graphic (c) Netta Ewing
Psalm 1
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 1 recorded by Noel Donnelly
Commentary on Ps 1 by Noel Donnelly
Psalm 4
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
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Psalm 8: What is man that you should keep him in mind
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Mary Bradley.
words | audio
Ps 8: How great is your name….
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) St Mungo Music.
Recorded by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 12: I exult for joy in the Lord.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
audio of Ps 12: sung by Helen Healy
Commentary on Ps 12 by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 15: O Lord, it is you
Words taken from the Psalms: A New Translation © The Grail. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Written for the national celebration of St Columba at St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban 1997.
Sung here by Grace Buckley with the response sung by Helen Healy.
Psalm 15: You show your friends the path of life
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
audio – Sung here by members of the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 15 Commentary 33B by Dr Noel Donnelly
Setting of Ps 15 (c) Noel Donnelly recorded by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly:
Above sung by Noel Donnelly
below sung by Catriona Glen
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Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sung by Grace Buckley
Sheet music | Audio
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 Commentary 4 Easter A
audio of the commentary
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Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly on Ps 22 for the Feast of Christ the King
audio of the commentary for Christ the King
Psalm 22: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Note that in the score below the alternative Response can be found at the end of the score ‘He is the King of glory. Let him enter in.’
Ps 23 gf satb + Dox – Full Score
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Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © St Mungo Music.
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Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly on Ps 24 for Sunday 26A
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commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly on Ps 24 for the 1st Sunday of Advent:
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Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
Ps 26 Easter 7A CommentaryPs 26 Easter 7A Commentary
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Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
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Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
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such as Calamus or CCL.
Words | audio
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Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
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Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
Sheet music
Psalm 50
1 A Pure heart create for me, O God
Words (c) The Grail, England. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick(c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by Grace Buckley
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2 Have mercy, O Lord, have mercy, O Lord
Commentary and psalm:
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by Noel Donnelly
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3 Have mercy on us, Lord, for we have sinned
Words and music Donald MacInnes. Recorded by Magdalen MacInnes
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Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
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Sheet music
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
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Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
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Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley and the St Mungo Singers
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Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
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Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 85
Psalm 85 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The selected 6 verses of Psalm 85’s 17 verses make a beautiful direct prayer to God who, right from the start, is recognised as “good and full of love to all who call”. As we move through the complete psalm we find there is a steady staircase of five terms of God’s care in the past, ending with the pair “steadfast love and faithfulness”.
There is a directness in this prayer to God who addressed personally many times as “YOU”, and at least ten times as “My Lord!” There is an honest simple human presence before the incomparable majesty of God: “I am poor and needy. I cry all the day long. I lift up my soul to you. Surely you will answer me, your servant, child of your servant girl!”
When verse 13 states, “Your love to me has been great in the past”, we find a spirituality that draws on the tradition in which it was nurtured. It recognises there a God of mercy and compassion. In our tradition we may perhaps re-visit those words in our traditional hymn “God of Mercy and Compassion”, but load our recall with the hymn’s modern word setting, which uses this psalm’s emphasis on the constant loving mercy of God rather than on hell and all its torments.
We might more practically look to the future, and recall that the psalmist is positively looking for fresh personal formation when she sings in verse 11, “Teach me, Lord, Your way, that I may walk forward in your truth!”
Mercy is a gift for future action.
Psalm 85: words and music (c0 Noel Donnelly. Recorded by Grace Buckley.
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 88 Commentary.
Our liturgy for the 13th Sunday of Year A selects 6 of the 53 verses in Psalm 88. The whole psalm runs through sharply contrasting moods: it begins with 37 verses of thankful praise for God’s love in bringing about Creation and in forming a Covenant relationship with humanity; but sad experience shows things going wrong and the singer, having praised God seven times for his steadfast love then for the next 14 verses accuses God 16 times for abandoning this Covenant. He accuses God of fickleness and unreliability. We get none of this protest in the cherry-picking of today’s verses.
Today’s selection of grateful praise follows the reading from 2 Kings about the hospitality to Elisha being rewarded with the promise of the birth of a son. It leads to the Gospel where the hospitality offered to Jesus and his disciples will also be recompensed. The psalmist will sing of God’s constant love behind so many instances like these.
Two responses to the psalm itself may arise for us: gratitude for God’s loving presence in our many blessings; and on the other hand, an understandable feeling of protest and questioning that it’s really OK when God’s absence is being felt in our struggles….. even St Teresa of Avila once bluntly prayed having fallen into the in the mud, “It’s no wonder You have so few friends when You treat people like that!” Prayer has to be honest, as you know!
above: audio of the commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
below:
audio of Ps 88 by The St Mungo Singers
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
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Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless
(Holy Thursday)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew.
Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
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Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 120: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Catherine Walker
Psalm 120 : words and music Noel Donnelly; (c) Kevin Mayhew.
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
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Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary
Although we frequently associate Psalm 129 death, because if the “out of the depths” phrase that starts the psalm, verse one is the only possible allusion to death. Its original context was its being the eleventh of the Songs of Ascent, as the pilgrims went up the final hill to the Jerusalem Temple.
Those “depths” suggest the deep waters of chaos which could surround the penitent pilgrim as he or she moves towards the forgiveness of God, appealing three times: “I cry to You! Hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my voice!” Since the time of Augustine, Psam 129 has been used in the church as one of the 7 penitential psalms.
Verse 4 says, “with you is found forgiveness!. The psalmist sees forgiveness as a characteristic feature of God. We know the phrase, “to err is human; to forgive divine”. The Hebrew word hesed , is a feminine word, often weakly translated as “mercy”, but it has a depth that means the unfailing love of a mother. It looks for a renewed relationship, just as the watchman looks with hope for the light of a new day, with its fresh opportunities ahead.
This hope is for the fullness of redemption. The psalmist recalls God’s redemption from slavery in Egypt and restoration after exile in Babylon. Now the joyful hope is for God’s redeeming WORD.
In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm bridges the vision of Ezekiel as God’s Spirit enlivens the dead bones of Israel while looking forward to the Gospel where Jesus shows through Lazarus that he is the Resurrection and the life.
In all of this, doubters may ask, “Is God listening?” The psalmist suggests simply, “Wait in joyful hope!”
Psalm 130: Guard my soul, guard my soul in peace.
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly.
