Psalm
One of the 150 sacred songs and prayers collected in the Book of Psalms, used in both Jewish and Christian worship for millennia and prayed daily in the Church's Liturgy of the Hours.
Israel's Prayer Book
The 150 Psalms span an enormous emotional range — praise, lament, thanksgiving, anger, trust, despair, and hope — making them, unlike most of Scripture, prayers addressed to God rather than narrative or teaching about God. Roughly half are traditionally attributed to King David, though the collection as a whole developed over centuries and includes psalms attributed to other authors and eras.
The Psalms in Catholic Worship
A Psalm (or portion of one) is sung or recited responsively at every Mass, between the first and second readings, and the Psalms form the backbone of the Liturgy of the Hours — the Church's official daily cycle of prayer, prayed by priests, religious, and increasingly laypeople worldwide. Because they express nearly every human emotion in the context of prayer, the Psalms are often recommended as a starting point for anyone new to praying with Scripture in their own words.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did King David write all the Psalms?
No — roughly half are traditionally attributed to David, but the full collection of 150 developed over centuries and includes psalms attributed to other authors.
What is the Liturgy of the Hours?
The Church's official cycle of daily prayer, built substantially around the Psalms, prayed at set times throughout the day by clergy, religious, and lay Catholics who choose to take it up.