www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Parying the Psalms

I have a question about praying the psalms in the daily office or otherwise. In what sense can reciting psalms not addressed to God be called "prayer?"

Some psalms are not addressed to God. For example, Psalm 49 begins: "Hear this, all you peoples;listen, all who live in this world, both low and high, rich and poor alike . . ." The Psalmist is not addressing God; rather, he is addressing himself to the "all you peoples."

In contrast the prayer Jesus taught is addressed directly to God ("Our Father . . .").

Anyway, prayer of the psalms has been a longstanding practice in Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions and I was wondering what people's thoughts are on this.

Thanks

This goes back to the difference between monastic and cathedral prayer. Cathedral prayer was focused on praise and repentetance and was selective in its use of Pslams and used them based on theme and appropriateness. The Monastics on the otherhand recited the Psalms for spiritual discipline, learning and meditation so all Pslams were equal.

When the monastic and cathedral are fused (as is the case in most modern liturgical uses) you have the combination of some fixed pslams (the cathedral usgae) with the variable kathismata (the monastic usage). The reason behind the difference uses became lost and Psalms were recited becasue it was assumed God liked hearing them recited, regardless of how "prayerful" a given Pslam was.

However, in Byzantine parish tradition it is common to skip the kathismata, so you have somewhat of a a return to a more cathedral usage. The modern Roman Liturgy of the Hours also is somewhat of a return to cathedral usage as Pslams were chosen for an hour based on its appropriateness for the hour, some Pslams are simply not used, some Pslams are only partially used.

Fr. Deacon Lance

Glory to Jesus Christ! Welcome Zadok. If you look at the contents even of those addressed, as you say, supposedly to men, you will eventually come across praise of God ...Let me tell you of the works of God etc. etc. In this way, all of the Psalms certainly can be taken as prayer.

These always, even if sometimes seemingly implicit, end in praise of God. The psalms which speak of lowly condition, dependence on the Lord for delivery, mercy, etc. end up in or have some aspect of praise within them.

The Psalmist is clearly intending those you mention to be not only praise of God but educational proclamations of the great works of God to the people.

You can most definitely consider your use of the Psalms as praise and prayer.

In the full monastic office of the Constantinopolitan tradition, the Psalter is prayed throughout its entirety weekly, and during the Great Fast (Lent) twice weekly through 20 subdivisions or Kathismata. Kathisma means literally, "while seated" as in the monasteries all sit when the kathismata are read.

The Coptic Office (Agpeya) as well as the Ethiopian rely much more heavily at their core on the recitation of the Psalms, which is common in the Alexandrian tradition, whereas the Constantinopolitan tradition has developed an extremely rich corpus of hymnody which accompanies the Psalms.

Like the Roman Divine Office, the Eastern offices have "fixed" psalms which are recited at every Hour, with additions of the Kathismata at Vespers, Matins, Midnight Office outside of lent and at most of the hours within Lent.

Slava Isusu Kristu,

I think is also depends on what one really definds prayer as. For instance, reading Scripture in a solemn and focused manner is often done by monastics as a type of prayer and encouraged by the Fathers of the Church. I feel the argument could be made that studies concirning God, though not directed fully to Him, can be just as spiritually uplifting as prayer itself (though not as a substitute).

Dmitri

Dmitri:

I think you are right. How we define prayer will likely determine how determine whether and how we view the psalms for prayer. So, what is prayer?

For those on the board who pray the psalms, let me ask, what are you thinking or expecting when you pray a psalm like psalm 49 (quoted above)? It is easy to understand what is happening when one approaches the Father and prays along the Lord's prayer. Direct requests are being made and praise is being directed at the Father himself. It is analogous to approaching a human king, praising his might, and asking for his benefits.

It is a different matter with a psalm like psalm 49. It would be like approaching a king and then saying to him "Here this all you peoples . . . both low and high." It would seem rather odd to do this.

Perhaps it is like a song. One could come before the human king and sing a song to his glory. The song would not necessarily address the king. Perhaps like someone coming before President Bush and singing the American national anthem. I think this may be a point another poster was making (we say them because we know God likes to hear them).

Scott

BTW, the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines prayer like this: "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." It cites St. John Damascene for this definition. The Baltimore Catechism defines prayer in the same way.

In the sense of "raising of one's mind and heart to God" calling the recitation of psalm 49 pray makes sense.

Thoughts? Does anyone have any practical suggestions for praying psalms like this?

To understand the psalms I always look to the footnotes. The NAB footnotes for Psalm 49 tell us that this psalm is one that affirms confidence in God in the face of the apparent good fortune of the unjust.

Then I pray through the psalm and pick out what seems to be the central verse(s):

One cannot redeem oneself, pay to God a ransom. Too high the price to redeem a life; one would never have enough. (Verses 8,9)

But God will redeem my life, will take me from the power of Sheol. (Verse 16)

To me this psalm is teaching me that even though there is evil all around me, and that I cannot over come this evil, it�s OK because God has paid the ransom for me and will redeem my life and give me life.

This psalm is also a call to me and to others to be steadfast in the midst of the evil world we live in. Psalm 49 is kind of like a call to offer praise. In this it is not unlike Psalm 95: �Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord�enter, let us bow down in worship.�

Having been a Benedictine oblate for nine years I used the Liturgy of the Hours prayer book daily which is loaded with the Psalms. Whenever I visited the monastery or attended meetings I chanted the Psalms with the cenobitic community there. I continue to pray with the Psalms. I find it helps me Praise God and that the Psalms help sanctify the day for me. Sometimes the Psalmist reflects just how I feel; other times a lesson is to be learned. My favorites are Ps. 95(as mentioned above) 139, and 40, but many have had particular meaning to me at different times. I do appreciate it when we chant Psalms in Vespers or some other service at church.

Psalm 40

I waited patiently for the Lord;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the Lord. (1-3)


Mary Jo

Scott, I believe you have hit the proverbial nail on the head. In many icons of St. David the Psalmist he is indeed playing his lyre. That is precisely what we are doing with praying the Psalms, making our song before the King of Kings.

Even by singing of His works and acts, perhaps not outwardly and explicitly exclaiming "Praise to Thee", we are nonetheless certainly directing praise to Him. "How wondrous are Thy works, O Lord; in wisdom hast Thou made them all".

This is a good short work from Athanasius advising how to pray the psalms:

http://www.prayerfoundation.org/athanasius_praying_the_psalms.htm

Perhaps it is like a song. One could come before the human king and sing a song to his glory.
Scott [/QB][/QUOTE]

Yes, they are songs. Now, why didn't I think of that?

In appreciation,


Mary Jo