Psalm 130 begins with a triple negative regarding pride and self-reliance and overambitious struggles. After much pointless meddling in “things too great”, in areas beyond one’s ability, it moves on by beautifully expressing quiet trust in God,
That relaxation that follows when the psalmist is no longer caught up in the pursuit of personal achievement may remind us of the hymn, “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind” where the singer prays, “Drop Thy still dew of quietness till all our strivings cease; and let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace!”
But, unlike that hymn with its paternal context, our psalmist sees God as feminine, as a Mother! That image becomes more startling when we realise that the psalm was originally a psalm of ascent, having a context where the pilgrim mothers are climbing the hill up to the Temple while carrying the weight and companionship of their children there. The symbolism for life today can be obvious for the uphill struggles of modern parents of children, teenagers and even older!
It is useful also to recall that children can be strident in their demands! Here a weaned child is overcoming frustration at the mother’s breast because, as a weaned three-year-old, it no longer receives milk and has simply to accept that fact, stop screaming and learn to rest calmly in a new stage of trust in the years ahead. Easier said than done! We may still be screaming to God about political and murderous wars, our prayer may even have involved fasting, but we just have hope that eventually that God will sort things out in spite of everything that humans put in the way.
While the psalm had started with a triple negative regarding self-reliance, it ends with simple trust like a child on its mother’s breast. Such simple trust can be a challenging reality. We can surely echo that prayer in the liturgical response, “Keep my soul in peace before You, O Lord!”
Jesus, let’s remember, put a child in front of the disciples. He teaches that true greatness lies in the unassuming ways of children. We are to be child-like, not childish of course, just walking hand in hand together … with the Lord.
Ps 130 : words (c) The Grail, England; music Catherine Walker (c) Kevin Mayhew.
Recorded by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
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Sheet music | audio
Psalm 137:
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Setting of Ps 137: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) GerryFitzpatrick, St Mungo Music; recorded by Grace Buckley.
Click on score for printable version
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Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckleysuch as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
Perhaps Psalm 22, The Lord’s My Shepherd, is so popular because it is so personal. “The Lord is MY shepherd; with your crook and your staff you give me comfort”. In verse 4 we find the phrase, “You are with me”.. Even in the darkest of valleys! In Scotland we know the phrase, “I’m with you, Jimmy!” Psalm 22 says, “Lord is with you, Jimmy or Ellen, or whoever you are. A lovely greeting anywhere, especially at the beginning of a church service.
There’s also an interesting shift from the third person “he” to the second person “you”: in verses 1-4 he gives repose, he guides, he revives, and that becomes “you prepare a banquet with an overflowing cup, you anoint with oil”. The psalm becomes more personal as it develops.
Verse 5 then says, “In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell”. The Hebrew word used here means not only “dwell” but “return again and again”. The wandering sheep needs to return frequently to the Lord’s house, for sustenance and renewed vitality.
The joyful psalm occurs in the church’s liturgy on this Laetare Sunday, where it bridges nicely the Old Testament reading about the joyful anointing of the boy David, and the Gospel where Jesus, as Light of the World, brings light to the darkness in the man born blind .
That image of the shepherd being with us through dark valleys is wonderful in our Lenten journey of course. I also like that modern Japanese adaptation for busy people by Toki Myashina which runs, “The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush; he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals, providing me with images of stillness, restoring my serenity!” Yes, Lent is a good time to pause and rest with the good shepherd. Jesus was never in a hurry, was he?
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
such as Calamus or CCL. .
Sheet music |
Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
such as Calamus or CCL.
words |
Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
such as Calamus or CCL..
words | audio
Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
I
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Words | audio
Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
I
such as CCL or Calamus.
Words| audio
Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL. Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley and the St Mungo Singers
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
Sheet music | audio
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as Calamus or CCL. Words | audio
Download
Psalm 96 for Christmas Day: This day new light will shine Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence. such as CCL or Calamus. Sheetmusic
Psalm 99
Psalm 1
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 1 recorded by Noel Donnelly
Commentary on Ps 1 by Noel Donnelly
Psalm 4
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
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Psalm 8: What is man that you should keep him in mind
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Mary Bradley.
words | audio
Ps 8: How great is your name….
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) St Mungo Music.
Recorded by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 12: I exult for joy in the Lord.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
audio of Ps 12: sung by Helen Healy
Commentary on Ps 12 by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 15: O Lord, it is you
Words taken from the Psalms: A New Translation © The Grail. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Written for the national celebration of St Columba at St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban 1997.
Sung here by Grace Buckley with the response sung by Helen Healy.
Psalm 15: You show your friends the path of life
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
audio – Sung here by members of the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 15 Commentary 33B by Dr Noel Donnelly
Setting of Ps 15 (c) Noel Donnelly recorded by Grace Buckley
Words |
Psalm 1
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 1 recorded by Noel Donnelly
Commentary on Ps 1 by Noel Donnelly
Psalm 4
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 8: What is man that you should keep him in mind
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Mary Bradley.
words | audio
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Psalm 12: I exult for joy in the Lord.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
audio of Ps 12: sung by Helen Healy
Commentary on Ps 12 by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 15: O Lord, it is you
Words taken from the Psalms: A New Translation © The Grail. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Written for the national celebration of St Columba at St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban 1997.
Sung here by Grace Buckley with the response sung by Helen Healy.
Psalm 15: You show your friends the path of life
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
audio – Sung here by members of the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 15 Commentary 33B by Dr Noel Donnelly
Setting of Ps 15 (c) Noel Donnelly recorded by Grace Buckley
Words |
Psalm 1
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 1 recorded by Noel Donnelly
Commentary on Ps 1 by Noel Donnelly
Psalm 4
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music |
Psalm 8: What is man that you should keep him in mind
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Mary Bradley.
words | audio
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Psalm 12: I exult for joy in the Lord.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
audio of Ps 12: sung by Helen Healy
Commentary on Ps 12 by Dr Noel Donnelly
—————————————————————————–
Psalm 15: O Lord, it is you
Words taken from the Psalms: A New Translation © The Grail. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Written for the national celebration of St Columba at St Columba’s Cathedral, Oban 1997.
Sung here by Grace Buckley with the response sung by Helen Healy.
