The Wisdom Psalms

The wisdom psalms are meant to instruct us in divine truths. They reveal the richness of God's will for us, the excellence of God's loving design, and the wisdom by which we are invited to order our lives.

These psalms do more than communicate knowledge. They teach us how to live. They invite us to discern what truly matters, to distinguish what is lasting from what is fleeting, and to recognize that a life rooted in God is a life grounded in wisdom.

Benedict understood
that knowing these truths once is not enough.
We must return to them again and again.
We must hear them, speak them, sing them, ponder them,
and gradually allow them
to become part of who we are.  Amen

We need to not forget that repetition is not simply a feature of Benedictine prayer. It is one of its great purposes.

We recite the psalms daily not because God has something new to tell us each morning, but because we easily forget what he has already taught us.

Benedict wants us to learn—and he wants us to remember. And more than remembering, he wants us to live what we have learned.

The wisdom of the psalms is not wisdom merely to be admired or understood. It is wisdom to be carried into the ordinary circumstances of every day, shaping our judgments, guiding our choices, and deepening our trust in God.

We say them daily so that we may learn them deeply.
We learn them deeply so that we may never forget.
We remember them so that, little by little,
we may become what they teach.  Amen