Friday - 3rd Week of Advent.

God's presence: A life of psalms.

Entering God's presence makes life a  psalm.  In the presence, heart fills God's reflections and tongue recite it as an offering to God. An adoration of spirit and truth.

Psalms 45 : 2: "My heart is stirred by a noble theme, as I sing my ode to the king. My tongue is the pen of a nimble scribe." 

Entering God's presence and communicating with Him is the very essence of the Catholic life. To do the will of God, one has to enter His presence. The sanctuary of the Lord, from where God speaks.

Entering God's presence and communication with Him is the very essence and realm of the Psalms.  Psalms 95: 2, Come, let us go up to the house of the LORD with a song of praise.

Each Catholic is called to fulfill the will of God, by living a life of holiness, loving God and neighbor, making disciples (evangelizing), and serving others, using their unique gifts (vocation) within their state in life (married, single, ordained) to build God's Kingdom and grow closer to Him. This involves practicing virtues, showing mercy, and discerning how to best apply God's grace in the world, ultimately leading to union with Him

Judges 13:3 An angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her: Though you are barren and have had no children, you will conceive and bear a son.

Luke 1:9 Zechariah was chosen to enter the sanctuary of the Lord; 19 And the angel said to him “I am Gabriel who stand before God." 20:  you will be speechless and unable to talk, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”

Angels are always in the presence of god.

Matthew 18:10 "Angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

Psalms 119:2 Blessed those who keep his testimonies.

The sanctuary is where one can enter into His presence to hear His voice, find refuge, and experience His glory.

The New Testament describes believers as temples of the Holy Spirit, where God's presence resides, and He speaks through His Word and inner prompting (1 Corinthians 3:16, John 14:26). 

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Psalms 20 : 3 May he send you help from the sanctuary, from Zion be your support.

Psalms 150: 1: Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy sanctuary;

Psalms 15: 1, LORD, who may abide in your tent; Who may dwell on your holy mountain 2, Whoever walks without blame, doing what is right, speaking truth from the heart; 3, Who does not slander with his tongue, does no harm to a friend, never defames a neighbor; 4, Who disdains the wicked, but honors those who fear the LORD; Who keeps an oath despite the cost, 5,lends no money at interest, accepts no bribe against the innocent. 

Psalms 95: 2, Come, let us go up to the house of the LORD with a song of praise, joyfully sing out our psalms. Psalms: 100: 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name;

Doing God's will involves entering His presence, which isn't just a physical place but

an ongoing relationship accessed through faith, prayer, praise, and seeking Him with a transformed heart, acknowledging the Holy Spirit dwells within believers, making His presence accessible for guidance and empowerment.

 A life of psalms will enter God's presence. 

Chanting all 150 Psalms daily, as monks historically did, is a powerful, intensive way to saturate your heart with Scripture, offering a rich vocabulary for prayer, praise, lament, and reflection, teaching deep reliance on God and covering all human emotions.

The Rosary and Psalms are deeply connected, with the Rosary originating as a lay substitute for the 150 Psalms chanted in monasteries; the full 150 Hail Marys in a traditional Rosary mirror the 150 Psalms, earning it the name "Our Lady's Psalter," and both involve scriptural meditation, though the Rosary focuses on the life of Christ through its Mysteries. Early Christians used beads to count 150 Hail Marys as a way to join the monks' Psalmody, making the Rosary a "poor man's psalter" for those who couldn't read or afford Psalters.

"Our Lady's Psalter" (or "Angelic Psalter") is a traditional Catholic term for the Rosary, specifically the 150 Hail Marys that mirror the 150 Psalms in the biblical Book of Psalms, offered as praise to God through Mary, acknowledging her unique role in salvation history. It's called a "psalter" because it replaces the Divine Office's 150 psalms for those who can't read, and "Our Lady's" because Mary requested its widespread use, connecting the angelic salutation (Hail Mary) to the Psalms.

Saint Louis de Montfort, in his book The Secret of the Rosary, encouraged reciting the entire Rosary(3 Rosaries) daily to honor the three crowns of Jesus (grace, thorns, and glory) and the three-fold crown given to Mary in Heaven.

He taught that this devotion helps individuals receive three crowns in return: a crown of merit during life, a crown of peace at death, and a crown of glory in Heaven.