The emphasis on the Book of Psalms

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Tis_Bearself

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The Psalms are good prayers. However, much of Scripture can be considered good prayers.

Part of Psalms is currently included at every Mass and, I believe in every Divine Office-based prayer.

The current collection of Psalms contains only 150 Psalms, and they tend to repeat the same handful of themes over and over.

We do not have another book of the Scripture that appears in every Mass, etc. Even in the case of the Gospels, there are four different books from which a particular reading can be drawn for a Mass.

Why all the emphasis on the Book of Psalms for prayer and worship? I hate to say I get tired of hearing the Psalms, but there are so very many other Bible books.
 
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I guess because the Psalms were originally composed as worship songs, whereas other parts of the Bible are different genres of literature, such as history, prophecy, poetry, etc. It is more natural to sing or say the Psalms as worship than it would be to recite part of Leviticus or Acts every Mass (and other liturgies that also include Psalms).
 
Tis_Bearself said:
The Psalms are good prayers. However, much of Scripture can be considered good prayers.

Part of Psalms is currently included at every Mass and, I believe in every Divine Office-based prayer.

The current collection of Psalms contains only 150 Psalms, and they tend to repeat the same handful of themes over and over.

We do not have another book of the Scripture that appears in every Mass, etc. Even in the case of the Gospels, there are four different books from which a particular reading can be drawn for a Mass.

Why all the emphasis on the Book of Psalms for prayer and worship? I hate to say I get tired of hearing the Psalms, but there are so very many other Bible books.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church
2597 Prayed and fulfilled in Christ, the Psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church. They are suitable for men of every condition and time.
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Yes, I’m not disputing that they are an “essential and permanent element of the prayer of the Church”. I don’t even mind that they are prayed.

My question is simply WHY is it that way? Especially since they are not from the New Testament; in other words, I can see where the Gospels, being the life and words of Christ, are “essential”. The Psalms were not written by Christ, nor do they describe his life.

What makes the Psalms from OT “essential” to us for prayer? On what basis was this decided?
I have seen them referred to as a “school of prayer”. Were they the first written prayers in our tradition?
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
The Psalms are good prayers. However, much of Scripture can be considered good prayers.

Part of Psalms is currently included at every Mass and, I believe in every Divine Office-based prayer.

The current collection of Psalms contains only 150 Psalms, and they tend to repeat the same handful of themes over and over.

We do not have another book of the Scripture that appears in every Mass, etc. Even in the case of the Gospels, there are four different books from which a particular reading can be drawn for a Mass.

Why all the emphasis on the Book of Psalms for prayer and worship? I hate to say I get tired of hearing the Psalms, but there are so very many other Bible books.
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Singing was a permanent part of worship in the Temple, and I believe that the Psalms are all of what was sung. This could have something to do with it.
 
Thom18 said:
Singing was a permanent part of worship in the Temple, and I believe that the Psalms are all of what was sung. This could have something to do with it.
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I’ve thought of that too.
Since we usually do not sing the Psalms today (although some churches seem to be trying to get back to that), I wondered if something was lost when they end up just being read.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
We do not have another book of the Scripture that appears in every Mass, etc.
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I would disagree with that:
  • We pray the Lord’s Prayer in every Mass; it comes to us from Scripture.
  • We pray the words of the Centurion to Christ at every Mass (“Lord, I am not worthy…”). That’s from a book of Scripture.
Tis_Bearself said:
Understood. Were the Psalms the main prayers prayed by the Jewish people of Christ’s time?
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They were part of daily prayer, just as is the case with Catholic liturgy and prayer traditions.
Tis_Bearself said:
Were there any other prayers that Christ would have regularly prayed?
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The Sh’ma comes immediately to mind…
 
In the Bible, Psalms is the OT book Jesus quotes most often. It makes sense for it to be central.
 
Also the Sanctus. Holy, holy, holy from Isaiah and Revelation. Blessed is he from Psalm 118 and also the Gospels when Jesus entered Jerusalem. And of course the words of consecration.
 
Gorgias said:
  • We pray the Lord’s Prayer in every Mass; it comes to us from Scripture.
  • We pray the words of the Centurion to Christ at every Mass (“Lord, I am not worthy…”). That’s from a book of Scripture.
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These are not entire books of the Bible from which a different reading is recited at every Mass, but always from the same book.
Also, the Lord’s Prayer is Christ’s words teaching us to pray. If the Psalms were 150 prayers written by Christ in his own words, I would not be needing to ask this question.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
These are not entire books of the Bible from which a different reading is recited at every Mass, but always from the same book.
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There aren’t any books of the Bible for which the “entire book” is read at Mass (even in parts, across time). It’s kind of an unrealistic characterization of Psalms, don’t you think? (Although, having said that, I understand what you’re saying. And yes, as a book of liturgical prayers, it makes sense that it should have a special role in our prayer and liturgical life!)
 