Psalm 15: You show your friends the path of life
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
audio – Sung here by members of the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 15 Commentary 33B by Dr Noel Donnelly
Setting of Ps 15 (c) Noel Donnelly recorded by Grace Buckley
Words |
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckleysuch as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
Perhaps Psalm 22, The Lord’s My Shepherd, is so popular because it is so personal. “The Lord is MY shepherd; with your crook and your staff you give me comfort”. In verse 4 we find the phrase, “You are with me”.. Even in the darkest of valleys! In Scotland we know the phrase, “I’m with you, Jimmy!” Psalm 22 says, “Lord is with you, Jimmy or Ellen, or whoever you are. A lovely greeting anywhere, especially at the beginning of a church service.
There’s also an interesting shift from the third person “he” to the second person “you”: in verses 1-4 he gives repose, he guides, he revives, and that becomes “you prepare a banquet with an overflowing cup, you anoint with oil”. The psalm becomes more personal as it develops.
Verse 5 then says, “In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell”. The Hebrew word used here means not only “dwell” but “return again and again”. The wandering sheep needs to return frequently to the Lord’s house, for sustenance and renewed vitality.
The joyful psalm occurs in the church’s liturgy on this Laetare Sunday, where it bridges nicely the Old Testament reading about the joyful anointing of the boy David, and the Gospel where Jesus, as Light of the World, brings light to the darkness in the man born blind .
That image of the shepherd being with us through dark valleys is wonderful in our Lenten journey of course. I also like that modern Japanese adaptation for busy people by Toki Myashina which runs, “The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush; he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals, providing me with images of stillness, restoring my serenity!” Yes, Lent is a good time to pause and rest with the good shepherd. Jesus was never in a hurry, was he?
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
such as Calamus or CCL. .
Sheet music |
Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
such as Calamus or CCL.
words |
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Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
Ps 26 Easter 7A CommentaryPs 26 Easter 7A Commentary
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Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
I
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Words | audio
Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
I
such as CCL or Calamus.
Words| audio
Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL. Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
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Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by the St Mungo Singers
Audio sung by The St Mungo Singers
audio commentary
Psalm 68 is one of the longest and deeply felt psalms in the whole Bible.
Before the verses selected for our Sunday liturgy occur, the psalmist is up to his neck in deep water, somewhere or somehow struggling in the mire, so that his urgent prayers resound: “save me”, verse 1; “rescue me”; verse 14; “answer me!” (verse 16); “make haste to answer me!” verse 17; “draw near me!” (18); “redeem me!” and “set me free!” (Verse 18); “protect me!” (19). Such repetition obviously shows the intensity in the psalmist’s pain. We may echo verse 10, “I burn with zeal for God’s house yet the taunts keep falling on me!” But the repeated response from verse 14 wonderfully focusses on God’s love: “In your great love, answer me, O Lord!”
With all that going on, we can now sing the prayerful verses selected by the liturgists for today’s Sunday: the assurance of God’s love follows the understandable complaint of Jeremiah that evil people seem to prosper while they continue to heap criticism on the good folk. Any sad mood is lifted in the Gospel where Jesus encourages the Twelve: if God can care for a sparrow and a hair of one’s head then we have nothing to fear.
The verses that we sing on the 12th Sunday of Year A form a great song of petition to a loving God: the psalmist prays. “In your great love answer me, for your love is kind and full of compassion!” (Verse 16). From his or her “poverty and pain” the singer’s faith is inspired by the certainty of God’s love, a love that is named as “great” and “kind”.
The question of how love comes to us may lead us onwards. As the Scottish rock group Wet Wet Wet put it, “Love is all around!” Today we can expand that as we acknowledge that God is close to us from his Word and, importantly, from our neighbour if we’ll only look for it and accept it! Love is all around!
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Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 85
Psalm 85 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly.
The selected 6 verses of Psalm 85’s 17 verses make a beautiful direct prayer to God who, right from the start, is recognised as “good and full of love to all who call”. As we move through the complete psalm we find there is a steady staircase of five terms of God’s care in the past, ending with the pair “steadfast love and faithfulness”.
There is a directness in this prayer to God who addressed personally many times as “YOU”, and at least ten times as “My Lord!” There is an honest simple human presence before the incomparable majesty of God: “I am poor and needy. I cry all the day long. I lift up my soul to you. Surely you will answer me, your servant, child of your servant girl!”
When verse 13 states, “Your love to me has been great in the past”, we find a spirituality that draws on the tradition in which it was nurtured. It recognises there a God of mercy and compassion. In our tradition we may perhaps re-visit those words in our traditional hymn “God of Mercy and Compassion”, but load our recall with the hymn’s modern word setting, which uses this psalm’s emphasis on the constant loving mercy of God rather than on hell and all its torments.
We might more practically look to the future, and recall that the psalmist is positively looking for fresh personal formation when she sings in verse 11, “Teach me, Lord, Your way, that I may walk forward in your truth!”
Mercy is a gift for future action.
Response: Turn your ear, Lord, hear my prayer, in your compassion walk with us.
Give your servants joy each day. You forgive our wand’ring ways.
Guide us each day to walk your pathways. In you alone we find our peace.
In distress you heard our cry: there is none compared with you!
You are our great and constant comfort, slow to anger, rich in love.
God of mercy, hear our prayer. In compassion guide our ways.
O give such strength to all your servants that we will walk in love each day.
setting of Ps 85: words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by Grace Buckley
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 99: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England) published by HarperCollins.
Music (c) 1987 Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Know that he the Lord is God. He made us, we belong to him.
we are his people, the sheep of his flock. We belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Go within his gates giving thanks, enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name. We belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age. We belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
click on score for printable page 2
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless
(Holy Thursday)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew.
Sheet music available in Psalms of the Seasons, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
Audio
Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
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Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
I
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary
Although we frequently associate Psalm 129 death, because if the “out of the depths” phrase that starts the psalm, verse one is the only possible allusion to death. Its original context was its being the eleventh of the Songs of Ascent, as the pilgrims went up the final hill to the Jerusalem Temple.
Those “depths” suggest the deep waters of chaos which could surround the penitent pilgrim as he or she moves towards the forgiveness of God, appealing three times: “I cry to You! Hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my voice!” Since the time of Augustine, Psam 129 has been used in the church as one of the 7 penitential psalms.
Verse 4 says, “with you is found forgiveness!. The psalmist sees forgiveness as a characteristic feature of God. We know the phrase, “to err is human; to forgive divine”. The Hebrew word hesed , is a feminine word, often weakly translated as “mercy”, but it has a depth that means the unfailing love of a mother. It looks for a renewed relationship, just as the watchman looks with hope for the light of a new day, with its fresh opportunities ahead.
