When
praying the Liturgy of the Hours, much emphasis is placed on the
psalms. This stressing offers witness to the continuity between
Judaism and Christianity; that is, for those passages somehow being
understood as pointing to Christ. This advancing and endurance is awe
reassuring.
Whether praying the psalms with the Liturgy of the Hours or pouring over said passages in the pages of my Bible, there are some verses and strophes which do not seem applicable to contemporary culture. Let's face it, the Davidic enemies of antiquity were brutal. The pangs of history, for the most part, have not carried forward. Yet, even as I lay down these words, images of Christian persecution in the eastern parts of the world are numbingly evocative. Though, I am embarrassed to admit, marginalized by distance and anonymity - out of sight, out of mind. Lacking in magnanimity, otherwise self absorbed, how do these darker passages apply to my comparatively safe life?
"His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression, mischief and deceit under his tongue. He lies in wait among the reeds; the innocent he murders in secret. / His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man. He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair; he lurks in hiding to seize the poor; he seizes the poor man and drags him away. / He crouches, preparing to spring, and the helpless fall beneath his strength. He thinks in his heart: 'God forgets, he hides his face, he does not see'" (Psalm 10:7-11, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1792). As a consequence of the community in which I live, there are people who, to some extent, meet varying attributes of the aforementioned. But, to apply the complete spectrum to a single person or group would be difficult. Then again, I do not interact in circles where such mischief might arise. Being fair, it is suspected that there are victims who would ascribe such darkness to their villains.
"My wounds are foul and festering, the result of my own folly. I am bowed and brought to my knees. I go mourning all the day long. / All my frame burns with fever; all my body is sick. Spent and utterly crushed, I cry aloud in anguish of heart" (Psalm 38:5-8, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1822). These thoughts would seem applicable to soldiers and warlords consistently engaged in battle. Or, peoples (slaves in biblical times) subjected to brutal dictators, kings, or masters. But, today? There were two times in adolescence where I could identify with the tumult being described, very dark times in life that I did not manage well. Tragedy, to be exact. But to pray such somber psalms today seems on the threshold of being hypocritical; that is, unless intercession is on behalf of those who are unable.
A unique design of the Liturgy of the Hours us that such is not engaged on behalf of self. No. The intent is that the faithful recognize the needs of the whole Church - triumphant (heaven), suffering (purgatory), militant (earth) - especially the marginalized and infirm. Another name for this public and liturgical devotion is, Opus Dei. Translated, "work of God." Hence, such is recognized as the prayer of the Church. This is a remarkable discipline, awesomely beautiful and unifying.
Universality notwithstanding, in order to effectively pray for others it is more meaningful if I can relate to the words and empathize with the persons to which I am interceding. "O Lord, plead my cause against my foes; fight those who fight me. Take up your buckler and shield; arise to help me. *** When they were sick I went into mourning, afflicted with fasting. My prayer was ever on my lips, as for a brother, a friend. I went as though mourning a mother, bowed down with grief" (Psalm 35:1-2, 13-14, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1800, 1801). But, even if I am praying without any awareness of particulars, how refreshing it is to understand that those nondescript intercessions will undoubtedly be received on behalf of souls most desperately in need. Now, doesn't that little nugget make you warm and fuzzy inside!
Along similar lines, there are some psalms which draw one's attention and heart towards those who have lost their voice. People who are so grief stricken that they no longer muster any hope. The imprisoned. The ostracized. The widows and orphans. The hospitalized, mentally infirm and medically incapacitated. "O God, listen to my prayer, do not hide from my pleading, attend to me and reply; with my cares, I cannot rest. / I tremble at the shouts of the foe, the cries of the wicked; for they bring down evil upon me. They assail me with fury. / My heart is stricken within me, death's terror is on me, trembling and fear fall upon me and horror overwhelms me" (Psalm 55:1-5, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1864).
I am reasonably confident that you now (if not before) recognize the significance of these psalms for intercessory prayer. Such was not always clear to me. Sure, it could be appreciated how passages resembling those set forth above would be applicable, but their appropriateness seemed limited. What about the average person who is not, thankfully, subjected to unthinkable hardships? Let's face it, most of us maintain relatively safe lives in comparison to Old Testament times or oppressed countries.
Practicing a type of contemplative prayer a couple years ago, lectio divina, my comprehension was opened up. By the way, lectio divina is a discipline of reflection, where a scriptural passage is selected and meditated upon in such a manner that it becomes prayer. One set of verses in particular gave me one of those "aha" vignettes of clarity. "The nations all encompassed me; in the Lord's name I crushed them. They compassed me, compassed me about; in the Lord's name I crushed them. They compassed me about like bees; they blazed like a fire among thorns. In the Lord's name I crushed them" (Psalm 118:10-12, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 781).
The clarity received from that session of lectio divina was pivotal to how I pray the psalms. Once ignorant of who and what the bees, enemies, foes, and wicked consist of, I now possess a more complete and practical understanding. Although people subjected to war and pillaged villages and tragic crime are valid and must very much be prayed for, there exists another category to which these same monikers of bees and enemies and foes and wicked attach. Satan! Concupiscence! Ourselves! Those spiritual battles which we exercise within our human selves, those wars which nobody else sees, those struggles which every one of us contend with. The whole Church. We all need divine help to overcome these precarious battles. From this perspective, the previously cited psalms are applicable to normal everyday life.
Whether a family member, neighbor, person you cannot tolerate, or the scores of people who are unknown (the whole Church and humanity in general), each and all can benefit from those guiding words of wisdom from the psalmist. And, in conclusion, these intercessions need not be restricted to situations of calamity and despair, there exist psalms which are equally applicable for praise and thanksgiving, too.
