Description

Book Synopsis
As the longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119 comprises 176 verses. Its message sings the praise of Israel’s Law and describes how the faithful should respond to the gift of God’s self-revelation. In The Longest Psalm, Michael Casey offers a meditative reading of each verse of the psalm, intended to be read one at a time, to facilitate a personal prayer and reflection. Psalm 119 brings together elements found throughout the Psalter and the reflections focus on universal themes as well as specific questions of daily life, such as our experience of yearning, service, affliction, and stumbling. Each verse stands alone, intended to be read slowly, like the litanies familiar to Catholic devotion.

Perfect for a brief meditation before beginning the day, Casey invites us to spend time wandering with the psalmist to allow God’s Word to play a significant role in our lives. Through this careful reflection on the longest psalm, readers will discover the text is not merely a psalm to be sung but also a path to be followed.


Trade Review
"Michael Casey’s insightful meditations on Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Psalter, are to be read slowly and savored. By reflecting on the meaning of each of the Psalm’s 176 verses, he shows us how God’s Torah can form and renew our lives today. Here is a volume to which you can turn for spiritual nourishment and guidance."
Frank J. Matera, Professor Emeritus, The Catholic University of America
"God’s self-revelation in Scripture can be known by us through lectio. Fr. Michael Casey has done the homework. All we have to do is turn the page. This book on “the Longest Psalm” is an example of how we can hold and grasp the whole of Hebrew Scripture."
Sr. Meg Funk, OSB, Our Lady of Grace Monastery, Beech Grove, Indiana

"The long, repetitive Psalm 119, like an apparently barren landscape, yields surprising variety and abundance to the practiced, patient gaze. Thanks to Michael Casey’s well-trained eye and long experience, this neglected psalm now receives the attention it deserves. To read this commentary is both to appreciate the psalm and to assimilate rewarding habits of close reading."
Elias Dietz, OCSO, Abbey of Gethsemani
"Psalm 119 occurs more frequently in the Liturgy of the Hours than any other psalm, but it has long been neglected in commentary because it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Michael Casey executes here a successful rescue mission, showing that the very point of the Psalm is that it is staying where it is, celebrating the word of God by turning it over and over like a diamond so that we can appreciate all its facets."
Jerome Kodell, OSB, Subiaco Abbey

"From the author who gave us Sacred Reading, the finest introduction to Lectio Divina that I know, comes this volume in which Michael Casey leads us through a Lectio Divina for Psalm 119. With each biblical verse, Casey plumbs concrete questions of daily life, such as our experience of longing, evil, vanity, and stumbling. Each of the 176 verses of this psalm is given a two-page reflection, perfect for a brief meditation before beginning the day."
Craig E. Morrison, OCarm, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome

"If you find Psalm 119 tedious and suppose that its main virtue must lie in its acrostic cleverness, appreciated only in the original Hebrew, this book will make you think again. In a meditative, practical, and sometimes even playful reading of each of the psalm’s 176 verses, Michael Casey shows how the law celebrated in this psalm, far from being something harsh and coercive, is a source of joy and delight, nothing less than the divine self-revelation offering us a pathway to fullness of life. The law, understood in this way, encompasses not only the written word, but the assimilated word, active in our hearts, shaping our outlook and values. The fruit of a Cistercian monk’s long exposure to the psalms, singing them, as verse 146 says, ‘seven times in the day,’ this book is a gift to all who treasure them, both Jewish and Christian."
Margaret Daly-Denton, PhD, Trinity College Dublin

"How to joyfully fulfil the Law of the Lord in all the varied circumstances emerging from one’s life? Who else but Michael Casey, could weave together 176 answers to this question using the 176 verses of Psalm 118 (119). With his usual laser-sharp gaze on the text, his comprehensive exploration and penetrating acumen we have all come to expect from his work, Casey draws us into the profound riches and purpose of this otherwise repetitive and predictable text."
Carmel Posa, SGS, University of Divinity, Australia
"The Longest Psalm is tailor-made for daily devotions with its rich, terse, chapters. But it is also, like Psalm 119 itself, a jewel which revels itself with repetition, contemplation, and prayer. It is a jewel deserving of wide and heedful readership."
Catholic Books Review
"The Longest Psalm offers a new and refreshing encounter with Psalm 119. Casey opens up this psalm, allowing reflections on the law to be a source of joy and life as the reader ponders its meaning daily. The book is the fruit of careful reflection on our relationship with God and a meticulous attention to detail. It offers the reader the opportunity to read as Casey reads."
The Downside Review