This hope is for the fullness of redemption. The psalmist recalls God’s redemption from slavery in Egypt and restoration after exile in Babylon. Now the joyful hope is for God’s redeeming WORD.
In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm bridges the vision of Ezekiel as God’s Spirit enlivens the dead bones of Israel while looking forward to the Gospel where Jesus shows through Lazarus that he is the Resurrection and the life.
In all of this, doubters may ask, “Is God listening?” The psalmist suggests simply, “Wait in joyful hope!”
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Psalm 130: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Catherine Walker.
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Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
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Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckleysuch as CCL or Calamus.
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
Perhaps Psalm 22, The Lord’s My Shepherd, is so popular because it is so personal. “The Lord is MY shepherd; with your crook and your staff you give me comfort”. In verse 4 we find the phrase, “You are with me”.. Even in the darkest of valleys! In Scotland we know the phrase, “I’m with you, Jimmy!” Psalm 22 says, “Lord is with you, Jimmy or Ellen, or whoever you are. A lovely greeting anywhere, especially at the beginning of a church service.
There’s also an interesting shift from the third person “he” to the second person “you”: in verses 1-4 he gives repose, he guides, he revives, and that becomes “you prepare a banquet with an overflowing cup, you anoint with oil”. The psalm becomes more personal as it develops.
Verse 5 then says, “In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell”. The Hebrew word used here means not only “dwell” but “return again and again”. The wandering sheep needs to return frequently to the Lord’s house, for sustenance and renewed vitality.
The joyful psalm occurs in the church’s liturgy on this Laetare Sunday, where it bridges nicely the Old Testament reading about the joyful anointing of the boy David, and the Gospel where Jesus, as Light of the World, brings light to the darkness in the man born blind .
That image of the shepherd being with us through dark valleys is wonderful in our Lenten journey of course. I also like that modern Japanese adaptation for busy people by Toki Myashina which runs, “The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush; he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals, providing me with images of stillness, restoring my serenity!” Yes, Lent is a good time to pause and rest with the good shepherd. Jesus was never in a hurry, was he?
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
such as Calamus or CCL. .
Sheet music |
Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
such as Calamus or CCL.
words |
Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
such as Calamus or CCL..
words | audio
Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
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Words and response and audio file available below.
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Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
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such as Calamus or CCL.
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Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
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such as CCL or Calamus.
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Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below. I
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Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
Psalm 64
Psalm 64 is a great challenge to any world that is obsessed with industry and business. It strongly reminds us that God is around, both as creator and redeemer.
We sing 5 of the 14 verses of the complete psalm this weekend. But it is useful to be aware of the context for these. The whole psalm has been analysed as a play in three acts: verses 1 to 4 describe acts of forgiveness; (aways a good way to start our prayer in God’s presence!). But more than that: God answers prayer (verse 1); forgives (verse 3); delivers homely blessings (verse 5); and does all this everywhere, from East to West, from mountains to the seas! (verse5).
Act two in verses 5 to 8 depicts Acts of Power, stressing the power of roaring winds and sea which God creates but curbs with mighty care.
Act three, verses 10 to 14, depict Acts of Grace, the free gifts of God’s love in sustaining creation with rains and fruitful crops, where even the flocks of sheep cry out with joy at the goodness around them! This psalm particularly celebrates the gift of Iife-giving water in verses 9 to 11. Our busy industrial world needs to take note … and to take care of this precious gift!
Our psalm follows the reading from Isaiah about the rain watering the earth like the sacred word flowing from the mouth of God. The psalm’s provision of crops then leads into the Parable of the Sower in the Gospel.
We could sing this psalm with joyful hope as we move forward from the eight anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si”. This year’s guiding theme, is “Hope for the Earth. Hope for humanity”. So, let’s really sing to communicate this with hope in our eyes and joy in our voices! Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 64 ND Word words and music setting by Noel Donnelly
Ps 64: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick recorded by Grace Buckley.
Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL. Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley and the St Mungo Singers
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 88 : setting by Robin Sudlow; recorded by Grace Buckley
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as Calamus or CCL. Words | audio
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Psalm 96 for Christmas Day: This day new light will shine Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence. such as CCL or Calamus. Sheetmusic
Psalm 99 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 99 is very well known since many of us often sing “All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice!” For us it is an entry hymn, just as it was in its origins, as the people entered the Temple in Jerusalem. You can imagine the scene as the singers and instrumentalists moved through the gates and shouted the word, “Sing!” In a flippant mood, I remember Billy Connelly using that word to get the audience joining in. “Sing!” No sweet- talking of gentle encouragement: just a straight shout: “Sing!”
But back to the Temple: the instrumentalists would include trumpets; but they would not be our piercing brass trumpets of today: they would be the much gentler-sounding ram’s horn. The accompanists would not drown the singers in those days. A message for today perhaps!
Verse two is translated in different ways: one says “Worship the Lord with gladness” while another translation has “Serve the Lord with gladness”. It’s the same Hebrew word behind this. Once you translate you also interpret. Worship expresses worthship. That translation is important of course. But so is the other translation “serve the Lord with gladness”. It’s good to remind ourselves occasionally that if we are musicians we are engaged in a ministry of service. Service to God and to the community for whom we are responsible.
This psalm is universal in its outreach: “all peoples” are addressed, with even six or seven encouraging commands: shout, serve, come, know, testify and bless. And all these are focussed on the Lord: shout and come and testify to the Lord.
Why? He is our creator and shepherd. We are the sheep of HIS pasture: the Lord has a care that is personal and not delegated to other intermediaries.
Our final verse has the singers rsounding with enthusiasm about how good the Lord is: “eternal his merciful love from age to age!” Now that’s a big finish if ever there was one!
The psalm itself has two parallel panels, each one has a call to praise and a reason for this.
Psalm 99: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England) published by HarperCollins.
Music (c) 1987 Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Know that he the Lord is God. He made us, we belong to him.
we are his people, the sheep of his flock. We belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Go within his gates giving thanks, enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name. We belong to him.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth, serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy . Cry out with joy.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love.
click on score for printable page 2
He is faithful from age to age. We belong to him
Psalm 100: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Catherine Walker St Mungo Music..
