THE PSALMS - DOXOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ECCLESIAL LITURGICAL LIFE
THE PSALMS - DOXOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ECCLESIAL LITURGICAL LIFE

Summary/Abstract: The Psalms played an important role in the frame of the cultic reform initiated by the Prophet David and had a privileged role in the ritual from the synagogue. The advancement of this way of liturgical manifestation eased over time the passing from a mainly sacrificial cult to a doxological one. This is the reason why the psalms influenced the whole liturgical life of the Jewish and had an important role in their public or private prayer. As well, the psalm texts inspired the content of the new prayers created to sustain the liturgical needs of the Jewish communities and, implicitly, formed the basis of their phraseology. From the second half of the 1st Century the psalms will become predominant in the Christian communities and will be frequently used in the cult, especially at the liturgical service from the churches, in morning or evening time. The communities of the Primary Church were urged by the Apostles to glorify God through psaltic hymns and, at the same time, to assume these texts in their daily dialogue. At the same time, the Holy Fathers, knowing that the presentation of a teaching in a lyrical form is easier to learn, tried to promote the reading of the psalms as well in the private cult, in all the moments of a Christian life. Accordingly, the psaltic texts were always present in the frame of the liturgical service and were predominant among the readings of the Old Testament. The most important testimonies of the Primary Church, although make reference to apparently different traditions, recount in a detailed manner about the practice of prayer in different moments of theday, in which the psalms were a common element.

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