The Psalms

[Nita]

As a result of praying the Liturgy of Hours, I have come to love the Psalms. In his General Audience of 6/22/11, Pope Benedict expressed a thought I found particularly beautiful - especially the part I bolded. Hope it will give pleasure to others here also.
… The Psalms are given to the believer exactly as the text of prayers whose sole purpose is to become the prayer of the person who assimulates them and and addresses them to God. Since they are a word of God, anyone who prays the Psalms speaks to God using the very words that God has given to us, addresses Him with the words that He Himself has given us. So it is that in praying the Psalms we learn to pray. They are a school of prayer.

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110622_en.html

 

[mariafransisca2]

Great to hear that Nita,

 

[Jim_Roberts]

The Psalter is the book in which The WOrd of GOd becomes man’s prayer.

The word’s of the Psalmist sung for God, both express and acclaim the Lord’s saving works; the same Spirit inspires both God’s work and man’s response. Christ will unite the two, In him, the psalms continue to teach us how to pray.

The Psalms are a mirrorr of God’s marvelous deeds in the history of his people

The Psalms constitute the masterwork of prayer in the O.T.

Prayed and fulfilled in CHrist, the Psalms are an essential and permanent element of the prayer of the CHurch there is psalm for each occasion ]

I am happy that you pray the Liturgy of ther WOrd because as y ou know, these are ALL psalms in the Liturgy of the Word

One way of abstaing from venial sin is saying the Liturgy of the Hours.

 

[Nita]

…
I am happy that you pray the Liturgy of ther WOrd because as y ou know, these are ALL psalms in the Liturgy of the Word

It’s probably 20+ years since I started praying the Liturgy of the Hours. I started originally when I discovered it had readings from the Early Church Fathers; that was my primary interest - the part I looked forward to each day. I have loved Scripture for even a longer time, but tended to read it mainly in a “study” mode. Because of that, the Psalms were almost my least favorite part of the Liturgy of Hours to begin with. It was only after quite a few years, and really, without my noticing it, that things began to change – until, one day I realized that now it was the Psalms I looked forward to (not the ECF and not the other Scripture readings from the Proper of Seasons). Not sure how it happened, but somewhere along the line my mind and heart ***switched from “study” mode to “pray” mode ***with the Psalter. It made all the difference in the world.