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Psalm 102: The love of the Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.. Words | audio
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Psalm 102: The Lord is compassion and love Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 103 From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Mary Dickie (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. sung by Grace Buckley
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Psalm 103: Send forth your spirit, Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Psalm 103: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as Calamus or CCL. Sheet musicPsalm 114:I walk with you, my God Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.Words | audio
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Psalm 109: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. You are welcome to copy this setting for your liturgy.
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Psalm 115: (2nd Sunday Lent Year B) Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 115: I will walk in the presence of God Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Part of a Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2012. Sheet music as above.
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Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless (Holy Thursday) From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew. Sheet music available in Psalms of the Seasons, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Words |Audio
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Psalm 116: This day was made by the Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Eastertide 2012. Sheet music
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Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio voice and melody: sheetmusic
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Psalm 116: From the rising of the sun From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for a Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary marking the presence of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Dumbarton for more than a century. words | audio
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Psalm 102: The love of the Lord
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
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Psalm 103 Pentecost Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
At every celebration of Pentecost the church selects 6 of the 35 verses in Psalm 103. The complete psalm begins and ends with the cry: “Bless the Lord my soul!”
Only twice in the psalms are we called to bless God: once, in the previous psalm, where we bless God for his compassion. Now, in this psalm, we bless God for his greatness in creation.
The singer starts by exclaiming personally: “My God, how great you are!” This greatness is spelled out in verses 2-23 which give a kaleidoscope of these gifts in creation, echoing the creation hymn of Genesis 2. This list is sandwiched between verses 1 and 24 which stress that this world belongs to God. But, more than this, the psalmist is smitten with the beauty and awe of God as the creator who is “clothed in majesty, wrapped in light as in a robe”. The psalmist wishes for God to rejoice in his works. ”God saw that is was good” was how the creation story put it in the creation hymn of Genesis. In verse 15 in the middle of this list of gifts we find new gifts of wine, oil and bread, food that will enrich the sacramental life of the church.
Verse 29 reminds us again of the Genesis 2 hymn: “You send forth your spirit, we are created”. In Genesis, God breathes his Spirit into the dust (the “adamah” in Hebrew) and thereby into the human (“Adam” in Hebrew); the humus or earth becomes human earthlings, through the enlivening breath or spirit, without which we die. With the Spirit we live for ever.
This psalm is perfect for our Pentecost liturgy where God sends the Spirit through Jesus to the infant church described in Acts 2 and John 20.
This Pentecost may God’s creative spirit continue to give us renewed energy and creativity to renew the face of the earth, in our church, in our homes and reaching out to our neighbourhood and beyond … to the very ends of the earth!
Ps 103: words and music (c) Noel Donnelly
Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music | audio
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Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless – From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew. (Holy Thursday)
sung by Mary Bradley: Audio
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
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Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 118
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly For Sunday 17A
Setting of Ps 118 for Sunday 18A (c) St Mungo Music recorded by Liz Newman.
script: Psalm 118 commentary
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 127
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Recorded by Dorothy Gunnee
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
127 Psalm 127 Commentary
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Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
below: setting of Ps 129:words and music by Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by The St Mungo Singers.
Below: Setting of Ps 129: words (c) The Grail, England. Music (c) Francis Duffy; Recorded by Grace Buckley.
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Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
Psalm 137
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) St Mungo Music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckleysuch as CCL or Calamus.
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
Perhaps Psalm 22, The Lord’s My Shepherd, is so popular because it is so personal. “The Lord is MY shepherd; with your crook and your staff you give me comfort”. In verse 4 we find the phrase, “You are with me”.. Even in the darkest of valleys! In Scotland we know the phrase, “I’m with you, Jimmy!” Psalm 22 says, “Lord is with you, Jimmy or Ellen, or whoever you are. A lovely greeting anywhere, especially at the beginning of a church service.
There’s also an interesting shift from the third person “he” to the second person “you”: in verses 1-4 he gives repose, he guides, he revives, and that becomes “you prepare a banquet with an overflowing cup, you anoint with oil”. The psalm becomes more personal as it develops.
Verse 5 then says, “In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell”. The Hebrew word used here means not only “dwell” but “return again and again”. The wandering sheep needs to return frequently to the Lord’s house, for sustenance and renewed vitality.
The joyful psalm occurs in the church’s liturgy on this Laetare Sunday, where it bridges nicely the Old Testament reading about the joyful anointing of the boy David, and the Gospel where Jesus, as Light of the World, brings light to the darkness in the man born blind .
That image of the shepherd being with us through dark valleys is wonderful in our Lenten journey of course. I also like that modern Japanese adaptation for busy people by Toki Myashina which runs, “The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush; he makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals, providing me with images of stillness, restoring my serenity!” Yes, Lent is a good time to pause and rest with the good shepherd. Jesus was never in a hurry, was he?
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
such as Calamus or CCL. .
Sheet music |
Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
such as Calamus or CCL.
words |
Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
such as Calamus or CCL..
words | audio
Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
I
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Words | audio
Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
I
such as CCL or Calamus.
Words| audio
Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
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Psalm 62 Commentary:
Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.Sheet music
Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL. Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
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Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley and the St Mungo Singers
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Recorded by The St Mungo Singers.
Pa 88: ill using for ever of your love, O Lord. (c) Robin Sudlow.
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
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Psalm 99: Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 99 is very well known since many of us often sing “All people that on earth do dwell, sing to the Lord with cheerful voice!” For us it is an entry hymn, just as it was in its origins, as the people entered the Temple in Jerusalem. You can imagine the scene as the singers and instrumentalists moved through the gates and shouted the word, “Sing!” In a flippant mood, I remember Billy Connelly using that word to get the audience joining in. “Sing!” No sweet- talking of gentle encouragement: just a straight shout: “Sing!”
But back to the Temple: the instrumentalists would include trumpets; but they would not be our piercing brass trumpets of today: they would be the much gentler-sounding ram’s horn. The accompanists would not drown the singers in those days. A message for today perhaps!
Verse two is translated in different ways: one says “Worship the Lord with gladness” while another translation has “Serve the Lord with gladness”. It’s the same Hebrew word behind this. Once you translate you also interpret. Worship expresses worthship. That translation is important of course. But so is the other translation “serve the Lord with gladness”. It’s good to remind ourselves occasionally that if we are musicians we are engaged in a ministry of service. Service to God and to the community for whom we are responsible.
This psalm is universal in its outreach: “all peoples” are addressed, with even six or seven encouraging commands: shout, serve, come, know, testify and bless. And all these are focussed on the Lord: shout and come and testify to the Lord.
