The psalms are the prayer book of the Church. For this reason, we do well not only to pray them regularly, but also to commit to memorizing them by heart so that “His praise will always be on my lips” (Ps 34:1). What follows is a small sampling of psalms worth learning for different occasions, following the numbering system employed by the NAB and RSV translations.
For staying close to Christ: Psalms 1 and 19 speak movingly of devotion to God’s law and the precious fruits that this brings.
For loving God in times of grief: Psalm 34 is a gritty, heartfelt prayer of one who has suffered much, yet continues to praise the Lord and find peace in Him.
For moments of repentance: The greatest act of contrition ever written, Psalm 51 was written by King David following his adulterous rape of Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah.
For trusting He will never abandon us: Psalm 77 is an extraordinary testimony to God’s ever-presence, recalling all the good deeds He has done in history. Even when we pass through the fiercest waters—an ancient Jewish symbol for death—still He is at our side.
For appreciating divine beauty: Psalm 84 is a lover’s psalm, joyfully contemplating the manifold delights of God.
For seeing Christ in the Old Testament: Psalms 2 and 110 foreshadow the person of Jesus in dramatic ways, with the latter being the most cited psalm in the New Testament.
For rejoicing in God’s creation: Psalms 103 and 139 offer breathtaking vistas into the magnificence of creation, and our privileged place within it as beloved children of the Father.
For ease of memorization: Psalm 117 is the shortest of them all! This prayer of praise can be memorized in minutes and repeated for a lifetime.
For seasons of extreme desolation: Psalms 22 and 88 speak poignantly to anybody whose heart has been shattered by suffering and loss. The latter is the only psalm to end on a note of despair, yet the fact that the psalmist is praying at all is itself an act of trust in a God who hears our cries and cares for our needs.
For giving praise to God: Psalm 150 is a short psalm both simple and deep, speaking to us of the greatness of God and the fulfillment we find in giving glory to Him.
Further Reading:
John Bergsma, Psalm Basics for Catholics: Seeing Salvation History in a New Way (Ave Maria Press, 2018)
C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms
