What makes the Psalms so powerful for us Christians is that they are prayers in God’s own words.
The divine words are given to us in human dress, and they express the most fundamental thoughts and emotions of human beings. They express the joys, the sorrows, the ups and downs, and the excitement of the human heart. Even though humans composed the Psalms, they always look to God. While deeply personal, the prayers are seldom, if ever, individualistic. They convey a sense of being one with the rest of God’s people.
The word psalm means “hymn of praise.” The Book of Psalms contains hymns of praise, but also petitions, thanksgiving songs, prayers of confidence, wisdom psalms, and royal psalms. They are lamentations, celebrations, and exultations—and they are a treasure to cherish.
Enjoy this look at 12 psalms! —Hilarion Kistner, OFM
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Psalm 139: Endless Love
When I was pregnant with my children, I used to spend endless hours wondering whether they would look more like me or my husband or what characteristics of ours I wished they did—or didn’t—inherit.
And then after they were born, I would look at them in amazement at the thought that my husband and I created them and I nourished and helped them grow within my own body. Read more…
Psalm 73: Why Do Sinners Prosper?
The psalms are unflinchingly honest. I like that. Anger, envy, gratitude, and trust can tumble out within a single psalm. Any emotion can be the springboard to honest prayer. Nothing needs to be hidden from God—even though the psalmist fortunately does not act on every emotion mentioned.
The author of Psalm 73 sometimes envies people who ignore God, yet always seem to be prosperous and successful. Read more…
Psalm 18: Royal Thanksgiving for Victory
A marvelous beginning: “I love….” Only one other psalm begins with these words—Psalm 116. They bespeak an open heart, a joyful appreciation of God’s goodness. They are the main reason I was first attracted to this psalm. I have since found many more attractive traits.
Three levels I find in this psalm convince me to call it a favorite. Read more…
Psalm 42: Longing for You, O God
Whenever I hear the opening verse of Psalm 42, I feel an inner longing for God. The words express for me a contemplative yearning to be one with the God who created me and who is my true home.
In the Bible, streams of water sometimes symbolize God. Read more…
Psalm 45: Queen for More Than a Day
This psalm improves my posture and my self-esteem. I return to it often.
I confess that I’ve loved this psalm as much for the applications to myself as for any references to the Messiah, to Christ the King, to Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth or to the Church as Bride of Christ. Read more…
Psalm 95: Begin Each Day in God’s Presence
I pray these words deep in the bush of Subukia, Kenya. The music of my spirit is accompanied by a rooster’s solo, backed by a predawn chorus of unfamiliar insects and animals.
In the kitchen, young Brother Florentine, a native Tanzanian, prepares a breakfast of coffee, tea, hot milk, bananas and eggs. The whistling teakettle and jostling of dishes accompany the sentiments of this lovely psalm. Read more…
Psalm 127: ‘Unless the Lord Build the House’
How many of us do the things we do in vain! Like the example in Jesus’ New Testament story of one who might build only part of a tower, for lack of planning (Luke 15:28), we go through our relationships at work and at home, taking on any number of responsibilities, forgetting our true purpose and winding up, at the end of the day, a little short.
Psalm 127 reminds us to reflect on the type of work we do and why. Read more…
Psalm 147: Called by God, Called by Name
I love astronomy, to track the phases of the moon as it waxes and wanes. I don’t mind getting up late at night to see a lunar eclipse or to watch the splendor of a meteor shower. I can even pick out a few constellations in the night sky. The Big Dipper, of course, is easy to find as it points the way to the North Star.
Cassiopeia, the queen, sits on her throne. Orion floats overhead each morning as I wait with my children for the school bus. Read more…
Psalm 25: GPS for My Soul
It’s no secret in the Heffron family that I was born with an appalling lack of direction—a gene that I, with all due respect, inherited from my mother.
Quite the opposite, my father and sister have an uncanny sense of where they are headed: They could find a needle in a haystack. It would be a miracle if Mom and I could find the haystack. Read more...
Psalm 27: Itinerary Flexible, Destination Clear
I start off for work the route I always take and suddenly remember that I’m not going to work, I have a dentist appointment. I’m going south when I need to go west. I knew, but I was not mindful of where I was going. I forgot my destination.
That’s a parable of life. Read more…
Psalm 104: Feeding the Multitudes
My family celebrates Thanksgiving at the home of in-laws: The Dangel clan numbers about 90. Each year, I panic that the hostess will ask me to make pies—a talent I don’t possess—instead of the too-easy dish I prepare.
Before we begin stuffing ourselves with oodles of choices that make up our feast, we pray. Read more…
Psalm 8: Starry Skies and the Incarnation
The winter skies are the best for stargazing.
Be sure to glance up as you go to Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve—or on any clear night at this time of the year. The cold, crisp air makes the stars glitter more than usual. Read more…
