Thank you for this thoughtful description of different versions of the psalms. I’m really interested in the People’s Breviary and I see that it comes in two volumes. Would you recommend starting with the first one? I can’t afford both at once.
I made retreats for many years and have loved the daily office. But once I got home, usually I tried to do this practice regularly, but always fell away after a while. Joining in community was part of the practice for me. I really got serious about this when I spent lots of time at the Desert House of Prayer in Tucson (sadly, now closed). They used the Peoples Companion to the Breviary, which I loved for many reasons. I still have both volumes and periodically use them for my own use. Now I've been part of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie for a few years, and I live in one of their inner city residences. We do morning and evening prayer each day, but there are 4 of us and we say the prayers rather than chant. It's not the same and I miss the chanting. We use their prayer book, That God May Be Glorified. It's a 5 week cycle and features inclusive language. Sometimes I find their rendition of Psalms to be incomplete, but they are the ones we use. It's a gift to do this as a group, music or not.
Thanks so much for sharing your long experience with the Psalms, Priscilla! It sounds like such a gift to pray the psalms in community. I look forward to pursuing this in a different phase of life :) !
Wow! What a great resource. Thanks so much. I too am a sing-alone 'psalmster.' Less ambitious, I've been using the daily missalette from St John's that includes a morning and evening prayer. I use a simple psalm tone that I learned at Weston Priory years ago. It slows me down and the sound vibrates within me. I had forgotten about "The Peoples' Companion..." that I used for a couple years in the early 90's in a community in the South Bronx. I must get a copy. A friend of mine likes the Grail translation. I had a copy but let it go. Not sure why now. I like "The Message" translation also by Peterson. Cynthia has me chanting mantras, and I find them very effective. Taize chants are often helpful. They seem to arise out of nowhere, when I most need them. I too will never be a 7 offices a day kind of monk, but there is a monk within me. One new reference I've found is put together in an 'office' style, but all the quotations are from Teilhard de Chardin. The book is "Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours" by Kathleen Deignan, CND and Libby Osgood, CND -- Editors (Orbis). Deep!
Thanks, as ever, for weighing in with your rich experience, Brother John. I'm pretty sure the Camaldolese book uses the Grail translation. I, too, am a big fan of the Taize chants. So helpful and heart centered! I'll have to check out the Teilhard book of hours, too; I have a similar structured one around Merton. Have a great week!
Ooh, the Zen one sounds amazing. I really like Nan Merrill’s Psalms for Praying, which is the one Thomas Keating recommended for centering prayer retreats.
I love the power of these psalms and thank you for these resources. I hadn't heard of the Center for Spiritual Imagination before. Just checked out their website and I'm intrigued!
I love this chanting the Psalms! Just did a few and will include this with my daily sit. :) thanks!
Glad to hear, Mary Beth!
Thank you for this thoughtful description of different versions of the psalms. I’m really interested in the People’s Breviary and I see that it comes in two volumes. Would you recommend starting with the first one? I can’t afford both at once.
Hi Adrienne, you can find some affordable used copies on used book websites like Abe.com. That's where I would start first!
I made retreats for many years and have loved the daily office. But once I got home, usually I tried to do this practice regularly, but always fell away after a while. Joining in community was part of the practice for me. I really got serious about this when I spent lots of time at the Desert House of Prayer in Tucson (sadly, now closed). They used the Peoples Companion to the Breviary, which I loved for many reasons. I still have both volumes and periodically use them for my own use. Now I've been part of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie for a few years, and I live in one of their inner city residences. We do morning and evening prayer each day, but there are 4 of us and we say the prayers rather than chant. It's not the same and I miss the chanting. We use their prayer book, That God May Be Glorified. It's a 5 week cycle and features inclusive language. Sometimes I find their rendition of Psalms to be incomplete, but they are the ones we use. It's a gift to do this as a group, music or not.
Thanks so much for sharing your long experience with the Psalms, Priscilla! It sounds like such a gift to pray the psalms in community. I look forward to pursuing this in a different phase of life :) !
Wow! What a great resource. Thanks so much. I too am a sing-alone 'psalmster.' Less ambitious, I've been using the daily missalette from St John's that includes a morning and evening prayer. I use a simple psalm tone that I learned at Weston Priory years ago. It slows me down and the sound vibrates within me. I had forgotten about "The Peoples' Companion..." that I used for a couple years in the early 90's in a community in the South Bronx. I must get a copy. A friend of mine likes the Grail translation. I had a copy but let it go. Not sure why now. I like "The Message" translation also by Peterson. Cynthia has me chanting mantras, and I find them very effective. Taize chants are often helpful. They seem to arise out of nowhere, when I most need them. I too will never be a 7 offices a day kind of monk, but there is a monk within me. One new reference I've found is put together in an 'office' style, but all the quotations are from Teilhard de Chardin. The book is "Teilhard de Chardin: A Book of Hours" by Kathleen Deignan, CND and Libby Osgood, CND -- Editors (Orbis). Deep!
your brother, john mcmahon, fsc
Thanks, as ever, for weighing in with your rich experience, Brother John. I'm pretty sure the Camaldolese book uses the Grail translation. I, too, am a big fan of the Taize chants. So helpful and heart centered! I'll have to check out the Teilhard book of hours, too; I have a similar structured one around Merton. Have a great week!
This answered a question I did not know I was asking today. Thank you so much!
Glad to hear, Carrie!
Ooh, the Zen one sounds amazing. I really like Nan Merrill’s Psalms for Praying, which is the one Thomas Keating recommended for centering prayer retreats.
Hi Heather, I think you will like the Fischer translation!
I love the power of these psalms and thank you for these resources. I hadn't heard of the Center for Spiritual Imagination before. Just checked out their website and I'm intrigued!
Good to hear from you, Christine! And yes, have really loved what the Center for Spiritual Imagination is up to...
As I was reading I saw one of my former CPE students was on leadership! Small world! 😁
Wow, amazing!