Praying the Psalms

“O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise”

Very Rev. Joe Deegan, PP

“I am connected to brother priests and others throughout the world who are praying the breviary. ”

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During an interview when asked what was her favourite psalm, St. Theresa of Calcutta (Mother Theresa) responded that it was Psalm 117, the shortest of all the psalms; “Praise the Lord all you nations, Acclaim him all you peoples! Strong is his love for us, He is faithful for ever.“

Jesus himself, a faithful Jew, prayed the psalms and we find him often quoting them in the gospels. So surely the best way to pray the psalms is to imagine we are praying them with Jesus. Praying the psalms is something that is part of a priest’s life form early seminary days in morning and evening prayer. The Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office forms the basis of a schedule of prayer within Christian monasticism down through the ages and it’s to this deep spiritual tradition, that we secular priests connect with when we pray the psalms. We may not enjoy the structured life of the monks but praying the “Breviary” in some form helps to give support and substance to our daily life and pastoral ministry lived for Christ and for the people of God whom we serve.

In the psalms we can find expression of a wide and varied range of human emotions; from joy to sadness, from elated praise to despair-filled questioning and it is in praying these ancient verses that we experience the Spirit of God who prays within us.

One of the thoughts that reassure me whenever I open the “App” on the smartphone to pray a psalm or two is that I am connected to brother priests and others throughout the world who are praying the breviary.

The Divine Office, or Breviary can be accessed on the App “Universalis”, online at Univseralis or iBreviary.Com.

Fr Joe Deegan is a priest of the Diocese of Meath, ministering as Parish Priest of Clara Parish.