On the power of Psalm 1

From the History of the Monks in Egypt:

"Before us there was this splendid man, our Father Mutius by name. He was the first monk in this place and was the first to teach the way of salvation to all of us in this desert. He was a pagan (gentilis) at first, a most notorious thief and tomb robber, a connoisseur of every kind of wickedness. His saving moment happened in this way:

"He went one night to the house of a certain consecrated virgin in order to burgle it. He climbed up on to the roof, equipped with a well known type of tool-kit, trying to find a method or an opening by which he could break in. The operation proved too difficult for him, and he spent the greater part of the night on the roof to no avail.

 Frustrated by the failure of many attempts he felt weary and fell asleep and saw in a vision someone standing by him dressed like a king, who said: 'Desist from all these crimes, and from the spilling of blood. Turn all your efforts towards religious purposes instead of shameful theft, and join the angelic host of heaven. From now on live with virtue in mind, and I will make you the principal leader of this host.'

"He listened to what was being said to him with a great feeling of joy, and was then shown a great army of monks, of which he was bidden to be the leader. As he awoke he saw the virgin standing there, demanding to know who and whence he was and what he was doing there. Like somebody out of his mind all he could say was: 'Please take me to a church.' She realised that some divine operation was working in her, and she took him to the church and introduced him to the priests.

He prostrated himself in front of them and begged to be made a Christian and do penance. The priests knew this man to be the instigator of all kinds of wickednesses and wondered if he were really genuine.

But he persisted, and convinced them he really meant what he was asking for. They warned him that if that was what he wanted he would have to leave off from his former way of life.

He was baptised, and begged to be given some precepts by which he might begin to walk along the way to salvation. they gave him the first three verses of Psalm 1 [Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside, that bringeth forth his fruit in due season, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper] They told him that if he diligently took these verses to heart it would be enough to lead him into the way of salvation and to a growth in holiness (scientia pietatis). He stayed with them for three days and then went off to the desert where he stayed for a long time, persevering day and night in prayers and tears, living off roots and herbs.

"He went back to the church where the priests realised how the three verses of Psalm 1 which they had given him had affected his speech, his actions and his whole way of life...

Prayers for Lent: say some psalms as a Lenten penance

Bruegel: The battle between carnival and Lent

One of St Benedict's recommendations for Lent is to add something by way of prayer for Lent.  Personally, I always think adding in a few extra psalms, and ideally studying them in depth, is a great option.

In past years I've provided a few series to this end, so I thought I'd provide a list of them so you can consider possible options.

The Seven Penitential Psalms

The most traditional psalm offering for Lent are the Seven Penitential Psalms.  An index to my notes on them can be found here.

Psalm 118

Another possibility would be to say some or all of Psalm 118 (the longest psalm of the psalter), that great hymn of praise for the law.

There is some tradition behind this too, as a letter attributed to St Benedict's sister, St Scholastica, describes one of her nun's saying it for Lent.

You can find a set of notes, with one part for each day of Lent here.

Holy Week Tenebrae

An alternative might be to say and meditate on the psalms used for the special night Office of Tenebrae during the Sacred Triduum.  You can links to my series on these psalms here.

The Gradual Psalms

Another traditional option is to say the fifteen gradual psalms (Psalms 119-133).  The Gradual Psalms, or Songs of Ascent, have a traditional association with Easter, as they were originally probably pilgrim songs sung as the people traveled to Jerusalem for major feasts such as the Passover, and also have an association with the solemn ascent of the fifteen steps of the Temple at the entry to the feast.

Although fifteen psalms might sound a lot, in fact they are mostly very short (and include two of the shortest psalms in the psalter).  In fact the Gradual Psalms were typically all said before Matins each day in most monasteries from the ninth century onwards, and when this obligation was commuted, it remained obligatory for monks and clerics to say them at a minimum on Wednesdays in Lent for many centuries.  In their devotional arrangement, which you can find here, the first five are offered the dead, the second five for the expiation of our sins, and the final five for our particular intentions.

You can find links to more detailed notes on many of them here.

St Benedict's top ten psalms

Finally, you could add to your daily prayers any of the ten psalms that St Benedict thought important enough to have his monk's say every day that you don't fit in to your own daily Office regime.  If, for example, you use the Monastic Diurnal, but don't say Matins, you could add in Psalms 3 and 94.

Links to notes on all of these psalms except those for Compline can be found here.

May you have a happy and holy Lent!