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During Lent, eight members from
the church of St. John the Baptist, met in the FMM convent
Ellon, The group, led by Sister Mags Langley FMM, met over a
three week period to explore the Psalms with the endeavour
of understanding their meaning and purpose while looking at
their historical context and how they were used by the early
people of Israel. Paul Costello writes: |
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Historical
context:-
Historically, Psalms are the hymnbook
& prayer book of the early people of Israel, written by different
authors & composed over 1000 years before Christ. These hymns &
prayers were collected & used by the people in worship & eventually
included in their Scriptures, being known & referred to by Jesus.
The hymns were both personnel & national. The personal hymns
portraying the most intimate feelings of an individual. There were
personnel hymns of praise, of thanksgiving, of worship, of prayers
for help or mercy; prayers for protection & salvation & deliverance,
pleas for forgiveness and songs of thanksgiving for Gods protection
as well as morning & evening prayers.
The national
prayers represented the collective feelings & needs of the whole
nation.
There were hymns thanking God for victory (Ps 144) and petitions for
the punishment of the enemy. There were prayers for the Israelites
exiled in Babylon (Ps 137); prayers for the security of Gods people
(Ps 125) and prayers for deliverance (Ps 126).
There are long Psalms, Psalm 105 “God and his People” which lays out
the history of the early people of Israel from Abraham until their
departure from Egypt with Moses. Also short Psalms. Psalm 117 “In
Praise of the Lord” is only five lines long.
Modern Context:-
And now,
today, Christians use the same Psalms in prayer, having adopted them
over 1000 years ago, and after Vatican 2, forming an integral part
of the Mass expressing the same feelings of sorrow, thanksgiving,
praise etc.
During the
discussions we found:-
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The love
of the Psalms can be a catalyst to explore the rest of the
Scripture.
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Some found
the Psalms, above all other parts of Scripture, to have most meaning
as a form of prayer for everyday life.
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The Psalms
still apply today covering all eventualities of our modern life;
joy, praise, hope etc. There are no feelings in our life that they
do not cover and they still remain deep conversations with God.
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We noted the difference between the
Jerusalem, Good News, & Knox and many other editions of the
Scriptures.
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We explored repetitive lines
(parallelism) where the same message in repeated in consecutive
lines in different ways. Psalm 51 “A prayer for forgiveness” is one
example:-
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“O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” |
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hymn of praise”:- |
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“He let Israel inherit their land;
On his people their land he bestowed.” |
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The Psalms
can be sung but also said slowly, dwelling on each line to take more
out of it. It may be possible to dwell so long on a particular line
or verses that the whole psalm may not be completed.
We were
asked to write our own Psalm if we wished & we were delighted by the
results some achieved, two of which are attached.
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The first gives some room for thought
The pictures of disaster
unfolded before me,
and I was angry with the Lord.
Why do you let such things happen?
These people are poor and have so little.
Yet the earth has destroyed their poor houses,
and swept away their meagre crops.
Why do they have to suffer?
The Lord replied “Look
again”.
I looked and saw a grey-faced doctor tending a wounded man.
I saw a woman comforting a grieving mother.
I saw a man waist-deep in mud, pulling at a rock to rescue a man he
didn’t know.
I saw a hungry child, eating food given by another country.
“What did you see?” said
the Lord.
I replied, I saw mercy, compassion, love and generosity.
The Lord said “You want a perfect world free from tribulation and
sorrow, but in this world where would you find the virtues you saw?
How would you recognize love if you had never encountered hate?
How could you shout for joy if you had never known sorrow, or show
mercy if no one had need of it?”
Tribulation and trial are part of man’s journey through life, and
the gifts of the spirit are given to ease that journey.
For my ways, are not your ways. J.S. |
The second is called
“Blueprint
I am a cell, a gift from
God
the blueprint of a human life.
Here in the womb I form and develop
maybe some day I could be someone’s wife,
or a nurse or doctor, teacher, lawyer.
I could be whatever I like.
I am a cell a gift from
God
in strange surroundings now
a cold test tube, instruments, a microscope,
this laboratory is my home, no hope,
no mother, no future, no survival,
I am an experimental, disposable cell.
I am a cell a gift from
God
In a mothers womb I’m growing
three months now I have arms and head showing.
Suddenly cold steel attacks my fragile body
and I am no more, why why I ask,
was I the wrong colour, wrong sex, wrong time, diseased,
Or just another unwanted, disposable cell
I am a cell a gift from
God
The blueprint of a human life.
In a welcoming womb I grow and thrive
until nine months later and I’m alive,
my mothers arms enfold me I feel secure and loved
I gaze into my mother’s eyes as she thanks God above
for his great gift of life and love. J.M.C. |
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We learned
that the Canticles were songs or verse from the prophets.
Isaiah 26 v7
being a good example |
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“Lord, you make
the path smooth for good men;
the road they travel is level,” |
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Finally we cannot conclude without expressing our heartfelt thanks
to Sister Mags for taking us down this road of exploration and to
all the Sisters for their customary hospitality.
Sr.
Kay Brennan, fmm |
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