As I mentioned briefly in last week’s post, the Psalms are full of lament—the kind of songs that give voice to the pain, grief, and frustration we’re experiencing, and bring those cries to the Lord. They’re honest and raw. For instance, Psalm 13 begins: “How long, O LORD? Wi...
the opposite is true. That’s not just my personal opinion. I consulted no less than seven notable commentaries and all of them agree that while Peter and the 11 were to teach the gospel primarily to a Jewish audience, Paul’s mission was ...
He also writes that these psalms are all short enough to be memorized and several contain references to everyday life, implying that these psalms reflect the experiences of everyday people traveling or arriving at Jerusalem (1). Jerusalem, the city which God designated as his dwelling place (I...
Psalms are a collection of sacred Hebrew poems, intended for use in the worship of God. They are inspired responses of the human heart to God's revelation of Himself in law, history and prophecy. They teach us that we can make all our circumstances opportunities of worship. When we are ...
If you sing the Psalms at Mass with the Gregorian tones, you are as close as you can get to praying with Jesus and Mary. They sang the Psalms in tones that have come down to us today in Gregorian Chant. So, the Council isn’t calling us back to some medieval practice, those “horr...
The word "prophet" must be taken here in a general sense; not confined to the prophets distinctively so called, as in Luke 24:44, "Moses, the prophets, and the psalms." For both Moses and the psalms are quoted in the sequel, to illustrate the ancient utterances. Προφήτης...
” For that, the Psalms are a good roadmap. When God is not responsive, call out, plead, and even accuse God of lack of justice (as many of the Psalms do). Like Moses in Exodus 32, build a case of cascading reasons for God to act. God is reasonable. God responds. These ...
The Psalms are full of raw and honest cries to God in the midst of pain, but never approve of suicide. Psalm 88 famously closes with “darkness is my closest friend” (v18), yet the Psalmist there is still crying out to God day and night (v1). Suffering is a reality of a fallen...
These are probably personal enemies; the imprecatory psalms and the prophetic oracles present a different set of circumstances for the downfall of God’s enemies—even the book of Proverbs says that brings joy to the community. Proverbs 24:20 tn Heb“there is no end [i.e., future] for ...
the truth of the divine plan. God has promised to feed us abundantly with this Bread of Life, so we can pray thus with full assurance, knowing that our petitions are primarily for the spiritual food which he has promised, and therefore in harmony with his will. To print this booklet just...