September 27, 2009: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

If you have never read any of the 150 Psalms, take some time this week to read a couple of them.

God’s teaching is perfect, renewing life. God’s decrees are trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple. God’s law is truth, gladdening the heart. God’s words are clear, enlightening the eyes. (Psalm 19:7-8)

Almost every Sunday one of the Scripture readings is from the Book of Psalms. Often the psalm is sung since there are many musical settings of the psalms. This is appropriate since psalms are also called songs. They express different human emotions: gratitude, joy, sorrow, anger and so forth. A few are very familiar, like Psalm 23 which begins “My Shepherd is the Lord.” Many people pray one or more of the psalms daily. They are prayed in the morning, during the day, in the evening, at night. The passage above is from Psalm 19, a psalm praising God in creation and for guiding human activity.

Action:

If you have never read any of the 150 Psalms, take some time this week to read a couple of them. You will find the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, also known as the Hebrew Scriptures. Talk with an adult about the psalms. Ask the person to share with you what reading and praying the psalms has meant to him or her.