“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and rich in mercy” «οἰκτίρμων καὶ ἐλεήμων ὁ Κύριος, μακρόθυμος καὶ πολυέλεος» Psalm 103 (102 in Greek), Verse 8 With these four adjectives David expresses both the experience of God in his own life and in the life of Israel. Elder Aimilianos says that God's “compassion” is exercised on behalf of human beings who are made of earth and are forever in danger of lapsing into non-existence.[1] If something is very delicate and fragile, you'll handle it with care and compassion. Human nature demands that God act toward it with sensitivity and compassion. [...]

From the Psalms “God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us” - Ps 117:27 (118:27 in English versions) «Θεὸς Κύριος καὶ ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν» (Ψαλμ. ΡΙΗ᾽ 27) Throughout every Service of the Orthodox Church are scattered verses from the Psalms. At the beginning of every Matins (Orthros) Service, the Orthodox faithful proclaim with the Psalmist: “God is the Lord and has revealed Himself to us; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Ps 117:27,26). This simple yet profound phrase is the core of Christian teaching: God has indeed revealed Himself to us. This is what [...]

How do we pray the Psalms? Orthodoxy has many standard prayers that can be used by the faithful when we pray at home and Church. Such standard prayers include the Psalms, God’s own ''Prayer Book''. The Psalms teach us how, what and when to pray. When we recite them prayerfully and with faith, God speaks and enlightens us in accordance with our individual needs and circumstances. Further, the Psalms gradually become a part of our own daily lives when committed to memory by constant repetition and studied in their context to the rest of the Bible with the aid of [...]

Psalm 7: 1 «Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου, ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα· σῶσόν με ἐκ πάντων τῶν διωκόντων με καὶ ῤῦσαί με» “O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; save me from those who persecute me and deliver me” The first verse of this Psalm seems to be a very simple prayer: one that can be offered up to God by anyone. However, when this prayer is understood in its totality, we see it pre-supposes in the believer absolute trust in God’s providence. It is impossible to say to God: “in You have I put my trust”, when our [...]

Psalm 112:2 (113:2) «Εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος» “Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore” Psalm 112 (113 in the Hebrew), as well as the next five Psalms, constitute what is called the Hallel, because each Psalm begins or ends with “Alleluia” (or “Hallelujah” in the Hebrew). They were specifically sung at the Passover as hymns of praise to the Lord for Israel’s deliverance from the Egyptian Pharaoh. Verse 2 is the final doxology of God’s all-holy Name in the Divine Liturgy, chanted three times before the [...]