As we continue to consider the Liturgy of the Word, I would like to focus our attention this week on the Responsorial Psalm. While it can be difficult to stay focused during any part of the Liturgy of the Word, I think it can be particularly difficult to feel connected to the Responsorial Psalm.
I find this interesting for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Responsorial Psalm demands more attention from the congregation as we are expected to respond, either with signing or speaking, depending on the Mass. Second, the Psalms constitute the most sacred and ancient prayers of the Church. Christ Himself prayed the Psalms, and the Psalms have been at the heart of the Church’s liturgical worship, both at Mass and in the Liturgy of the Hours. But for some reason, we find it hard to pray the Psalms well.
When I was in seminary, I took a class on the Psalms as Christian Prayer. In that class, we read a variety of sources that dealt with the Psalms, from a general overview of the Psalms to commentaries on various individual Psalms. There is one particular reading that I still recall fondly as it really opened my mind and heart to a greater appreciation of the Psalms. It comes from a letter written by St. Athanasius to Marcellinus on the Interpretation of the Psalms. A few passages will suffice to show how we can all experience the Psalms in a more significant way:
All Scripture of ours, my son both ancient and new is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, as it is written. But the Book of Psalms possesses a certain winning exactitude for those who are prayerful. Each sacred book supplies and announces its own promise. Yet the Book of Psalms is like a garden containing things of all these kinds, and it sets them to music, but also exhibits things of its own that it gives in song along with them.
And it seems to me that these words become like a mirror to the person singing them, so that he might perceive himself and the emotions of his soul, and thus affected, he might recite them. For in fact he who hears the one reading receives the song that is recited as being about him, and either, when he is convicted by his conscience, being pierced, he will repent, or hearing of the hope that resides in God, and of the support available to believers – how this kind of grace exists for him- he exults and begins to give thanks to God.
Another helpful resource comes from the Anglican theologian N.T. Wright who has a beautiful book on the Psalms, titled The Case for the Psalms. In words similar to those of St. Athanasius, he writes:
Those who pray the Psalms day by day…are putting themselves in the position where, when faced with a sudden crisis, they will discover close at hand a line or two of a psalm that is already etched into the heart and mind and says just what they want to say, only most likely better than they could say it themselves in the heat of the moment.
(Kindle edition, page 25)
On this point, I can say that this is absolutely true for me. As one who is exposed to the Psalms each day, both at Mass and in my praying of the Liturgy of the Hours, there are so many lines from the Psalms that are close at hand when I need a phrase to latch onto in turning to God in prayer throughout my daily life.
This is therefore an encouragement to try to pay close attention to the Responsorial Psalm at Mass in particular and the Book of Psalms in general and see how, waiting there for us, is a prized gift of God’s Word capable of speaking to every emotion and responding to every need we have.