A dear friend and parishioner whose Blog, Highways in the Heart, is noted on my blogroll, is as great a fan of the Psalms as anyone I know. She has probably committed over 90 to memory – not a small feat in our world today. It was the tradition (and still required by canons) that the Psalter be known by heart by monks (and hence by Bishops). There are certain Psalms (such as 50/51) that are simply required to be memorized by priests and deacons since they are quietly recited during a great censing. There is no better thing (apart from just living them) to do with Psalms than to commit them to memory. They are the great prayerbook of the Church. They are a ready source of prayer for every possible need and are salted throughout all Orthodox services. My friend has begun to write on how she memorizes psalms. If you are like me you will find this very helpful – both as a way to study – but a way to learn “by heart” the Word of God. Many thanks to her for sharing. I commend her writing to you. It may be accessed here.
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