Why? He is our creator and shepherd. We are the sheep of HIS pasture: the Lord has a care that is personal and not delegated to other intermediaries.
Our final verse has the singers rsounding with enthusiasm about how good the Lord is: “eternal his merciful love from age to age!” Now that’s a big finish if ever there was one!
The psalm itself has two parallel panels, each one has a call to praise and a reason for this.
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Psalm 102: The love of the Lord
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
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Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music | audio
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Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless
(Holy Thursday)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew.
Sheet music available in Psalms of the Seasons, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
Audio
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Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
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Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
I
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary
Although we frequently associate Psalm 129 death, because if the “out of the depths” phrase that starts the psalm, verse one is the only possible allusion to death. Its original context was its being the eleventh of the Songs of Ascent, as the pilgrims went up the final hill to the Jerusalem Temple.
Those “depths” suggest the deep waters of chaos which could surround the penitent pilgrim as he or she moves towards the forgiveness of God, appealing three times: “I cry to You! Hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my voice!” Since the time of Augustine, Psam 129 has been used in the church as one of the 7 penitential psalms.
Verse 4 says, “with you is found forgiveness!. The psalmist sees forgiveness as a characteristic feature of God. We know the phrase, “to err is human; to forgive divine”. The Hebrew word hesed , is a feminine word, often weakly translated as “mercy”, but it has a depth that means the unfailing love of a mother. It looks for a renewed relationship, just as the watchman looks with hope for the light of a new day, with its fresh opportunities ahead.
This hope is for the fullness of redemption. The psalmist recalls God’s redemption from slavery in Egypt and restoration after exile in Babylon. Now the joyful hope is for God’s redeeming WORD.
In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm bridges the vision of Ezekiel as God’s Spirit enlivens the dead bones of Israel while looking forward to the Gospel where Jesus shows through Lazarus that he is the Resurrection and the life.
In all of this, doubters may ask, “Is God listening?” The psalmist suggests simply, “Wait in joyful hope!”
Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
I
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 137
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly:
Ps 137: words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley.
Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
Psalm 147 ( Corpus Christi)
Psalm 147 Commentary Corpus Christi.by Dr Noel Donnelly
We last sang Psalm 147 on the second Sunday after Christmas. We now sing it again on the second Sunday after Pentecost, Corpus Christi. In the Book of psalms it is one of the five great songs that form a climax of praise to conclude the whole collection of 150. When the ancient liturgists were making this arrangement, they may have been overwhelmed by the number of songs available for this: they were spoiled for choice and so they crammed three songs into this one psalm! Each of those songs began with a summons to praise. The third of these songs is used now on this second Sunday after Pentecost.
Our singer here summons us to praise for two main reasons: firstly. for the provision of “finest wheat”, for food; secondly, we praise God for the gift, the amazing privilege, of God’s guiding word. Both Bread and Word feature here in the song chosen for today’s feast.
Our psalm is a response to the first reading where Moses speaks of Bread and Word in the desert, specifically in the gifts of manna, and the gift of God’s ever-protecting word. It leads forward to the Gospel where Jesus is the Living Bread, while his Living Word promises a liberation that will be eternal.
Psalm 147 may remind us to praise God as we count our many blessings, sacramental, liturgical and personal. As the old song puts it: Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done!”
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Psalm 100: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Catherine Walker St Mungo Music..
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Psalm 102: The love of the Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.. Words | audio
Download
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Psalm 102: The Lord is compassion and love Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 103 From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Mary Dickie (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. sung by Grace Buckley
Download
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Psalm 103: Send forth your spirit, Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Psalm 103: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as Calamus or CCL. Sheet musicPsalm 114:I walk with you, my God Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.Words | audio
Download
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Psalm 109: From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. You are welcome to copy this setting for your liturgy.
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Psalm 115: (2nd Sunday Lent Year B) Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Download
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Psalm 115: I will walk in the presence of God Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Part of a Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2012. Sheet music as above.
Download
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Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless (Holy Thursday) From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew. Sheet music available in Psalms of the Seasons, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd. Words |Audio
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Download
Psalm 116: This day was made by the Lord From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Eastertide 2012. Sheet music
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Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio voice and melody: sheetmusic
Download
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Psalm 116: From the rising of the sun From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for a Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary marking the presence of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Dumbarton for more than a century. words | audio
Download
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Psalm 102: The love of the Lord
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
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Psalm 103 Pentecost Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
At every celebration of Pentecost the church selects 6 of the 35 verses in Psalm 103. The complete psalm begins and ends with the cry: “Bless the Lord my soul!”
Only twice in the psalms are we called to bless God: once, in the previous psalm, where we bless God for his compassion. Now, in this psalm, we bless God for his greatness in creation.
The singer starts by exclaiming personally: “My God, how great you are!” This greatness is spelled out in verses 2-23 which give a kaleidoscope of these gifts in creation, echoing the creation hymn of Genesis 2. This list is sandwiched between verses 1 and 24 which stress that this world belongs to God. But, more than this, the psalmist is smitten with the beauty and awe of God as the creator who is “clothed in majesty, wrapped in light as in a robe”. The psalmist wishes for God to rejoice in his works. ”God saw that is was good” was how the creation story put it in the creation hymn of Genesis. In verse 15 in the middle of this list of gifts we find new gifts of wine, oil and bread, food that will enrich the sacramental life of the church.
Verse 29 reminds us again of the Genesis 2 hymn: “You send forth your spirit, we are created”. In Genesis, God breathes his Spirit into the dust (the “adamah” in Hebrew) and thereby into the human (“Adam” in Hebrew); the humus or earth becomes human earthlings, through the enlivening breath or spirit, without which we die. With the Spirit we live for ever.
This psalm is perfect for our Pentecost liturgy where God sends the Spirit through Jesus to the infant church described in Acts 2 and John 20.
This Pentecost may God’s creative spirit continue to give us renewed energy and creativity to renew the face of the earth, in our church, in our homes and reaching out to our neighbourhood and beyond … to the very ends of the earth!
Ps 103: words and music (c) Noel Donnelly
Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music | audio
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Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
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Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless – From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew. (Holy Thursday)
sung by Mary Bradley: Audio
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
——————————————————
Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
I
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 127
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Recorded by Dorothy Gunnee
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
127 Psalm 127 Commentary
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Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary
Although we frequently associate Psalm 129 death, because if the “out of the depths” phrase that starts the psalm, verse one is the only possible allusion to death. Its original context was its being the eleventh of the Songs of Ascent, as the pilgrims went up the final hill to the Jerusalem Temple.
