Sing a New Song: The Psalms in the Sunday Lectionary of Lent/Easter, Year C

Monday Evenings – Feb 8, 15, 29, March 7, and 14, 2016, 7-9 PM

Repeated on Wednesday Mornings – Feb 10, 17, March 2, 9 and 16, 2016, 10 AM to Noon

Psalms play a special role in the Eucharistic celebration. The responsorial psalm enables the assembly to participate fully in a sung prayerful response to the first reading, while the psalm refrain alerts the community to the theme of that day’s celebration. The psalm is one of four readings that make up the Sunday Liturgy of the Word, yet not much attention is given to the psalm itself and its message for us today as the Lord’s disciples. Rarely is there a homily that focuses on the Word of God as expressed in the psalm.

These sessions will focus on the psalms for the Lent/Easter season, along with a sampling of the common psalms recommended for the season. The complete psalm from which the responsorial psalm is selected will be analyzed for its original theological/prayerful message along with its cultural and religious context. The focus then will shift to the verses selected for the responsorial psalm, why those particular verses were chosen, how those verses interact with the other readings, and what theological/prayerful wisdom the psalm offers us on this particular Sunday in this particular liturgical season.

Come, bring a bible and a friend and let us together explore the unique and special role that the responsorial psalm plays in our Sunday liturgical celebrations. Such awareness will deepen our knowledge of God’s word as well as enhance our full, conscious and active participation in the Sunday liturgy. These sessions would greatly benefit all liturgical ministers, especially lectors and cantors. All Christian denominations and faith traditions are most welcome.