PRAYERBOOK OF THE KING: THE PSALMS

The human spirituality of Jesus Christ, the universal King of all creation, was formed during the many hours he spent in prayer at home and in the synagogue with Mary and Joseph reciting the psalms, many of which were attributed to another king: David, the King of Judah and Israel who lived nearly a thousand years earlier. These song-prayers continue to inspire and edify two thousand years after the time of Jesus because they so wonderfully reflect true human values that transcend time and culture. They enhance our liturgies and form the basis of the official prayer of the Church, the Divine Office; they lift our spirits and express the deepest yearnings of the human heart. As such, the more we can know about them, the more satisfaction we can derive from their recitation. This popular commentary on each of the psalms draws not only from the personal experience of the author, but from a vast array of writers from the Fathers of the Church to contemporary sages, from noted saints to the Councils of the Church. All who use this book for personal meditation and enjoyment, or for assistance in preparing their homilies, will be enormously enriched in their understanding and appreciation of the psalms: the prayer book of the King.

About the Author: Msgr. Charles J. Dollen, pastor of St. Gabriel Church, Poway, California and contributing editor and columnist for The Priest magazine, is the editor of the highly acclaimed abridged editions of St. Alphonsus Liguori’s classics, The Holy Eucharist (Alba House, 1994) and The Glories of Mary (Alba House, 1990), as well as of St. Francis de Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life (Alba House, 1992). He likewise authored the 1988 Catholic Digest Book Club selection My Rosary: Its Power and Mystery.