The Psalms hold a beloved and special place in the life of the Church. It is the only book of the Bible that is read at every Mass! The responsorial psalm is the only Scripture reading of the Mass that the congregation recites together with the lector, cantor, or priest. The Book of Psalms is the Old Testament book most often quoted in the New Testament.

  Jesus himself, after his Resurrection, told his disciples: “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets and psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44) From his own words, we learn that Christ is the referential center of the Book of Psalms.

At the same time, the Psalms give voice to our prayers and every human emotion that can be poured out to God. The Psalms teach us how to speak to God, using the inspired words of God himself.

The Psalms are so rich that St. Ambrose spoke of them as a “complete gymnasium for the soul”:

“In the Book of Psalms there is profit for all, with healing power for our salvation. There is instruction from history, teaching from the law, prediction from prophecy, chastisement from denunciation, and persuasion from moral preaching. All who read it may find the cure for their own individual failings. All with eyes to see can discover in it a complete gymnasium for the soul, a stadium for all the virtues, equipped for every kind of exercise.”

Join Fr. Erik for these four weeks as we enter into the richness, beauty, and power of the Psalms!

Thursdays at 7p.m., October 10, 17, 24, 31

in the Gathering Space Meeting Room

No registration is necessary.

SCHEDULE:

Week 1 - OCTOBER 10, 2024

• Introduction

• The special place of the Psalms in the Bible, the history of salvation, and the life of the Church

• Overview of the types of Psalms, and the different voices in the Psalms

• The Psalms: Mirror of Christ, Mirror of the Soul

Week 2 - OCTOBER 17, 2024

• Christ in the Psalms

• The special Psalms that tell us about Jesus – his coming, his kingship, his passion and death, and his Resurrection.

Week 3 - OCTOBER 24, 2024

• The Psalms not only tell of the coming of Christ, but they also tell us about ourselves and give voice to our every human emotion.

• Psalms of praise, thanksgiving, repentance, despair, etc.

• Learning to pray with the Psalms as a way of giving expression to whatever is happening in our hearts.

Week 4 - OCTOBER 31, 2024

What the Psalms have taught me, and what they teach each of us:

• I can be utterly honest with God no matter how I feel.

• God has a plan which He revealed centuries ago in the Psalms.

• Memory and the remembrance of what God has done is an absolutely essential part of our spiritual life.

• God wants to have a daily conversation with me!