Table of Contents
Contents
Introduction 1
Psalm 119 13
1. Integrity 25
2. Seeking 26
3. Evil 28
4. You 29
5. Journey 31
6. Assurance 33
7. Learning 34
8. Covenant 36
9. Unadulterated 37
10. Wandering 39
11. Treasure 40
12. Gratitude 42
13. Echo 44
14. Enrichment 45
15. Depthing 47
16. Delight 48
17. Recompense 50
18. Perception 51
19. Tentativeness 53
20. Desire 55
21. Rebuke 56
22. Rejection 58
23. Prophets 59
24. Counsel 61
25. Re-Creation 63
26. Narration 64
27. Understanding 66
28. Revival 67
29. Favor 69
30. Faith 70
31. Unashamed 72
32. Running 74
33. Arrival 75
34. Holding Fast 77
35. Unique 78
36. Accumulation 80
37. Vanity 81
38. Reverence 83
39. Reproach 85
40. Liveliness 86
41. Kindness 88
42. Response 89
43. Truth 91
44. Always 93
45. Freedom 94
46. Kings 96
47. Imperatives 98
48. Entreaty 99
49. Delay 101
50. Comfort 102
51. Self-Assurance 104
52. Judgment 106
53. Apostates 107
54. Exile 109
55. Night 110
56. Outcomes 112
57. Portion 114
58. Grace 115
59. Dissatisfaction 117
60. Dawdle 118
61. Ensnared 120
62. Midnight 122
63. Solidarity 123
64. Providence 125
65. Goodness 126
66. Discretion 128
67. Experience 130
68. Dispersion 131
69. Unreactiveness 133
70. Gross 135
71. Affliction 136
72. Baubles 138
73. Formation 140
74. Hope 141
75. Reliability 143
76. Promises 144
77. Sanctuary 146
78. Retribution 148
79. Kinship 149
80. Blameless 151
81. Well-Being 152
82. Anticipation 154
83. Wineskin 156
84. Transcendence 157
85. Rebellion 159
86. Assistance 160
87. Almost 162
88. Life-Giving 164
89. Forever 165
90. Generations 167
91. Service 168
92. Pain 170
93. Forgetfulness 172
94. Searching 173
95. Rejection 175
96. Boundless 176
97. Symbolic 178
98. Practicality 180
99. Alternatives 181
100. More 183
101. And 185
102. Interiority 187
103. Strength 188
104. Falsehood 190
105. Illumination 192
106. Vow 193
107. Honesty 195
108. Offering 197
109. Soul 198
110. Traps 200
111. Inheritance 202
112. Turning 203
113. Doubleminded 205
114. Shield 207
115. Solidarity 208
116. Support 210
117. Gazing 211
118. Lightweights 213
119. Dross 215
120. Terror 216
121. Acceptance 218
122. Pledge 219
123. Longing 221
124. Undeserving 223
125. Service 224
126. Forbearance 226
127. Gold 227
128. Deviance 229
129. Praxis 231
130. Expanding 232
131. Yearning 234
132. Favor 236
133. Servility 237
134. Ransom 239
135. Radiance 241
136. Grief 242
137. Righteousness 244
138. Testimonies 246
139. Self-Doubt 247
140. Tested 249
141. Small 250
142. Ever-Changing 252
143. Anguish 254
144. Glimmering 255
145. Wholeheartedness 257
146. Desperation 259
147. Twilight 260
148. Anticipation 262
149. Concordance 264
150. Schemers 265
151. Closeness 267
152. Antiquity 268
153. Affliction 270
154. Advocacy 272
155. Wicked 273
156. Tenderness 275
157. Mediocrity 276
158. Breaking Faith 278
159. Fulfilment 280
160. Truth-Telling 281
161. Immunity 283
162. Gratuity 284
163. Partiality 286
164. Regularity 288
165. Stumbling 289
166. Expectation 291
167. Compliance 292
168. Future 294
169. Outcry 296
170. Deliverance 297
171. Praise 299
172. Contagious 300
173. Help 302
174. Longing 303
175. Life 305
176. Lost 306
Notes 309

The Longest Psalm: Day-by-Day Responses to Divine

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A Paperback / softback by Michael Casey, OCSO

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    View other formats and editions of The Longest Psalm: Day-by-Day Responses to Divine by Michael Casey, OCSO

    Publisher: Liturgical Press
    Publication Date: 29/09/2023
    ISBN13: 9798400800009, 979-8400800009
    ISBN10: 9798400800009
    Also in:
    Bible readings, selections and meditations

    Description

    Book Synopsis
    As the longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119 comprises 176 verses. Its message sings the praise of Israel’s Law and describes how the faithful should respond to the gift of God’s self-revelation. In The Longest Psalm, Michael Casey offers a meditative reading of each verse of the psalm, intended to be read one at a time, to facilitate a personal prayer and reflection. Psalm 119 brings together elements found throughout the Psalter and the reflections focus on universal themes as well as specific questions of daily life, such as our experience of yearning, service, affliction, and stumbling. Each verse stands alone, intended to be read slowly, like the litanies familiar to Catholic devotion.

