Psalms: A Spiritual Commentary

by M. Basil Pennington OCSO, Phillip Ratner (Illustrator)

Overview

Let the Psalms help you forge a deeper connection to the Divine.

Showing how the Psalms give profound and candid expression to both our highest aspirations and our deepest pain, the late, highly respected Cistercian Abbot M. Basil Pennington shares his reflections on some of the most beloved passages from the Bible’s most widely read book. In this companion volume to The Song of Songs: A Spiritual Commentary, Pennington is once again joined by Jewish artist Phillip Ratner, whose evocative works will lead you into more meaningful contemplation of the inner spirit of the Psalms.

Pennington describes how the monastic tradition of regular reflection on the Psalms—a technique St. Benedict called the “work of God,” or Opus Dei—can help you transform your everyday life into a powerful life of prayer. Enriched by Jewish and Christian faith, the drawings and meditations speak to every person wanting both to connect with their most human longings and to forge a vital connection with the Divine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781594734113
Publisher:	Turner Publishing Company
Publication date:	12/07/2011
Series:	SkyLight Illuminations
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

M. Basil Pennington, OCSO was a monk for more than fifty years. He lived at St. Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts and was the author of many modern spiritual classics, including Lectio Divina; Centering Prayer.

Phillip Ratner is a multimedia artist who works in sculpture, painting, etched glass, tapestry, drawing, and the graphic arts. Twenty years ago he opened the Israel Bible Museum in Safad, Israel. Since then, Ratner has spent most of his time there developing over 250 works of art on the Bible in sculpture, painting, and graphics. He has completed many private commissions and public works, and has earned degrees from the Pratt Institute and American University. To learn more about his work, visit www.ratnermuseum.com.

Table of Contents

Welcome

Blessed Are They: Psalm 1
O Lord, Our Lord: Psalm 8a
You Gave Us Dominion: Psalm 8b
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God: Psalm 19
May the Lord Hear You: Psalm 20
The Earth Is the Lord's: Psalm 24
Judge Me, O Lord: Psalm 26
The Lord Is My Light: Psalm 27
I Will Extol You, O Lord: Psalm 30
I Will Bless the Lord: Psalm 34
As the Hart Longs: Psalm 42
God Is Our Refuge and Strength: Psalm 46
Give Ear to My Prayer: Psalm 55a
It Was Not an Enemy: Psalm 55b
Cry Out to God: Psalm 66
In You, O Lord, I Place My Trust: Psalm 71
Hear My Teaching: Psalm 78
You Who Dwell: Psalm 91
The Lord Reigns: Psalm 97
Sing to the Lord: Psalm 98
Hear My Prayer: Psalm 102
Give Thanks to the Lord: Psalm 136
Beside the Rivers of Babylon: Psalm 137
Alleluia: Psalm 150

Suggested Reading

Editorial Reviews

Pennington is a monk perhaps best known for a book called Centering Prayer. This new work, a kind of successor to The Song of Songs: A Spiritual Commentary, selects a handful of the psalms and offers a sweet, personal, almost easygoing response to each. Pennington's commentaries are, in the most ancient sense, sermons ("chats"); his approach, examples, language, and imagery are all easy and accessible, and he fixes his attention on the psalms' aspect as songs of praise and love between God and humanity. Pennington's words are accompanied by pen and wash illustrations by Israel-based artist Ratner. For most collections. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

"An eloquent and moving commentary ... infusing the text with [Pennington's] love for the scriptures and his sense of unity with God.... Unique.... [Pennington’s] eloquence and wonder are fully intact, his feelings of awe emerging on every page.... This is not merely a commentary on the Psalms, but a love letter from a man who immersed himself in their grandeur and majesty."
—Publishers Weekly starred review

“Inspiring and visually beautiful.... Only a spiritual master like Basil Pennington could express so simply and so powerfully their meaning for believers today.”
—Catholic Library World

“Has the richness, density, and complexity that will nurture a lifetime of prayer.... A meeting place between God and the heart and soul.”
—Cistercian Studies

“Attractive ... easy to read.... Original and creative.... Would find a comfortable home in any congregational library.”
—Church & Synagogue Library Association Newsletter

“Sweet [and] personal.... [Pennington’s] approach, examples, language, and imagery are all easy and accessible.”
—Library Journal

“Not only a fine companion to prayer, but its artistic format would make it a fine gift.”
—Bible Today

“Both inspiring and visually beautiful.”
—Catholic Library World

From the Publisher