The
PS 1 starts
Book I of the
Book of PS composed of a collection of texts 150 poetry books organized by five. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book I encompasses Psalms 1 to 41 .
The
Psalm 1 is divided into six verses being considered a "pious chant practical wisdom of life", as it offers a sharp contrast between two approaches to life: the
path of virtue , which is governed by the
wisdom and the
path of the wicked , marked by
ignorance .
This Psalm is a kind of general introduction or gateway to the Book of Psalms and it speaks of
wisdom against bad company . The Psalm is not addressed to God, but to the hearing-readers, who must receive it as a
lesson .
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for any blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 1 - The Way of the Righteous
1 Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of evildoers,
who does not linger in the path of sinners,
and does not take part in a gathering of cursers.
2 Rather, it is in the law of the Lord that he finds satisfaction;
it is on his law that he meditates day and night.
3 It is like a tree planted at the edge of streams of water: it
bears its fruit in due course and the foliage does not wither;
and in everything you do you will succeed.
4 Not so with evildoers.
On the contrary, they are like straw that the wind blows.
5 Therefore, evildoers shall not rise in judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 Truly, the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of evildoers leads to perdition.
Meaning and interpretation
The
Psalm 1 is considered by theologians as a jewel of the Hebrew wisdom that still has to be made to function in the wisdom of the Book of Psalms. The meaning of Psalm 1 alerts us to the need to
know how to choose the path of knowledge,
integrity ,
virtue ,
justice and
wisdom . If so, "
whatever you do will prosper ."
In this Psalm, the opposition between ჴ€?righteousჴ€? and ჴ€?ungodlyჴ€? is explored from everyday and commonplace images, and transformed into a first and essential lesson to walk the
path of justice .
The power of Divine truth serves as a guide for day-to-day action. Through constant and sincere
meditation on the
word of God , we can find the
authentic and true path to happiness . Only the righteous will know the divine graces and will be graced by them.
Hence the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. This Psalm is also the mirror of the paths of life and the results to which they lead, in the certainty that God only recognizes the
path of the righteous . The initial term
happy , in Hebrew the
happiness of man , represents a theme that runs through the entire biblical narrative.
The
Sapiential Psalms are books of Sacred Scripture (
Libri Sapientiales ) that contain, above all,
moral sentences from ancient Israel - Proverbs, Job, Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Song of Songs, Wisdom. These prayers are filled with ancient inspiration and wisdom, life experiences and the history of peoples. They analyze
human behavior ,
ethical choices and their consequences, and the search for the
meaning of life and death for each one of us and as a society.
Various themes are addressed in these Psalms such as justice / injustice; sinful / righteous; wisdom/foolishness; bad / good; fidelity / infidelity; the honor or lack of it, the virtue that exists in prudence in speaking, in being fair, in knowing how to be rich. The existence of God is never questioned. He is Creator, Lord, Judge, Wise.
The
Wisdom Psalms are also understood as a guide for everyone to
meditate on the issues of their daily lives and the mysteries of life. The Psalmist uses his own and others' experiences to
discern the path to take based on correct moral principles. They are based on the assumption that what we do in this world, we pay in this life. The wisdom style appears in Psalm 1; 14; 34; 36; 37; 39; 49; 53; 73; 74.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise, and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy.