Tis_Bearself said:
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Messianic Psalms

Lk. 24:44
And he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
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  • Psa. 45:6-7; Heb. 1:8-9
  • Psa. 2:7; Heb. 1:5
  • Psa. 97:7; Heb. 1:6
  • Heb. 1:6-7,9; cf. Psa. 8:4-6
  • Psa. 110:1-2; Mt. 22:43-44; Mk. 12:36; Lk. 20:42-43; Acts 2:34-35; 1 Cor. 15:25; Heb. 1:13; 10:12-13
  • Psa. 110:4; Heb. 5:6,10; 6:20; 7:17,21
  • Psa. 118:22-23; Mt. 21:42; Mk. 12:10-11; Lk. 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7
  • Psa. 41:9; Jn. 13:18
  • Psa. 69 (partial)
  • Psa. 22:1; Mt. 27:46; Mk. 15:34
  • Psa. 22:8; Mt. 27:43
  • Psa. 22:16; Jn. 20:25
  • Psa. 22:18; Mt. 27:35; Lk. 23:34; Jn. 19:24
  • Psa. 16:10; Acts 13:35-37.
 
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I think what I’m getting at is, given that Jesus himself is not appearing in this particular book, and it is from the OT long before Jesus showed up, I’m trying to understand why this book is more important than other books of the OT. For example, Job has some very nice poetry of lamentation and praise in it. Why do we not recite those poetic excerpts during Mass at the point where we always read one of the 150 Psalms.

So far the answers that make sense to me on this thread are:
  • Jesus prayed the Psalms frequently, so we should pray like Jesus prayed
  • Jesus quoted the Psalms most frequently, so we should focus on the Scripture Jesus focused upon
  • Psalms seem to be the earliest (or among the earliest) preserved liturgical prayers falling within our tradition, so it makes sense for us to keep saying them
 
Tis_Bearself said:
I think what I’m getting at is, given that Jesus himself is not appearing in this particular book
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Doesn’t the Church teach that Jesus is present in the OT, albeit in foreshadowing?

And, I think that I’d say that He does appear in the Psalms: “The Lord said to my lord”…
Tis_Bearself said:
For example, Job has some very nice poetry of lamentation and praise in it. Why do we not recite those poetic excerpts during Mass at the point where we always read one of the 150 Psalms.
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Because psalms are already liturgical prayer, and Job is not.
 
Gorgias said:
Doesn’t the Church teach that Jesus is present in the OT, albeit in foreshadowing?
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He is indeed, but he is present in a lot of books of the OT. So the question would be, “Jesus is present in Isaiah; why is Isaiah not read in place of Psalms at some Masses?” I know Isaiah is sometimes read as the First Reading at Mass, but not at every Mass, and not even at most Masses.

However, I think you just gave another reason when you said,
Gorgias said:
Because psalms are already liturgical prayer, and Job is not.
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This may be the type of thing that liturgists or some skilled apologists think is inherently obvious to the most casual observer, but it’s really not that obvious unless one thinks about it or someone else takes the time to explain it.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
This may be the type of thing that liturgists or some skilled apologists think is inherently obvious to the most casual observer, but it’s really not that obvious unless one thinks about it or someone else takes the time to explain it.
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The psalms are traditionally ascribed to King David. This means they were the foundation for David’s kingdom, the songs that brought people together in his name. They were liturgical and national songs in a way that formed the Jews into a single people. They are the earliest religious expression of Israel since the Temple was built by Solomon, David’s son. ( they build on the relationship forged in Egypt/ the desert, but I am talking about a naional identity centered in Jerusalem.)

The breadth of experience in the psalms is unmatched by other books. Wedding songs and victory songs, songs to accompany the weary as they ascend to the Temple, and songs of sorrow at being so far from the Temple. Songs of wonder at the universe and of delight in music. Psalms of revenge as well as psalms of mercy.

They form lives lived with God in the image of those who have lived with God before us. They are part of the journey we all share, not just accounts of what has happened before.
 
I’ve rarely encountered a parish that doesn’t sing the psalm at Mass.
The psalms are central to ALL rites of the divine office (Roman, Byzantine, Coptic, etc)… and ideally are sung in that context as well.
 
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