Page from a greek psalter
From St. Basil’s homily on Psalm 1
When,
indeed, the Holy Spirit saw that the human race was
guided only with difficulty toward virtue, and that,
because of our inclination toward pleasure, we were
neglectful of an upright life, what did He do? The
delight of melody He mingled with the doctrines so
that by the pleasantness and softness of the sound
heard we might receive without perceiving it the
benefit of the words, just as wise physicians who,
when giving the fastidious rather bitter drugs to
drink, frequently smear the cup with honey.
Therefore, He devised for us these harmonious melodies of
the psalms, that they who are children in age, or even
those who are youthful in disposition, might to all
appearances chant, but in reality, become trained in soul.
For, never has any one of the many indifferent persons
gone away easily holding in mind either an apostolic or
prophetic message, but they do chant the words of the
psalms, even in the home, and they spread them around in
the market place, and, if perchance, someone becomes
exceedingly wrathful, when he begins to be soothed by the
psalm, he departs with the wrath immediately lulled to
sleep by means of the melody.
A psalm implies serenity of Soul; it is the author of
peace, which calms bewildering and seething thoughts. For,
it softens the wrath of the soul, and what is unbridled it
chastens. A psalm forms friendships, unites those
separated, conciliates those at enmity. Who, indeed, can
still consider as an enemy him with whom he has uttered
the same prayer to God? So that psalmody, bringing about
choral singing, a bond, as it were, toward unity, and
joining people into a harmonious union of one choir,
produces also the greatest of blessings, love.
A psalm is a city of refuge from the demons; a means of
inducing help from the angels, a weapon in fears by night,
a rest from the toils of the day, a safeguard for infants,
an adornment for those at the height of their vigour, a
consolation for the elders, a most fitting ornament for
women. It peoples the solitudes; it rids the market places
of excesses; it is the elementary exposition of beginners,
the improvement of those advancing, the solid support of
the perfect, the voice of the Church. It brightens feast
days; it creates a sorrow which is in accordance with God.
For, a psalm calls forth a tear even from a heart of
stone.
A psalm is the work of angels, a heavenly institution, the
spiritual incense.
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