished in the “art of prayer”, learning it ever anew from the lips of the Divine Master (cf. n. 32). This effort must be expressed above all in the liturgy, the source and summit of… Read More ›
Psalm 96(95): “Say among the nations “the Lord reigns!'”
Over the course of several years, Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have offered a commentary of the psalms used in the Liturgy of the Hours. These are all posted on the Vatican web site, but are somewhat difficult to find. Many of them are short, easily read in a few minutes We… Read More ›
Scripture Should Lead to ‘Personal Encounter With the Lord of Life’
VATICAN CITY (EWTN News/CNA)—Pope Benedict XVI spoke today about Psalm 119 as a wonderful discourse on the breadth and depth of man’s relationship with God. The Psalmist’s song “voices the range of sentiments which fill the hearts of those who pray: praise, thanksgiving, trust, supplication and lament, all within the context of a heartfelt openness… Read More ›