Those “depths” suggest the deep waters of chaos which could surround the penitent pilgrim as he or she moves towards the forgiveness of God, appealing three times: “I cry to You! Hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my voice!” Since the time of Augustine, Psam 129 has been used in the church as one of the 7 penitential psalms.
Verse 4 says, “with you is found forgiveness!. The psalmist sees forgiveness as a characteristic feature of God. We know the phrase, “to err is human; to forgive divine”. The Hebrew word hesed , is a feminine word, often weakly translated as “mercy”, but it has a depth that means the unfailing love of a mother. It looks for a renewed relationship, just as the watchman looks with hope for the light of a new day, with its fresh opportunities ahead.
This hope is for the fullness of redemption. The psalmist recalls God’s redemption from slavery in Egypt and restoration after exile in Babylon. Now the joyful hope is for God’s redeeming WORD.
In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm bridges the vision of Ezekiel as God’s Spirit enlivens the dead bones of Israel while looking forward to the Gospel where Jesus shows through Lazarus that he is the Resurrection and the life.
In all of this, doubters may ask, “Is God listening?” The psalmist suggests simply, “Wait in joyful hope!”
Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
Psalm 137
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) St Mungo Music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
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Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
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Psalm 17 I love you, Lord my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18
(3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18
3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © David Harris. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 18 (Feasts of Apostles) Their voice has gone out…
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Mary Dickie. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (3rd Sunday Lent Year B)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 18 (choral and responsorial)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
Psalm 20: May the Lord answer you in time of trouble…
Words © Stephen E Smyth. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins.
Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckleysuch as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music | Audio
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Psalm 21 (Palm Sunday)
1 Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1).
click here for Sheet music
2 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
3 Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Martin Morran
Psalm 21 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
The complete text of Psalm 21 is both beautiful and terrifying. The mention of King David in the superscription leads scholars to see the original psalm as one in which David is foretelling the horrible persecutions and crucifixions by the Persians that lay ahead; but the psalm does end with a note of encouragement as it points to eventual triumph. In today’s Gospel the psalm is found on the lips of the crucified Jesus.
Our weekend liturgy selects the first verse of Psalm 21 as our response (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”), followed by eight of the psalm’s 32 verses. These 9 verses were surely in the mind of Matthew as he composed his particular Passion Narrative.
They remind us of the agonies of Jesus which will be portrayed in Matthew’s Gospel which follows, with the insulting scorn of the accusers, the counting of his very bones, the holes in Jesus’ hands and feet and the dividing of his garments. In our Liturgy of the Word, the psalm echoes the previous reading from Isaiah 50 about the Suffering Servant offering his back and cheeks to blows and insults and spittle of his tormenting accusers.
In the question of the crucified Jesus, “My God, WHY?”, we find Jesus questioning the silence of God amidst so much personal suffering. A question we may have shared in our own experience of desolation and humiliation.
Nevertheless, the singer may appropriately lift the congregation with hope by making the final verse resound so positively: “You who fear the Lord, Give God Praise!” One commentator sees this as the psalmist inviting the congregation to raise a toast to God after his survival from the very threshold of death. Yes, Resurrection is ahead, but let’s not rush at it! There is much to savour in the human struggles and pain Jesus endured.
A commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 22 (23) Commentary. Lent 4A 2023
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Psalm 23: Such are the ones who seek your face… or He is the king of glory. Let him enter in.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Grace Buckley at St Leo’s, Dumbreck.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 23: Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. Published St Mungo Music (Psalms and Songs Book 1). Sung by Grace Buckley
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 24 : Lord, your ways are faithfulness, your ways are love.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
such as Calamus or CCL. .
Sheet music |
Psalm 24: Lord, make me know your ways.
Music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
such as Calamus or CCL.
words |
Psalm 26: The Lord is my light, the Lord is my help.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Words and response accessible by clicking on the file below. Sung by Catherine Walker
such as Calamus or CCL..
words | audio
Psalm 29: I praise you, O Lord, bless you . . . .
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
Words and response and audio file available below
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 30: Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Louise Harris. Words and response and audio file available below
Words | audio
Psalm 32: He fills the earth with his love.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Gerry Fitzpatrick © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Helen Healy.
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 32: We place our trust in you, the God of love.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Noel Donnelly. Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
video commentary
Ps 32 Lent 2 Commentary – Small
Psalm 33: Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music Mary Dickie © Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Sung by Grace Buckley.
I
Words and response and audio file available below.
Words | audio
Psalm 33: Seek the Lord, bless the Lord
Words taken from The Psalms : A New Translation published by William Collins & Co Ltd (c) The Grail.
Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick, published St Mungo Music. Sung by Catherine Walker with the St Mungo Singers.
Psalm 39: Here I am, O Lord! I come to do your will.
Words and music Noel S Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Grace Buckley. Words and response and audio file available below.
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Words | audio
Psalm 42: Like the deer thsat yearns for running streams
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Sung by Helen Healy .
I
such as CCL or Calamus.
Words| audio
Psalm 44: In finest gold
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below. If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 62: O God, you are my God, for you I long.
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick.
Sung by Gerry Healy with Betty McCaffrey at the organ in St Paul’s, Shettleston, Glasgow
I
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 62:
Words and music (c) Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music. Words and music available below.
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66: May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL. Recorded byThe St Mungo Singers
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 66b :May he bless us and keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as CCL or Calamus.
Sheet music
Psalm 66(c) May he bless us, may he keep us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
If you copy this setting for your liturgy please acknowledge the author, composer and the publisher in your returns if you have a (c) licence
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Psalm 66 Let the peoples praise you
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew
and published in Psalms of the Seasons. Recorded by Catherine Walker and the St Mungo Singers.
Words | audio
Psalm 68 Hear my prayer
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley and the St Mungo Singers
Sheet music | Audio
Psalm 76: I cry aloud to God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Martin Morran. St Mungo Music. Recorded by Grace Buckley at Pluscarden Abbey.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 79: God of hosts, bring us back
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Written for Cardinal Winning’s 40th anniversary. Recorded by Grace Buckley at St Paul’s, Shettleston.
Sheet music | audio
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Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music David Harris (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words
Psalm 84: Let us see, O Lord, your mercy From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Catherine Walker. St Mungo Music.