Marana tha
Whether praying the psalms with the Liturgy of the Hours or pouring over said passages in the pages of my Bible, there are some verses and strophes which do not seem applicable to contemporary culture. Let's face it, the Davidic enemies of antiquity were brutal. The pangs of history, for the most part, have not carried forward. Yet, even as I lay down these words, images of Christian persecution in the eastern parts of the world are numbingly evocative. Though, I am embarrassed to admit, marginalized by distance and anonymity - out of sight, out of mind. Lacking in magnanimity, otherwise self absorbed, how do these darker passages apply to my comparatively safe life?
"His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression, mischief and deceit under his tongue. He lies in wait among the reeds; the innocent he murders in secret. / His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man. He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair; he lurks in hiding to seize the poor; he seizes the poor man and drags him away. / He crouches, preparing to spring, and the helpless fall beneath his strength. He thinks in his heart: 'God forgets, he hides his face, he does not see'" (Psalm 10:7-11, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1792). As a consequence of the community in which I live, there are people who, to some extent, meet varying attributes of the aforementioned. But, to apply the complete spectrum to a single person or group would be difficult. Then again, I do not interact in circles where such mischief might arise. Being fair, it is suspected that there are victims who would ascribe such darkness to their villains.
"My wounds are foul and festering, the result of my own folly. I am bowed and brought to my knees. I go mourning all the day long. / All my frame burns with fever; all my body is sick. Spent and utterly crushed, I cry aloud in anguish of heart" (Psalm 38:5-8, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1822). These thoughts would seem applicable to soldiers and warlords consistently engaged in battle. Or, peoples (slaves in biblical times) subjected to brutal dictators, kings, or masters. But, today? There were two times in adolescence where I could identify with the tumult being described, very dark times in life that I did not manage well. Tragedy, to be exact. But to pray such somber psalms today seems on the threshold of being hypocritical; that is, unless intercession is on behalf of those who are unable.
A unique design of the Liturgy of the Hours us that such is not engaged on behalf of self. No. The intent is that the faithful recognize the needs of the whole Church - triumphant (heaven), suffering (purgatory), militant (earth) - especially the marginalized and infirm. Another name for this public and liturgical devotion is, Opus Dei. Translated, "work of God." Hence, such is recognized as the prayer of the Church. This is a remarkable discipline, awesomely beautiful and unifying.
Universality notwithstanding, in order to effectively pray for others it is more meaningful if I can relate to the words and empathize with the persons to which I am interceding. "O Lord, plead my cause against my foes; fight those who fight me. Take up your buckler and shield; arise to help me. *** When they were sick I went into mourning, afflicted with fasting. My prayer was ever on my lips, as for a brother, a friend. I went as though mourning a mother, bowed down with grief" (Psalm 35:1-2, 13-14, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1800, 1801). But, even if I am praying without any awareness of particulars, how refreshing it is to understand that those nondescript intercessions will undoubtedly be received on behalf of souls most desperately in need. Now, doesn't that little nugget make you warm and fuzzy inside!
Along similar lines, there are some psalms which draw one's attention and heart towards those who have lost their voice. People who are so grief stricken that they no longer muster any hope. The imprisoned. The ostracized. The widows and orphans. The hospitalized, mentally infirm and medically incapacitated. "O God, listen to my prayer, do not hide from my pleading, attend to me and reply; with my cares, I cannot rest. / I tremble at the shouts of the foe, the cries of the wicked; for they bring down evil upon me. They assail me with fury. / My heart is stricken within me, death's terror is on me, trembling and fear fall upon me and horror overwhelms me" (Psalm 55:1-5, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 1864).
I am reasonably confident that you now (if not before) recognize the significance of these psalms for intercessory prayer. Such was not always clear to me. Sure, it could be appreciated how passages resembling those set forth above would be applicable, but their appropriateness seemed limited. What about the average person who is not, thankfully, subjected to unthinkable hardships? Let's face it, most of us maintain relatively safe lives in comparison to Old Testament times or oppressed countries.
Practicing a type of contemplative prayer a couple years ago, lectio divina, my comprehension was opened up. By the way, lectio divina is a discipline of reflection, where a scriptural passage is selected and meditated upon in such a manner that it becomes prayer. One set of verses in particular gave me one of those "aha" vignettes of clarity. "The nations all encompassed me; in the Lord's name I crushed them. They compassed me, compassed me about; in the Lord's name I crushed them. They compassed me about like bees; they blazed like a fire among thorns. In the Lord's name I crushed them" (Psalm 118:10-12, Lit. Hrs. Chr. Pr. 781).
The clarity received from that session of lectio divina was pivotal to how I pray the psalms. Once ignorant of who and what the bees, enemies, foes, and wicked consist of, I now possess a more complete and practical understanding. Although people subjected to war and pillaged villages and tragic crime are valid and must very much be prayed for, there exists another category to which these same monikers of bees and enemies and foes and wicked attach. Satan! Concupiscence! Ourselves! Those spiritual battles which we exercise within our human selves, those wars which nobody else sees, those struggles which every one of us contend with. The whole Church. We all need divine help to overcome these precarious battles. From this perspective, the previously cited psalms are applicable to normal everyday life.
Whether a family member, neighbor, person you cannot tolerate, or the scores of people who are unknown (the whole Church and humanity in general), each and all can benefit from those guiding words of wisdom from the psalmist. And, in conclusion, these intercessions need not be restricted to situations of calamity and despair, there exist psalms which are equally applicable for praise and thanksgiving, too.
Marana tha
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