    Perfect for a brief meditation before beginning the day, Casey invites us to spend time wandering with the psalmist to allow God’s Word to play a significant role in our lives. Through this careful reflection on the longest psalm, readers will discover the text is not merely a psalm to be sung but also a path to be followed.


    Trade Review
    "Michael Casey’s insightful meditations on Psalm 119, the longest psalm of the Psalter, are to be read slowly and savored. By reflecting on the meaning of each of the Psalm’s 176 verses, he shows us how God’s Torah can form and renew our lives today. Here is a volume to which you can turn for spiritual nourishment and guidance."
    Frank J. Matera, Professor Emeritus, The Catholic University of America
    "God’s self-revelation in Scripture can be known by us through lectio. Fr. Michael Casey has done the homework. All we have to do is turn the page. This book on “the Longest Psalm” is an example of how we can hold and grasp the whole of Hebrew Scripture."
    Sr. Meg Funk, OSB, Our Lady of Grace Monastery, Beech Grove, Indiana

    "The long, repetitive Psalm 119, like an apparently barren landscape, yields surprising variety and abundance to the practiced, patient gaze. Thanks to Michael Casey’s well-trained eye and long experience, this neglected psalm now receives the attention it deserves. To read this commentary is both to appreciate the psalm and to assimilate rewarding habits of close reading."
    Elias Dietz, OCSO, Abbey of Gethsemani
    "Psalm 119 occurs more frequently in the Liturgy of the Hours than any other psalm, but it has long been neglected in commentary because it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Michael Casey executes here a successful rescue mission, showing that the very point of the Psalm is that it is staying where it is, celebrating the word of God by turning it over and over like a diamond so that we can appreciate all its facets."
    Jerome Kodell, OSB, Subiaco Abbey

    "From the author who gave us Sacred Reading, the finest introduction to Lectio Divina that I know, comes this volume in which Michael Casey leads us through a Lectio Divina for Psalm 119. With each biblical verse, Casey plumbs concrete questions of daily life, such as our experience of longing, evil, vanity, and stumbling. Each of the 176 verses of this psalm is given a two-page reflection, perfect for a brief meditation before beginning the day."
    Craig E. Morrison, OCarm, Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome

    "If you find Psalm 119 tedious and suppose that its main virtue must lie in its acrostic cleverness, appreciated only in the original Hebrew, this book will make you think again. In a meditative, practical, and sometimes even playful reading of each of the psalm’s 176 verses, Michael Casey shows how the law celebrated in this psalm, far from being something harsh and coercive, is a source of joy and delight, nothing less than the divine self-revelation offering us a pathway to fullness of life. The law, understood in this way, encompasses not only the written word, but the assimilated word, active in our hearts, shaping our outlook and values. The fruit of a Cistercian monk’s long exposure to the psalms, singing them, as verse 146 says, ‘seven times in the day,’ this book is a gift to all who treasure them, both Jewish and Christian."
    Margaret Daly-Denton, PhD, Trinity College Dublin

    "How to joyfully fulfil the Law of the Lord in all the varied circumstances emerging from one’s life? Who else but Michael Casey, could weave together 176 answers to this question using the 176 verses of Psalm 118 (119). With his usual laser-sharp gaze on the text, his comprehensive exploration and penetrating acumen we have all come to expect from his work, Casey draws us into the profound riches and purpose of this otherwise repetitive and predictable text."
    Carmel Posa, SGS, University of Divinity, Australia
    "The Longest Psalm is tailor-made for daily devotions with its rich, terse, chapters. But it is also, like Psalm 119 itself, a jewel which revels itself with repetition, contemplation, and prayer. It is a jewel deserving of wide and heedful readership."
    Catholic Books Review
    "The Longest Psalm offers a new and refreshing encounter with Psalm 119. Casey opens up this psalm, allowing reflections on the law to be a source of joy and life as the reader ponders its meaning daily. The book is the fruit of careful reflection on our relationship with God and a meticulous attention to detail. It offers the reader the opportunity to read as Casey reads."
    The Downside Review