Sheet music
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music. Sheet music
Psalm 88: I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 89 Fill us now with the joy
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music / audio
Psalm 89 Bless the work of our hands
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music
such as Calamus or CCL.
Sheet music
Ps 94 Listen to the voice of God
Words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Psalm recorded by Grace Buckley
audio
video
Ps 94 Lent 3A – Small
script of the commentary
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Psalm 95 Today a Saviour is born for us
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly St Mungo Music.
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 95 Today a Saviour has been born to us
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 102: The love of the Lord
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (written for Our Lady of Consolation parish) (c) Kevin Mayhew and published in Psalms of the Seasons.
Words | audio
Psalm 114 I walk with you, my God
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Sheet music | audio
Psalm 115 (2nd Sunday Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music
Psalm 115 The blessing cup that we bless
(Holy Thursday)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick; (c) Kevin Mayhew.
Sheet music available in Psalms of the Seasons, published by Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
Audio
Psalm 116: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
Written for the 1st Vespers of the Feast of Sts Peter and Paul 2012
Organ and voice: sheet music | audio
voice and melody: sheetmusic
Psalm 117: commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Easter Sunday
Originally this psalm was used in two ways: firstly it was sung as the excited Jewish pilgrims reached the goal of their journey, their great Temple of Jerusalem; secondly it was used to celebrate the end of the great Passover meal… a kind of “Grace after Meals”. Our elder brothers and sisters of the Jewish community sing it also at the celebration of the Feast of Lights. For all of us, Christians and Jews, joy and lights are all around! We as Christians specially use this psalm at Eastertide as we celebrate the victory of the Light of the World in the Risen Jesus.
This is the day the Lord has made, we sing. Another translation puts it as This is the day the Lord has acted! Yes, at Creation, the Lord has made the first Sabbath a special Day of rest. But the Lord has acted too on the first Easter day, the Day of resurrection.
The psalm highlights the image of the corner-stone of a building.
This key stone is essential to the whole structure: if it’s not right then the whole building will collapse. But here in this psalm we have a foundation stone which others had rejected. Truly God is a God of Surprises! Without the foundation-stone of the risen Jesus the whole edifice of Christianity crumbles! The Temple of Christ’s Body has risen indeed. The Christian Passover Feast is completed. Let us sing with renewed confidence this song of our pilgrim church assured of ultimate victory by the Risen Lord who goes before us in our joyful triumphal celebration!
Commentary audio
Psalm 117: words (c) The Grail, England; music St Mungo Music; 1st setting sung by Magdalen MacInnes; 2nd setting sung by The St Mungo Singers.
Movie Commentary
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Psalm 117: commentary 2 by Dr Noel Donnelly 1 for Divine Mercy Sunday
video: Ps 117 com Mercy S- Small
see psalm recordings above
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Psalm 125 Those who sow in tears
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
I
Sheet music |Audio
Psalm 126
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music © Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music.
recorded by Helen Healy
Psalm 129
Psalm 129 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly
script: Psalm 129 Commentary
setting below: words and music by Noel Donnelly, (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recording by The St Mungo Singers.
setting below:
Words (c) The Grail, England; music (c) Francis Duffy; recorded by Grace Buckley.
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Psalm 136 By the waters we sat down and wept
(4th Sunday of Lent Year B)
Words and music © Noel S Donnelly. St Mungo Music.
I
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Psalm 144 The Lord is loving, the Lord is kind
Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly : Psalm 144 Commentary 25A
Words from The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. (c) Kevin Mayhew. recorded by Sally Mulholland Psalm 144 Commentary 25A
2 (For Fiona and John’ wedding)
From The Psalms: A New Translation © 1963 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick. St Mungo Music; recorded by Grace Buckley.
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144 Psalm 144(145) Commentary.
Some people like a good detective story. Well even our psalm today, Psalm 144 has been under examination by the bible detectives. It’s one of those cleverly written psalms where every verse starts with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Maybe that was a good way of remembering it. But it had only 21 verses and the Hebrew alphabet has 22 letters. So what’s been going on here? But then a copy was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls and it had the missing verse! Interestingly those people used it as a chorus to follow very verse. So that was a big clue pointing to the original way the psalm was sung. A leader would sing a verse, praising God, and the congregation would respond each time with this special verse. It was a chorus for everyone to join in responsorially! Modern bibles now have 22 verses and the original Hebrew pattern of wholeness is restored.
While the singer four times praises God for his kingly power the psalm is a great hymn of praise for God’s loving-kindness. He is “slow to anger and rich in mercy” says verse 8. But God’s power is shown in his amazing compassion and faithfulness. He even stoops down like a father picking up a child who has stumbled! And yet the psalmist also appreciates God’s glorious majesty and holiness, his mysterious transcendence, going beyond anything we could imagine . The congregation’s chorus mentioned above sums it all up with these words: “The Lord is faithful in all his words, and holy in all his deeds!”
The bible detectives have shown a practice in which the individual has space for his voice to be heard and appreciated by the general “chorus” of the community. Does my church community make space for the individual voice to be heard, reflecting God’s compassionate respect for every individual?
Psalm 147 ( Corpus Christi)
Psalm 147 Commentary Corpus Christi.by Dr Noel Donnelly
We last sang Psalm 147 on the second Sunday after Christmas. We now sing it again on the second Sunday after Pentecost, Corpus Christi. In the Book of psalms it is one of the five great songs that form a climax of praise to conclude the whole collection of 150. When the ancient liturgists were making this arrangement, they may have been overwhelmed by the number of songs available for this: they were spoiled for choice and so they crammed three songs into this one psalm! Each of those songs began with a summons to praise. The third of these songs is used now on this second Sunday after Pentecost.
Our singer here summons us to praise for two main reasons: firstly. for the provision of “finest wheat”, for food; secondly, we praise God for the gift, the amazing privilege, of God’s guiding word. Both Bread and Word feature here in the song chosen for today’s feast.
Our psalm is a response to the first reading where Moses speaks of Bread and Word in the desert, specifically in the gifts of manna, and the gift of God’s ever-protecting word. It leads forward to the Gospel where Jesus is the Living Bread, while his Living Word promises a liberation that will be eternal.
Psalm 147 may remind us to praise God as we count our many blessings, sacramental, liturgical and personal. As the old song puts it: Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God has done!”
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