By Sr. Ruth Ksycki, OSB
“The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.” (Psalm 33) This line was the responsorial psalm for the first reading from Ephesians 3:14-21 last week. As I was doing lectio, I decided to try Sr. Irene Nowell’s method of interspersing the response in between the verses of the reading. (Sr. Irene was the presenter at our Oblate Day this year, for those who missed our annual – and wonderful – gathering.) Continue Reading
Lately the Psalms I’ve been reading all begin with a dramatic declaration of praise for YHWH. I’ve been letting my attention trace praise and adoration throughout the psalms, instead of moving towards places I might otherwise highlight. Both an observation and a question came to me. Continue Reading
So often one fruit of prayer seems to be a steady calm, a silence, under everything else. That “everything else” might not be calm, but something in us can be.
Psalm 1.2-3: “Happiness comes to those who delight in the Law of YHWH, who meditate on it day and night. They’re like trees planted by flowing water–they bear fruit in every season, and their leaves never wither; everything they do will prosper.” Continue Reading
So many of the Psalms focus on the Temple, on Zion, as a place of pilgrimage, joy, security. I am wondering what others feel when they pray a Psalm centered on Temple imagery, since I have not usually responded emotionally to this image–certainly not in the intense way that Jews of ancient Israel would have responded to it. Continue Reading
Benedictine Oblate Musings 