    Table of Contents
    Contents
    Introduction 1
    Psalm 119 13
    1. Integrity 25
    2. Seeking 26
    3. Evil 28
    4. You 29
    5. Journey 31
    6. Assurance 33
    7. Learning 34
    8. Covenant 36
    9. Unadulterated 37
    10. Wandering 39
    11. Treasure 40
    12. Gratitude 42
    13. Echo 44
    14. Enrichment 45
    15. Depthing 47
    16. Delight 48
    17. Recompense 50
    18. Perception 51
    19. Tentativeness 53
    20. Desire 55
    21. Rebuke 56
    22. Rejection 58
    23. Prophets 59
    24. Counsel 61
    25. Re-Creation 63
    26. Narration 64
    27. Understanding 66
    28. Revival 67
    29. Favor 69
    30. Faith 70
    31. Unashamed 72
    32. Running 74
    33. Arrival 75
    34. Holding Fast 77
    35. Unique 78
    36. Accumulation 80
    37. Vanity 81
    38. Reverence 83
    39. Reproach 85
    40. Liveliness 86
    41. Kindness 88
    42. Response 89
    43. Truth 91
    44. Always 93
    45. Freedom 94
    46. Kings 96
    47. Imperatives 98
    48. Entreaty 99
    49. Delay 101
    50. Comfort 102
    51. Self-Assurance 104
    52. Judgment 106
    53. Apostates 107
    54. Exile 109
    55. Night 110
    56. Outcomes 112
    57. Portion 114
    58. Grace 115
    59. Dissatisfaction 117
    60. Dawdle 118
    61. Ensnared 120
    62. Midnight 122
    63. Solidarity 123
    64. Providence 125
    65. Goodness 126
    66. Discretion 128
    67. Experience 130
    68. Dispersion 131
    69. Unreactiveness 133
    70. Gross 135
    71. Affliction 136
    72. Baubles 138
    73. Formation 140
    74. Hope 141
    75. Reliability 143
    76. Promises 144
    77. Sanctuary 146
    78. Retribution 148
    79. Kinship 149
    80. Blameless 151
    81. Well-Being 152
    82. Anticipation 154
    83. Wineskin 156
    84. Transcendence 157
    85. Rebellion 159
    86. Assistance 160
    87. Almost 162
    88. Life-Giving 164
    89. Forever 165
    90. Generations 167
    91. Service 168
    92. Pain 170
    93. Forgetfulness 172
    94. Searching 173
    95. Rejection 175
    96. Boundless 176
    97. Symbolic 178
    98. Practicality 180
    99. Alternatives 181
    100. More 183
    101. And 185
    102. Interiority 187
    103. Strength 188
    104. Falsehood 190
    105. Illumination 192
    106. Vow 193
    107. Honesty 195
    108. Offering 197
    109. Soul 198
    110. Traps 200
    111. Inheritance 202
    112. Turning 203
    113. Doubleminded 205
    114. Shield 207
    115. Solidarity 208
    116. Support 210
    117. Gazing 211
    118. Lightweights 213
    119. Dross 215
    120. Terror 216
    121. Acceptance 218
    122. Pledge 219
    123. Longing 221
    124. Undeserving 223
    125. Service 224
    126. Forbearance 226
    127. Gold 227
    128. Deviance 229
    129. Praxis 231
    130. Expanding 232
    131. Yearning 234
    132. Favor 236
    133. Servility 237
    134. Ransom 239
    135. Radiance 241
    136. Grief 242
    137. Righteousness 244
    138. Testimonies 246
    139. Self-Doubt 247
    140. Tested 249
    141. Small 250
    142. Ever-Changing 252
    143. Anguish 254
    144. Glimmering 255
    145. Wholeheartedness 257
    146. Desperation 259
    147. Twilight 260
    148. Anticipation 262
    149. Concordance 264
    150. Schemers 265
    151. Closeness 267
    152. Antiquity 268
    153. Affliction 270
    154. Advocacy 272
    155. Wicked 273
    156. Tenderness 275
    157. Mediocrity 276
    158. Breaking Faith 278
    159. Fulfilment 280
    160. Truth-Telling 281
    161. Immunity 283
    162. Gratuity 284
    163. Partiality 286
    164. Regularity 288
    165. Stumbling 289
    166. Expectation 291
    167. Compliance 292
    168. Future 294
    169. Outcry 296
    170. Deliverance 297
    171. Praise 299
    172. Contagious 300
    173. Help 302
    174. Longing 303
    175. Life 305
    176. Lost 306
    Notes 309

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